Weigh back home!

You may have experienced weight loss and loss of appetite due to your illness, treatment or anxiety whilst you were in hospital.

Your appetite might improve after you return home as familiar foods and home cooked foods can be more enjoyable. It’s important to try the tips below to help your appetite and weight return to normal.

The following tips and ideas can help you increase your weight: 

• Try to eat three meals a day with snacks in between
• Eat when you are hungry and make the most of days when you feel well
• A short walk before a meal can stimulate appetite
• Try and present the food in an attractive way – use a smaller plate if you feel overwhelmed
• Try to have a pudding once or twice a day. For example: thick and creamy yoghurt, rice pudding, sponge and custard, trifle or mousse*
• Have a nourishing drink instead of a snack if you are not hungry. For example: milk, hot chocolate, Horlicks, Ovaltine or milky coffee. These can all be made using full fat milk
• Spread butter or margarine thickly onto bread, crackers, crumpets or teacakes
• Keep plenty of snacks to hand – cheese and crackers, chocolate biscuits*, dried fruit, nuts, savoury snacks, cakes, creamy yoghurts. Scotch egg, Cheese on toast , Sausage roll, Tinned fruit and cream, Cereal bars, Packet of crisps, Flapjack, Cocktail sausages, Breakfast Cereal and milk, Cheese and crackers
• Build Up and Complan are nourishing drinks that are available to buy from chemists and supermarkets. Sweet, savoury and neutral flavours are available. They are quick and easy to prepare and can be taken as a drink between meals

Fortifying foods

• Your meals and snacks can be enhanced further by fortifying foods in the following ways to add extra calories:
• Sugar, jam, honey or syrup* eaten with bread or added to drinks, porridge, cereals, rice pudding and other puddings.
• Double cream can be stirred into soups, casseroles, curries, sauces and mashed potato. It can also be poured onto fruit or puddings
• Butter or margarine can be added to vegetables, potatoes, sauces, meat or fish. Spread thickly on bread, toast or scones
• Grated cheese can be sprinkled on potatoes, vegetables, soups casseroles or baked beans. Add cheese to omelettes and scrambled eggs
• Mayonnaise contains lots of calories and can be used in salads, sandwiches, mixed with tinned fish or with chips.
• Have ice cream, evaporated or condensed milk with puddings or fresh, tinned or stewed fruit

Please note that foods marked*may be unsuitable for diabetics, please consult your Diabetic Dietitian for further advice.

Milk

Fortified milk can give you extra nourishment and can be used as you would use ordinary milk, for example as a drink or added to cereal or drinks.

Milk powder can be found easily in most supermarkets.

Make fortified milk by adding 2-4 tablespoons of milk powder to a pint of full fat milk.

It is important that you monitor your weight and appetite at home.