Coping with a small appetite

Importance of nutrition

Trying to improve your nutrition is important to:

• Stop or prevent further weight loss
• Improve energy levels and ability to cope with treatment
• Support a good immune system and healing process
• Help provide structure and ‘normality’ to your day and bring a sense of wellbeing

General tips for coping

A large portion can be overwhelming and can put people off eating altogether. Only put a small amount on your plate at a time – use a side plate if possible. You can always have more if you are able to.

Although fluid is very important, it can also fill you up. Drink between meals rather than with meals to avoid filling up on liquid.

Focus on foods you enjoy and can tolerate, when you feel able to eat them. Often people feel pressured to eat in a conventional way, having breakfast food at breakfast time for example. Eat whatever you fancy when you are hungry or feel able to.

Make every mouthful count by ensuring that your food contains maximum calories. This can be done by adding things such as extra oil, butter, cream and cheese to food.

If your appetite is poor then eating little and often can be easier to tolerate than large meals in the standard breakfast, lunch, dinner pattern..

Drinks should contain calories where possible. Choose drinks such as milk, milkshakes, juice and milky tea/coffee/hot chocolate.

It doesn’t matter whether you fancy sweet or savoury foods but try to ensure that the sweet foods are as nourishing as they can be. Choose options such as rice pudding, ice cream or custard rather than jellies or sorbets.

In small amounts alcohol can sometimes improve appetite before a meal. Always check with your doctor that this is safe for you to have alcohol if you would like to.

If you are concerned about the nutritional content of your diet you could consider a standard multivitamin. Check with your doctor prior to taking anything that isn’t prescribed to ensure it is safe and won’t interact with any prescribed medication.

Useful items to have at home

It is a good idea to think about foods that you can keep in the house. It is important to have quick and easy options available for when and if you feel hungry or able to tolerate eating.

Dried milk powder for Fortified milk

This increases the calories and doubles the protein content of standard milk. It can then be used as standard milk in drinks, cereal, sauces or puddings.

Method: Mix 4 tablespoons of skimmed milk powder into 1 pint of full cream/semi skimmed milk (start with adding the powder to a small amount of the milk and whisk until it’s a smooth paste before adding the rest of the pint of milk).

Helpful cupboard items

• Tinned meat and fish – tuna, salmon, pilchards, stews, meatballs
• Tinned foods – soup, ravioli, macaroni cheese, beans or beans and sausages
• Convenience potatoes – instant mashed potato, tinned new potatoes
• Breakfast cereals or instant porridge
• Crackers or oatcakes
• Sweet spreads – jams, honey, marmalade, chocolate spread
• Savoury spreads – peanut or alternative nut butters

Treats

• Biscuits
• Tinned milk puddings – rice pudding, semolina
• Tinned fruit in syrup or natural juice
• Dried fruit – raisins, apricots, figs, prunes
  and sultanas
• Crisps and nuts
• Chocolate and sweets

Drinks

• Fruit juice
• Milk
• Over the counter nutrition drinks – Build Up or Complan
• Milkshakes – long life, syrup or powder
• Hot chocolate powder – malted drinks or cocoa

Fridge

• Cheese – blocks, sliced, grated or full
• Cream cheese
• Sandwich spreads
• Hummus
• Eggs
• Cold meats and bacon
• Smoked fish
• Butter, margarine
• Milk – choose full fat
• Cold desserts – Mousses, trifle or yoghurts

Freezer

• Ready meals
• Frozen meats and fish – sausages, breaded fish
• Spare loaf of bread or rolls
• Frozen fruit and ice cream

Meal ideas

Snacks

Cocktail sausages, sausage rolls, pizza slices, scotch eggs, samosas, pork pie, pepperoni, cheese, quiche or hummus with bread sticks.

Crisps/tortilla chips with full fat dips e.g. hummus, sour cream, taramasalata.

Breakfast cereals with full cream milk with added sugar honey or fruit.

Toast, crumpets, muffins, crumpets, croissants with butter and peanut butter/honey/chocolate spread.

Full fat yoghurts, mousses, fruit fools, trifles, custard and milk pudding.

Milkshakes, smoothies, or other nourishing drinks.

Cheese or full fat cream cheese on crackers Biscuits and cereal bars

Crisps, chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, Bombay mix and savoury snacks

Light meals

Sandwiches – made from sliced bread, toast, bagels, baguette, chapatti, or pitta bread and filled with cold meats, tinned fish, pate, dahl, hummus, egg, bacon, cheese, peanut butter.

On toast – baked beans, cheese, sardines, eggs (poached, boiled, scrambled or fried), avocado. Add plenty of butter or margarine and top with grated cheese.

Jacket potatoes – with butter and fillings such as cheese, beans, tuna mayonnaise, chilli con carne, bolognese sauce or hummus.

Nutritious soups (homemade or shop bought) if having soup as a meal, choose one that contains meat, fish, cheese, lentils, peas or beans. Try to add cream or butter and have with a bread roll.

Pasta meals – instant or microwaved pasta meals.

French toast (eggy bread) or omelette – try with cheese or ham filling.

Fried Beef burger, sausage or fish fingers – with buttered bread.

Pizza – topped with extra cheese and bacon.

Quiche.

Ready meals – these can be frozen, chilled, tinned and can be baked or microwaved. Avoid diet/low calorie options.

Puddings

Milk puddings such as tinned rice or semolina.

For variety add jam, fresh or tinned fruit, or cinnamon, sultanas and brown sugar.

Yoghurts – thick and creamy style, fromage frais, fruit mousse or fool.

Sponge puddings with some heated readymade custard.

Fruit pie, cake or crumble with cream, ice cream or custard.

Waffles or pancakes with maple syrup or chocolate sauce.

Cheesecake or sweet pastries with cream.

Baked apple or banana with brown sugar and sultanas. Served with custard, cream or ice cream.

Full fat Greek yoghurt with honey and soft fruits.

How can we help?

Contact your Dorothy House professional if you have any further questions or concerns.