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. Help your child eat more and 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:

Each day your child needs foods from these food groups:

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