Dietetics - Nourishing Diet

This leaflet will provide information to help you make small changes to what you normally eat to make your diet as nutritious as possible.

This can be helpful for a poor appetite or if you have lost weight without meaning to.

If you normally follow a particular diet, e.g. for raised cholesterol or diabetes, please discuss this with your dietitian or GP.

Signs of Undernutrition

• Unplanned weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Loose fitting clothes/jewellry
• Ill-fitting dentures
• Tiredness
• Sores around lips
• Hair loss

Signs of Dehydration

• Dark coloured or strong-smelling urine
• Dry mouth
• Dry skin
• Loss of appetite
• Light headedness or headaches

Top tips to improve your intake

• Small regular meals, with snacks in between so you are not overfaced
• Try to eat something every 2-3 hours even if it is something small
• Puddings or desserts at least once a day – if you are too full after a meal wait 30 minutes
• If you smoke, try not to smoke half an hour before your meal as this can affect your appetite
• Try to get some fresh air before meals to help stimulate your appetite
• Take drinks after meals to avoid feeling too full or bloated
• Try to eat a little more on the days or times you feel most hungry
• Nourishing nutritional drinks (e.g. Complan® and Meritene®) are available to buy from chemists and supermarkets
• If after 4-6 weeks of trying some of the suggestions in this leaflet, you are still concerned or losing weight please contact your dietitian or GP

How to fortify your meals by adding extra calories:

Foods can be ‘fortified’ to be made more nourishing. You should still try to have a balanced diet and include all food groups.

Here are some examples of how you might do this:

How to fortify:

• Fruit - add cream/coconut cream, ice cream, custard, sugar, or cook berries in jam
• Vegetables - add butter/spread, grated cheese/vegan cheese, cheese sauce, salad dressings, chopped nuts to stir fry vegetables

Starchy carbohydrates:

• Pasta - add butter/spread, mayo/vegan mayo, grated cheese/ vegan cheese, nutritional yeast, pesto
• Breads - add butter/spread, lemon curd/jam, cheese/vegan cheese, pesto, humous
• Porridge oats/cereal - add fortified milk, honey, sugar, jam, peanut butter, dried fruit, chopped nuts, desiccated coconut
• Potatoes - add mayo/vegan mayo, butter/spread, cream cheese, pesto, use oil to roast, fortified milk into mashed potato
• Rice, pasta, chapatis, yam and cassava – add Ghee/butter/ spread, cheese or oil

Dairy foods and alternatives

• Choose full fat milk, yoghurt and cheese
• Make fortified milk - add 4 tablespoons of skimmed milk powder to 1 pint of full cream milk to increase the protein and calcium content

Protein foods

• Meat/fish - add cheese/parsley/cream sauce, grated cheese, pesto, cook with oil
• Beans/chickpeas - add grated cheese/vegan cheese, pesto, if using tinned then reheat or roast with oil
• Soya protein - add mayo/vegan mayo, cook with oil
• Eggs - cook in oil, add grated cheese

Drinks

• Use fortified milk or full fat milk in tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Horlicks, homemade milkshakes
• Avoid fizzy drinks which can fill you up and reduce appetite for food
• Consider a glass of fresh fruit juice in place of a glass of water for a more nourishing drink

Too tired to cook?

• Try ready meals for a quick and convenient option. These can be heated in the microwave or oven. Avoid low fat ready meals and choose the more luxury options
• Add extra grated cheese or butter/spread to ready-made cottage pie, fish pie and pasta dishes too
• Try meal delivery e.g. Wiltshire Farm Foods, iCare, Oakhouse Foods, Pasley box or supermarket home delivery

Ideas for quick and easy meals:

• Toast/crumpets with toppings e.g. cheese, baked beans, scrambled egg, sardines, pilchards, mackerel, pâté or spaghetti
• A toasted sandwich with ham, tomato and cheese or cheese and pickle
• A cold sandwich made with bread/bagel/wrap/barm. Try: cheese, tuna mayo, egg mayo, bacon or cold meats
• Tinned macaroni cheese
• Jacket potatoes – with butter and baked beans, tuna, coleslaw or cheese
• Soups can be quick and nutritious meals whether they are tinned, packet or homemade. Choose ‘cream of’ varieties and add extra cream, cheese or milk. Have with bread and butter/ spread
• Sausage rolls, pasties, samosas, pies, quiches, or scotch eggs - you can nibble on in between meals or have as part of a meal
• Packet rice heated in the microwave, with frozen veg and ready cooked meat/tinned fish
• Ready to eat pasta pots
• Porridge or cereal can be eaten any time of the day

Snack ideas for a nourishing diet

If your appetite is poor or you are losing weight it can be helpful to have small regular meals, as eating 3 large meals can be over- facing. Snacks could include:

100 - 200 calories

• 1 chocolate biscuit bar eg, Club®, Penguin®, Snack, Kit kat®
• Cereal bar
• Chocolate (5 squares)
• Packet of crisps
• 1 crumpet with butter
• Thick and creamy or Corner style yogurt
• 2 chocolate biscuits
• Fruit smoothie (small bottle)
• Individual trifle, mousse, custard pot or rice pudding
• 1 packet mini cheddars
• Jam/Bakewell tart
• 1 slice of Victoria sponge (medium slice)
• 1 mini sausage roll
• Cheese - 30g

200 - 300 calories

• 3 crackers with butter and cheese
• 1 doughnut
• 1 chocolate eclair
• 1 medium flapjack
• 2 pieces fo malt loaf with butter
• Pancake with butter and jam
• 1 toasted tea cake with butter
• Pork pie (medium)
• Fingers of toast with pate
• Garlic bread and cheese
• 1 medium sausage roll
• Chocolate coated ice cream/vegan ice cream

Over 300 calories

• 1 medium danish pastry
• Scone with cream and jam
• Cheesecake/vegan cheesecake - 1 medium slice
• 50g unsalted nuts
• Microwave sponge pudding

Milkshake recipe Ingredients

• 100ml full cream milk
• 60g skimmed milk powder
• 25ml double cream
• 15g milkshake powder

Method

• Mix the skimmed milk powder with full cream milk, until dissolved
• Add double cream and milkshake powder
• Mix well and sieve into jug or glass
• Serve as 200ml milkshake or 50ml x 4 shots

For further information please contact:

Community: 0161 206 2347

Hospital: 0161 206 4254