Weight Loss Prevention
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BETWEEN-MEAL SNACK INTERVENTION HELPS THE OTHER HALF
Not satisfied with these results, we offered all residents who did not increase their food and fluid consumption in response to mealtime feeding assistance a tempting array of between-meal snacks three times a day (10am, 2pm, and 7pm) for two days. Again, we sat and visited with each person during the snack period, providing feeding assistance as needed. It worked, and although the residents ate and drank more at snack time, they didn't eat or drink less at mealtimes. On average, these residents consumed an additional 380 calories per day from snacks (18).
This finding suggests yet another reason why some nursing home residents do not eat or drink enough on a daily basis: They have a small appetite, which means they will eat only a small amount at any one time. Thus, offering between-meal snacks three times a day doubles the number of opportunities that residents have to eat to six times per day, which leads them to increase their overall daily consumption. Offering residents extra fluids between meals also leads to increased intake, an important outcome because residents who are not eating enough during meals generally are not drinking enough either (20).
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