The most natural and physiological way of obtaining nutrition is via oral intake through the mouth. Food taken through the mouth is digested and broken up into nutrients and absorbed into the body. For some patients this process is interrupted by illness. The introduction of enteral tubes for feeding becomes necessary for these patients and for some, it maybe permanent. Advances in the field of clinical nutrition are moving with great speed with different formulations being brought into the market. Today physicians are face with what can bewildering choice of formulations. Increasingly patients are being discharged from the acute hospital with enteral tube feedings to the community. It is important for family physicians to be familiar with the type of formulations and the different enteral tubes. These tubes need to be changed on a regular basis and family physician may be called upon to provide such a service.Many studies have supported the known fact that if “the gut works” use it adage. The enteral route is always preferable to the parenteral route provided there are no contraindications such as ileus, gastrointestinal ischemia, bilious and persistent vomiting or mechanical obstruction. There are many advantages as it requires less hospital stay, less cost, fewer infections and caloric intake can be varied easily.