High calorie meals

[Howyahun]

It’s got to the stage now where my mil has lost so much weight that we need to start making her dinner so she will actually eat something of an evening. Has anyone got any ways of boosting calories in a healthy way rather than just lots of fat and sugar please?

Build up shakes? Have you spoken to the Dr, I think they can get something similar on prescription.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/keeping-your-weight-up-in-later-life/

That’s an idea thanks. Will make a call in the morning

I'd go with additional fat rather than sugar - I think even decent quality saturated fat is ok really in moderation.

So: add cream and cheese to mash etc.
Most older people don't have big appetites so you need not too much fibre (too filling for the calories), good quality protein and some good fat. Fish pie isn't too filling, is easy to eat and cream/cheese can be added.

But with the weather we are having you may also need to try to factor in meals that feel lighter. So:

• Omelettes cooked in a good splash of decent oil, with cheese is also a good way of getting decent protein and fat in.

• Would your mother in law eat a prawn cocktail? Avocado, mayo, prawns - decent fats with good quality mayo but still quite light to eat

• ditto tuna in oil used to make tuna mayo with full fat mayo

• quiche - something that she could cut slices of to eat easily

I would also not cook with things like chicken breasts - use thighs - more flavour but also better nutritionally as the dark meat has good fats, iron etc. Chicken satay is a good option if she will eat it?

I'd also try not to add too much veg that is bulky, maybe focus on spinach/kale/peppers etc rather than the more fibrous filling ones

Hope that helps!

Evening, I'd be asking the GP for a dietitian referral first rather than just supplement drinks / shakes as they will be able to establish exactly what nutrients etc. your mil will need. In the meantime you can always focus on making switches such as whole milk/ full fat yoghurt / adding butter or cream to foods you wouldn't usually. If mil likes puddings then focus on a bit more of these as opposed to full savoury meals.

Thank you @nicenames. @littlerainbowmouse she did have one who recommended puréed food. Went down like a lead balloon though.

The only professional who should recommend a puree diet is a Speech & Language Therapist but only if there are swallowing difficulties.

As people age chewing and swallowing can be more difficult so naturally softer foods such as poached fish, slow cooked stew, cottage pie etc can be much easier and people manage to eat more.

If you use the protein shakes you can use the vanilla ones instead of milk on cereal etc. Best to get advice in the long term but it might take a while.

The shakes are frankly disgusting. They all taste like wallpaper paste .
Try proper homemade milkshakes - use full fat milk and ice cream with fruit and blend together. Add extra calories by using cream in homeMade cakes, mashed potatoes etc
Cereal with full fat milk with some cream added. Etc.
If you do use those shakes add something naturally sweet such as blended raspberries to it and make them palatable.
Calories are found in sweet and fatty foods. As people of a certain age lose their appetites, getting them to eat the calories they need gets ever harder and you will have to resort to fats and sugars.

Didn't the nutritionist give advice of higher calorie foods and supplements? If puree was recommended, they should have also advised about how to thicken fluids to make them easier to swallow.

As a break from cooking a different meal ALL the time, Wiltshire fine foods do a range of higher calorie foods, along with puree and many other varieties to choose from.

Thanks all, the nutritionist was using purées to help her eat as she was taking a looong time. Depression in hindsight rather than anything else I think. Wasn’t anything about thickness for calories (but I can’t be sure as I wasn’t there). Thanks for the heads up about the shakes. Part of the problem is she now has a small appetite so really we have to make the biggest calorie bang (ironically, I’m trying to have lower calories whilst hunting out maximum calorie meals!)

You can make a nutritious shake from a banana, an egg and some milk whizzed together then flavoured with some undiluted , good quality orange squash. An easy way of getting a quick and easy breakfast.

Wessex AHSN research team produce lots of accessible stuff on fortifying food for older people at risk of malnutrition

I can't find the weblink I want on my mobile but if you have a laptop this'll get you started

wessexahsn.org.uk/projects/325/nutrition-in-older-people

Look in the Bournemouth uni Website link for it

www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/ageing-dementia-research-centre/implementing-nutrition-screening-community-care-older-people-training-resources

They have a twitter page in there somewhere on this topic you can follow with tips

See if you can find the OPEN nutrition in older people booklet for the public

All the foods we think are unhealthy are needed in
Throw out low fat stuff! Switch to full fat, full milk, cream in coffee, butter, cream, grated cheese in mash, High protein, calorie rich puddings, mushed banana and raspberries, strawberries and whipped double cream- good food is better than supplement drinks .

If you know any staff in a nursing home, ask them to get you recipes and tips from their chefs for fortifying food. They really are talented experts at it !! Nursing homes train them based in latest advice.
(Ps Never eat the chocolate or fruit mousses or puddings in a nursing home, avoid the cakes! they calorie load specifically for the good of their residents health unless person is overweight, then it's fruit salads and yoghurt. )

It's calories AND micronutrients (to get vitamins) that need to be fortified , salmon flakes into mash is great for adding, ground fresh nuts (oooer) into cakes you bake with calorie laden custard. The richer the better

Throw out the healthy diet ideas!

It's a struggle to get enough calories into someone who has a low appetite & tires easy on eating after a few spoonfuls. You have to make every spoonful count

Do they like nuts, how about a dish of mixed unsalted nuts next to the sofa. Tescos do really nice ones.

Thank you @Sparticuscaticus I’ll have a look. Sadly she can’t eat nuts @Imtoooldgorathis

Having an open box of chocolates lying around can also help, especially in between meals. Most people can't resist and 3 chocolates a day could be 150 or so calories without filling her up. Time to think about sugar and fat content later

How does she feel about ice-cream? That's one of the last things people stop eating, there's a huge variety of flavours, and you can have it for any meal (ice-cream + Xmas pud for breakfast).
Don't worry too much about nutrition; I'm not saying take all fruit & veg out of her diet or anything! Just when people get very old they do sometimes end up living on just a few things but at least it's calories.

What about smoothies made with peanut butter and full fat milk?

Double cream yoghurts?

Also creamy soups or puddings like pannacota

Horlicks or lattes made with full fat milk

Hummous, avocado or cream cheese with biscuits

MiL has just last week agreed to order a few Wiltshire meals to live in the freezer for when she's'too busy' (ie doesn't have the energy) to cook. Having resisted ready meals all her life she's eaten three so far this week: they are mini meals so only a small plate but high calorie. I'd really recommend them: she's doubled her calories in a week! Also we upped her snacks, as often she'd rather nibble than eat a full meal, sultanas, sunflower seeds, granola as a snack has really helped too. Ironically increasing her calories has improved her appetite.

Ironically increasing her calories has improved her appetite. High calorie foods are often the most appetising , not just the sweetness, but the "mouthfeel" from a high fat content, so that doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

Once you tip from "oh, there's nothing I fancy", to "I enjoyed that", it increases the desire for food more generally.