GI & Associates

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

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:

Add additional protein to foods.
Examples:

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

Add grated or sliced cheese to:

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:

Double-Strength Milk

There are two ways to make double-strength milk:

Examples:

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

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:

*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:

Breads, cereals and other starches

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

Examples:

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

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:

Examples:

SAMPLE MENUS:
High-calorie breakfasts

Or

High-calorie lunches

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

Or

Snacks

High-calorie dinners

Or

Or