Eating to recover

Illness and surgery both suppress appetite exactly when the body needs building material. Weight lost during a hospital stay is mostly muscle, and muscle is what someone stands up with.

Small and often beats three meals

A full plate is discouraging to someone who is not hungry. Six small offerings across the day get more in than three proper meals, and there is less waste.

Protein at every one of them

• Dal, rajma, chana — cheap, familiar, and the easiest to increase.
• Curd, paneer, milk, eggs.
• Fish or chicken if the household eats them.
• Peanuts and seeds, if chewing is comfortable.

When swallowing is hard

Softer textures and thicker liquids are usually easier than thin water, which is the thing most likely to go down the wrong way. Sitting fully upright to eat, and staying upright for half an hour afterwards, prevents a great deal of trouble.

Coughing or a wet-sounding voice during meals is worth reporting to a doctor rather than working around.