Six Smart Meals
by Rosemary Laird, MD and Patricia DeAngelis, RN, LNC
We're all used to eating 3 meals a day, but did you know that it may be better to eat more often?
Six smart meals can be effective for those who want to maintain or gain weight.
Six smart and small meals are often good for older people and those with later stages of Alzheimer’s disease who may be overwhelmed by too much food on their plate at one time, or who may not be hungry at scheduled mealtimes.
When you eat six small meals a day, you are eating about every 3 to 4 hours or so. By eating more regularly, your body is refueled with smaller amounts of energy throughout the day, thereby reducing the number of ups and downs in your energy level. It also helps cut down on eating unnecessary or unhealthy snack foods.
The daily menu suggestions below will provide approximately 1500-1700 calories a day. Three meals at approximately 300 calories each are represented with balanced nutrients for optimum digestion and utilization. Three in-between meals liquid nutrient supplements at a minimum of 200 calories each are suggested.
You will notice we didn’t title this 3 meals and 3 snacks. Because we tend to eat less overall as we age, it's important to keep the nutrient content high every time your loved one eats.
For a variety, you can rotate any of the liquid supplement suggestions and you may substitute favorite fruits and flavors for those suggested.
Six Smart Meals
Breakfast
Egg (cooked any way)
Toast (1 slice of whole grain)
Butter (1 tsp) and/or all fruit jam (2 tsp)
Fruit (1 small fresh or 1/2 cup canned)
Fresh juice (4 ounces)
Mid-Morning
Ensure, Boost, Ensure Plus, or
Glucerna for sugar balance (8 ounces, usually best served chilled), or
Pulmocare for COPD (may add flavorings such as vanilla, almond, or coconut)
Lunch
Baked potato (1 medium)
Butter and sour cream if desired (1 tsp butter, 2 tbsp sour cream)
Fresh or frozen broccoli (½ cup cooked)
Fresh pear (cut in half) with cream cheese (1 tbsp on each half)
Mid-afternoon
Blender Drink:
2% milk or fruit juice (4 ounces)
Yogurt (½ cup vanilla or flavored yogurt)
Fresh or frozen berries (¾ cup)
2 ice cubes if not using frozen berries
Dinner
Fish OR chicken OR turkey (3 ounces)
with creamed soup sauce or cheese sauce (3 tbsp)
Cooked non starchy vegetables (½ cup)
Dinner roll or biscuit (1 roll)
Evening
Blender Drink:
Carnation Instant Breakfast (as directed on container)
Soy milk or almond milk (8 ounces)
Frozen banana (freeze without skin) (1 small)
If desired, add Ovaltine Chocolate Powder (1 tbsp)
If you need to GAIN WEIGHT: 2,500 calories Menu
Breakfast
Oatmeal (1 cup)
Reduced-fat milk (½ cup)
Raisins (½ cup)
Orange juice (1 cup)
Mid-morning
Apple (1 apple)
Almonds (24 pieces)
Water (1 glass)
Lunch
Whole grain bread (2 slices)
Lean Turkey Deli meat (4 slices)
Tomato (2 slices)
Lettuce
Mustard
Reduced-fat milk (10 ounce glass)
Baked sweet potato (1 potato)
Butter or margarine (1.5 tsp)
Mid-afternoon
Protein bar, any flavor (1 bar)
Water (1 glass)
Dinner
Garden Salad
Salad dressing (3 tbsp)
Salmon filet (6 ounces)
Spinach, cooked (1 cup)
Mashed potatoes (½ cup)
Butter or Margarine for potato
Milk or 100% fruit juice (1 glass)
Dinner roll (1 roll)
Evening
Plain yogurt (½ cup)
Sliced strawberries (½ cup)
Water (1 glass)
You can take this menu up to 3,000 calories with the following additions:
Breakfast
Add one slice of whole-grain toast with two tablespoons of peanut butter
Morning or afternoon snack
Add one cup of reduced-fat milk
Nighttime snack
Add seven whole wheat crackers
Talk to your own health care provider or a loved one's health care provider before using this information
You may also benefit from reading Pack the Protein
