Food to stimulate an invalid's appetite.

I'm looking for suggestions for a local lady, whom has been a bit poorly recently and has completely lost her appetite. She is getting on a little in years and lives alone and can't afford to lose much more weight. In the past I've made her a little chicken bone broth with some mild spices (coriander, fenugreek, turmeric and ginger) and that seemed to kick start her appetite a little. What other ideas can I suggest that are tempting for her to try, and that will be easy to digest?
Thanks!

Bitters are a classic digestive aid, and there are some, like angelica, that can increase appetite. I'd suggest going through this list from DrAxe, to find something palatable, that won't interact negatively with any medications she might be on. They can, if taken as a tincture, simply be added to a tea or juice, or even just with water, and he has some good information, here, on some whole food options: https://draxe.com/nutrition/bitter-foods/

This website has some herbal ideas that might help: https://www.livestrong.com/article/388436-herbs-that-increase-appetite/

In my experience, this is very specific to the person.

In one example, the person was unsettled and uncomfortable physically and unable to eat anything chewy; they found rich, soothing broth, stock, or smooth soups very soothing and comforting. Congee and pho were also appealing (this person loved those flavors so it was a comfort food soup vibe)

Another, during chemo, needed small, fatty, densely nutritious bites (something with a bit of cheese or an egg etc) coupled with electrolyte hydration (popsicles, watermelon lime juice with a pinch of salt). Her tastebuds were really sensitive sometimes so even ginger would be too spicy. Along those lines, I've done something simple with a compound butter alongside to make it more tempting.

And another wanted simple, fresh vegetables, maybe roasted with some simple seasoning, or steamed and lightly dressed. Salads and veg aren't going to keep weight on, but if they can start craving something because a juicy, crunchy spear of asparagus is nice to them, you can put a dressing or "dip" to add some calories.

I always ask, "is there anything you can imagine being tasty right now? and I can usually get enough feedback to focus on a genre (soothing and light, dense and a bit richer, or fresh and crisp). It can be trial an error. It is also usually important to stick to a flavor profile that is very comfortable for the person.

Hey Y'all,

My Mom would have certain meds take her appetite. Pretty sensitive to be questioning a doctors recommends is what I experienced while questioning the "Doctor", lol

Ask her what her favorite meal is and if you could do that for her.

I would ask what meds an ailments or issues but.. i just can't... and I don't suggest for anyone to. or if you would even know

Apple cider Vinegar stimulates.

Many other things to stimulate appetite.

I would go with a PM with someone you know is a longtime Herbalist or Nutritionist as a precaution. And you really need to "know" the Subject, I'm sure that's what both would say.

Can you do a little bit of cooking, or even reheating, at her house? Maybe bring over a hot lunch and share it? Sometimes people don't feel hungry until they smell something good.

Thank you all for the suggestions.
I'm taking the chicken juice up today and will see if she feels there is anything else she could fancy. My suspicion is that she could do with not living alone as well. Even when feeling well, cooking for one gets boring quickly....I know she does have some allergies though so need to be careful if bringing an extra supper portion.

Recently due to some dental work, I have had no appetite.

I know that I probably have lost at least five pounds.

For me, this has been a new learning experience.

Every day I feel like having something different.

I suggest asking her what she feels like eating or what appeals to her today.

I do like the suggestion of bitters.

Here are some interesting threads on bitters that you or others might enjoy:

https://permies.com/t/155865/Aloe-Surprising-Bitter-Herb

https://permies.com/t/155810/Lesson-Digestive-Bitters-Rocket-Science

https://permies.com/t/151267/Bitters

https://permies.com/t/152964/Daily-Digestive-Bitters-DDB-Formula

I would suggest looking into South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine. Very big on digestive stimulating spices, without the heavy ingredients that North Indian and other south Asian cuisines may be more likely to have have(milk, cream, heavier grains like wheat, barely). If she can’t tolerate spicy food, leaving out chili pepper usually solves the problem. I’ve had these mild versions of South Indian foods at Ayurveda hospitals in India. In particular, sambar and rasam are known to stimulate appetite. For me, they work very well, say, 8/10 times I’m bloated.

Edit: I should mention that sambar and rasam both contain tamarind, which is known to stimulate appetite. The Thai soup Tom Yum also uses tamarind.

More fat and salt, if her health permits. Ghee in particular is appetite stimulating. I don’t recommend seed oils at all for general health reasons.

Hot drinks all day long. Keeping a canteen full of a warm beverage will help a lot. Cumin, coriander, and fennel water is a popular mix in modern Ayurveda. I prefer cardamom water. Ginger juice may be beneficial on an empty stomach say 20 minutes before food.

Umami flavor(glutamate), which is what MSG and those disodium compounds are essentially are, is also very helpful in my experience. I’m not recommending MSG, but natural glutamate sources like mushroom powder, seaweed, soy sauce/tamari, yeast extract. You’ll see these ingredients on umami seasoning blends.

More protein: From what I understand, the elderly aren’t subject to the same concerns of so called “excessive” protein consumption. I mean, I’m sure there is still a limit, or point of diminishing returns. I would encourage her to eat as much protein, especially animal protein, if she does.

I was an Ayurveda practitioner. I’ve had Crohn’s my entire adult life, and recently I’ve been extremely underweight and put on over 10 lbs. I’ve put on 25 lbs in less than a month at an Ayurvedic hospital in the past. There are Ayurvedic medicines which are great for this, but visiting a practitioner is something I would recommend if that is wanted.

In addition to what I suggested above, what about offering some homemade goodies?

Since my appetite has been very low due to the monotony of only being able to eat stuff like soup everything is boring ... so I have been dreaming about eating chocolate cake.

Or apple pie ...
Cinnamon rolls, etc.

Even the yummy stuff I got for Christmas that is still waiting for me...

There must be something the individual is dreaming about.

Going with a behavioral approach, you may want to explore with her what her favorite childhood foods were.   Going more medical, explore food that may increase insulin levels that often trigger appetite.

Hi Nancy,

Giving this further thought …how invalid?   If the individual is not confined to bed, I have often been able to get otherwise resistive people to teach me.   To create an example, “ You know, I have never been able to make good fried chicken.  I wish there was someone who could teach me.”

To use a real life example not related to food, there was a woman who had all but shut down.  She was going to be placed in a nursing home.  No one could get her to do anything. She was much too young to be headed in that direction.  I was asked to address her housekeeping.  I knew she would be expecting me and have all the reasons worked out as to why she could not do anything.   Being there, with her permission, I began wandering around the house looking in closets, cupboards, under the bed etc.  Of course eventually she asked me what on earth I was doing.  I told her I was looking for her vacuum cleaner. So she wheeled herself across her house and showed me the closet it was in.  Without asking her to do anything, I began to assemble 5he vacuum. Of course I had the hose and cord tied in knots. I also couldn’t find the right attachment.   So, she untangled things, got the right attachment, and plugged it in. She also made more than a few comments about how useless men were.  Well, once she told me how to turn it on, I darned near sucked her drapes off the rod.  She grabbed the vacuum from me and proceeded to show me how to do it correctly. ….saying she could clean her own damned house.  Which she proceeded to do.

Little update on my invalid. The bone broth went down well and she's sounding a bit better, and getting more help too. I've got some more broth in the freezer so she can keep it on hand in case she has a relapse.

source

Thank you all again for your suggestions. I deliberately didn't say much about the individual so that it didn't prejudice any replies. M-A is a indigenous, Gaelic as a first language, person with some traditional tastes and some surprisingly modern ones. I know she has some allergies, so would be reluctant to cook anything too unusual for her, but getting her to cook for me is an interesting idea. I do sometimes ask her about things like how people used salt fish, how to make crowdie (local soft cheese), how to protect oat seeds from birds. She will be of the last generation where people here grew their own and did without electricity so is always interesting to talk to, although I don't always agree with her!

Can you give us an update?

Hi, She appears to be feeling much better, but has lost a bit of confidence - not able/willing to get out. There is some sort of medical condition (which she has had a bout of before) that is making her feel dizzy and sick- hence the lack of appetite. Hopefully the doctors and nurses who are helping her will be able to help her again. She has family with her this week.

Deedee posted an interesting recipe here for peanut butter balls, which she says is sustaining when you have no appetite.

I don't know if it is bunk, but I do it anyways.

Olives stuffed with garlic have been a sort of digestive aid that I have utilized.

Generally, I take it when I am sick or becoming sick and my appetite drops.

The sulfur compounds in garlic MIGHT help with zinc absorption which then MIGHT help with recovery from sickness.

Honestly, I like olives and garlic individually so it isn't too hard to pop one or two for the chance that it might actually be beneficial for me.

I am a strong advocate of chicken broths/soups to at least get calories in and increase hydration levels. A lot of sick/older people don't realize they are dehydrated and it can be difficult to get them back to proper levels especially when they are not feeling the top of their game.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Can you do a little bit of cooking, or even reheating, at her house? Maybe bring over a hot lunch and share it? Sometimes people don't feel hungry until they smell something good.

I agree.  The best trigger for an appetite is the smell of good home cooked food.
Maybe you could take over some soup and heat it up at her house.

Feel the kitchen with that warm goodness scent of home cooking.