What can help - Fortifying foods

Sometimes when appetites are reduced and we don’t feel like eating it can be useful to fortify your food. This means adding other ingredients to increase the calorie content but not the portion size.

  • Dried skimmed milk powder can be used to fortify full-fat milk. Add 2-4 heaped tablespoons of dried skimmed milk powder and blend into 1 pint full cream milk. Keep chilled in the fridge and use on cereals, in porridge, to make up sauces, soups, desserts, jellies, milky drinks etc.
  • Try adding dried skimmed milk powder to soups, milk puddings, custards, mashed potatoes: add 2-3 teaspoons per portion of food.
  • Drink full cream milk: aim for 1 pint / 600mls per day.

You could also:

  • Add knobs of butter and margarine to vegetables, potatoes etc. and add grated cheese to soup, mashed potato, jacket potato or scrambled eggs.
  • Add cream or evaporated milk to soups or puddings e.g. stewed / canned fruits, custard and rice puddings.
  • Add sugar to cereals, drinks, desserts.
  • Serve jam, honey, syrup on bread, milk puddings etc.
  • Make a creamy sauce e.g. cheese sauce, parsley sauce.
  • Cook rice with coconut milk.
  • Cook curries with ghee (clarified butter).

If you have a health issue that requires a special diet, chat with your GP practice nurse of health professional before fortifying food.

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When you’re new to cooking for yourself

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