Tips for High Calorie Eating

In addition to the High Calorie Shake, Smoothie, and Other Recipes that we have pulled together just for people going through cancer treatment, there are some tips and tricks to help you squeeze more calories into all of the foods you eat.

Getting More From the Foods You Eat

• If you are having trouble eating because of nausea and vomiting, call your doctor or nurse right away. They can help you with different medications or other options for treating nausea and vomiting.
• Focus on high calorie foods such as nuts and peanut butter. A small handful of nuts contains about 200 calories! This is a lot of nutrition for a small amount of food. Plus, the fat in nuts is healthy fat.
• Try to drink only liquids that contain calories. For example, sip 100% fruit juice, milk, soy milk, or rice milk instead of water.
• Avoid calorie-free liquids such as coffee, tea, and diet soda.
• During mealtime, stick with foods and dishes that contain more calories. For example, it is ok to eat the main dish plus some fruit, bread, potatoes, and rice. Skip the salad; non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage; and broth-based soups. These foods normally are very good for you and an important part of a healthy diet. However, if you are having trouble eating enough, these foods need to be avoided because they will fill you up without providing much-needed calories and protein.
• Unless your doctor, nurse or dietitian has told you to avoid specific foods as part of your treatment, no foods are off limits! This is one time where eating "what is good for you" is not the most important goal. Once you get through treatment and are feeling better, you can shift your focus to healthful eating for the long term.
• Add sauces or gravies to foods that you eat. These can add a few extra calories to every meal and may make the food more appealing to you.
• Eat your favorite foods any time of day. For example, if you like breakfast foods, eat them for dinner or for a snack. Pancakes at three o’clock in the afternoon are fine if that’s what you want!
• Treat food like medication. Set some times to eat, such as every one-half to one hour. Then be sure to have at least 1 or 2 bites of food at each “medication” time. Every calorie you eat counts, even if they are spread throughout the day.
• If sweet things don't taste good to you, try making a sour, tart, or mildly sweet shake or smoothie. For example, you can make a fruit smoothie or milk shake with frozen cranberries. Or try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of finely ground, decaffeinated coffee to a chocolate or vanilla liquid supplement such as Boost® or Ensure®.