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 |
---|---|
|
|
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
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_nutrition_manual/sample_menu_high-calorie_and_high-protein_meals. Accessed February 4, 2021.
Last reviewed December 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN