Even if you are not moving around much, it is still important to consume enough calories each day to keep you body healthy. As our page on ‘How many calories a day do I need?’ outlines, a significant lack of calories can cause poor memory, concentration and brain functioning, and it can cause muscle wastage, which makes activity even harder.
There are ways to ensure that you consume enough calories in a safe and appetising manner.
Just because you can’t eat regular meals, the alternative does not have to be puréed foods or being put on a feeding tube directly into your stomach.
The important thing is to get the professional advice about the right approach for your specific situation.
A speech and language therapist can recommend if adopting a textured modified diet may help you.
A dietitian can help to prepare an eating plan that suits your needs.
Your doctor can refer you to these professionals.
What is a texture modified diet?
Texture modified food relates food what has been modified to be soft and bite sized, minced or puréed. This makes the food safer to eat dependent on your swallowing capability.
.
Trying to eat a full meal can be tiring. Eating several small meals throughout the day combined high protein snacks and protein shakes can help achieve the calories needed for a healthy body.
Look at ways to boost the calorie content of meals and snacks.
There are also ways you can increase the calories and nutrition of your food without necessarily eating a lot more. Our page ‘Losing weight due to swallowing issues’ outlines ways of fortifying milk and adding high-calorie ingredients to your food. Get into the habit of checking the nutritional label of food you are eating. Deserts can often be a good way to boost your calorie intake.