Need to Gain Weight?
Calories measure food energy. Eating more calories than your body burns
leads to weight gain. If your doctor and/or Registered Dietitian have advised you
to gain weight, you will have to eat extra calories every day. Here are some
general tips:
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Do not skip meals.
Add snacks between your meals and at bedtime.
Keep foods & snacks that are easy to prepare or get pre-packaged ones to
keep around the house.
Make meal time pleasant by cooking with friends or preparing special dishes.
Plan meals around your energy level. If you are most energetic in the
morning, make breakfast your biggest meal.
Consider cooking extra batches of favorite foods on weekends.
Try liquid supplements. Supplements such as Ensure®, Boost®, Carnation®
Instant Breakfast™, or others pack in 250 calories per serving. The “Plus”
versions of these products contain even more calories per serving. Most stores
also carry their own brand, which can save you money!
To gain weight, you may have to eat or drink when you don’t feel hungry.
So, make everything you eat and drink count!
Beverage Ideas - Many people find that it is easier to drink than to eat extra
calories:
 Instead of water, drink cranberry juice, orange juice, fruit punch, lemonade,
Kool-Aid®, chocolate milk.
 If you have medications to take, take them with beverages that have calories
in them such as milk, juice, or sweet tea.
 If you like milk, drink whole milk instead of low fat or skim.
 Fortify milk by adding dry milk powder: 1 cup dry milk powder to each quart
of milk.
 Add ice cream, Instant Breakfast™, protein powder, dry milk powder, or other
flavored powders or syrups to whole milk (chocolate, strawberry, etc.).
www.GInutrition.virginia.edu
BB updated 12/2015
23 Ways to Add Calories to Every Bite
Change to full fat dairy.
 For cream soups, custards, puddings, and milkshakes, use whole milk or evaporated
milk instead of low-fat or non-fat milk. Half and half can also be used, but won’t pack as
much protein.
 Use whole milk yogurt or kefir instead of the low- or non-fat kind. Flavored or fruited
varieties have even more calories.
 Use whole milk/full fat versions of cottage cheese and sour cream.
Use butter often.
 On vegetables, rice, potatoes, noodles, and breads. Noodles and rice are good fried, too.
 In hot cereals
 On sandwiches and crackers
 Cook meats, fish, poultry, or eggs in oil or butter.
Fortify your breakfast.
 Use lots of butter, syrup, and nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.) on toast,
pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
 Add butter to your hot cereals.
 Brown or white sugar and honey are great on cereals.
 Try maple syrup in hot cereals.
 Add nuts (especially good when toasted) and dried fruits to hot cereals and muffins.
Dress up your bread.
 Add jam, jellies, Nutella®, and honey to bread, toast, or rolls.
 Use mayonnaise whenever possible – put it on both sides of your bread for sandwiches.
Whole fat cream cheese makes a great mayonnaise substitute also.
 Use liberal amounts of peanut butter, whole milk cheeses, cottage cheese, or cream
cheese. Add them to breads, bagels, or rolls.
 Avocado is a great addition to any sandwich.
Add protein to everything.
 Add hard cooked eggs to vegetables and casseroles.
 Nuts and sunflower seeds provide calories and protein; eat as a snack or add them to
salads, cookies, muffins, and hot cereal.
 Dry milk powder or whey protein powder can be cooked into gravies and other foods.
Garnish with gusto.
 Enhance meats and vegetables with gravies, especially if protein-fortified.
 Add avocados to sandwiches, tacos, and salads, or smash them to make guacamole.
They are also good on their own as a high calorie snack or side.
 Sprinkle lots of Parmesan cheese on vegetables, pasta dishes, and eggs.
 Dried fruits like raisins, dates, cherries, apricots, and pineapples are delicious alone or
added to salads, cookies, muffins, and hot cereal. Use with nuts and chocolate chips to
make trail mix.
Don’t skip dessert.
 Make custards and puddings with eggs or egg substitute.
 Choose canned fruits in heavy syrup.
 Add chocolate or caramel sauce and cookie or candy toppings to ice cream or frozen
yogurt.
www.GInutrition.virginia.edu
BB updated 12/2015
Ready-Made Nutritional Supplements*
Milk-Based Products:
Carnation® Instant breakfast™ or store brand equivalent
Scandishake®/ScandiCal®
http://www.aptalispharma.com/scandishake
Mighty Shakes® (available in nectar- and honey-thick consistencies)
http://www.hormelhealthlabs.com/
Magic Cup® Dessert (an ice cream or pudding suitable for dysphagia diets)
http://www.hormelhealthlabs.com/
Eggnog around the holidays is power-packed with calories.
Lactose-Free Products:
Ensure®/Ensure Plus® (or store brand equivalent)
Boost®/Boost Plus® (or store brand equivalent)
Nutra-Shake®
www.nutra-balance-products.com
Boost® or Ensure® Puddings
*Examples only; other products are also available. UVAHS does not endorse any
product or brand. Many stores also have generic equivalents of these products.
High Protein and Calorie Shakes
The blender is your friend! Get creative with high calorie shakes and smoothies.
Here are a few recipes to get your started. Calorie and protein amounts are listed
per serving.
Milk-Based Shakes
You can substitute any of the following in place of milk: liquid nutritional
supplements, soy milk, silken tofu, Lactaid® milk, or non-dairy creamers.
BASIC MILKSHAKE
¾ cup milk (or substitute)
1 cup ice cream
SHERBET SHAKE
¾ cup milk (or substitute)
1 cup sherbet, any flavor
Put all ingredients into a blender, cover,
and blend until smooth. Makes 1 serving.
360 calories, 10 g protein.
Put ingredients into blender, cover, and
blend until smooth. Makes 1 serving.
360 calories, 8 g protein
Flavoring ideas:
 1 to 2 Tbsp chocolate, strawberry, or
caramel syrup
 ½ mashed banana
 ¼ to ½ cup fresh or frozen
strawberries
 1 to 2 Tbsp peanut butter
 2-4 crumbled chocolate sandwich
www.GInutrition.virginia.edu
cookies
HIGH PROTEIN MILK
1 quart low fat milk
1 cup nonfat dried milk powder
Blenderize ingredients until powdered
milk dissolves. Refrigerate.
BB updated 12/2015
HIGH
PROTEIN/HIGH ENERGY
COCOA
SUPREME
SHAKEchocolate Instant Breakfast™
1 envelope
cup milk (or substitute)
8 oz ½
milk
1 package
Instant
1 Tbsp
chocolate
syrup Breakfast®
¼ cup
egg substitute
~10 mini
marshmallows
½ cup ice cream
Heat milk and add Instant Breakfast™ and
Put
all well
ingredients
into
blender and
syrup.
Stir
to blend.
Topa with
blend until Makes
smooth.
marshmallows.
1 serving.
470 calories,
gm protein
355 calories,
13 g 22
protein
NANA-PEANUT SHAKE
½ cup milk (or substitute)
1 banana
2½ Tbsp peanut butter
1 cup vanilla ice cream
THE SUPER SHAKE
1, 8 oz can Ensure® Plus/Boost® Plus or
equivalent
1 cup whole milk
½ cup ice cream
KEY LIME DELIGHT SHAKE
2 cups vanilla yogurt
6 oz key lime yogurt
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk (or substitute)
Put all ingredients into a blender and blend
until smooth. Makes 2 servings.
370 calories, 14 g protein
Put all ingredients into a blender and blend
until smooth. Makes 2 servings.
360 calories, 12 g protein
COFFEE BUZZ
2 tsp of instant coffee, mixed in 1 TBSP
water
1 cup milk (or substitute)
1 pack of chocolate or vanilla Instant
Breakfast™
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE SHAKE
(not sweet)
6 to 7 strawberries
½ cup cold milk
½ cup cottage cheese
Honey to taste
Blend all ingredients together. Makes 1
serving. 280 calories, 13 g protein
Place milk in blender container. Add
banana, peanut butter, and ice cream.
Cover; blend on high for one minute or until
thick and smooth. Makes 2 servings.
330 calories, 10 g protein
Combine all ingredients in blender until
smooth. Makes 1 serving.
270 calories, 18 g protein
Hint: Use frozen strawberries for a thicker
shake.
MALTED MILKSHAKE
½ cup milk (or substitute)
1 Tbsp malted milk powder
½ cup half and half
1 package Instant Breakfast™
2 cups ice cream
2 Tbsp Ovaltine®
STRAWBERRY-BANANA FRAPPE
(not sweet)
Put all ingredients into a blender and blend
until smooth. Makes 2 servings.
435 calories, 10 g protein
Combine all ingredients in blender. Makes
2 servings.
275 calories, 9 g protein
www.GInutrition.virginia.edu
1
2
1
1
cup milk (or substitute)
bananas
carton (8 oz.) strawberry yogurt
Tbsp lemon juice
BB updated 12/2015
Yogurt and Nondairy Shakes
CREAMSICLE BREAKFAST SHAKE
¾ cup vanilla yogurt
¾ cup orange juice
1 pack vanilla Instant Breakfast™
JUICE SHAKE
¾ cup pineapple juice (or other juices)
¼ cup egg substitute (optional)
1½ cups vanilla ice cream
Add all ingredients to the blender, cover,
and blend until smooth. Makes 1 serving.
385 calories, 12 g protein
Add all ingredients to the blender, cover,
and blend until smooth. Makes 2 servings.
315 calories, 7 g protein
FROZEN FRUIT SLUSH
6 oz can frozen fruit juice
4 Tbsp sugar
3 cups crushed ice
HIGH PROTEIN FRUIT DRINK
8 oz Boost® Breeze/Ensure Clear™ or
equivalent
½ cup sherbet
6 oz ginger-ale
Add all ingredients to the blender, cover,
and blend until smooth. Makes 1 serving.
350 calories, 9 g protein
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix
until slushy. Makes 1 serving.
615 calories, 0 g protein
BREAKFAST SHAKE
6 oz. can frozen concentrated orange juice
¼ cup cold water
1 cup ice cubes
1 carton (8 oz.) plain yogurt
Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in
blender and blend until frothy. With
mixture still running, drop in ice cubes one
at a time.
Makes 2 servings.
240 calories, 8 g protein
GREEN SMOOTHIE
1 banana
½ cup frozen mango chunks
½ ripe avocado
1 cup baby spinach
1¼ soy or almond milk
½ tsp vanilla
Add all ingredients to the blender, cover,
and blend until smooth.
Makes 1 serving.
485 calories, 11 g protein
Pudding
CHOCO PEANUT BUTTER PUDDING
2 cups chocolate pudding
½ cup peanut butter
2 ½ Tbsp nonfat dry milk
1/3 cup milk (or substitute)
Mix ingredients together well in a bowl. Refrigerate. Makes 4 servings.
315 calories, 9 g protein
Alternatives: Try substituting vanilla or butterscotch pudding, or try a different
kind of nut butter such as almond or cashew.
www.GInutrition.virginia.edu
BB updated 12/2015