Nutritional Guide - Flipbook - Page 28
MAXIMISING NUTRITION
Maximising nutrition
There are adjustments you can make that maximise
the nutrition of your meals to both reduce the risk of
malnutrition and also treat it. ‘Healthy eating’ is subjective,
for most people it means choosing lower-fat options, but
this is not always appropriate. If someone has lost weight
and cannot manage much of their meals, then healthy
eating for them means adding calories (often through
increasing fat and sugar).
Eating the higher calorie foods first, like
the carbohydrates or the proteins, means
you’re more likely to eat the most important
nutritious parts.
Choosing higher calorie foods helps maximise the nutrition
per mouthful – make every mouthful count! Swap a lowfat yoghurt for a full-fat Greek style yoghurt or change a
digestive for a shortbread. These small changes add up,
adding extra calories which help provide energy.
Adding extras onto foods also adds calories, this is
sometimes called ‘food fortification’ to healthcare
professionals like Dietitians. Extras that you can add to
snacks, meals or puddings include:
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1 tablespoon (tbsp) of margarine or butter
(~15g, ~100 calories)
1 heaped tbsp of spreads like mayonnaise
(~20g, ~130 calories)
2 heaped tbsp of dried milk powder
(~30g, ~115 calories)
Small handful of grated cheese
(~40g, ~130 calories)
1 tbsp of double cream
(~15g, ~140 calories)
2 teaspoons (tsp) of sugar, honey or syrup
(~10g, ~40 calories)
1tsp of oil e.g. olive oil
(~5g, ~45 calories)
E.g. when making mashed potatoes, add cream
rather than milk, some butter and add a handful of
cheese before mixing – add one after too if you like!
