Recipe ideas

The most obvious way to give your child more calories is to chose high-calorie foods. But remember, your child still needs to eat a varied diet. Each of the four food groups has a bounty to offer: dairy, meat and meat alternatives, fruits and vegetables, and breads and cereals. The foods listed below supply diversity and needed calories. Make sure you offer only the foods that match your child's feeding skills.

Use Whole-Milk Dairy Products
Whole-milk dairy products provide many more calories than low-fat or skim milk products. This may mean buying double for a few items-whole-milk products for your little one and low-fat or skim ilk products for the rest of the family. Finding ovnole-milk products can take some extra time, since there is a higher demand for reduced-fat foods. Be sure the label states whole milk or 4% fat. The extra effort in carefully reading the labels will be well worth it in terms of extra calories.

Whole milk plain or with instant breakfast powders
Whole-milk cheeses (cheddar, jack, American, and so on)
Pudding (made with whole milk)
Custard
Ice cream
Kefir
Fruit yogurt (check labels)
4% milkfat cottage cheese
Ovaltine
Milk shakes
Eggnog

Choose High-Fat Meats/Meat Alternatives

Selections based on cut and preparation provide a high-calorie advantage.Cheeseburgers
Luncheon meats
Hot dogs
Fish sticks
Fried chicken with skin
Ham
Spareribs
Ground beef
Breaded fish
Dark-meat turkey with gravy
Nut butters (peanut butter, other nuts)
Fried beans

Fruits/Vegetables
in general, fruits and vegetables don't supply a lot of calories because they are high in water and fiber. Fruits and vegetables do provide good nutrition in terms of both vitamins and minerals. Good sources of vitamin A (apricots, mangos, carrots, sweet potatoes, greens) and vitamin C (citrus, bell peppers, broccoli) should be provided daily. When low-calorie fruits and vegetables are served, you can greatly increase the caloric impact by including salad dressing, butter. Grated cheese, and other high-calorie additions.

For relatively high-calorie fruits and vegetables, these are good choices:

Bananas
Avocados
Fruits canned in heavy syrup
Coconuts (grated and milk)
Peas and corn (served creamed or with cheese sauce added)
Dried fruit (pureed for smoother texture)
Frozen juices reconstituted with less water
Breads and Cereals

High-calorie foods + high-calorie spreads = high-calorie winners!

Pancakes,
French toast,
waffles (top with butter, syrup, wheat germ, fruit yogurt,
powdered sugar, whipped cream)
Muffins (spread with butter and jam)
Sweet breads such as banana bread or walnut-raisin-date
bread (try serving with cream cheese or peanut butter)
Biscuits covered with gravy
Cooked cereals with added butter, raisins, brown sugar, ground nuts
Granola-type sweetened cereals with dried fruits and nuts
Convenience potato
rice, or noodle mixes served with added
butter, cheese, whole milk, gravy, wheat germ

With Just a couple of extra ingredients can transform an ordinary meal into a mighty meal! Take a few minutes to make over your child's favorite foods so they supply an abundance of calories. The recipes below can give you some ideas, and you can experiment with your own high-cal combos.

Bean Burritos

can of refried beans
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 ounces Jack / Chedder cheese, grated
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons onion
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoonfuls nonfat powdered milk
tortillas
butter / margarine
sour cream
avocado

Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add refried beans and warm over medium heat. Mix in grated cheese, whole milk, and powdered milk. Butter one side of the tortillas and add bean mixture down the center. Fold up the sides of the tortilla to make your burrito. Top generously with avocado and sour cream.

Tuna Power Burgers

12 1/2 ounces canned tuna, packed in oil
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered milk
7 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 teaspoon paprika
1 / 4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup whole milk
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 egg
3/4 cup crushed cheese crackers

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in pan. Add flour, powdered milk, wheat germ, paprika, and salt, and mix. Stir in whole milk until thickened. Reduce heat and add flaked and drained tuna. Mix in bread crumbs. Shape into patties about 2/V' across. In a separate bowl, beat an egg with 1 /z tablespoons of water. Dip patties into egg mixture and then coat with crushed crackers. Place patties into a greased 11" \ 7" x l'/2" baking dish. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle over the patties. Cook for 25 minutes at 350°.

Pasta and Meatballs
Pick a pasta that fits easily on your child's spoon. Different shapes and colors add extra fun.

1 ½ pounds ground beef
¼ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup whole milk
1 ½ cups bread crumbs
½ cup powderd milk
3 tablespoons wheat germ
2 eggs, beaten
½ a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
Parmesan cheese to taste

Mix all of the above ingredients. With wet hands, shape the meat mixture into 1" meatballs. Brown meatballs in frying pan with 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil. Place meatballs onto cooked pasta and cover with spaghetti sauce. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Add ½ tablespoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar to sauce to increase calories.

Banana Blitzer

1 ½ cups whole milk
1 banana
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
3 tablespoons powdered milk
1 tablespoon wheat germ
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons peanut butter (smooth)

Just Blend all ingredients until smooth, then serve... Yummy