A High Energy Diet - Loanne Allen B.Sc., Grad. Dip. Diet & Nutr., MDAA

Who needs extra calories?
1) If you are underweight
2) Athletes or very active people
3) People who have special health conditions, such as cancer, an eating disorder, depression, malnutrition etc.
Choose Nutritious Energy Dense Foods!
Although you need extra calories, you also need adequate nutrition and perhaps more nutrients than the average person. This means you need to obtain your extra calories from nutritious sources.

High Energy Foods For Weight Gain

High Energy Drinks
Sustagen, Ovaltine, Milo, Ensure, Protein Drinks
Milk Shakes and Smoothies
Fruit Juice

High Energy Spreads
Avocado, dips, fish paste, cream cheese, soy cheese, ricotta cheese, mayonnaise
Nut Spreads - peanut butter, almond paste, cashew paste
Nutella, Jam, Honey, Syrup
Margarine or oil

High Energy Snacks
Nuts, Seeds, Muesli Bars, Dried Fruit, Fruit Bars, Protein Bars
Cheese and Crackers
Oven baked chips tossed in canola or olive oil

High Energy Meals
Salads with oily dressings or mayonnaise
Vegetables stir-fried in oil or mashed with margarine
Eggs and Egg Dishes
Oily Fish (eg. Sardines, Herring, Tuna, Salmon)
Vegetables with Cheese Sauce
Meat, Chicken or Fish cooked in oil
Fried Rice or Pasta tossed in olive oil

Note: Try minimize the amount of animal fat, by substituting full fat dairy products with full fat soy products.
(Eg. Replace milk with soy milk, cheese with soy cheese, custard with soy custard and butter with a soy spread or canola spread)
Special Considerations
1. A basic vitamin and mineral supplement, providing 100% of the RDA may be necessary depending on current nutritional status. Ask your physician about the need for supplements. 2. Plan for regular eating times, including three meals and several snacks throughout the day. You can stimulate your appetite just by eating, so eat small amounts often. 3. Stimulate a poor appetite by socializing and eating with friends; or by enjoying favorite foods, enticing aromas like freshly baked bread, soft dinner music, flowers on the table and relaxed, pleasant mealtime conversation. 4. High Energy Drinks can be equivalent to eating a meal. Try to include at least 2-3 high energy milk based drinks daily. 5. Alcoholic beverages can increase your appetite, so try having a drink before meals. Remember that alcohol does not contain nutrients, so use it in moderation. 6. Don’t fill up on low calorie bulky foods! Replace diet sodas with fruit juice or milk drinks, replace some fresh fruit with dried fruits, limit vegetables & salads and avoid high bran cereals. Concentrated milk or dry milk powder can be added to soups, casseroles and mashed potatoes to increase the calories and nutrients. 7. A canned liquid supplement such as Ensure or Sustacal taken with meals or between meals is effective when there is a lack of interest in food and eating. Many stores carry their own effective brands at a lower cost. Liquid supplements are a convenient way to consume extra calories.