High-Calorie Meals

These instructions are for patients who will benefit from increasing their calorie intake.

Important information about preparing high-calorie meals:

• Choose foods that are calorie dense. This means they have a lot of calories in a small amount of food. For example, choose ice cream over yogurt, breaded chicken over grilled chicken, and cream sauce over marinara sauce.

• Cook with and mix extra butter, oil, ghee, coconut oil, or heavy whipping cream into casseroles, sauces and your other favorite recipes.

• Serve meat, poultry and fish with cheese, marinades, sauces or dressing. Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, buttered or flavored rice, macaroni and cheese, bread with butter, onion rings, sweet potato fries, tater tots or French fries.

• No bread product should be dry. Spread nut or seed butters, butter, oil, cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread, cookie butters, jelly or jam, mayo, pesto, aioli, dressings like honey mustard, hummus and guacamole.

• Serve vegetables and fruits with dips or spreads like hummus, guacamole, salad dressing, veggie dip, caramel dip, chocolate hazelnut spread, cookie butter, and fruit dip. Try dried fruit and canned fruit in syrup.

• Serve calorie dense beverages with all meals and snacks. Try whole milk, milk with instant breakfast powder or flavored syrups, soy milk or other milk alternatives with at least 120 calories per 8 ounce or more, flavored milk, juice, lemonade, iced tea, milkshakes and smoothies.

• Each meal should include multiple food items.

Examples of high-calorie meals:

Breakfast foods

• Toast, bagel, biscuits, croissants, English muffin, pastries

  • Add egg and cheese, breakfast meat, gravy, butter, jelly or jam, cream cheese, or peanut butter.

  • Melt butter on both sides of the bagel or biscuit before adding other toppings.

  • Spread 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on two pieces of toast and add sliced banana on top.

  • Mash up a whole avocado and mix with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Butter two slices of bread and spread avocado. Top each slice of bread with a fried egg cooked in butter.

• Pancakes, waffles, French toast

  • Top with butter, syrup, fruit, jelly or jam, powdered sugar, and whipped cream.

  • Top waffles with fried chicken or cream chipped beef.

  • Make waffle or pancake batter with chocolate chips, fresh or dried fruit.

  • Make a waffle sandwich with ice cream or nut butter and fruit in the middle.

  • Use banana, pumpkin or another flavored bread to make French toast.

• Grits, oatmeal

  • Cook with whole milk, heavy cream, half-and-half or preferred milk alternative instead of water.

  • Add butter, dried fruit, sugar, or nuts.

• Granola cereals, breakfast cereals

  • Serve with whole milk and drink the milk after the cereal is gone.

  • Add fruits or nuts.

• Breakfast bars, granola bars, protein cookies

  • Choose brands that have at least 200 calories with added chocolate, peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, or seeds.

• Yogurt and cottage cheese

  • Choose full-fat varieties.

  • Try yogurt with fruit on the bottom or added toppings such as chocolate or nuts.

  • Top with granola, honey, maple syrup, fruit and nuts.

  • Blend yogurt, whole milk and fruit to make a smoothie.

• Scrambled eggs

  • Use whole eggs rather than egg substitute.

  • Make with heavy cream, cheese, ham, sausage, or bacon.

  • Melt butter in the pan before you cook instead of cooking spray.

• Breakfast potatoes

  • Try hash browns, tater tots, and breakfast potatoes cooked in oil. Melt cheese and sprinkle bacon on top.

• Smoothies and shakes

  • Blend full-fat yogurt or ice cream with a nutrition shake (Boost® or Boost Plus®, Ensure® or Ensure Plus®), whole milk or heavy cream. Then add fruit, instant breakfast powder, seeds, chocolate chips, nut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, or cookie butter.

  • Choose 100% fruit juice in smoothies

Lunch foods

• Hummus or guacamole with pita bread or pita chips

  • Choose from a variety of flavors. Add your favorite proteins and veggies. Top with tahini sauce, mayonnaise, or mustard.

• Chicken nuggets, tenders or fingers

  • Serve with dips such as ranch, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, or sweet and sour sauce.

• Soups and stews

  • Choose cream soups with meat, chicken, potatoes, broccoli and cheese, or New England clam chowder.

  • Choose broth-based soups with pasta, lentils, beans, or potatoes.

  • Serve with sandwich, toast, crackers, or bagel.

• Fish sticks

  • Serve with tartar sauce, ketchup, or cocktail sauce.

• Salads

  • Choose toppings like cheese, eggs, meat, croutons, crispy onions, avocado, beans, dried fruit, nuts, and salad dressing.

  • Mix pasta or tortellini with fresh mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes and pesto sauce or with Italian dressing, olives and diced veggies.

  • Mix canned corn, black beans, diced avocados, tomatoes and peppers with cilantro, lime juice and olive oil. Add some hot sauce for a kick!

• Macaroni and cheese

  • Add ham, chicken, peas, broccoli, or bacon.

  • When making homemade macaroni and cheese, use breadcrumbs, extra cheese, heavy cream, and whole milk.

  • Add shredded cheese to boxed macaroni and cheese.

• Bento box

  • Mix and match! Slices of cheese or string cheese, pepperoni or salami, veggies with ranch dressing or hummus, mixed nuts, cut up fruit with dip, tortilla chips and guacamole, lunch meat and cheese roll-ups with mustard, finger sandwiches.

• Sandwiches

  • Options include lunchmeat and cheese, nut butter and jelly, with added fluff or banana, grilled cheese, tuna/chicken/egg salad, hoagies, cheesesteaks, burgers, crispy chicken, grilled chicken, or crispy fish.

  • Try toppings like avocado slices, bacon bits, and a fried egg.

  • Add condiments like mayo, aioli, ketchup, or BBQ sauce. 

Dinner Foods

• Meats & meat alternatives

  • Add sauces or gravy to your favorite meats such as Dijon or honey mustard, cream of mushroom or chicken soup, sweet and sour or ranch dressing.

  • Cook or fry in oil or butter instead of dry bake or grill.

  • Choose breaded poultry, fish, and meat.

  • Top sandwiches or burgers with cheese, mayonnaise, avocado, or bacon.

• Salisbury steak

  • Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes.

• Meatloaf

  • Make with ground beef, turkey or chicken. Top with sauce or gravy; serve with mashed potatoes, French fries, or macaroni and cheese.

• Chicken parmesan

  • Top breaded chicken with pasta sauce and cheese; serve with pasta.

  • Add a side of buttered bread or roll, garlic bread, or fresh ciabatta/ focaccia bread dipped in olive oil.

• Fried chicken

  • Serve with mashed potatoes topped with gravy or butter, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, or French fries.

• Indian food

  • Choose cream-based dishes like saag paneer, korma, tikka masala, and butter chicken.

  • Add additional cream or ghee to sauces and stews.

  • Serve with samosas, pakora, and naan.

• Asian food

  • Choose dishes with breaded meats and sauce, like Generals Tso's, sesame chicken and sweet & sour chicken.

  • Serve with egg rolls, spring rolls, fried gyoza, fried rice, edamame, noodles (ramen, udon, lo mein).

• Fish and seafood

  • Dip in tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or ketchup.

• Chili

  • Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

  • Serve with or over rice or buttered corn bread.

• Casseroles

  • Try a cheesy tuna noodle casserole, stuffed peppers, chicken casserole, paella or taco casserole.

  • Add extra cream, cheese and butter to casseroles.

• Pasta, gnocchi, orzo, risotto, stuffed pastas

  • Top with Alfredo, pesto, or rosa sauce.

  • Sprinkle parmesan cheese on marinara sauce.

  • Add or make your own meatballs (turkey, beef, and vegetarian). Try making homemade meatballs and stuff them with cheese.

  • Serve with buttered bread or rolls, garlic bread or fresh ciabatta or focaccia bread dipped in olive oil.

  • When making lasagna use plenty of cheese.

• Garlic bread

  • Top both sides with butter, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.

  • Season with Italian seasoning and garlic, then bake until cheese melts.

• Potatoes

  • Try adding cream, butter, shredded cheese, sour cream or bacon bits to mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, twice-baked potatoes or potatoes au gratin.

• Pizza, calzone, stromboli

  • Top with pepperoni, sausage, or veggies. Add extra cheese.

  • Try deep dish, Chicago, stuffed crust or Sicilian.

  • Dip in marinara sauce or garlic dipping sauce.

• Mexican food

  • Make or buy burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, or taquitos.

  • Choose additions like shredded or melted cheese, corn, sauteed vegetables, meat or fish, your choice of beans and rice.

  • Try toppings like salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, mole, queso, enchilada sauce, guacamole, or sliced avocado and crushed tortilla chips.

Reviewed July 2025 by Ally Zepp DTR, Lara Fitzgerald RD