Is this enough calories to keep a human alive?

[Glokkey]

is this enough calories to keep a human alive?

2 cheese and onion rolls (look Ike sausage rolls)
5 scotch eggs
bombay mix
magnum

one sausage in a roll
coleslaw
wedges

I think you are doing a great job looking after your Mum. Keep giving her what she fancies but maybe add in some sliced apple with honey or peanut butter to dip. Just pop it in front of her and if she has a bit then great. Scrambled egg is a common comfort food, maybe with buttered toast.

That's well over 1200 cals, so yes.

Myprotein sell clear protein to add to water, presumably like a fruit flavoured water, could this be an option?

I tend to lose a lot of weight during times of stress and can go days without eating, I had to have urgent surgery and couldn’t eat through worry, so the only way to keep weight on before hand was meal replacement shakes.

Could you try making protein powder ice cream? Beans are a good source too, with cheese for extra calories

I've had a relative where we needed to stick to calorie dense foods to help when they found it hard to eat. My tip is those small pots of haagen dazs that come in a 4 pack. They were really useful as they are small and easy to eat, but have a good amount of calories. Maybe she might like one as a snack, or even on the side of some crumble as someone suggested. Grief is so hard, she's lucky to have you taking care of her x

https://www.bapen.org.uk/education/nutrition-support/nutrition-by-mouth/food-first-food-enrichment/

Some good ideas here OP. What was her starting weight or BMI amd what is she now? Losing 30lb in 5 weeks is not normal, even with a reduced appetite and is worth flagging to the GP for investigation. Rapid weight loss will cause tiredness, which can add to feeling depressed, and both can reduce appetite even further.

People can live on far less variety and calories. It doesn't mean it's healthy, but the human race would have died out completely if that wasn't enough.
It's going to be more varied than a lot of diets even. There's a good amount of protein and carbs. Watch fluid intake and try to add some fruits (will she eat "nicer" fruits like melon or strawberries?)

I have a child with anorexia not the same but ideas for food, peanut butter with crumpets. Nuts and raisens there are 250kals in a little pot, jacket potatoes with tuna add loads of mayonnaise and butter, or a sandwich with tuna and mayo. Chicken with rice, it might be easier for her to manage than a large meal. Ryvitta and peanut butter, Croissants, protein shakes.Give full fat milk in cereal. Museli is good. If she will drink tea add cream. It's not about being healthy it's about getting the calories in. It's hard because she's an adult but you have to keep offering when you can. I feel really sad for your mum grieving I understand she won't feel like eating and it's a part of it but try and get in the calories you can so feeding her junk is ok at this time.

It's in tesco and asda

Sorry to hear about the situation you are in, Op. Ridiculous all the pp's that can't be bothered to read your updated info. In your case, in the short term at least I'd just give your mum what she is happy to earn . I hope tge situation improves.

I dont think anyone has died from starving themselves after grief so I think you need to let her cope her own way. She has lost all control in her life and if she's eating odds and ends, that's just what she needs to do.

At most, I'd make sure she is having a vitamin and speak to her GP about 1) diet and 2) overall wellbeing concerns. They may prescrobe meal replacement shakes but also consider other options for support.

Am sorry your mum is going through this and of course you are going through it differently. In terms of calories, it seems far more than enough. I assumed its supermarket scotch eggs so taking Sainsbury's Taste the difference as an example, one egg is 18% of daily calorie needs (likely average man not older woman). So 5 already give her enough. Then there is everything else. The problem as you already point out is that it is processes so not highly nutritious not is it filling. Its actually hunger triggering hence 5 scotch eggs. Whether she is losing weight because of grief or another underlying health problem I cannot say. While gently nudging her to better eating, its ok that she is eating something. Nudge gently and lovingly. As you have just moved in together, eat together, laying out your healthier options and one or two of whatever junk she is eating (Sometimes at peak grief eating anything at all is what matters). Given the drastic weight loss, you may also want to get her to see a GP and discuss the weight loss (to make sure there is no other cause), the grief diet, and how to help her back on better eating path. Good luck

She sounds depressed, but I would understand if she didn't have an appetite. It sounds like tempting her with these sorts of foods is better than nothing. Just keep the momentum of eating going if you can.I think the last thing she is thinking about is keeping herself healthy.

Protein desserts/yoghurt pouches might help. Cereal can have added vitamins. Even if you can get her to take supplements in the short term that could help.

Has her medication been reviewed. You don't always respond to your first type well. Might need a different one. Some can affect your appetite and make you less hungry or feel sick at the beginning. It may just need increasing.

could you prep her up a charcuterie style snackboard? could include the upf favourites and healthier high fat options. Cottage cheese, hummus and breadsticks, crisps, some roasted veg

Chop a jacket tater up into 4 and do a variety of different toppings on each quarter. Add cream to most everything for high fat content
Or maybe make some childhood fave recipes for her as throwbacks. Might be some talking points of memories of her sister and dad

Otherwise maybe small portions of your nice curries and lots of accompaniments, naan breads etc but smaller picky portions.. once she starts eating she might get her hunger back. Sounds like she's grieving though and antids do kill appetite. Sending hugs xx

Not sure how old mum is?

My experience of caring for my elderlies, they stop eating proper food when poorly/under the weather / depressed, and they never get back into the habit

She is grieving

But I would still get her checked over , it is a huge loss in a. short time , esp if she is just sitting there

Im going through the "got to get something healthy into Mum" stage now myself. Slowly her appetite has decreased, dry mouth, medications, food doesn't taste good to her. But the sweet tooth has increased

A salad now for her is just tomato and beetroot ( sweet ) , veg is just a toddlers size, a spoon of peas, a spoon of carrot etc. Any meat has to be very lean and a very small amount . Basically I put a toddlers size meal out for her, if I gave her an adult size one - she wouldn't eat a thing

Food also has to be softer

So I turn a blind eye to the sweet stuff, the biscuits and chocolates and I always keep tins of rice pudding and custard in the house jic she cant face a meal but every day I cook a meal for her - she will take a sandwich and yoghurt for lunch, porridge for breakfast - and just hope for the best

She gets lots of fluids, juice, tea, milk, squash

How old is your mum? I know for myself the older I get the less interest I have in food or cooking. Over the last few years I’ve stopped eating chicken, pasta, mince beef, so any dish with those items is out. I just can’t be arsed with it all any more. I’ve never eaten breakfast and if I have a late lunch, 3/4, I only need one meal that day.

You sound like a lovely and caring daughter OP.

Agree with others that yes, it is enough calories in the short term. As you say, I'd let her eat what she fancies, to keep her appetite up. The less she eats, liklihood is the less she'll want to eat, so it's one of the rare occasions where eating magnums is a good thing!

Is she able / willing to access some grief counselling? Maybe not yet, but in a fee weeks perhaps? Hope she feels better soon x

Have you tried any of the mouth products for the dry mouth?

That can really affect eating.

OP, I just wanted to say you’re doing a great job. It’s hard, really hard, and I think people who haven’t gone through it can’t understand. DH has lost his Mum, Dad and a brother within six months - the first death was nearly 2.5 years ago but he’s still grieving. Food-wise it sounds like your DM. He’s stopped eating meals I’m cooking. Mainly eats processed and junk food like sausage rolls, crisps, chocolate, pork pies etc. Same with antidepressants, they don’t help (and in his case counselling didn’t either). It’s frustrating, and it makes you feel guilty. But please try not to. You’re doing your absolute best; it’s taken me a while to accept, but sometimes there’s nothing more we can do than trying to encourage, but accept if the loved one needs to do things their own way. I’m sorry you’re going through this, and of course your Mum, too.

With that amount of weight loss you must ensure she sees a GP. It may be grief but it may be something else like diabetes or worse.

Your list is rather odd but it’s actually plenty enough food unless she’s only nibbling.

The GP can prescribe nutritious shakes that are around 500 calories each to stop further weight loss.

We can’t deduce because some quantities are not given, for example, is it a handful of Bombay Mix or a big bag? Is it a couple of wedges or half a big bag? And so on … it depends on calorie intake versus output. Doesn’t sound like she is exercising much. I don’t know why you have asked the survival question though as surely she is surviving on this diet, albeit it’s a terrible diet and I would be more concerned about clogged arteries, fatty heart and liver, stroke and so on

Little and often is likely to be easier for her to manage than big meals. Elevenses, biscuits or a slice of cake with every cup of tea or coffee, crisps and nuts lying around so she can have a few whenever. And as others have said, in the short term prioritise calories.

A bit of a fibre top up would help, though - if she gets constipated that will reduce her appetite even further. Fruit with rice pudding (tinned fruit in syrup for max calories); beans on toast (well buttered brown or granary) with grayed cheese; a banana or some grapes as a snack, slices of buttered tea bread with lots of raisins, choose biscuits like hobnobs with plenty of oats.

If she's only been on antidepressants for 6 weeks, they could well be affecting her appetite.

The problem with the calorific shakes is that they kill your appetite and can end up replacing food, instead of being taken alongside it.

You sound to have been through the mill recently, I'm sorry to hear about your bereavements.
At the moment just try to get her to eat something, anything. It sounds as though she's given up, and all that you've described there is fairly soft and you don't have to chew much, so doesn't take much energy or effort to eat. Would she munch on Kendal mint cake for quick carbs? Could you try electrolytes in her liquids so she gets salts and whatever else they have in them?
I hope she starts to come out of the fog of grief soon.

My mum lived on Farley’s rusks for weeks when my grandad died , it was just the grief. She survived. Just let your mum eat what she fancies for now and see how it goes

Would she eat any of those nutritional puddings/snacks designed for the elderly who won't eat with vitamins etc.

I remember my mum almost stopped eating but would wolf down the chocolate orange nutritional pudding.