Festive Food Fortification: Tips for increasing energy intake over Christmas
Article by: Louise Bennion – Registered Associate Nutritionist currently working in the NHS with a background in obesity and weight management.
Food fortification is the addition of ingredients to food and drinks for those at risk of malnutrition and/or with small appetites to increase its nutritional content without increasing the amount of food which needs to be eaten.
What is the aim of food fortification? Together with 2 – 3 small snacks and milky drinks in between meals to increase nutritional intake by 500 calories per day.
Is fortified food suitable for everyone? No. It should only be provided for those at medium or high risk of malnutrition according to their BMI and MUST score. Nutritional care must always be person-centred to ensure we are meeting all needs.
Examples of festive food fortification
| Food item to be fortified | How to fortify
Use 1 or more of the suggested fortifier amounts per portion based on the individual’s preferences and how the fortifiers affect the product’s flavour |
Calories added per portion |
| Milk for use in:
· Cups of tea/coffee · Hot chocolate · To drink whole |
Add 4 tablespoons of dried, skimmed milk to each pint of full fat (whole) milk | 55 per 150ml |
| Soup | Add 1 tablespoon of dried, skimmed milk powder per portion | 55 |
| Add 1 tablespoon of ground almonds | 60 | |
| Add 1 tablespoon of double cream per portion | 100 | |
| Mashed potato | Add 1 tablespoon of dried, skimmed milk powder per portion | 55 |
| Add 1 tablespoon of grated cheese per portion | 40 | |
| Add 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine per portion | 37 | |
| Cooked vegetables | Add 1 tablespoon of grated cheese per portion | 40 |
| Add 1 tablespoon of white sauce per portion | 45 | |
| Add 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine per portion | 37 | |
| Roast Dinner | Add 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce | 30 |
| 40g of bread sauce | 95 | |
| Add 1 tablespoon of dried, skimmed milk powder to gravy per portion | 55 | |
| Christmas pudding | Serve with 2 tablespoons of brandy butter | 60 |
| Serve with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream | 207 | |
| Serve with 2 tablespoons of double cream per portion | 200 | |
| Custard | Add 1 tablespoon of dried, skimmed milk powder per portion | 55 |
| Add 1 tablespoon of evaporated milk per portion | 55 | |
| Add 1 heaped teaspoon of jam or honey per portion | 100 | |
| Other snacks to increase energy intake | Mini chocolates (E.g., Heroes, Quality Street, Celebrations) | 1 mini = 50 |
| 40g bag of crisps | 219 | |
| Mince pie | 289 | |
| 25g of Twiglets | 104 | |
| 2 After Eight Mints | 74 | |
| 25g Mixed nuts | ||
| Other drinks to increase energy intake | 240ml Hot chocolate | 260 |
| 156ml Snowball cocktail | 149 | |
| 50ml Irish whiskey | 175 | |
| 250ml Shoer sparkling fruit drinks | 53 | |
| 125ml Mulled wine | 89 | |
| 125ml Bucks Fizz | 64 |
