Gransnet forums

Dieting & exercise

Recommended recipe sites

(11 Posts)
trevthesparky Thu 28-Jun-12 22:22:44

My 82 year old mother in law has recently left hospital and we found that she is down to six and a half stone, obviously we need to get her built back up to a better weight. Part of the problem is she has an appetite like a bird and casn only eat very small portions.
Can anyone recommend a good website where we could find tasty, high calorie meals that we can prep on a weekend and bang in her freezer so she can microwave them if/when we are not there

whenim64 Thu 28-Jun-12 22:33:27

trev she can have Fresubin high cal energy drinks prescribed for her by her GP to help her put on some weight, and this 'Easy to Swallow* recipe site is handy for frail people who need to make the most of available nutrition. There is a handy book that you can send for by making a donation, and it will arrive in a couple of days if you send for it. Here's the link, which will lead you to quite a few good recipes:

www.easytoswallow.co.uk/

trevthesparky Thu 28-Jun-12 22:35:55

Thanks very much, I shall have a look at that site right now.
I forgot to say I'm a newbie so this is now my second post, please forgive my appalling mannerssmile

whenim64 Thu 28-Jun-12 22:41:23

Welsome trev - speak to you some more smile

whenim64 Thu 28-Jun-12 22:41:43

Meant 'welcome!'

trevthesparky Thu 28-Jun-12 22:45:44

That site is great, I think it could revolutionise my mother in law's diet and hopefully waken up her appetite.
Thanks again Whenim64

See not all blokes hate their MILssmile

yogagran Thu 28-Jun-12 22:51:52

You sound like the perfect SIL, lots of us here will be green with envy!
I hope you MIL enjoys the food you prepare for her and makes a good recovery. She's a very lucky lady smile

whenim64 Thu 28-Jun-12 22:55:44

That's great trev. I bought the recipe book for my sister as she struggled to eat. There are some nice, appetising recipes in there, and you can always pile loads of fresh veg into nourishing blended soups and chowders which will slip down easily. The Fresubins are nutritious and will help her get her energy and appetite back. Also, if she is allowed, cream and chocolate help to add the calories for the purpose of putting on some weight (and the feel good factor!). smile

Stansgran Fri 29-Jun-12 10:47:22

Your local hospice may well have a booklet on helping to put on weight for cancer patients and the dietician at ours had useful hints-milk powder in soups .They were very helpful to me when feeding a relative who had lost weight through terminal illness

grrrranny Fri 29-Jun-12 11:34:18

I know this one - my mother 91 has appetite of a bird and had to put on weight after surgery. GP did refer (eventually) to a dietician so perhaps you could try that. Little meals spread through the day - cake, biscuits, choc, full fat milk, etc. What does your mil like to eat? My mum doesn't really like meat with veg & pots but does like puddings and when she is feeling off colour will eat custard, rice pudding, yoghurt etc. so if your mil is like that then leave lots of things like that for her. M&S do some little meals (not a great variety) cottage pie and the like. Mum sometimes would only eat a half of one with a little veg - M&S do tiny packets of beans or peas. She did put on weight doing this little and often thing so perhaps it would work for you. I got quite stressed about her not eating which didn't really help anyone but we got there in the end.

Her weight now goes up and down a bit as, if she has a cold or anything it kills any small appetite she has. One more thing, if you go to a lot of trouble, cooking and freezing meals, and then she doesn't eat them, she will feel bad about it and you will tire yourself out. Don't feel bad about buying stuff (I used to cook, freeze, stress!)

It may take a few months but it will work.

susiecb Fri 29-Jun-12 11:41:51

Trev welcome. I cant add anything to this other than to hope you MIL is picking up. I am going through similar with mine at the MO but she does live in an extra care accomodation where the lunchtime meal is provided- she prefers to have a cream cake rather than lunch. We have engaged a nice lady from Age UK to go in twice a week for housework and shopping but it was a struggle to get MIL to accept this. She is 99 in December. The next battel is to get her to accept help with washing as se is unsteady on her feet and insists on showering daily and wont sit on the shower chair. I have now told her that her three sons are worrying a fact they didnt want her to know but i felt she should know and then she might feel a bit more like co-operating. I hope that doesnt sound hard.