- Eat several small, frequent meals and snacks a day rather than 3 large meals.
- Eat your favorite foods at any time of the day. For example, eat breakfast foods for dinner if they appeal to you.
- Eat every few hours. Don't wait until you feel hungry.
- Eat your biggest meal when you feel hungriest. For example, if you are hungriest in the morning, make breakfast your biggest meal.
- Try to eat high-calorie, high-protein foods at each meal and snack.
- Exercise lightly or take a walk before meals to increase your appetite.
- Drink high-calorie, high-protein beverages like milkshakes and canned liquid supplements. Many people do better with cold drinks.
- Drink most of your fluids between meals instead of with meals. Drinking fluid with meals can make you feel too full.
- Try homemade or commercially prepared nutrition bars and puddings.
High-protein foods* |
Milk products: Eat cheese on toast or with crackers. Add grated cheese to baked potatoes, vegetables, soups, noodles, meat, and fruit. Use milk in place of water for cereal and soups. Include cream sauces on vegetables and pasta. Add powdered milk to cream soups, mashed potatoes, puddings, and casseroles. Add yogurt or cottage cheese to favorite fruits or blended smoothies. Eggs: Keep hard-cooked eggs in the refrigerator. Chop and add to salads, casseroles, soups, and vegetables. Make a quick egg salad. All eggs should be well cooked to avoid the risk of harmful bacteria. Meats, poultry, and fish: Add leftover cooked meats to soups, casseroles, salads, and omelets. Mix diced and flaked cooked meat with sour cream and spices to make dip. Beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds: Sprinkle seeds on desserts like fruit, ice cream, pudding, and custard. Also serve on vegetables, salads, and pasta. Spread peanut butter on toast and fruit or blend in a milkshake. |
High-calorie foods* |
Butter and margarine: Melt over potatoes, rice, pasta, and cooked vegetables. Stir melted butter or margarine into soups and casseroles and spread on bread before adding other ingredients to your sandwich. Milk products: Add whipping cream to desserts, pancakes, waffles, fruit, and hot chocolate; fold it into soups and casseroles. Add sour cream to baked potatoes and vegetables. Salad dressings: Use regular (not low-fat or diet) mayonnaise and salad dressing on sandwiches and dips with vegetables and fruit. Sweets: Add jelly and honey to bread and crackers. Add jam to fruit, and use ice cream as a topping on cake. |
Feedback
