Tips for when you have a poor appetite Poor appetite When you’re undergoing treatment for aplastic anaemia or another rare bone marrow failure disease, it is quite normal for you to find there are times when you cannot eat as much as usual and you may lose weight. However, eating well will help you avoid losing weight, help your body fight infection and cope with the side effects of treatment. If you are not eating as well as you would normally, the following tips may help you to eat more. Snack ideas Savoury:• Cheese and crackers• Cheese spread or baked beans on toast• Jacket potato• Tinned spaghetti• Fried rice with cooked meat added• Rice porridge with cooked meat• Sandwiches - try adding salad cream or mayonnaise• Breakfast cereals (at any time)• Toasted muffins• Meat dumplings/buns• Processed cheese such as Dairylea triangles, Kraft cheese slices or halloumi cheese• Roasted nuts, crisps and dips Sweet:• Chocolate or plain, sweet biscuits• Sweets and chocolates - individual or bars• Thick and creamy style yoghurts and fromage frais• Individual cold desserts and tinned puddings. Try adding cream or custard• Buttered hot cross buns or sweet waffles with syrup• Individually packaged baklava• Malt loaf or fruitcake• Tinned fruit and cream/ice cream• Kheer made with pasteurised milk• Croissants• Peanut brittle Liquid:• Soups - condensed and creamed varieties• Milky drinks - Ovaltine, cocoa, Horlicks and hot chocolate• Milkshakes• Fizzy drinks, long-life fruit juice, squashes and cordials Eating Tips • Try to eat small and frequent meals and snacks, for example, every two hours• Be positive about what you do eat – every extra mouthful helps• Try not to get out of the habit of eating - you actually need to eat to stimulate your appetite• Your appetite may come and go, so it is important to make the most of the times you do feel like eating• Do not worry if it is not ‘normal’ foods at ‘normal’ times• Try to relax and enjoy what you eat. Eat slowly and chew your food well, trying to rest before and afterwards• Avoid filling yourself up with large servings of salads, water and fizzy drinks. They provide bulk but little nourishment• Tempt your appetite by making foods look attractive - use small portions on a small plate and try adding garnishes suchas lemon or parsley• Experiment with different foods. You may find that you like things you do not usually eat• A short walk before a meal or some fresh air may help improve your appetite• A small glass of wine, beer, sherry or your favourite drink taken half an hour before a meal may boost your appetite, but please check with your doctor first• Accept offers from family and friends to help with cooking and shopping• Convenience foods are a useful standby and can be just as nourishing• If you have a freezer, try to prepare food in advance when you feel like cooking and store it for when you are not feeling so well• Sometimes the smell of food will be appetising while at other times it may put you off. If this happens, try to keep away from the kitchen while food is being prepared (if you can), or eat cold foods which often have less smell Nutritional supplements If you continue to be concerned about your diet and weight loss, there is a wide range of nutritional supplements available such as Build Up, Complan or prescribed nutritional supplements such as Fortisip, Ensure Plus, Resource Shake, Clinutren 1.5 or Fresubin Energy drink. They can be used to supplement your intake and help to maintain your weight. If you feel you would benefit from using these products, ask your dietitian who will be able to advise you. If your dietician or other healthcare professional advises you to take nutritional supplements, these can be stored unopened at room temperature. Once opened these drinks should be stored for up to four hours unrefrigerated and for up to 24 hours refrigerated. This information has been provided by the Haematology Sub Group of the British Dietetic Association’s Oncology Specialist Group. It is a guide and neither The AAT nor the BDA can advise on individual cases. You should therefore continue to be advised by your clinical team. Recipes Looking for inspiration? Check out the recipes submitted by our community in our recipe competition! Booklet You can order this information as a printed booklet from our shop, or download it as a pdf here Poor Appetite Booklet Manage Cookie Preferences