The purpose of this study was to investigate dietary habits and food compliance in stroke patients. One-hundred sixty eight elderly stroke patients and 97 young patients with first -ever stroke admitted to Asan Medical Center between 1994 and 1998 were studied. Using a structured interview, we assessed food intake. food consumption frequency and compliance to low salt, low meat hight fish and high fruit and vegetable diets. These results were analyzed with X$^2$, t-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the SAS package program. Salted food intake and cholesterol-containing food frequency were increased whereas frequency of fruits and vegetables intake was decreased in young stroke patients compared to the elderly. Meat intake and cholesterol-containing food frequency were increased in the males compared to the females in elderly stroke patients. and fish intake and cholesterol-containing food frequency were higher in the males than the females in the young. In patients with high economic status, frequency of fruits and vegetables was elevated. Also compliance the low meat and high fruit and vegetable diet in young patients was lower than that in the elderly. When the life-style risk factors influencing the food intake of frequency of fruits and vegetables was affected by education in young stroke patients. In elderly stroke patients, meat intake frequency of cholesterol-containing foods and fruits and vegetables were influenced by sex and /or income. Our results suggest that dietary intake of salt meat ,cholesterol-containing foods. fruits and vegetables in stroke patients may vary with age, sex the presence of risk factors or economic status therefore guidelines and nutrition education should by formulated to prevent stroke recurrence based on dietary habits and risk factors of individual patients.