BAPEN Placements
Exploring how to support malnourished individuals through food fortification
In this article Rae Waters, a first-year Dietetic Student from the University of Winchester who is on placement with BAPEN this summer, shares details on her placement project which explored food fortification.
First insights: The resources available for patients and family carers regarding malnutrition are somewhat limited and often do not consider cultural diversity, socio-economic factors or sustainability. The language used in some health literature can also be inaccessible to those with a lower reading age or difficulties understanding written English. Finding solutions to these issues is important in order to provide better nutritional care for those at risk of malnutrition.
Theory to practical: Our solution was to create examples of downloadable recipe cards, life-skill ‘how to’ guides and infographic resources. This made managing malnutrition less clinical with more relatable, providing practical tips and advice, with improved accessibility.
Creating simple one-pot recipes with basic ingredients and kitchen equipment was straightforward. For example, we swapped a mixing bowl and whisk for a mug and fork. However, fortification of each dish with additional ingredients to increase energy and protein density was more challenging.
The fortification principle was simple enough in theory – we used a university-approved food analysis tool to level up the macronutrients. However, when it came to cooking our recipes we found that adding ingredients meant changes to the taste, textures and consistency of the dish. Greater volume, strange mouth-feel and odd flavours became obstacles to overcome. Cooking multiple variations of each dish helped us to get the balance right between satisfactory fortification and each recipe being appetising, cost-effective (below £1.00 per serving) with consideration of cultural diversity and sustainability. Each recipe began with vegan ingredients, with dairy, egg, plant/legume or meat fortifications being added. We considered the fortified dishes in terms of how the experience of the meal might be perceived to someone with a diminished appetite. Surprisingly, a boiled egg as a late addition became the making of a vegetable and lentil curry, adding a diverse recipe twist, fortifying it nicely. Similarly, a tiny pinch of salt to our simple but nutrient rich rice pudding took a ‘good’ recipe to ‘great’ and a dish our Practice Educator delighted in.
Presenting our work: We wrapped up our research, recipe creations, planning, cooking, testing, filming and documenting in a fun and colourful BAPEN inspired presentation using our newly developed CANVA skills. We collaborated in our efforts to deliver a report that was as much substance as style, which helped us improve our communication skills too.
Our reflections:
- Experimenting is key – not all our ideas or ingredients worked to make appetising fortified dishes!
- Diversity in skill sets makes for great team working
- There is much to consider when providing advice for fortified diets – it’s not as simple as it looks!
Rae pictured with her fellow students on BAPEN placement.