By Corinne Cox (Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Meals on Wheels NSW)

If you know of someone who has been losing weight without trying to they may be undernourished or malnourished. To help them gain weight again they should have their meals fortified with protein and energy where possible. Here are some things you can try doing:

Breakfast Cereals

• Use evaporated or high protein milk*, or add extra milk powder
• Make porridge on milk rather than water
• Add dried fruit, nuts, seeds, honey or extra sugar

Toast, Bread, Muffins, Crumpets, Sandwiches, Crispbread

• Spread margarine or butter thickly
• Add extra slices of meat or cheese
• Add avocado, creamed cheese, mayonnaise or relish
• Use peanut butter or other nut spreads, marmalade, jam, honey

Soups, Sauces, Savoury Dishes

• Add milk powder, sour cream, meat, egg, grated cheese, lentils or legumes
• Fry foods, cook in oil, or add extra oil, butter or margarine
• Have extra meat, mayonnaise, dressings, nuts or seeds
• Use cream soups instead of broths; make soup on milk not water

Vegetables and Salads

• Add margarine, butter, oil, cheese, sour cream or white sauce
• Add milk powder or cream to mashed vegetables
• Add creamy or oil based dressings

Fruits

• Sprinkle with nuts, sugar, honey or glucose syrup
• Add yoghurt, custard, ice cream, gelato or cream

Sweet Dishes

• Add extra milk powder, cream, eggs, sugar
• Add pureed, stewed, dried or canned fruit
• Top with yoghurt, custard, ice-cream, cream, topping, honey, nuts

Drinks

• Drink milk and juice in preference to water, tea or coffee
• Make coffee or hot chocolate on only milk (not water)
• Use high protein milk* for milk drinks (milk with extra milk powder added)
• Add cocoa, malt, Milo, Activite, flavoured drink powders and toppings
• Add ice cream, yoghurt, cream, fruit, honey

 
*To make High Protein Milk just add about half a cup of milk powder to 1L full cream milk and mix well
Acknowledgement: ‘Eating Well, Keeping Healthy’ - a resource written by the DAA Rehabilitation and Aged Care Interest Group (NSW Chapter) 2012.