HIGH PROTEIN
HIGH CALORIE DIET
Tips to help with a poor appetite
•Eat your biggest meal when your appetite is
best
•This may be at breakfast time rather than at the
evening meal
•Eat often through the day
•Try to eat something every one to two hours
•Have small snacks between meals everyday.
Snacks can give you extra energy
•Include a high protein food at each meal and
snack
•Carry snacks with you if you are planning to be
away from home
•Try a few mouthfuls even if you are not hungry
•Eat high energy and high protein foods most of
the time
•Examples of high protein and energy foods will
be discussed later in the handout
•Limit low fat, calorie reduced or diet foods
•Drink liquids that give you energy through the
day
•These include milk, smoothies, nutritional
supplement drinks or juice
•Limit low calorie fluids such as water, coffee
and tea as they will fill you up and not allow you
to eat much at mealtimes
•Eat foods that taste good to you
•It is acceptable to eat the same foods often if
only a few foods appeal to you
High protein high energy food choices
EXAMPLES OF HIGH PROTEIN FOODS
EXAMPLES OF HIGH ENERGY FOODS
•Fish and shellfish
•Full-fat milk
(cow or goat)
•Eggs
•All poultry
(eg. chicken, turkey, duck)
•All meat
(eg. beef, lamb)
Choose lean meat cuts and avoid processed
meats. Have no more than 300g red meat per
week.
•All dairy products
(eg. milk, yogurt, cheese, kefir)
•Soy products
(eg. soy beans/edamame, tofu, bean curd, soy
milk, tempeh, soy cheese, soy yogurt)
If your have oestrogen-receptor-positive cancer,
you may wish to avoid soy products. If you do
include it, do not exceed more than two servings
per day. 1 serving = 1 cup. Concentrated forms
of soy should definitely be avoided, e.g. soy
powders, bars, supplements or tablets.
•Beans/lentils
(eg. chickpeas, kidney beans, split peas, baked
beans)
Please note that beans are typically gas-forming
and may have a laxative effect. Therefore avoid if
you are suffering from bloating or diarrhoea.
•Nuts and nut butters
(eg. peanut, almond, cashew, walnuts)
•Pea or whey protein powders
(eg. Beneprotein)
•Nutritional supplement drinks
(eg. Forticare, Ensure, Resource Optimum)
•Regular yogurt
(3% milk fat or more)
•Regular cheese
•Cream
•Butter
•Avocado
•All nuts and nut butters
(peanut, almond, cashew, walnuts)
•All seeds and seed butters
(eg. sunflower, pumpkin, chia, sesame)
•Coconut milk
•All vegetable oils
(eg. canola, olive, peanut, coconut, walnut)
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN
Why is protein important?
Getting enough protein can help you to:
•Build a healthy immune system
•Fight infection
•Recover from illness more quickly
Protein rich foods are a good source of calories
which is an important part of maintaining your
body weight throughout treatment.
How much protein do I need?
The average healthy adult needs 0.8g per kg body
weight.
Individuals undergoing cancer treatment may have
increased protein needs. Your needs may range
from 1.0-2.5g per kg body weight. Speak with a
registered dietician about your protein needs.
Here’s an example of how to calculate your
protein needs:
Example – 70kg man or woman who needs 1.5g per
kg body weight.
Multiply kg by your protein requirement:
70 kg x 1.5 = 105g protein daily
Protein rich foods
Grams of protein in different foods:
Protein (grams)
30g (1 ounce) meat/chicken/fish
7g
1 egg
7g
90g (½ cup) dried beans
7g
30g (1 ounce) peanut butter
7g
30g (1 ounce) cheese
7g
250ml (1 cup) milk/yogurt
8g
2 scoops of ice cream
4g
1 medium cone soft serve
How to use protein powder?
Use ½ cup of food or drink for each scoop of
protein powder. For best results with liquids, mix
with a small amount of the liquid to make a smooth
paste, then gradually add the remaining liquid
while stirring.
It is recommended to avoid soy powders if you
have breast cancer – therefore pea or whey powder
will be the better alternative. Discuss with your
dietician before you take and protein powder.
Your protein needs:
Food
How can I increase my protein intake?
•Include high protein foods at every meal and/or
snack
•Eat the protein food first before other food items
•Double the chicken or fish portion in your
sandwich or meal
•Add extra egg whites to homemade French toast,
pancakes or waffles
•Add firm tofu to stir fries and casseroles
•Add meat or poultry to homemade soups or
salads
•Add cut up egg or egg white to salads or
casseroles
•Keep hard cooked eggs on hand for easy snacks
•Eat baked custard, bread pudding or rice
pudding made with extra eggs or egg whites
•Cook extra portions of protein foods to have
leftovers for meals or snacks
•Add protein powder to suitable beverages and
foods (only as prescribed by your dietician)
5.5 g
1 slice bread
3g
⅓ cup cooked rice/pasta/couscous
3g
½ medium potato
3g
½ cup cooked oats
3g
1 cup raw vegetables
2g
½ cup cooked vegetables
2g
Stir into:
•Drinks:
juice, milk, coffee, tea, water, nutrition
supplements
•Savoury food:
mashed potato, spaghetti sauce, stew, chicken/
tuna/pasta salad, curry dishes, scrambled eggs
•Sweet food:
oatmeal, cream of wheat, apple sauce, puddings,
custards, ice cream
•Spreads:
margarine, butter, peanut butter, sour cream,
mayonnaise
•Soup:
broth, vegetable, noodle or cream soups, congee
Food fortification
To fortify foods means to add more calories or protein to your food, without increasing the volume of the
food. See the some examples of how to fortify your food below:
Food/fluid
Protein-or calorie source
Use to boost energy/protein
Full-fat cow’s milk,
cream
High in both protein and
calories
Add to porridge, cold cereals, soups, sauces,
mashed potato and smoothies
Cheese
High in both protein and
calories
•Grate over vegetables, pasta, mashed
potatoes or casseroles
•Spread cream cheese on soft bread
•Top a baked potato with cream cheese
•Add cheese to an omelette
Egg
High in protein
•Add grated egg on to potato, casseroles
•Crumbed egg yolk on top of vegetables
•Add finely grated egg white into soups,
sauces or pasta
Nut spread
High in both protein and
calories
Stir a teaspoon of smooth peanut butter into
warm porridge, or into a smoothie
Oil
High in calories
•Use cooking methods where you will use oil
•Drizzle root vegetables with oil and roast it in
the oven, before using it in a soup
•Add olive oil to vegetables, potatoes, sweet
potatoes or pasta
Butter
High in calories
•Cook meat in a bit of butter
•Add to vegetables, potatoes, or sweet potato
Beans, legumes
High in protein
•Add lentils/beans to soups
•Add lentils to rice
•Add beans to mashed potato
(Note that beans and legumes may cause
bloating and abdominal discomfort)
Avocado
High in calories
•Add into dips or sauces
•Spread on a piece of bread or crackers
Examples of meals
HIGH-CALORIE AND HIGH-PROTEIN BREAKFASTS
Eggs:
•Omelette with chopped mushrooms - prepared with oil. Add grated cheese. For extra protein, add a
spoon of tinned lentils into the egg before preparing the omelette
•French toast with ricotta cheese and honey
•Scrambled egg prepared with milk/cream and extra cheese in a soft, warm wrap/chapatti. Add a
mayonnaise dressing
Cereals:
•Oats porridge prepared with cream/full-fat milk. Add a teaspoon of peanut butter or butter and
honey. For extra protein, add finely grate hard-boiled egg white and stir into the porridge
•Oats porridge with stewed dried fruit and honey
•Oats porridge prepared with cream/full-fat milk. Top with soft cooked apple, cinnamon and honey
•Granola with full-fat yogurt and extra chopped dates
Breads:
•Banana bread with peanut butter, fresh banana and honey
•French toast with ricotta cheese and honey
•Tuna mayo toast
Smoothies:
•Breakfast smoothie prepared with full fat yogurt, fresh pureed mango and a teaspoon of honey
Beans:
•Chapatti seared in a pan with vegetable oil. Chickpea/lentil/dhal/beans with dark green leafy
vegetables
Other:
•Full fat yogurt with soft cooked apple, cinnamon and brown sugar
HIGH-CALORIE AND HIGH-PROTEIN LUNCHES/DINNERS
Sandwiches:
•Filings: Egg, tuna, cooked salmon, turkey, chicken mayo, avocado, cheese, peanut butter and jam,
hummus
Soups:
•Thick chicken soup. Add grated egg-white into soups
•Vegetable soups prepared with cream. Add grated egg-white into soups
•Squash or lentil soup made with coconut milk
•Beans or lentil soups (if able to tolerate)
Pasta:
•Spaghetti bolognaise. Add a scoop of basil pesto and add extra cheese on the top
•Lasagna
Other:
•Casseroles/stews with meat, chicken, fish or beans
•Beans curry with coconut milk
•Shepherd’s pie, topped with grated cheese
•Mashed potato, with added butter and full-fat milk, with a thick meat sauce. Cooked vegetables with a
thick white sauce prepared with full-fat milk. Top with crumbled, hard-boiled egg yolk
•Omelette with minced meat - prepared with oil. Add grated cheese
•Mashed potato with added grated egg white. Top with soft pieces of cooked salmon and a cream
sauce
HIGH-CALORIE AND HIGH-PROTEIN SNACKS
•Custard with stewed fruit
•Jelly and custard
•Rice pudding prepared with full-fat milk or coconut milk
•Ice cream
•Full-fat yogurt with fresh fruit
•Trail mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruit
•Granola/oats bar
•Boiled egg
•Soft pieces of bread with cream cheese/avocado
•Banana and peanut butter sandwich
•Crackers with guacamole
•Crackers with cheese
•Crackers with hummus
•Cottage cheese with chopped apple and cinnamon
•Nutritional supplement, such as Ensure
•Smoothies prepared with full-fat yogurt/ice cream, fruit and peanut butter
HIGH PROTEIN HIGH ENERGY BEVERAGES
•Homemade smoothies
•Warm full-fat milk with honey or plain full-fat milk
•Ovaltine, Horlicks made with milk
•Nutritional supplement, e.g. Forticare, Ensure, Resource optimum
•Tea/coffee prepared with a full cup of full-fat milk
•Fresh fruit juice
How to prepare enriched milk
This recipe will enrich your milk with protein and
energy, without increasing the volume of the milk.
• To every cup of milk, add 1 heaped tablespoon of
full-fat or skim milk powder (Regilait) and whisk
until dissolved. For 1 litre of milk, use 4 heaped
tablespoons of milk powder.
OR
• To two cups of milk add one cup of evaporated
milk.
Use enriched milk on cereal, in desserts, in mashed potato and whenever else you would normally
use milk.
Homemade smoothie instructions
If you do not feel like eating solid foods, try a nutritious smoothie instead. Here is a simple way to make
your own homemade smoothie:
STEPS
FOOD SOURCE
Choose a liquid
Start with 1 cup of liquid
Milk, chocolate milk, buttermilk,
goat’s milk, nutritional
supplement drink, almond milk,
rice milk, fruit and/or vegetable
juice, water
Add protein
Add 2 tablespoons of high
protein food
Skim milk powder, yogurt, soft
tofu, nuts, whey/pea protein
powder, cottage cheese, almond
butter, peanut butter, egg
substitute
Do not use raw eggs
Add calories
Add a high calorie food. Start
with 1 tablespoon and increase
gradually to desired taste
Cream, ice-cream, condensed
milk, frozen yogurt, avocado,
cream, vegetable oil, cream
cheese
Add flavour
Add ¼ - ½ cup of a flavourful
food
Fresh or frozen berries, banana,
canned peaches, applesauce,
crushed pineapple, mango
Optional
Add 1 tablespoon of a fibre food
Oat bran, chia seeds, handful
of greens (kale, spinach, chard)
YOUR CHOICE