Fortyfying food

How to fortify food

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If you are not eating as well as you would normally, the following tips may help you to get more calories without necessarily having to eat more food.

You can fortify your food i.e. add extra calories in the following ways:

Add 2oz ( 4 tablespoons) of milk powder such as Marvel or 5 Pints to 1 pint of milk
To savoury foods add cheese, fortified milk, gravy, milk powder, butter / margarine(rather than low fat spreads), pulses, meat, creme fraiche. For example:
add beans and pulses to soups and casseroles
cheese on mashed potato with extra milk and butter/margarine
butter or cheese sauce on vegetables
add one tablespoon of milk powder into one portion of white sauce
add grated cheese/cream/milk into soup
add cream/sour cream or creme fraiche to casseroles
add mayonnaise or salad cream to sandwiches or have two fillings, e.g. egg mayo and bacon

To sweet foods add fortified milk, sugar, cream, honey and syrup, ice cream and evaporated milk. For example:

add cream/ custard/ ice cream/ evaporated milk with pies, sponge or fruit

make jelly with milk not water

add 1 tablespoon of milk powder into 1 portion of porridge, milk puddings, custard

add extra sugar, honey or syrups into desserts and cereals

Ideas for nourishing drinks:

use your fortified milk to make up;

Hot drinks e.g. hot chocolate, horlicks, ovaltine, coffee, instant soups

Cold drinks e.g. milkshakes with added ice cream and flavourings

insert milkshake recipe

fruit juice and fizzy drinks (avoid low calorie ones)

alcohol (check with your doctor first)

Drink supplements - Special powdered drinks such as Complan and Build Ups are available from most chemists and supermarkets. These are available in a variety of sweet and savoury flavours. Special energy and protein supplements are available from your Doctor. If you think these would be helpful, please ask the Dietitian for advice.

Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey.