High-Calorie, High-Protein Diet
Why Should I Eat This Way?
Eating this way may be helpful if you have lost weight, do not feel hungry, or have an higher need for protein, such as
with a
burn
or infection. Eating this way can help you:
- Have more strength
- Gain weight or stop losing weight
- Heal
- Fight off infection
- Get better from surgery or sickness faster
A List of Foods You Should Eat
Here are foods that are high in calories and protein. Try to make foods from these lists as part of your snacks and meals:
| High-Calorie Foods |
High-Protein Foods |
- Cheese, cream cheese
- Whole milk, heavy cream, whipped cream
- Sour cream
- Butter, margarine, oil
- Ice cream
- Cake, cookies, chocolate
- Gravy
- Salad dressing, mayo
- Avocado
- Jam, jelly, syrup
- Honey, sugar
- Dried fruit
|
- Cheese, cottage cheese
- Milk, soy milk, milk powder
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Nuts, seeds
- Peanut butter
- Tofu and other soy products
- Beans, peas, lentils
- Beef, poultry, pork, and other meats
- Fish and other seafood
|
Snack Tips
|
Snack
|
Ideas
|
Calories
|
|
Fruit smoothie
|
Blend 8 ounces whole milk vanilla yogurt + ½ cup orange juice + 1 cup frozen berries
|
360
|
|
Egg and cheese English muffin
|
1 whole wheat English muffin + 2 teaspoons margarine spread or butter + 1 ounce cheese + 1 egg
|
365
|
|
Peanut butter and banana sandwich
|
2 slices of bread + 2 tablespoons peanut butter + 1 sliced banana
|
400
|
|
Trail mix
|
½ cup nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
|
350
|
|
Cereal, milk, and banana
|
1 cup presweetened wheat cereal + 8 ounces whole milk + 1 banana
|
360
|
|
Yogurt and granola
|
1 cup whole milk flavored yogurt + ½ cup low-fat granola
|
440
|
Tips to Get More Calories and Protein
- Eat small meals and snacks during the day.
- Keep pre-made, ready-to-eat snacks on hand while at home, at the office, and on the road.
- Drink your calories. Pick high-calorie drinks, such as milk, blended coffee drinks, milk shakes, or juice.
- Add protein powder or powdered milk to your drinks, smoothies, and foods, such as cream soups, scrambled eggs, gravy, and mashed potatoes.
- Melt cheese onto sandwiches, bread, tortillas, eggs, meat, and veggies.
- Use milk in place of water when cooking and making foods, such as hot cereal, cocoa, or pudding.
- Load salads with hardboiled eggs, avocado, nuts, cheese, and dressing.
- Use peanut butter or creamy salad dressings as a dip for raw veggies.
- Try drinks like Boost, Ensure, Resource, or Carnation Instant Breakfast.
- Talk to a dietitian if you need more help.
Resources
Eat Right—Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.eatright.org
Nutrition.gov—US Department of Agriculture
http://www.nutrition.gov
Canadian Resources
Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
References
High calorie high protein diet. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center website. Available at: https://www.healthwise.net/osumychart/Content/StdDocument.aspx?DOCHWID=custom.hs0105. Accessed February 4, 2021.
ILD nutrition manual: Sample menu: High-calorie, high-protein meals. UCSF Medical Center website. Available at: http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/ild%5Fnutrition%5Fmanual/sample%5Fmenu%5Fhigh-calorie%5Fand%5Fhigh-protein%5Fmeals. Accessed February 4, 2021.