High protein and high energy diets are right for you if you have got any of the following four conditions:
1. Over recent weeks lost 5% body weight or more due to illness
2. You are presently underweight which implies you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 19 or less
3. Have a problem eating enough as you don’t have an appetite
4. Have issues swallowing because of a neurological problem
All of the food which we eat provides our body with energy to make it thru the day. Fat and sugar are especially good sources of energy and are good if you need to put on weight due to any of the above conditions.
Protein foods are also very important for stopping muscle loss and aiding to recover from illness. Muscle-wasting directly causes osteoporosis and insulin resistance (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc). That is way why we have to do whatever we to stop this happening.
Foods that are central to our diets and rich in protein are beef, fish, chickens, seafood, legumes, pulses, dairy, nuts, eggs and seeds. We should have 2-3 serves of these foods each day.
These are some tips for increasing your energy and protein intake:
Have breakfast cereal with milk, nuts, dried fruit, yoghurt, honey and sugar
- Have some crackers with cheese, pate, hommos and cold meat
- Have some milkshakes, eggflips and iced coffee
- Have baked potato with beans, meat sauce or cheese
- Have soup primarily based on meat, lentils, beans or cream
- Have pasta with creamy sauce
- Have a sandwich with beef, cheese, avocado, tuna or salmon
Here are methods to improve the food you eat and make each mouthful count:
- Add milk powder or eggs to cereals, soups, gravies, desserts, in baked foods and to milk drinks
- Add cheese to omelettes, soups, pasta, sauces and veg
- Mix meats, lentils or beans into soups and sauces
- Add margarine, butter, mayo to vegetables, rice, pasta, salad and sandwiches
- Add honey, cream or dried fruit to milkshakes, cereals, milk desserts and fruit juices
- Add milk or milk powder into common desserts
- Add commercial supplements like Sustagen, Ensure, Resource, 2Cal or Enprocal into common foods like mashed potato, pumpkin, casserole, etc.
These are some effective methods of increasing energy and protein intakes in aged individuals with reduced appetite and 2kg weight loss over a month or 5kg weight loss over 6 months.
Giselle Brand is an accredited practising dietitian and director of Aged Care Nutrition Services. She provides expert services like aged care menu review and nutrition and hydration accreditation for aged care facilities in Australia.