Calorie Boosters

These instructions are for patients who need to eat and drink more calories.

Important information about preparing high-calorie meals:

One way to improve weight gain is to increase the calories in food. Choose foods that are "calorie dense." This means that the food has a lot of calories in a small amount of food. To increase calories, choose high-calorie foods instead of large portions.

Calorie boosting examples:

Drinks

• Offer a high-calorie drink with every meal and snack (juice, iced tea, lemonade, milk).

• Aim to drink 3 cups a day (24 ounces) of whole milk or soy milk for adequate calcium.

• Make smoothies and milkshakes with whole fat yogurt, high-calorie ice cream, whole milk, or heavy cream.

• Boost drinks with flavored syrups, nut butter, or instant breakfast powder.

Dairy products

• Add whole milk to cereal and oatmeal.

• Choose whole fat yogurt and top with granola, fruit, nuts, chocolate, and candy pieces.

• Add butter, whole milk, heavy cream and shredded cheese to pasta dishes, sauces, and casseroles.

Meat and meat alternatives

• Cook meat, poultry and fish in oil or try breading chicken, shrimp, fish, or pork chops.

• Use high-calorie sauces and marinades.

• Choose higher fat meats (80/20 beef cuts, New York strip, or T-bone).

• Try hummus and nut butter as a dip or spread for bread, crackers, fruit and veggies.

• Add beans to side dishes, entrée, soups or salads.

• Use whole eggs rather than egg substitute. Scramble with heavy cream or melt cheese on top.

Fruits and vegetables

• Dip vegetables in salad dressing, hummus, guacamole, nut butter, cream cheese or dips.

• Cook vegetables in butter or olive oil.

• Dip fruit into nut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, cookie butter, caramel or fruit dip.

• Add dried fruits to trail mix, oatmeal, and cereal.

• Try chocolate or yogurt covered fruits or canned fruits in heavy syrup.

Starches and grains

• No bread product should be dry. Spread nut butter, butter, cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread, cookie butter, jelly or jam, mayo, pesto, aioli, hummus, or guacamole on top.

• Serve pasta with high-calorie sauces like pesto, Alfredo or Rosa sauce. Butter pasta before adding sauce.

• Try ravioli, manicotti, stuffed shells, tortellini, lasagna, and baked ziti.

• Offer dessert like brownies, cake, pie, cheesecake, cookies, and cupcakes with dinner.

Fats

• Cook with butter, ghee, and a variety of oils (olive, vegetable, coconut, peanut, corn, and canola).

Sample menu:

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs made with heavy cream and topped with cheese

• Whole wheat toast topped with butter and jelly

• Whole milk

Morning snack

• Whole fat yogurt topped with granola, honey and fresh berries

• Cranberry juice

Lunch

• Turkey sandwich with bacon, cheese and mayonnaise

• Carrots dipped in ranch or hummus

• Sliced apples dipped in nut butter or sunflower butter

• Whole milk

Afternoon snack

• Tortilla chips with melted cheese dipped in guacamole

• Apple juice

Evening meal

• Breaded chicken tenders

• Broccoli topped with melted cheese or sautéed in oil/butter

• Mashed potatoes made with heavy cream and sour cream

• Whole milk

Evening snack

• Milkshake made with whole milk/heavy cream and high-calorie ice cream. Try add-ins like chocolate syrup, nut butter, cookies/brownies/candy, or instant breakfast powder.

   

Reviewed April 2025 by Carolyn Lois, RD