Patient Information How to have a nourishing diet Name: Where do I start? Foods high in calories and protein can help you Date: to increase your energy intake, without adding extra bulk to your diet. Having 3 small meals with regular snacks and nourishing fluids in between Your Dietitian: can also help you to meet your dietary needs, even if your appetite is smaller than usual. Contact Number: How to enrich your food Milk and milk products Who is this leaflet for? Aim to use at least 600 mls (1 pint) of full fat Feeling unwell, or having certain medical milk daily (Calcium enriched sweetened milk treatments may mean your appetite is smaller alternatives such as Soya, Oat or Nut milks than usual. Appetite can also decrease as you can also be used). get older. Some people find that even if their Milk can be fortified by adding skimmed appetite is normal, the condition they have milk powder. Use 4 tablespoons per pint of means they need more nourishment than usual milk, or 3-4 teaspoons per serving added to to maintain their weight. In all these cases, it is yoghurts, porridge, bought milk puddings, very important to meet your nutritional needs sauces and soups. Milk powder can be for good health and to prevent weight loss. This bought from any supermarket e.g Marvel or booklet gives advice on what to eat and drink if supermarket own brand. Use fortified milk you are concerned about having a poor appetite, whenever you would use ordinary milk. weight loss, or are experiencing difficulties with eating. Milky drinks taken between meals make a nourishing snack e.g. Ovaltine, Horlicks, drinking chocolate, milky coffee or Why is good nutrition important? milkshakes. Good nutrition means a variety of foods taken Include milk desserts like custards, creamy regularly and providing sufficient energy, protein, yoghurt or fromage frais after meals or as a fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, fluid and snack between meals. fibre to meet your needs. Condensed milk or cream is delicious used Good nutrition is essential, especially during as a dessert topping or stirred into puddings, periods of illness, as it means you will be custards and sweet sauces. stronger, better able to fight infection and cope with treatment. Evaporated milk can be used to replace milk in hot and cold drinks. Yoghurt or cream added to soups or casseroles gives additional flavour and energy. Reference Number: RDE 20 188 002 Page 1 of 10 (version date: January 2021) Yoghurt, fruit juice, fruit, cream and honey Instead of grilling or baking, try roasting or or sugar can be added to liquids to make a frying foods in oil or butter. refreshing drink. Use salad cream, mayonnaise and dressings to Choose thick and creamy/luxury/Greek add flavour and energy to salads, vegetables, yoghurt and avoid diet or low fat varieties. jacket potatoes, sandwiches, pasta, chips or even with meat and fish. Use milk based sauces wherever possible; examples include cheese sauce on cauliflower, Fry rice, chips or roasted potatoes with oil to eggs or fish, and custard on fruit. increase the energy content. Cheese Sugar Grated cheese added to mashed potato, Use ordinary sugar instead of artificial soups, sauces or melted on vegetables/ sweeteners. Stir plenty into drinks and desserts. burgers/fish/beans adds flavour, energy and protein to dishes. Use on breakfast cereals and porridge or choose sugar/honey coated cereals. Cheese and biscuits make a good snack between meals. Drink ordinary squash and fizzy drinks instead of sugar free/diet varieties. Caution: Always use full fat varieties e.g. Cheddar, fizzy drinks may fill you up and reduce your Cheshire or full fat cheese spread. appetite further. Protein sources Add jam, golden syrup, lemon curd, chocolate spread, honey or treacle to milk puddings, Aim for three portions of protein each day. yoghurts and porridge, or spread thickly on toast. Choose from meat, fish,poultry, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, pulses (beans and lentils), (See Frequently asked Questions section if you tofu, Quorn®, soya or pea protein. It is not have diabetes). necessary to remove fat or skin from meat. These protein sources can be used in salads or Fruit and vegetables as sandwich fillings. This group of foods is not high in energy or Add minced meat/flaked fish/corned beef/ protein, but provide necessary vitamins and beans/lentils to soups and stews. minerals. Aim to eat a variety of different coloured fruit and vegetables to provide a Try cheese/white/parsley sauce with fish. range of nutrients. Fresh, frozen and tinned Omelettes, fried, scrambled or poached eggs varieties are all nutritious. They also provide can be a nourishing lighter meal. Boiled fibre to help prevent constipation. mashed egg can be added to rice or mashed Add extra energy to these foods to increase potato. the nourishment they provide. Fats, sauces and dressings Try milky sauces e.g. cheese/white sauce on vegetables. Avoid low fat spreads. Stir fry vegetables or add butter/oil after Use fats e.g. butter or oil as often and as cooking. generously as possible in cooking. Dried fruit are higher in energy and can be Spread butter or margarine thickly on bread, eaten as a snack or added to cereal, salads, toast and scones. cakes and desserts. Margarine, butter or olive oil can be added to Buy tinned fruit in syrup rather than natural hot vegetables and potatoes before serving. juice. Reference Number: RDE 20 188 002 Page 2 of 10 (version date: January 2021) Add extra cream, chocolate sauce or custard Toast to fruit for dessert or a snack. Topped with: Use dressings on salads to increase their energy content. Sardines/pilchards in oil/sauce. Baked beans with cheese. Drink fruit smoothies made with ice cream, yoghurt or cream. Cheese. Soup Ravioli. Spaghetti with cheese. Make packet or condensed soup with milk instead of water. Use milk when making Eggs. home-made soup. Welsh Rarebit. Add cheese, cream, fromage frais or yoghurt Croque Monsieur. and stir in well, serve with bread. Jam, marmalade, honey, peanut butter or Choose thick and creamy or ‘cream of’ soups chocolate spread. rather than thin soups e.g. consommé. Try adding beans, pasta, rice or dumplings to Snacks soups. Crackers or biscuits with butter and cheese. Fruit cake/malt loaf with butter. Quick and nourishing snack and Toasted crumpets/teacakes with butter and meal ideas jam/marmalade or cheese. Keep a store of ready prepared convenience Soup with added cheese/cream and bread. foods and nutritious snack meals for when you Breakfast cereal with milk/yoghurt and sugar/ are feeling less well. honey. Sandwiches Ice cream/sorbet/frozen yoghurt. Fill with: Readymade desserts e.g. trifle, crème caramel, mousse. Cold meat/bacon. Cereal bars. Tinned fish. Small sandwiches or rolls. Cheese/cheese spread. Crisps or chips with dips e.g hummus, Peanut butter. taramasalata, soured cream, cream cheese or guacamole. Patè. Packets of nuts try yoghurt or chocolate Hummus. coated varieties, dried fruit or seeds. Tuna/chicken/egg/prawn mayonnaise. Pastries, chocolate and crisps Smoked/flaked salmon with cream cheese. These provide extra energy when taken with Try using different types of bread and rolls for meals. Take care that they don’t spoil your variety e.g. bagels, pitta bread, breakfast muffins, appetite for more nourishing foods. and add sauces, mayonnaise and relish for extra Try sweet pastries such as cakes, biscuits, flavour and energy. custard tarts, Danish pastries, doughnuts, éclairs, iced buns and cupcakes for between- meal snacks. Reference Number: RDE 20 188 002 Page 3 of 10 (version date: January 2021) Savoury items to try include mini pies, scotch Easy puddings eggs, savoury slices, sausage rolls, spring rolls and pasties. Tinned rice pudding/custard. Chocolate, sweets and crisps are ideal snacks Bread and butter pudding or sponge pudding if you are on the go. with cream. Pancakes with syrup/honey, sugar and lemon Simple meals or chocolate spread. Shepherd’s Pie or Fisherman’s pie with added Thick and creamy yoghurt, Greek yoghurt or cheese in the topping. high protein yoghurt. Corned Beef Hash with carrots. Trifle. Lasagne with salad, topped with a dressing Tinned fruit in syrup with ice-cream/sorbet. and served with oven chips or garlic bread. Mousse/fruit fool. Sausages and baked beans with cheesy mashed potato. Pre-prepared chocolate/flavoured puddings Egg and bacon on toast with butter. e.g. Mars, Aero, Caramel (examples of brand names available). Boil-in-the-bag fish with rice or potatoes and frozen vegetables. Crème caramel. Tinned stew and instant potato with frozen Blancmange/junket/instant whip. vegetables. Milk jelly. Tinned macaroni cheese with tomatoes. Sago/semolina/tapioca with jam. Savoury rice with cold meat/fish and mixed Custard tart. vegetables. Cheese cake and cream. Omelette with cheese/meat served with fried mushrooms. Éclairs/profiteroles. Oven ready fish/fish fingers and oven chips Fruit pie or crumble with ice cream/custard. and peas. Pizza. Nourishing drinks Egg fried rice with cold meat/fish or tofu. Add hot milk, ideally fortified with milk powder, to: Creamy/coconut based curry with rice. Malted drinks e.g Horlicks, Ovaltine. Gammon and egg with chips and peas. Cocoa or drinking chocolate. Chicken or mini kievs with potato wedges and peas. Coffee. Risotto with cheese and cream. Instant soup. Jacket potato with baked beans and cheese. Hot milky drinks are comforting and warming. Have a flask by your side so that you can have a If cooking is tiring, use convenience foods. hot drink frequently. Supermarkets have a good range of frozen, chilled, tinned or packet ready meals. There are Add cold milk to: companies who will deliver frozen meals to your Milkshake flavourings e.g Crusha, Nesquik.