High Energy High Protein Diet Sheet

Protein 

Protein is needed for growth and repair of body tissues and to increase  muscle mass.

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, milk, pulses and nuts are all good sources. Try to include some protein at each meal. 

Calories

A calorie is a measure of energy contained in food.  Sufficient energy is required to help prevent weight loss, and to ensure the protein is used for growth and repair.  

It is important to choose high energy, high protein foods until your appetite/weight returns to normal.  

Any foods with an asterisk (*) indicates this food may not be suitable if you have diabetes, unless otherwise advised by your dietitian. 

Tips to Stimulate Your Appetite:        

You may be experiencing a poor appetite. This can be caused by many things e.g medications, medical conditions, prolonged poor dietary intake and recent hospital admissions.  

To improve your appetite it is important to try to eat little and often e.g. every 2-3 hours.  

If these are overwhelming at first try:

• Having a biscuit or chocolate* with each cup of tea or coffee throughout the day.
• Keeping biscuits, chocolates* and mini cake bars* by your chair to snack onthroughout the day.
• Avoid drinking large amounts before a meal and instead sip fluids during and after you have eaten.  

If you have a poor appetite you may find large meals over facing and find smells of foods off putting.  

Consider trying:  

• Smaller portion of meals more frequently during the day.
• Use ready meals to avoid strong smells of foods.
• Try having cold foods e.g. sandwiches to avoid strong smells.
• Try plainer tasting foods e.g. mashed potato or toast with plenty of butter. 

Energy Dense Diet  

You can increase the calorie and protein content of your diet by making  simple swaps of foods you are already having. 

LOWER CALORIE AND PROTEIN FOODS:

Dairy

• Skimmed, semi skimmed milk.
• Light cream.
• Low fat yoghurts.
• Low fat cheese and cheese spread.

Protein

• Low fat hummus, reduced fat paté 

Fats

• Low fat hummus, reduced fat paté 

Miscellaneous

• Light mayonnaise, light salad cream.
• Light or low fat ready meals.
• Tomato based sauces.
• Light or vegetable soups 

Drinks

• Tea, coffee.
• Sugar cordial.
• Diet fizzy drinks.

HIGHER CALORIE AND PROTEIN FOODS

Dairy

• Full fat milk, carnation milk.
• Double cream, clotted cream.
• Full fat yoghurts.
• Full fat cheese and cheese spread. 

Protein

• Hummus, pate,  baked beans, meat spread, peanut butter.

Fats

• Butter

Miscellaneous

• Full fat mayonnaise, coleslaw.
• Full fat ready meals.
• Creamy sauces.
• ‘Cream of’ soups with croutons. 

Drinks

• Hot chocolate*, Ovaltine, Horlicks, full cream milk, milkshakes*, milky coffee.
• Fresh fruit juice*.
• Full sugar fizzy drinks*, full sugar cordial* 

How to Fortify Your Diet    

Fortifying your diet is adding extra fat or sugar sources to your meals and drinks to increase the amount of calories and protein in your diet, without increasing your portion sizes. 

Fortified milk

Full fat milk can be fortified without altering the taste or texture.  Add 2-4 heaped tablespoons of milk powder to 1 pint (568ml) of milk.  Fortified milk can be taken as a drink, or used in foods and drinks such as:  

• Porridge.
• Cereal.
• Tea and coffee.
• Added to mashed potato.
• Custard and rice pudding.
• Malted drinks e.g. Horlicks, Ovaltine, hot chocolate*.
• Milky drinks e.g. milkshakes. 

Butter and Oils

Butter and oils are fats which are very high in calories.  

• Spread butter generously on bread and chapatti.
• Where possible, fry foods in plenty of oil.
• Add extra butter to mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs.
• Drizzle oil onto pasta and add butter to vegetables.
• Add mayonnaise or salad dressings to sandwiches, salad, pasta and potatoes. 

Cheese    

Cheese is a dairy product and high in fat and  protein.  Add grated cheese to:

• Sauces.
• Soups.
• Potatoes (mashed potatoes, dauphinoise).
• Vegetables e.g. cauliflower cheese.
• Pasta – top pasta dishes with cheese or use a cheese based sauce.
• Omelettes.
• Scrambled eggs.
• Mashed potatoes.
• Try cheese on toast with butter.  

Cream and Milk

Cream is a dairy product and high in fat. Cream can be used in food and drink such as:

• Added to cooking sauces.
• Drizzle on top of soup.
• Serve with cake* and desserts*.
• Drizzled onto cereals with milk.
• Added to porridge.
• Added to mashed potatoes.
• Added to scrambled eggs.
• Added to milky drinks such as milk, hot chocolate, Horlicks.
• Added to custard and rice pudding.
• Make jelly* and casserole mixes with milk rather than water.
• Make instant soups, condensed soups and cup a soups with milk rather than water. 

Store Cupboard and Fridge Ideas  

If you struggle to get to the shops its useful to keep a supply of store cupboard and freezer foods that are high in calories and protein.  

Store cupboard ideas:  

• Long-life/ UHT/ evaporated full fat milk (blue top).
• Carnation milk.
• Hot chocolate, Ovaltine, Horlicks.
• Dried milk powder.
• Instant mash (make with milk rather than water).
• Cereals .
• Crackers.
• Pasta and rice.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Tinned meat and fish (corned beef, tuna, salmon, meatballs).
• Baked beans, spaghetti hoops.
• Tinned soups.
• Tinned pies and meals.
• Tinned puddings* e.g. sticky toffee pudding.
• Cakes*,  biscuits, chocolates*, long-life custard and rice pudding pots, jellies*.
• Jam*, chocolate spread*, lemon curd*.
• Tinned fruit*. 

Freezer ideas:  

• Ready meals.
• Ice cream*.
• Freeze bread to be defrosted when needed.
• Frozen meat and fish (sausages, chicken Kiev, fish fingers).
• Frozen desserts.
• Frozen chips, mashed potatoes, waffles. 

How beneficial will fortifying my diet be?  

Sugar    

Please avoid adding sugar to your diet if you have diabetes, unless otherwise advised by your dietitian.

• Add sugar* to tea, coffee, hot chocolate and other milky drinks.
• Add extra sugar* to breakfast cereal.
• Or add golden syrup, honey or jam to porridge.
• Add jam*; honey*, marmalade*, syrup*, or chocolate spread* to toast, pancakes, and crumpets.

Meal Ideas    

Breakfast  

• Porridge made with double cream and jam, honey*, sugar*, chocolate spread*, peanut butter or nuts as preferred.
• Cheese or paté on toast.
• Cheese and ham omelette.
• Cooked breakfast with cheesy scrambled egg, beans and fried bread.
• Full fat yoghurt with honey*, banana and nuts.
• Toasted fruit loaf with butter and jam* or chocolate spread* as preferred. 

Lunch

• Baked beans and cheese on toast.
• Cream of tomato soup with double cream, croutons and a slice of bread with butter.
• Cheese and pickle or coleslaw sandwich.
• Jacket potato with butter and  beans with cheese or tuna mayonnaise and  cheese.
• Tinned ravioli or macaroni cheese on toast with butter.

Evening meal

• Chicken and mushroom pie with cheesy mash and broccoli coated in a drizzle of oil.
• Fish fingers, baked beans with cheese and mashed potato.
• Creamy mushroom and cheese risotto.
• Lasagne with garlic bread. 

If you are finding it difficult to cook meals, try ready prepared meals. Alternatively, ready meal delivery services and local meals-on-wheels may be available in your local area. 

Snack Ideas

To help maximise your calorie and protein intake try having snacks throughout the day.    

If you are struggling to include snacks in your diet try starting with a milky drink. 

Examples of snacks

Sweet:

• Biscuits (add butter, chocolate spread*, peanut butter)
• Fruit loaf toast with butter
• Ice cream*
• Rice pudding / custard
• Chocolate*
• Yoghurt
• Cakes* and pastries*
• Cereal bars
• Instant whips* made up with full cream milk
• Indian style sweets*
• Croissants, scotch pancakes, scones with  golden syrup* chocolate  spread*, cream, jam  
• Fruit with double cream, ice cream* or custard
• Fortified milkshakes.
• Glass of full cream milk 

Savoury:

• Scotch eggs, mini pork pies, quiches, cocktail sausages and sausage rolls
• Toast or crumpets with butter and cheese
• Crisps
• Nuts
• Mini naan bread or chapatti with hummus
• Pakoras, samosas, bhajis, spring rolls
• Cup-a-soup made up with milk
• Buttered crackers with cheese/cheese spread
• Boiled eggs

Fortified Milkshake

If you enjoy milky drinks consider trying this milkshake which you can adapt to your own tastes.  

Ingredients  

• 200ml full fat milk
• 2 heaped tbsp (30g) of dried milk powder
• 2 heaped tbsp (20g) of milkshake powder
• 2 tbsp double cream.  

Method  

• Blend together the milk, dried milk powder, double cream and milkshake powder.  

Variations  

• Add fresh or tinned fruit e.g. bananas, strawberries or tinned peaches instead of milkshake powder.
• Add a scoop of ice-cream to make your milkshake thicker and creamier.
• Turn your milkshake into an iced coffee by dissolving a teaspoon of instant coffee in 30ml of boiling water and adding to your milkshake.

 Nutritional information per 200ml serving:

If you are struggling to prepare foods you can buy pre made milkshakes from shops and most supermarkets. 

Low Volume Milkshake    

If you have a very poor appetite and would struggle to manage a full milkshake, consider trying this smaller milkshake.    

Ingredients  

• 80ml full fat milk
• 1½ tbsp dried milk powder
• 2 tbsp double cream
• 1 tbsp milkshake powder 

Method

• Pour milk into a jug and whisk in dried skimmed milk powder.
• Add milkshake flavouring and double cream.
• Pour into a glass and serve or separate into three 40ml shots and take one after each meal.  

Nutritional Information per 120ml serving:

Fortified Smoothie  

If you don’t like milky drinks consider trying a nourishing smoothie.  

Ingredients

• 200ml fresh orange juice
• 125g full fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp. honey* or sugar*  

Method  

• Whisk the fresh orange juice and Greek yoghurt together.
• Add honey or yoghurt to sweeten.  

Variations  

• Consider using alternative fresh fruit juice flavours for variety and according to your preferences e.g. mango, cherry or pineapple.
• Consider swapping Greek yoghurt for frozen yoghurt or ice cream.

Nutritional Information per 200ml serving:

If you are struggling to make your own you can buy pre made smoothies* from most supermarkets.