Dietetics and Nutrition

Guidance on making a referral to Dietetics

Care homes can refer to our service through our online referral form. It is not necessary to request a referral from the GP.

• How do I upload a food and fluid chart?

You can download the latest food and fluid chart here, please fill in the document and attach to the question on page 5 of the form.

• How can I complete the chart?

You can download the chart and complete on your computer or you can download the chart, print it off, complete it, scan it, and save it to your computer.

Whatever works for you, but the completed chart will ultimately need to be saved on your computer to later be attached to the question within the form.

• How do I go back and complete a section of form that is incomplete?

If you are not able to complete the form in one sitting you have the option to save and exit the form. Once you have saved you will need to give an email and password in order for you to log back in and complete. The link to do this will appear in your emails.

• How will I know I have completed the form successfully?

If you have filled in all the required fields you will receive a confirmation email from the service.

Only when you receive this email will it be confirmed the form has successfully been completed

The Nutrition and Dietetic team will continue to review all residents on nutritional products on prescription. However if it has been noted that the nutritional products are not requested from the GP on a regular basis, the patient will be discharged from service.

Please consider if your referral is appropriate.

Guidance to support optimal nutrition

The BDA Care Home digest is an excellent tool and provides guidance on dining, menu development and special diets, which will enable care homes to meet Regulation 14- meeting nutritional requirements.

If a patient appears to be imminently approaching the end of their life, please consider if our input will be in their best interests.

You can find more information in this leaflet:

Carer Information Eating and Drinking at the End of Life [pdf] 192KB

Training is available on-line for all care home staff that can be completed individually or as a group with the following topics:

• MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool)
• Food Record Charts
• Food First
• Hydration for Health
• Introduction to Malnutrition
• Prescribing oral nutritional supplement

Contact us on dieteticsforcarehomes@nhft.nhs.uk and we will send you details on enrolling into the session. All completed modules will provide a certificate.

Click below for our latest newsletters for care home colleagues.

Care Home Dietetics Newsletter - May 2026.pdf [pdf] 290KB

Care Home Dietetics Newsletter - March 2026 [pdf] 247KB

Care Home Dietetics Newsletter - February 2026.pdf[pdf] 159KB

Care Home Dietetics Newsletter - January 2025.pdf[pdf] 161KB

Care Home Dietetics Newsletter - February 2025[pdf] 145KB

Care Home Dietetics Newsletter - November 2025[pdf] 289KB

• You, or your family members or friends could prepare extra meals which can be stored in the fridge or freezer or buy a selection of ready meals so that there is always a nutritious option available.
• Remember that most supermarkets offer online shopping and home delivery services which can make shopping easier for you.
• Consider meal delivery services, for example Wiltshire Farm Foods or Oakhouse Foods, if you are struggling to prepare meals.

Aim for a balanced diet

It is important to include starchy foods and protein in your diet. Try to have these with each meal.

• Starchy foods include rice, potatoes, pasta, breakfast cereal, bread and crackers.
• Protein rich foods include meat, fish, eggs, cheese, Greek yoghurt, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, soya or TVP textured vegetable protein).
• Fruit and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals and fibre. As they are low in protein and calories, it may help to have small amounts so that you do not replace higher calorie or protein options during your recovery.

• Eat little and often. Try eating small portions as large portions may put you off eating. Aim for 3 small meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day
• Have drinks after meals rather than before as they may fill you up.
• Try to have nourishing drinks throughout the day, for example, milk, milky tea and coffee and fresh fruit juice*, hot chocolate*, malted drinks* and smoothies*.
• Keep nourishing snacks in the house so you have them to hand to have in between meals. Put these on the table next to where you spend most of your time to snack on during the day.
• Have some of your favourite foods or treats in your home, such as cakes, biscuits, crisps and cereal bars*.
• Aim to include 1 pint of whole milk per day in your diet. You can add 2 to 4 tablespoons of dried milk powder to whole milk to make it more nourishing.
• If you do not use cow's milk, try other plant-based milks, nutrient dense drinks such as full sugar squash (high juice), fresh fruit juice, and fruit smoothies.
• Avoid low fat and diet products, try to use full fat options.

Snack ideas

• Cheese and apple
• Cheese and biscuits
• A bagel with cream cheese
• A pasty, pork pie, scotch egg or sausage roll
• Peanut butter and fruit
• Peanut butter on toast
• Olives
• Nuts
• A scone with jam and cream
• Mousse
• Custard

Nourishing drink ideas

*Homemade milkshake recipe*

All you will need to mix is:

• 200mls full cream milk
• 1 tablespoon single cream
• 2 to 4 tablespoon dried milk powder
• Some flavouring (for example Nesquick or Crusha)

This will be around 350 calories and will include around 16 grams of protein.

*High calorie juice drink recipe*

Mix the following:

• 200mls orange juice
• 240g fruit-  this could be fresh, frozen or tinned
• 1 tablespoon of honey or golden syrup

This will be around 260 calories and will include around 2 grams of protein

*If you have diabetes continue to follow Diabetes team plan as they will provide guidance on foods and drinks that will help to support glucose control.

As well as eating well, it is also important to make sure that you are keeping hydrated. Try to drink 8 to 10 cups of fluid a day unless instructed otherwise by your doctor. Modified cups or mugs can make drinking easier. 

The colour of your urine is a good guide to see how hydrated you are. A clear, pale yellow colour indicates good hydration, whereas a more concentrated dark yellow colour may indicate that you are becoming dehydrated.

If you have difficulties with swallowing or are often coughing or choking on food and drinks, you may need an appointment with the Speech and Language Therapist who can advise on safe food texture and fluid thickness. Please contact your GP.

*If you have diabetes continue to follow Diabetes team plan as they will provide guidance on foods and drinks that will help to support glucose control.

If you have any questions, please contact our Nutrition and Dietetics Service:

South of the county
Highfield Clinical Care Centre
Telephone: 0300 027 0059

North of the county
Kettering General Hospital
Telephone: 01536 492317

Available Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4.30pm 

Email: dietetics@nhft.nhs.uk

It is common to lose your appetite and eat less when you are unwell. Your illness, treatments, and the routine in hospital can make eating harder. You might also miss the foods you normally eat at home. Your appetite should start to return when you get back to your usual routine.

It is important to eat and drink enough while you are getting better in hospital and when you go home. If you do not eat well for a long time, your body may not get the nutrition it needs to stay healthy. This can make you lose weight without trying. Eating enough calories and protein helps your body fight infections, heal, and recover.

While you were in hospital, you may have been weighed every week. If you can, it is helpful to keep checking your weight at home.

300 calorie snack ideas

These foods have the equivalent calories (energy) to one standard supplement drink.

Sweet ideas

• Large chocolate-chip cookie
• Fruited teacake or hot cross bun with butter
• Scone
• One glass of whole milk and digestive biscuits
• A bowl of cereal with full cream milk
• 1 thick and creamy yoghurt and 1 digestive biscuit
• 4 fig roll biscuits
• Clotted cream or creamy rice pudding
• Vanilla slice
• Danish pastry
• 3 Scotch pancakes with butter
• 2 tablespoons of homemade trifle
• 3 all butter shortbread
• Blueberry or chocolate muffin
• 4 Lindor truffles
• 13 Jelly Babies
• 25 Fruit Pastilles
• 2 multi-pack sized chocolate bars
• 2 slices of toast with butter and jam, chocolate spread or peanut butter
• 2 slices of toast with peanut butter and a small banana
• Half tub of cottage cheese with pineapple and 25g flaked almonds
• Half tub of cottage cheese with strawberries and 30g chia seeds
• 2 rice cakes with almond butter and apple
• 40g muesli with 125g Greek yoghurt and blueberries
• Nut or granola bar with an orange
• 100g malt loaf
• 5 dates filled with 1tbsp peanut butter dipped in chocolate
• 30g popcorn and 25g roasted peanuts
• Flapjack slice or 4 to 5 flapjack bites

Savoury ideas

• 1.5 slices of fried eggy bread/ toast
• 2 slices of cheese on toast2 to 3 crackers with butter and cheese
• 50g unsalted peanuts
• One third tub of Pringles / Stackers or similar
• 2 samosas
• 1.5 mini pork pie
• Large Scotch egg
• 6 mini savoury eggs
• 3 mini sausage rolls or cheese and onion rolls
• Half a bagel with cream cheese spread thickly
• 2 hardboiled eggs and a handful of cashew nuts
• Half an avocado on 2 slices of toast
• 70g houmous with 1 pitta bread
• Omelette made with 2 eggs and a portion grated cheese
• 30g tortilla chips with guacamole
• 4 mini quiches
• 3 x crackers with half a tin of tuna and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 50g roasted chickpeas, edamame and cashew mix
• 50g Bombay mix
• 2 rice cakes spread with houmous and topped with cucumber and feta cheese
• 2 rice cakes spread with pesto and topped with shredded chicken
• A portion cheese and 1 pack (60g) beef jerky
• English muffin with cream cheese and sandwich meat

Drink ideas