Download Providing Partnership services in Bedfordshire, Essex and

Providing Partnership services in
Bedfordshire, Essex and Luton
How to get
the most
out of your
food
In Tune with you – in hospital,
in the community, in your home
Sometimes we do not feel like eating. This can be for
a variety of reasons and can affect your health if it
continues over a period of time. It is important to eat a
varied diet to ensure that you get as much nourishment
as possible.
Increasing the ENERGY content of your diet will help you maintain or increase
your weight and make best use of the protein in your food. Slightly increasing
the PROTEIN content of your diet may help your body to fight infection and
repair tissues. Too much however will not help and may make you feel unwell.
This leaflet is designed to help you over periods when your body may require
more food and/or your appetite is poor. It shows you ways to improve the
quality of your diet providing examples of suitable meals, snacks and drinks.
Try these measures for 4 weeks. If they do not appear to be working ask your
doctor about a referral to a State Registered Dietitian.
If you have diabetes or kidney problems
you may require individual advice.
When Your Appetite Is Poor
• Enjoy a variety of foods, have 2 small courses at each meal or aim to eat little
and often, taking something small every 11/2 - 2 hours during the day.
• Always have breakfast - you will find you eat better for the rest of the day.
• Cold foods and snacks e.g. sandwiches, can be just as nourishing as a
cooked meal and are often more appealing.
• If you cannot manage a main meal have a milky drink, a small snack or a
dessert instead.
• Take your time eating. Chew all foods well and try to rest after meals.
• Make the most of good days by treating yourself to your favourite foods. Eat
what you want, when you want it. Don’t be tied to conventional mealtimes.
• On days when you feel like cooking, make extra of what you cook and
freeze a portion for a later date.
• Sharp foods are refreshing. Try fresh fruit, fruit juice, lemon squash, boiled
sweets and acid drops.
• A small glass of alcohol or fruit juice half an hour before a meal may help to
stimulate your appetite (check with your doctor first as alcohol should not
be taken with some medicines or tablets).
• Avoid filling yourself up with large servings of vegetables, salads, water and
fizzy drinks. They provide bulk but little nourishment.
• Try not to get out of the habit of eating - you actually need to keep eating
to stimulate your appetite.
• Having a breath of fresh air before meals also helps.
• It is very important to drink enough fluid - aim for 6-8 cups a day. However it
may be best not to drink just before meals as this may spoil your appetite.
• Take up offers of shopping or cooking. Use home delivery services for
shopping and meals. Eating in company can help.
How To Add Extra Energy And Protein To Your Food
To breakfast cereals add: sugar • honey • cream • evaporated milk • dried fruit
To soups stir in: cream • yoghurt • cheeses • butter or margarine • milk • eggs
To potatoes and vegetables add: cream • butter or margarine • grated cheese
To puddings add: syrup • jam • honey. sugar • yoghurt • cream • dried fruit • ice
cream • custard • eggs • milk powder
To pastas add: cheese • cream and cheese sauces • cream • greek yoghurt
To drinks add: sugar • honey • cream • milk powder
Fortified milk: whisk 4 tablespoons of milk powder into a pint of full fat milk.
Use this milk throughout the day in drinks, on cereals, in puddings and sauces
etc. Refrigerate between use.
Choose High Energy Foods!
We all know that foods low in fat and sugar are part of a healthy diet. Such
foods however are not useful for somebody who needs a diet high in energy.
Choose more
Choose less
Full cream milk
Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk
Full fat and extra creamy yoghurts
Low fat and diet yoghurts
Normal butter or margarine
Low fat butter or margarine
Sugar
Artificial sweeteners
Full fat cheese
Low fat cheese or cottage cheese
Standard sugar-containing
drinks
Reduced sugar, no added sugar or
low calorie drinks
Fruit tinned in syrup
Fruit tinned in natural juice
Standard varieties of puddings or
desserts
Reduced sugar, low fat, diet milk
puddings or desserts
Ordinary crisps
Low fat crisps
Creamy soups
Low calorie soups
Full fat mayonnaise or salad creams
Low fat varieties
Fried foods
Grilled foods
What To Eat
Main meals: include a high protein food such as meat, fish, chicken, egg
or pulses with your main meal. Add extra calories and protein using the
suggestions on the previous page.
Convenience foods: these are very useful when you do not feel like cooking
or shopping. Try and make sure you have a good supply of tinned, frozen or
dried meals or foods in your cupboard or freezer. Ready-made meals such as
shepherd’s pie, lasagne, curry or fish in sauce for example are also suitable.
Sandwiches: use high protein fillings such as cheese, ham, egg, tuna,
chicken, peanut butter or pate. Add interest and flavour with pickles,
mayonnaise or salad cream.
Jacket potato: there are lots of suitable fillings such
as baked beans, cheese, tuna and sweetcorn, ham and
coleslaw etc., and use butter with these.
Toast: this can be useful as a snack or a small meal with
toppings such as pilchards, sardines, baked beans, cheese or
eggs.
Desserts: choose high energy desserts such as thick and
creamy yoghurts, fromage frais, custard, trifle, cheesecake,
cakes with creamy fillings, rice pudding and ice cream.
Snacks: aim to have a snack in between each of your main meals.
Suggestions include scones and cakes, dried fruit, nuts, crisps,
chocolate, cheese cubes or cheese and crackers and breakfast
cereals.
What To Drink
Milky drinks: drinking chocolate, Bournvita, Ovaltine and Horlicks can provide
quite a lot of energy and can be taken between meals as well as at bedtime.
Avoid low calorie types and use fortified milk where possible.
Milk shakes: ready-purchased or make up a powder such as Nesquick with full
cream or fortified milk. A recipe for a rich milk shake is included on the back
page of this leaflet.
Coffee: made with milk, preferably fortified.
Soups: instant or otherwise. The small cup-a-soup varieties can be
particularly useful but avoid low calorie types.
Yoghurt Drinks: can be purchased, or yoghurts can be diluted
with milk to make yoghurt shakes.
Fruit juices: fresh, long life or diluted. Fruit juice with fizzy
drinks are refreshing.
Supplement drinks: there are a number of drinks
available to buy from chemists or supermarkets
which are high in protein and energy with added
vitamins and minerals.
Examples are: Build Up, Complan
Made up with milk, they provide a nourishing sweet
or savoury drink useful between meals or to replace a
meal occasionally. They can also be used in powdered
form to add to foods to increase their nutrient content.
Recipes
Milk Shake Recipe
1 1/3 pint milk
2 heaped dsps milk powder or 1/2 sachet Build Up or
Complan
1 scoop ice cream
Mix the above ingredients in a blender or liquidizer and
serve.
Optional extras: yoghurt, tinned fruit, banana, cream, milk
shake powder.
Dessert Recipe
1 sachet Build Up or Complan
1 sachet Instant Whip
1/2 pint milk
Soup Recipe
1 packet instant soup mix
3 tbsps neutral Build Up or Complan
113 pint milk
Mix soup and Build Up or Complan.
Add a little cold milk to form a paste
and then add remaining milk.
Mix together the powders. Add milk,
whisk and leave to set.
SEPT Patient Experience Team
If you have any concerns or need advice about accessing NHS services, you can
speak in confidence to the Patient Experience Team on 0800 0857 935
or you can email [email protected]
PAH Patient Experience Team
If you have any concerns or need advice about accessing NHS services, you
can speak in confidence to the Patient Experience Team on 01279 444455 ext
2358 or PALS on 01279 827211
or you can email [email protected]
This leaflet can be produced in large print, audio cassette, Braille and other
languages on request.
SEPT regards equality and diversity as integral to the way it works. Our staff
will ensure that everyone is treated fairly and no one is discriminated against
on the basis of their ethnicity, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and
religion or belief.
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