Food Item

Tips for Increasing Calories and/or

Protein at Meals and Snacks

Milk:

High calorie milk (see recipe)

Evaporated milk

Homogenized or 2% milk

Skim milk powder

Lactaid milk 2%

Cream or whipping cream

Soy milk

Increase the calories in milk by adding skim milk powder or cream to fluid milk.

Use higher fat milks (homogenized or 2%), evaporated milk, cream or high calorie milk instead of water when cooking or preparing recipes. For example, add it to cereals, soups,

sauces, milkshakes, puddings or casseroles.

Skim milk powder can be added to many foods without changing the overall taste and texture. Try it in soups, sauces, baked goods, casseroles, milkshakes, gravies, and mashed potatoes.

Add cream or whipping cream to cereals and desserts.

If you are lactose intolerant, try lactose reduced milk such as Lactaid®, Lacteeze®, or soymilk. Yogurt and cheese are usually well-tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant.

Soy yogurt or soy cheese can also be used in place of regular dairy products.

Cheese:

Cheese (dairy or soy)

Cottage cheese 2 and 4% M.F.

Cream cheese

Cheese spread (Cheese Whiz®)

Processed cheese slices

Use higher fat cheese (at least 28% M.F.)

Use two slices of cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich instead of one.

Try a slice of cheese with your favorite sandwich.

Add grated cheese or cottage cheese to salads, vegetables, casseroles, pasta or rice dishes, sauces and baked potatoes.

Add cottage cheese to gelatin desserts.

Include cheese or cottage cheese with any meal or snack.

Other Milk Products:

Yogurt more than 1% M.F.

Soy yogurt

Ice cream (dairy or soy), pudding, custard

Sour cream

Fresh cheese (Minigo®, Petit Danone®)

Use yogurt or ice cream as a topping for fresh fruit or include it in blender drinks like milkshakes and smoothies.

Add sour cream or fruit yogurt to gelatin desserts.

Make an ice cream sandwich by putting the ice cream between two cookies.

Have milk puddings with meals or as a snack.

Use yogurt or sour cream to make salad dressings, fruit or vegetable dips.

Add sour cream and yogurt to casseroles, soups and potatoes (boiled, mashed or baked).

Try adding yogurt or sour cream as a vegetable topping.

Use homogenized or higher calorie milk when making custard or pudding.

Eggs:

Enjoy eggs at any time of the day.

Add hard cooked, chopped eggs to salads, sauces, casseroles, and sandwich fillings.

Add egg whites or a whole egg when cooking soups, casseroles, cereal, stir-fried vegetables, or rice.

Add an egg to ground meat mixtures like meatballs, meatloaf or hamburgers.

Add an extra egg or egg white to baked goods, pancakes, and French toast.

Commercial eggnogs, when available, are high in protein and energy.

Meat and Alternates:

Meat, fish, poultry

Soy products (tofu and soy meat

alternates)

Beans, peas and lentils

Nuts, seeds and nut butters and pea

butter

Hummus

Include meat, fish, poultry, and alternates regularly with meals and snacks, as they are excellent sources of protein.

If you do not eat meat, include beans and lentils (Dal) twice daily.

Add extra beans, lentils, tofu, meat and alternates to soups, casseroles, pasta or rice dishes, and salads.

Use hummus as a vegetable dip or as a spread on bread, pita bread, or crackers.

Have a handful of nuts for a snack or add nuts and seeds to cereal, salads, baked goods, casseroles, pasta sauces, and desserts.

Use peanut or other nut butters for toast, sandwich fillings or on crackers.

Use bean dips for sandwich fillings, cracker spreads or vegetable dips.

Add gravy to meat for extra calories.

Fats:

Butter or margarine

Oil

Mayonnaise and salad dressing

Spread freely on breads, sandwiches, toast, crackers and rolls.

Add generous amounts of fat during and after cooking foods.

Add extra oil when making stir-fried vegetables or meat.

Add extra butter, margarine, or dressing on mashed potatoes or vegetables.

Add a spoonful of oil to soups, hot cereal, blender drinks or milkshakes.

Sweets:

Sugar

Syrup

Jam, jelly and honey

Candy

Dessert

Chocolate-covered raisins or nuts

Enjoy high-calorie desserts like cakes, pies, and pastry in moderation.

Add generous amounts of sugar, cinnamon sugar, jam, jelly and syrup to toast, pancakes, waffles, or other foods. Use your imagination.

Use jelly or syrup for a glaze on meat or vegetables.

Include chocolate-covered raisins or peanuts to increase the calories at snacks.

Other:

Dried fruit

Avocado

Wheat germ

Granola

Trail mix

Sprinkle wheat germ, dried fruit or granola on pudding, yogurt, cottage cheese, or ice cream.
Add dried fruit or wheat germ to baked goods.

Granola is a high calorie and tasty breakfast cereal. Eat it alone or mixed with other cereals or yogurt.

Add slices of avocado to sandwiches and salads, or mash them to make a vegetable or cracker dip.

Snack on trail mix to add extra calories.

Supplements:

High energy meal replacement bars

Commercial supplements (Boost®,

Boost Plus®, Boost Pudding®,

Ensure®, Resource®, Carnation

Breakfast Anytime®) Protein Powder (soy, whey, casein, Resource® protein powder)

Mix commercial protein powder with ground meat, casseroles, soups, baked goods, and beverages.

Use commercial supplements as meal replacements if your appetite is poor or include with meals and snacks to boost your calories.

Try mixing commercial supplements with homemade milkshakes or blender drinks.

Meal replacement bars and puddings are convenient to carry and make quick snacks either at or away from home.