Eat well get better whilst in hospital

For whatever reason you are in hospital it is very important to eat well to aid your recovery. Therefore if you have lost:

• Weight (unintentionally)
• Your appetite
• Interest in food

The following suggestions may help.

Remember the less you eat, the less you want to eat so try and stimulate your appetite by:

• Eating little and often
• Never miss a meal: try to have something, even if it is just soup, bread and butter or a pudding it’s better than nothing
• Concentrate on trying to manage a few mouthfuls.

Milk is BURSTING with goodness 

• Always ask the nurse or hostess for full cream milk : have a hot or cold glass of milk between meals.
• Use full cream milk in tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Ovaltine and Bournvita instead of water.

Sugar contains LOTS of energy 

• Sprinkle it on your breakfast cereals and in your hot drinks.
• Use plenty of jam or marmalade: ask the nurse/hostess for them to spread it thickly on your toast or bread, or add jam or marmalade to milky puddings
• Suck on boiled sweets or mints, excellent for dry mouths.

IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, PLEASE ASK TO SEE THE DIETITIAN IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT WHAT YOU SHOULD BE EATING.

Butter and Margarine contain LOTS of energy

• Spread it thickly on toast or bread
• Ask the hostess for extra butter or margarine portions and melt on vegetables or mix in with mashed potato.

Have a snack between meals

Please ask the nurse or hostess for the following items:

• Biscuits
• Thick and creamy yoghurts
• Cheese and biscuits
• Bowl of cereal with full fat milk and sugar
• Toast with lots of butter/margarine and/or jam/marmalade
• Ice-cream or jelly and ice-cream or tinned fruit and ice-cream or custard
• Build Up soup : chicken or mushroom or potato and leek or tomato or vegetable flavour.

Always try and have a pudding after your meal. Try these yummy puddings:

• Milky pudding e.g. rice pudding, thick and creamy yoghurt, custard with tinned fruit.
• Sponge cake/pie/crumble and custard or ice-cream.
• Jelly or tinned fruit with ice-cream or custard.
• Cheese and biscuits.

If your family or friends wish to bring in food and drink for you, here are some ideas that may be helpful:

• Milkshake/yoghurt drinks, fizzy pop e.g. lucozade, lemonade, ordinary squashes or cordial, fruit juice.
• Crisps, sandwiches, pancakes, teacakes, scones, crumpets.
• Cakes, mini-swiss rolls, sweet and savoury biscuits, cereal bars, chocolates, chocolate fingers, muffins, sweets and honey.
• Full fat fromage frais, yoghurt, mousse, custard, fruit fools, trifle, rice pudding, sundaes, double cream to use on puddings.
• All foods brought in that need to be kept cold, need to have your name and a use by date on them and must be kept in the ward fridge until required.

ALWAYS CHOOSE FULL FAT, FULL SUGAR FOODS AND DRINKS!

The Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 5BE

01273 696955. Dietitians extension 64290

The Princess Royal Hospital Lewes Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 4EX

01444 441881. Dietitians extension 68313

Nevill Hospital, Laburnum Avenue, Hove, East Sussex BN3 7JW

01273 821680

This  information is intended for patients receiving care in Brighton & Hove or Haywards Heath.

Disclaimer: The information in this leaflet is for guidance purposes only and is in no way intended to replace professional clinical advice by a qualified practitioner.