High Calorie, High Protein Diet

This is a balanced diet that is specially designed to help your child increase his intake of calories. Calories give your child’s body energy. Protein helps your child’s body heal and grow strong. If your child has a problem with poor weight gain and/or has been diagnosed with “failure to thrive,” the following nutritional advice may be helpful in conjunction with the medical care provided by their doctor.

Help your child eat a variety of foods

A balanced diet has all the vitamins and minerals your child needs to grow strong and healthy. Each day your child needs foods from these food groups:

Help your child eat more

• Schedule regular meal and snack times.
• Do not make mealtime too long for your child. Often 30 minutes is about right.
• Do not coax, argue, plead with or threaten your child.
• Let your child help fix the food. Children often eat more this way.
• Make meals a pleasant time for you and your child.
• Turn the TV off during mealtime and avoid toys or distractions.

Help your child eat more often

Let your child eat four to six times each day. For instance, your child can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and one to three snacks. Snack times can be in the morning, afternoon and before bedtime.

Snacks do not have to be smaller than meals. Some children eat more when offered six mini-meals a day. Experiment and find out what works for you and your child. Do not let your child nibble/graze all day and skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Skipping meals will make it harder to get enough calories each day.

FOODS FOR YOUR CHILD

Meat and other protein foods

This group is an important source of protein, calories and minerals. High calorie meats and other protein foods include:

• Beans cooked with bacon
• Bologna and salami
• Eggs (Do not use raw eggs in any thing uncooked. Use egg substitute instead)
• Fried or breaded meats, chicken and fish
• Hot dogs (not for children under 4, possible choking hazard)
• Peanut butter (not for children under 4, unless already introduced with no allergic symptoms)
• Refried beans
• Sausage or pepperoni slices
• Tuna in oil
• Whole-milk cheese
• Legumes and nuts

Add additional protein to foods. Examples:

Use peanut butter (not for children under 4) with:

• Blended drinks
• Cookies
• Fruit
• Raw vegetables
• Bread
• Crackers
• Ice cream

Add grated or sliced cheese to:

• Casseroles
• Hamburgers
• Sandwiches
• Make nachos with cheese and chips.
• Eggs
• Meatloaf
• Soups

Whole milk and milk products

This group provides protein, calories, vitamins and minerals. Do not use low-fat or fat-free milk products if your child needs to gain weight, unless specified by your pediatrician.

High calorie milk products include:

• Whole chocolate milk
• Cream or half-and-half
• Double strength milk (see recipe below)
• Ice cream
• Milk shakes
• Pudding
• Sour cream
• Whipped cream
• Whole milk
• Whole-milk cottage cheese
• Yogurt

Double-Strength Milk

There are two ways to make double strength milk:

• To add protein - mix 1 cup whole milk and 1/3 cup powdered milk
• To add calories - mix 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup half-and-half

Examples:

Use whole milk, double strength milk, milk mixed with Instant Breakfast, half-and-half or cream to prepare:

• Cocoa
• Desserts
• Hot cereals
• Milk shakes
• Pancakes
• Soups
• Custard
• Gravies
• mashed potatoes
• Muffins
• Pudding
• Waffles

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are often low in calories and protein but are high in vitamins and minerals that your child needs.

High-calorie fruit and vegetables include:

• Avocado
• Canned fruit in heavy syrup
• Coconut
• Dried fruits
• Fried, butter or creamed vegetables
• Fruit nectar

*Limit fruit juices to less than 6 ounces per day so children do not fill up on juice and stop eating other things. Fruit juice is very high in sugar and has little nutritional value. It is a very poor source of protein and will not help children to gain weight and grow.

Example to add calories to fruits and vegetables:

• Add salad dressing, cheese, avocados, and croutons to salads.
• Serve raw vegetables with sour cream or cream cheese and mayonnaise dip.
• Serve cooked vegetables with grated or melted cheese or cheese soup.
• Add cream, half-and-half, sour cream, yogurt dips or whipped cream to fruit.
• Add raisins or other dried fruits to cereals.
• Mix dried fruit with peanut butter and jelly or honey for dip or sandwich spread (not for children under 4)

Breads, cereals and other starches

Bread, cereal and starches are an important source of calories, vitamins and minerals. High calorie starches include:

• Corn bread
• Granola bars
• Muffins
• Quick breads
• Granola
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• High fat crackers such as Ritz, Triscuits, and Cheez-its

Examples:

Add calories to breads, cereals, pasta, rice, tortillas and crackers with:

• Butter, margarine
• Honey
• Jam
• Sugar
• Cheese
• Cream cheese
• Jelly
• Syrup

Fats

Fats are high in calories. Avoid low-fat or fat-free products and fat substitutes if your child needs to gain weight. Add these fats to any foods:

• Bacon
• Gravy
• Oil
• Sauce
• Nuts (not for children under 4)
• Butter, Margarine
• Mayonnaise
• Salad dressing
• Sour cream

Examples:

• Fry foods in oil.
• Serve meats with cream sauces.
• Serve fruits and vegetables with high fat dips.

SAMPLE MENUS:

High-calorie breakfasts

• Orange juice
• Sausage
• Scrambled eggs with cheese
• Muffins with butter and jam
• Custard yogurt

Or

• Hot chocolate made with whole milk
• Bacon
• Waffles with butter and syrup
• Strawberries or bananas in whipped cream

High-calorie lunches

Use these ideas if you pack your child’s lunch. Use the dinner ideas for choosing foods in a school lunchroom.

• Peanut butter on wheat bread
• Fruit canned in heavy syrup
• Corn chips
• Snack bar
• Whole milk

Or

• Bologna and cheese with mayo
• Potato chips
• Carrot sticks with ranch dip
• Fresh Fruit piece
• Whole milk

Snacks

• Fruit with cream cheese dip
• Cookies
• Granola bars
• Trail mix with nuts, dried fruit, coconut and M&M’s (not for children under 4)

High-calorie dinners

• Fried chicken
• Mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream
• Broccoli with cheese sauce
• Cornbread with butter and honey
• Whole milk

Or

• Pepperoni pizza with extra cheese
• Salad with dressing and croutons
• Whole milk

Or

• Cheeseburger with Mayo
• French fries
• Corn on the cob with butter
• Milkshake