Dietetics
Patients who are required to follow a specific diet must read the information below
If you have been advised to follow a specific diet for a medical condition (such as a gluten free or renal diet) or have any food allergies, you must continue to follow that diet as some of the foods listed in this diet sheet may not be appropriate and should continue to be avoided.
During your recent appointment with a health care professional, you were asked about your appetite and if you had lost any weight recently. You may have had your weight and height recorded. This information identified you as being ‘at risk’ of becoming malnourished. It is important to maintain your weight and prevent any further weight loss to reduce further health problems and to keep you as well as possible. To do this it is important to eat nourishing foods; high in energy and protein.
This leaflet gives you ideas on how to make small changes to help you eat a more nourishing diet and prevent any further weight loss. The following suggestions may help and should be followed until your healthcare professional is happy with your weight.
How to eat a nourishing diet
You should try to:
- Eat 3 small meals each day as well as mid-morning, mid-afternoon and supper time snacks or eat small amounts every 2 to 3 hours.
- Choose high calorie items such as, full cream milk, puddings, pastries, pies, sweets, chocolate, biscuits, nuts, tea cakes, crumpets, scones, crisps, cakes, cooked breakfast and meals with creamy and, or cheesy sauces.
- Avoid ‘low fat’ or ‘diet’ products.
- Have at least 1 pudding per day.
- Choose 2 good protein sources each day, such as: meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cheese, nuts, yogurt or beans and pulses.
- Have 1 pint of full cream milk each day.
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid each day (tea, coffee, fruit juice, milky drinks). Sip on these throughout the day and take drinks after your meals, to avoid filling up on them.
- Fortify your milk (add 4 tablespoons of dried milk powder to 1 pint of full cream milk).
If you have a small appetite
You should:
Try to eat ‘little and often’
Try to choose foods you fancy
Try convenience foods or ready meals if you are finding cooking difficult or tiring. It may also be a good idea to freeze smaller portions of home cooked meals for convenience
Do not try to eat large amounts and over-face yourself
If you have diabetes
If you have diabetes, sugary items should be avoided. You should choose higher fat foods in order to maintain your weight. A high fat diet is suitable in the short term for those with high cholesterol, as it is more important that you are not losing weight.
Choose nourishing snacks
- Scone, crumpet, muffin or toasted teacake with butter and jam
- Cheese or peanut butter on toast
- Crackers with butter and cheese or patè
- Bacon sandwich
- Thick and creamy yogurts or mousse
- Cake bar or muffin
- Sausage roll, samosas, pakora, spring rolls or pork pie
- Crisps
- Pot of custard or rice pudding
- Pot of trifle or individual cheesecake
- Flapjack, biscuits, chocolate bar or cereal bar
- Malt loaf with butter.
Quick meal ideas
- Jacket potato with butter, beans and cheese
- Sausage, mash and beans (add butter and cheese to mashed potato)
- Cheese, scrambled egg, beans or spaghetti on well-buttered toast
- Omelette with cheese and ham
- Try tinned, oven ready or microwave meals for convenience (avoid diet brands)
- Sausage roll, corned beef slice, pasty, pork pie, spring roll, samosa or bhaji
- Oven chips or potato waffle with beans and cheese.
Desserts
- Instant desserts: instant whip or custard made with fortified milk
- Tinned: milk pudding, custard, fruit in syrup, sponge puddings
- Frozen: cakes, gateaux, ice cream, ice-lollies, choc-ices, ready to bake puddings
- From the fridge: thick and creamy yogurt, cheesecake, mousses, trifles
- Homemade: crumbles, bread and butter pudding, fruit pies, milk puddings, scones, cakes, halva, kheer and kulfi.
If you need your foods to be easier to chew or swallow
- Choose food that is soft enough to be broken up with the flat edge of a fork, and into a consistency that can be eaten easily
- Avoid foods that are dry, crusty, flaky, sharp or rough
- Try to moisten foods by adding sauces or gravy to savoury food or custard or cream to sweet food
- If your mouth or throat or gullet is sore you would also be advised to avoid foods and drinks that are very hot or very cold, fizzy drinks and alcoholic beverages, foods that are highly seasoned, spicy or very salty, acidic foods such as fruit juices, tomato based meals, citrus fruits, vinegar and relishes, as these things may sting and cause considerable discomfort
- If it is very difficult to swallow, use a hand blender or liquidiser to puree your foods to a soft, smooth texture.
Choose nourishing drinks
These recipes provide a similar amount of calories as supplement drinks that are available to buy or get on prescription.
Cup-a-soup
Ingredients:
200ml of full cream milk
2 heaped teaspoons of milk powder
1 packet of cup-a-soup
Method: Mix together milk, milk powder and cup-a-soup. Heat until simmering in a saucepan or microwave.
Nutritional value (approx): 250kcal per cup
Milkshake
Ingredients:
200ml (1/3 pint) full cream milk
2 heaped teaspoons of milk powder
Add milkshake syrup or powder to taste
Method: Whisk milk and milk powder together, add milkshake syrup or powder.
Nutritional value (approx): 230kcal per cup
Variations: Add 1 scoop of ice cream (extra 115kcal)
Add 1 tablespoon of single or double cream (extra 60 to 149kcal)
Milky coffee
Ingredients:
150ml (1/4 pint) full cream milk
1 heaped teaspoon of milk powder
4 tablespoons of single cream
1 teaspoon of coffee powder
Method: Mix together milk, milk powder and cream. Heat until simmering in a saucepan or microwave. Remove from heat and add coffee powder.
Nutritional value (approx): 240kcal per cup
Smoothie
Ingredients:
100ml full cream milk
100ml fruit juice (orange, cranberry, pineapple)
1 heaped tablespoon of milk powder
1 scoop of ice cream
Fruit, for example, 1 banana, 3 tablespoons of berries or 3 pineapple rings
Method: Blend all the ingredients in a liquidiser for 10 to 15 seconds. Serve chilled.
Nutritional value (approx): 390kcal (depending on fruit used)
Hot chocolate and malted milk drinks
Ingredients:
150ml (1/4 pint) full cream milk
1 heaped teaspoon of milk powder
4 tablespoons of single cream
3 heaped teaspoons of hot chocolate, Horlicks or Ovaltine powder
Method: Whisk and heat all ingredients together until simmering in a saucepan or microwave.
Nutritional value (approx): 290kcal per cup
Variations: Top with squirty cream and a chocolate flake or marshmallows (extra 50kcal)
Yogurt drink
Ingredients:
150ml (1/4 pint) full cream milk
1 pot of thick and creamy fruit yogurt
1 level tablespoon of milk powder
Method: Blend all ingredients in a liquidiser for 10 to 15 seconds. Serve chilled.
Nutritional value (approx): 270kcal per cup
Variations: Top with squirty cream (extra 30kcal)
You can purchase ‘Complan’ or other similar high energy “milkshake” products and soups from the local supermarket or pharmacy (chemist) if you are unable to make the nourishing drinks.
Try adding extra calories to food
Fats and sugars are high in energy and can be added to foods to increase calories. This is what you can do to your normal menu to make it higher in energy:
Sample menu
Breakfast:
Cereal – use full cream milk or fortified milk and add 2 teaspoons of sugar
Toast – spread butter thickly and add jam, marmalade, honey or syrup
Have a mid morning snack
Lunch:
Soup – choose ‘cream of soups’ and add butter, cheese, cream or crème fraiche
Bread bun or pitta bread
Yogurt – choose thick and creamy yogurt
Have a mid afternoon snack
Evening meal:
Roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables – add butter, full cream milk, cream or cheese to mashed potato, have vegetables with butter or in cheesy sauces
Curry, rice and naan bread – add coconut milk to the curry
Dessert
Try stewed fruit with ice cream, cream, custard or milky puddings
Supper:
Hot chocolate
What if I cannot make my own meals?
Some companies will deliver frozen foods to your door:
Wiltshire Farm Foods
Website: www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com
Telephone: 0800 0773100
Oakhouse Foods
Website: www.oakhousefoods.co.uk
Telephone: 0333 3706700
Royal Voluntary Service
Website: www.royalvoluntaryservices.com
Telephone: 0845 6005855
Contact us
For further information please contact us:
- Nutrition & Dietetics Dept – James Cook University Hospital
Marton Road, Middlesbrough TS4 3BW
Tel: 01642 854777 or Email: [email protected] - Community Dietetics – Langbaurgh House
Bow Street, Guisborough Cleveland, TS14 7AA
Tel: 01642 944455 or Email: [email protected] - Nutrition & Dietetics Dept – Friarage Hospital
Bullamoor Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 1 JG
Tel: 01609 762012 or Email: [email protected]
Patient experience
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