ISO: ISO food/recipes that help put ON weight (for mom)

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mariadnoca

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Mom is recovering from a broken pelvis (she fell) and while she is doing pretty well with that, she is not doing well eating and has lost another 10 lbs since the fall (less than a month). She is down to 90 lbs (her normal was once 130), so if you have any tasty recipes/etc that might help her put on weight, I'd appreciate it if you would share. We've already got her drinking Boost/etc., but any other ideas welcome.

Thanks

 
Pretty much anything I eat...things with heavy cream come to mind

Does she like spicy? Indian? Southern (fried chicken, biscuits, gravy), Chinese (stiry-fried noodles, fried wings), etc.

 
If her appetite is poor, I would start with anything that sounds appealing to her

This is a tricky situation, for sure.

Maybe some smoothies with added protein powder using whole milk or half and half as the liquid, if solid food is unappealing.

Creamy soups, mashed potatoes and gravy, or cheesy pasta dishes might work..

 
I'd ask her doctor for a nutritionist. Fat isn't the answer--

six small meals with lots of whole grains maybe. A small glass of wine for an aperitif could also work, all other things being in line for that.

 
Maria, I think it's important to find out more.....

... just to make sure no other health problems are behind her losing so much weight

If she is eating a normal diet, her weight should not drop so quickly, it is a bit worrisome, don't you think?

 
It is, but the drs are aware, we are working with nutrition people

she is on an appetite stimulant. We have struggled with this back and forth for a while - mom either is not interested in food or says it tastes bad. This could be an offshoot of her dementia (or part of a natural dying process), but hers is simply not making new memories (aka she still knows us and can fool you sometimes to sound like there is no dementia at all). She is currently in a nursing home to rehab from the pelvic break and they are trying to work with her on food, but then again the food there might not be all that appetizing. My sibling who lives down there is not a good cook, so trying to think of some easy recipes to give her to try and make some food to bring to mom.

 
I see....

how sad....

well, I think carbs are always a great way to gain weight, the easiest of all - if she likes pasta, types of pasta that are thicker such as pappardelle, or a lasagna made with thick noodles and a hearty bechamel-cheese sauce - those things can bring a lot of calories even if she eats just a little bit.

mashed potatoes made with heavy cream, a bit of cheese - also pretty dense in calories -

Cheeseburgers with a thick bun, cinnamon rolls for breakfast if she has a sweet tooth, a chocolate babka type of bread, those are some of the things that come to mind.

 
Maria, your nutrition folks probably have already mentioned this but what about Ensure?...

when dad had a stroke he lost a lot of weight, seemingly overnight. This is a side effect of a stroke. At the rehab facility they gave him a couple of Ensures everyday until he got his weight back up to a more normal range. He loved them and was so disappointed when they stopped bring them!

 
+1 similar experience with sick family member and Ensure. Otherwise from personal experience

carbs and sugar in particular processed carbs (white flour) and processed sugar will put on more weight because it does not have the fiber that would otherwise offset much of the carb/sugar process that leads to weight gain. In my experience again, "fat" does not equal "fat" carbs (sugar) does.

 
When my stepdad had the huge dementia episode and was in the nursing home, he refused to eat

and mom tasted the food they were giving him, it was awful, so bland. No seasoning whatsoever, so perhaps if sodium isn't a concern bring a salt and pepper shaker with you to use on their food. They wouldn't let us bring in outside food because they needed to monitor his nutrition (or bill to medicare a huge fee for a specialized diet). Despite that he just wouldn't eat their food at all.

 
Isn't that sad!! I could barely look at the food my mom had to eat. I used to buy packs of V8 juice

which she loved, and had the nurses keep a couple in the fridge for her. She had no dietary restrictions. But she lived 2500 miles away so monitoring it all was difficult.

It all really makes me question what sense these restricted diets make when the individual is on her way out anyway.

 
Milkshake might be too filling--or leave that milky taste in her mouth. Small truffles are insidious

Cream cheese cake truffles are also packed with calories. Try to mimic her favorite tastes.

 
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