Meal and snack ideas

Light meals

• baked beans on toast with grated cheese
• crumpets or muffins toasted with cheese, and a piece of fruit
• scrambled or poached egg on toast and a glass of orange juice
• tuna or sardines on buttered toast with fresh tomato
• omelette with cheese or mushrooms and buttered bread
• toast with cheese, avocado or peanut butter, followed by sliced banana and yoghurt
• cereal or toasted muesli with full-cream milk and yoghurt
• porridge or rice pudding made with milk and cream
• congee
• pancakes or French toast with fruit and maple syrup

Nourishing drinks

These drinks are high in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals:

• enriched milk mixed with Akta-Vite, Milo or Horlicks
• milkshake
• banana smoothie
• mango lassi (see recipe below)
• hot chocolate
• flavoured milk
• apricot lemon crush (see recipe below)

Apricot lemon crush recipe

• 410 g can apricot halves in natural juice
• 1 cup natural yoghurt
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp wheatgerm
• crushed ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Mango lassi recipe

• 1 cup canned mango in natural juice
• 1 heaped tbsp milk powder or powdered nutritional supplement
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ cup natural yoghurt
• 3 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

• fresh or frozen fish with chips and salad
• grilled lamb cutlets, mashed potato with margarine or butter, and peas and carrots
• pasta with a ready-made sauce, e.g. pesto or bolognaise, and cheese
• cheesy vegetable bake (see recipe below)
• lentil dhal with chapatis or rice
• green or red chicken or vegetable curry with basmati rice
• salmon, tuna or egg with store bought mayonnaise, salad and buttered bread roll
• frozen or fresh lasagne or moussaka
• frittata or quiche
• salmon or tofu with soba noodles
• occasional takeaway such as noodles, stir-fry, curry and rice, hamburgers or pizza (ensure the food is freshly cooked)
• refrigerated leftover food from the previous day – reheat till steaming
• microwave potato with baked beans and cheese
• egg, tempeh and cooked vegetables with gado gado (peanut) dressing
• wrap with falafel, hummus and salad

Cheesy vegetable bake

• oil, for greasing dish
• 400 g sweet potato or pumpkin*, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 parsnip and 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ cup thickened cream
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a medium ovenproof dish with oil. Layer the vegetables in the prepared dish. Drizzle each layer with a small amount of cream. Top with the remaining cream and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender and top is golden brown.

* Use whatever vegetables you have

• crackers with cheese
• pita bread with hummus
• buttered pikelets, scones, muffins, fruit buns, crumpets, finger buns or raisin toast
• celery with cream cheese or peanut butter
• hard-boiled eggs
• dried fruit and nuts
• jaffles, sandwiches and toast – try egg and store-bought mayonnaise, cheese, peanut butter, avocado, tinned salmon or tuna
• milk puddings, such as creamed rice, rice pudding, custard, mousse and instant puddings
• fruit (fresh, frozen or tinned) with custard, yoghurt, jelly, ice-cream, cream or condensed milk
• stewed fruit with custard or cream
• creamy soup with added cream, and buttered toast (see recipe below)
• hot chips, chicken nuggets or fish fingers
• instant noodles with frozen vegetables
• potato crisps, pretzels or corn chips with dips, salsa or guacamole
• yoghurt or ice-cream frozen sausage rolls, meat pies, samosas or spring rolls

Potato and leek soup

• 1–2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• ½ cup cream

Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook leeks until soft. Add cumin seeds and cook for 2 minutes. Add potatoes and stock to saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Stir in cream.