Nutrition Advice for Self-Isolation

27th April 2020

What can you do to help maintain your nutrition during this time?

Official government advice for people with a serious underlying health condition including cystic fibrosis and solid organ transplants is to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact for a period of at least 12 weeks
( 20/03/20). This advice may change, go to the government website for up to date advice.

Here are some tips:

  1. If you have access to bathroom scales try to weigh yourself once a week. If your weight starts to decrease, get in touch with the dietitians on 07794 375776
  2. Make sure you don’t run out of nutritional supplements, Creon and vitamins:
  3. Ask family or friends to pick up your prescriptions. Some pharmacies offer a delivery service – ask your pharmacy if this is an option
  4. Make sure you keep your enteral feed supplies up to date. Contact Homeward if you need a delivery of feed. However,  they will only deliver 1 month supply at a time
  5. Ask family and friends to help out with your food shopping or access online supermarket deliveries
  6. Meal planning can help you think about what you need to buy to avoid panic buying/stock piling
  7. Keep your cupboards stocked up - tinned foods have a longer shelf life and won’t go out of date too quickly. Ideas include:
    • Baked beans, tins of mixed beans – great added into stews, bolognese or chilli,tins of tuna – great in sandwiches, jacket potatoes, pasta bake. tins of tomatoes
    • Tins of fruit – great as a snack with ice cream, cream or made into a crumble!Tins of custard or rice pudding
    • Tins of custard or rice pudding
    • Jars of pasta sauce, pesto
    • Pasta, rice, cous cous
    • Flour – self raising and plain which can be used in baking or making sauces
    • Herbs and spices to flavour your food
    • Breakfast cereals
    • Crisps, biscuits, cereal bars, chocolate bars, cakes, nuts
    • Don’t forget the freezer! Keep stock of food like:frozen vegetables, frozen potatoes: jacket potatoes, mash  potato, ready meals, pizzas, party food which makes a great snack! Samosas, sausage rolls and mini pizzas are just some ideas, garlic bread slices, Ice cream
    • Portion up meat into individual portions so you can just take out what you need
    • Make some muffins or sponge cakes – these freeze well and make an easy snack
    • Bread, rolls, bagels, wraps, hot cross buns, crumpets
    • Making a Bolognese or chilli? Portion in to individual portions and freeze for another day
    • Ask your family and friends if they are able to do some cooking for you and drop off individual meals

You could even make your own bread ! this bread recipe is tried and tested by members of the CF team ( you can use yoghurt in stead of buttermilk)

Check out YouTube for video on basic cooking skills, basic food preparation skills, how to cook rice, 
how to cook pasta, how to cook eggs - this is a good time to learn some cooking skills!