Yvonne Randle, Community Dietitian kept us spellbound with her sensible approach to diet and eating. She highlighted some of the myths of diet and good nutrition. Yvonne started her talk with information on the benefits of eating a wide range of fruit and vegetables. For good health New Zealand guidelines recommend you eat five or more serving a day. Although World Health Organisation currently recommends up to 10 portions a day.
There were several questions relating to weight gain and best ways to increase calorific intake.
- Puddings are a good way, e.g. old fashioned rice pudding and bread puddings are easy to tolerate and add extra calories
- Enriching additions to food by using e.g. butter in sandwiches, cream on porridge. Adding sugar is a sources of calories and is energy dense too.
- Supplements e.g. Ensure and Fortisip (which is part funded). Yvonne highlighted that patients often suffer ‘flavour fatigue’ with these products so suggested adding pureed fruit, having small quantities frequently.
- Other supplements which can be purchased at supermarkets include Complan and Vitaplan
- A new company called Pure food provides smooth puree meals all around NZ, delivered directly to the door, ready to eat and stored in the fridge with a 4-6 week shelf-life. www.thepurefoodco.co.nz or 0800 1 PURE FOOD.
Further information can be obtained from the Cancer Society Eating Well booklet, or by asking for a referral to your local hospital Dietitian.