Food Services Using Energy- and Protein-Fortified Meals to Assist Vulnerable Community-Residing Older Adults Meet Their Dietary Requirements and Maintain Good Health and Quality of Life: Findings from a Pilot Study

The effects of &ldquo
standard (STD)&rdquo
vs. &ldquo
protein- and energy-enriched (HEHP)&rdquo
food-service meals on the nutrient intake, nutritional status, functional capacity, and wellbeing of older adults was investigated using a 12 week, double-blinded, parallel group design. All participants received dietetics counseling and either an STD (2.3 MJ and 30 g protein per meal) or a HEHP (4.6 MJ and 60 g protein) hot lunchtime meal for at least 3 days/week
those who did not want food-service meals were included in the control group (CON). Twenty-nine participants completed the study (STD = 7
HEHP = 12
CON = 10). From baseline to week 12, the HEHP subjects increased their mean daily energy intake from 6151 &plusmn
376 kJ to 8228 &plusmn
642 kJ (p = 0.002 for effect of time) and protein intake from 67 &plusmn
4 g to 86 &plusmn
8 g (p = 0.014 for effect of time). The MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) score was increased significantly in HEHP by 4.0 &plusmn
1.1 points (p = 0.001), but not in the STD and CON groups (2.8 &plusmn
2.1 points and 1.8 &plusmn
1.1 points, p &gt
0.05). No difference was found for other clinical outcomes between the groups. The findings indicate that provision of HEHP-fortified food-service meals can increase energy and protein intake and improve the nutritional status of nutritionally at-risk older people.