"What supplemental drink would you recommend for an 86y/o female with a  poor appetite? She has a history of hyperparathyroidism and must watch her calcium intake. She also has slightly elevated bun/creatinine leves and mild CHF."   Well, this is sort of a difficult question to answer without actually seeing and assessing the person. Many factors can affect a decision for supplements from weight, appetite, past medical history and laboratory values including BUN and Creatinine. In general, if the appetite is very poor, then the person is able to take whatever supplement they can tolerate as they aren’t taking much in food. Products like Ensure or Boost are often well liked. Their calories range from 250-350 and protein from 9-13g per bottle. Most have around 300mg of calcium. There are also products such as Carnation Instant Breakfast, but these do have more calcium because they are made from milk. Sometimes older patients also just need some encouragement with their meals and someone to keep them company while they eat.   However, if this person has also experienced weight loss, she may need some further evaluation from her physician and perhaps a referral to a dietitian to help improve her intake.   Good luck! Lori   References (you can try some of these recipes with Ensure to find something she likes!) http://ensure.com/recipes/index.aspx