• Keep track of your weight by weighing yourself or by looking for changes in the way your clothes fit.
• Eat frequent, small meals.
• Eat high protein, high calorie foods and snacks such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, crackers and cheese, pudding and yogurt.
• Add instant breakfast drinks, milk shakes or other supplements to your diet and drink them any time of the day.
• Take a multivitamin with at least 100% RDA every day.
• Cook and eat with friends or family to make mealtime more enjoyable.
• Keep foods that are easy to prepare on hand (e.g., frozen and canned foods).
• When traveling, take high-calorie snack bars, powdered calorie supplements along.
• Do some light exercise to boost your appetite.

If it is difficult to chew or swallow, or if you have mouth sores:

• See your health care provider for possible treatment of your mouth sores.
• Eat cold foods (e.g., popsicles and ice cream) and soft/liquid foods (e.g., mashed potatoes, applesauce, pasta and soups).
• Soften foods by soaking in milk or soup, or by putting food in a blender.
• Avoid spicy, salty, crunchy foods, and acidic drinks (e.g., orange juice, tomato juice).
• Drink liquids through a straw to bypass mouth sores.

If food doesn't taste good to you:

• Add spices (e.g., basil, oregano, garlic) or other flavor enhancers such as lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar).
• Marinate meats in sweet wine or fruit juices, beer Italian dressing or soy sauce.
• Discuss the possibility of changing your HIV medications with your health care provider.
• Take good care of your teeth (e.g., brush regularly, see your dentist at least once a year).