Nourishing drinks

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Fortified milk drinks

Fortified milk: Add 2oz (four tablespoons) of milk powder to one pint of full cream milk. Use fortified milk to make up hot and cold drinks.

Hot milk drinks

• Ovaltine, Horlicks, BournVita, hot chocolate (avoid low calorie types).
• Milky coffee, latte, cappuccino.
• Double cream can be added to a hot milky drink.

Cold milk drinks

• Milk shakes made with cordials, fruit juice, milk shake syrup or powder. Add a scoop of full fat ice cream for extra nourishment.
• Fruit smoothie, for example: banana with milk plus full fat ice cream/yoghurt and honey, cocoa powder or malted milk powder.

Savoury milk drinks

• ‘Cream of’ tinned or carton soups.
• Bovril or Marmite.

Yoghurt drinks

• Can be purchased, or full fat yoghurts can be diluted with milk to make yoghurt shakes.

Fruit juice and fizzy drinks

• Fruit juice – fresh or long life.
• Fruit juice mixed with fizzy drinks, for example lemonade, are refreshing.
• Fizzy drinks, for example Lucozade, Appletiser, Schloer, lemonade, Coca Cola, tonic water.
• Try to avoid ‘low calorie’ and ‘diet’ options.
• A full fat ice cream soda can be made by adding ice cream to a fizzy drink.

Recipes for nourishing drinks

Hot drink ideas

Honey and lemon cup

Calories per drink: 290 kcal

1/3 pint of fortified milk
Two dessert spoons of clear honey
Dash of lemon juice

• Heat the milk with the honey. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon spice

Calories per drink: 260 kcal

1/3 pint of fortified milk
One tablespoon of golden syrup
Pinch of mixed spice
Pinch of ground cinnamon

• Heat milk. Stir in all the other ingredients. Serve hot.

Hot soup ideas

Pea, spinach and mint soup

Calories per portion: 333 kcal

Serves 4

1 onion peeled & roughly chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
2oz (60g) butter
1 pint (600mls) vegetable or chicken stock
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 bag spinach washed
6oz (175g) frozen peas
2 carrots scrubbed and diced
Small bunch fresh mint finely chopped or 2 teaspoons dried mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Few parmesan shavings
Salt and pepper

• In a large pan, cook the onion in the butter until soft but not browned.
• Add the potatoes, garlic, carrots and stock, and simmer until they are soft (approx 15 to 20 minutes).
• When potatoes are almost cooked, add the spinach and peas. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Mix mint and olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl.
• Allow the soup to cool (to prevent scalding) before liquidising and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve in bowls and drizzle with mint, lemon and oil mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan shavings.

Fortified soup

Calories per drink: 222 kcal

One small tin of soup
One tablespoon of dried milk powder

• Mix the milk powder thoroughly into the soup. Heat and serve hot.

Note: Instead of dried milk powder, you can add finely grated or cream cheese, beans or pulses (these can be pureed until smooth), smooth peanut butter or chopped meat. For extra calories, add double cream or olive oil.

Cold drink ideas

Iced coffee

Calories per drink: 350 kcal

1/3 pint of fortified milk
Two teaspoons of coffee powder
Two teaspoons of sugar
One scoop of full fat ice cream

• Dissolve coffee in a little hot milk. Add remaining milk, sugar and ice cream. Whisk and chill thoroughly.

Milkshake

Calories per drink: 315 to 390 kcal

One glass of fortified milk
One scoop of full fat ice cream
Flavouring, for example Crusha milk shake syrup, Ribena, coffee or drinking chocolate or pureed/blended fruit, for example banana, strawberries
Single cream can be added if desired 30 calories in 1 tbsp/15g

• Whisk all the ingredients together.

Desert Island Delight

Calories per drink: 270 kcal

One glass of fortified milk
Around 30 to 40 ml pineapple juice
Half a ripe banana

• Liquidise and serve immediately.

Fruit Flip

Calories per drink: 260/200ml serving

400ml fruit juice
100ml double cream
Three teaspoons sugar

• Whisk the double cream into the fruit juice until the two blend together. Do not over-whisk the double cream as it will tend to go solid! Add sugar to taste if desired.

Tropical Fruit Crush

Calories per drink: 155 to 180 kcal

100 ml fruit juice
100 ml lemonade, soda or sparkling mineral water
Small brick of full fat ice cream (2oz)

• Chill fruit juice and lemonade, or soda water and stir well to mix. Add ice cream.

Peaches and Cream Smoothie

Calories per drink: 180 kcal

1 tin peaches
8fl oz (250ml) fortified milk
2fl oz (60ml) double cream
1 scoop full fat vanilla ice cream

• Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Tropical Smoothie

4fl oz (125ml) coconut milk
8fl oz (250ml) pineapple juice
4 oz (125g) pineapple chunks
1 mango, peeled and stone removed
2 scoops full fat vanilla ice cream

• Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Fruit Smoothie

Calories per drink: 264 kcal

150ml of carton orange juice
1 mashed banana
3 to 4 tablespoons of tinned peaches (in syrup)
2 tsp of honey

• Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Greek Cooler

Calories per drink: 484 kcal

150g/5oz of full fat Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons of honey
50ml of fortified milk

• Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Banoffee Treat

Calories per drink: 350 kcal

1 small banana
150ml fortified milk
1 pot of crème caramel
1 teaspoon of golden syrup

• Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Banana Nut Smoothie

Calories per drink: 453 kcal

1 small banana
200ml fortified milk
1 to 2 heaped dessertspoons of smooth peanut butter

• Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Note: If you wish to make this sweeter, add honey or golden syrup to taste.

Savoury Yoghurt Treat

Calories per drink: 463 kcal

200ml full fat Greek yoghurt
1 small avocado
¼ whole cucumber

• Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Note: For additional flavourings, add lemon or lime juice, chilli oil/powder, crushed garlic, pepper, fresh mint or coriander. These may be too sharp if you have a sore mouth.

Supplement drinks

Nourishing powdered drinks

Drinks such as Complan® and Meritene® and Aymes retail are available from most chemists and supermarkets. These are available in a variety of sweet and savoury flavours. Cheese, yoghurt, crème fraiche, ice cream, custard, milk and cream can all be replaced with dairy free alternatives. They do tend to be lower in calories and protein, so make sure you add extra.

Nutritional supplement drinks

There is a wide range of nutritional supplement drinks available on prescription. They can be used to supplement your intake and help to maintain your weight. If you feel that you would benefit from using these products, ask your dietitian who will be able to advise you.

Energy and protein powders which can be added to drinks

There are also flavourless powders available on prescription. They can be stirred into your drinks to add energy and/or protein. Your dietitian will be able to advise you on their use. If you think these would be helpful, please ask your dietitian for advice.

Alcoholic drinks

A small glass of wine, beer, sherry or your favourite drink taken half an hour before a meal may boost your appetite. Check with your doctor first.

Hot toddy

Calories per drink: 225 kcal

One glass of fortified milk
Sugar to taste
One tablespoon of brandy, sherry, rum or whisky

Chocolate mallow

Calories per drink: 395 kcal

1/3 pint of fortified milk
One tablespoon of drinking chocolate
Two teaspoons of sugar
Four marshmallows
One tablespoon of rum

• Blend together the drinking chocolate and sugar with a little milk. Heat the remaining milk with two marshmallows. Add to chocolate with rum if using. Float remaining marshmallows on top.