Nutrition by Mouth

Please note that this content is in the process of being updated

A number of strategies can be used to aid those with inadequate food intakes. These may include food enrichment, regular snacks and nourishing drinks. These strategies can be used alone or in combination with other methods such as oral nutritional supplements and enteral nutrition.

Malnutrition Pathway

One of the most recent resources in this area is found at www.malnutritionpathway.co.uk‘Managing Adult Malnutrition in the Community’ is a practical guide to help identify, treat and prevent malnutrition in community settings. Developed by a multi-professional team it is supported/endorsed by ten key professional organisations including BAPEN. The document is based on clinical experience and evidence alongside accepted best practice and includes a pathway to assist in the appropriate use of oral nutritional supplements. Patient materials, a poster for use in general practice, care plans and an app as well as specific information for dietitians, GPs, nurses, speech and language therapists, patients and carers are also available via the website.

Other Resources

Carers UK have teamed up with Nutricia to produce information for carers and to help provide better support for carers around nutritional problems and eating difficulties. Please click here for information on Eating well for carers, Improving nutritional intake for the person you care for, Signs of a problem and Dementia and nutrition.

Eating Better, Feeling Better is a leaflet produced by the British Dietetic Association (BDA) as part of their “Mind the Hunger Gap campaign” for people who need simple advice to add more energy to their diet.

“Eating well for older people and older people with dementia: Practical Guide.” Helen Crawley and Erica Hocking. Caroline Walker Trust. This report includes a report and materials that can be used by those caring for older people to support them to eat well.

“Dementia Gateway: Eating well for people with dementia”. This web resource from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) includes practical advice and a video on nutritional care for older people.

“Focus on Undernutrition” is a project implementing a service to identify and treat undernutrition in health and social care settings across County Durham and Darlington. Although primarily addressed at healthcare professionals, it does also have resources for the public available on the website including information on “Food as Treatment for Undernutrition” and “Nutritional Supplements.”

The “Nutritional COPD Guideline” was created a working group of the Respiratory Healthcare Professionals and includes information leaflets on nutrition for patients with COPD:

“Eating well for Your Lungs” for patients at low risk of malnutrition

“Improving Your Nutrition” for patients at medium risk of malnutrition

“Nutrition Support in COPD” for patients at high risk of malnutrition

‘A Practical Guide for Lung Cancer Nutritional Care’, has been developed to assist the multidisciplinary team in delivering high quality nutritional care to patients with lung cancer.


Thanks are due to many healthcare professionals who provided copy for this area of the BAPEN website. Among them are…

  • Nicki Simmonds
  • Clare Thompson
  • Lisa Waldron
  • Laura Jones
  • Katrina Evans

With thanks also to the PENG committee of 2016 who reviewed content.