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Nourishing drink recipes
Nourishing drinks are high in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. They include ready-to-drink nutritional supplements, as well as drinks that you can make at home.
Learn the recipes for:
Enriched milk
- 1 L full-cream milk
- 4 or more heaped tbsp milk powder (increases nutrients and protein)
Method: Thoroughly mix ingredients in a jug until powder is dissolved. Use straightaway, or keep refrigerated and use within 24 hours (stir before use).
Use this enriched milk in tea and coffee, cereal, soups, sauces, scrambled eggs, milkshakes and smoothies.
Apricot lemon crush
- 425 g can apricot halves in natural juice
- 1 cup natural yoghurt
- juice of 1 lemon
- tbsp honey
- tbsp wheatgerm
- crushed ice
Method: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Milkshake
- 1 cup milk or milk alternative (e.g. soy milk)
- 1 heaped tbsp milk powder*
- 1 scoop ice-cream topping, e.g. chocolate, strawberry, coffee, vanilla
Method: Place all ingredients in a blender or milkshake maker and blend until smooth.
Banana smoothie
- 1 cup milk or milk alternative (e.g. soy milk)
- 1 heaped tbsp milk powder*
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 scoop ice-cream
- 1 tsp honey (optional)
Method: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Use whatever fruit you have – fresh, frozen or tinned.
Mango lassi
- 1 cup canned mango slices in natural juice, with juice
- 1 heaped tbsp milk powder*
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ cup full-cream natural or vanilla yoghurt
- 3 ice cubes
Method: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Use 1 cup canned apricot halves instead of mango.
* Instead of milk powder, you can use a powdered nutritional supplement such as Sustagen Hospital Formula, Ensure Powder, Fortisip Powder or Enprocal – for the amount per serve, refer to the packaging or follow the advice of your dietitian.
→ READ MORE: Caring for someone with cancer
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More resources
Jacqueline Baker, Senior Oncology Dietitian, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Lauren Atkins, Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, OnCore Nutrition, VIC; Dr Tsien Fua, Head and Neck Radiation Oncology Specialist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Rosemerry Hodgkin, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Clare Hughes, Manager, Nutrition Unit, Cancer Council NSW; John Spurr, Consumer; Emma Vale, Senior Dietitian, GenesisCare, SA; David Wood, Consumer.
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