How To Fortify Older Individual’s Diet To Increase Energy And Protein
High protein and high energy diets are right for you if you have any of the following four conditions:
1. Recently lost 5% body weight or even more due to illness
2. You're presently underweight which implies you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 19 or less
3. Have a problem eating enough as you do not have any appetite
4. Have issues swallowing due to a neurological problem
All of the food that we consume gives us energy to make it thru the day. Fat and sugar are particularly good for energy and are good if you need to put on weight due to any of the above conditions.
Protein foods are also important for arresting muscle loss and helping to recover from illness. Muscle-wasting causes osteoporosis and insulin resistance (diabetes, raised blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc). That is way why we have to do whatever we can to stop this taking place.
Foods that are central to our diets and loaded in protein are beef, fish, poultry, seafood, legumes, pulses, dairy, nuts, eggs and seeds. We should have 2-3 serves of these foods every day.
Following are some tips for elevating 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 beef
- Have some milkshakes, eggflips and iced coffee
- Have baked potato with beans, meat sauce or cheese
- Have soup based on meat, lentils, beans or cream
- Have pasta with creamy sauce
- Have a sandwich with meat, cheese, avocado, tuna or salmon
Here are methods to improve the food you eat and make every 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 veggies
- Blend meat, 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, stew, etc.
These are some effective ways of increasing energy and protein intakes in older individuals with reduced appetite and 2kg weightloss over a month or 5kg weight control 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.





