Low Calorie-High Calorie dinner

ahende612

Hi! I am new to this and trying to get some ideas for family meals. We have a difficult situation in which 3 of us could use some healthier, lower calorie options, while my husband and my youngest daughter are very thin and are suppose to eat higher calorie meals. Does anyone have any ideas for healthy meals that you can add healthy fats to make them higher in calorie?

My 2 year old is on a high calorie diet due to weight issues (She is 32 months and 25lbs). She eats peanut butter by the spoonful, cheese and ranch on everything. She does not eat very large portions (obviously), so we need to pack more calories into each bite. I want to find a way to pack in some healthy fat/high calorie food. Any suggestions are appreciated.

jess135177

Maybe things as simple as grilling chicken breast and putting cheese and ranch on hers and eating yours plain? Or steaming vegetables and adding extra butter to hers.

Jenninscotland

Just a few thoughts....

Garlic toast with real butter - can easily be added to any meal to bump up the calories.

Cheese will fatten up most any dish

Make them a healthy smoothie as a healthy dessert which includes peanut butter/bananas (google should show some good smoothies)

Use whole milk instead of skimmed/real butter

marlamoreau

Avocado is a healthy fat and a great addition to most meals sweet or savory... you can even use it in desserts (try blending avocado, banana, and cocoa powder... yum), smoothies, salads, sandwiches, as a side dish.... Besides that organic whole milk, real butter, any kind of nuts or seeds, coconut milk, almond butter, chia seeds, are all good. Avoid processed stuff, it's not healthy for anyone whether trying to gain or lose.

some easy ideas:

Nix the Ranch and use olive oil, balsamic, and salt and pepper for dressing on salad - this can be easily adjusted as far as how much fat/calories any person is getting. If salad, include more avocado and nuts for those with higher calorie needs, more veggies for those with lower.

For pasta - add some full fat cheese and olive oil to fat free marinara sauce on the stove for higher, and add spices like cayenne and extra flavors like oregano etc. for lower. Can start with the same sauce. Spicy food boosts the metabolism and also makes you eat slower/less.

Chicken seems like an easy one. Either buy a whole chicken and separate the breast from the rest of the more fatty meat, or buy breast and something more fatty like thigh, wing, drumstick, make the same dish, just use different parts of the chicken. Or fry one roast the other.

Soup - add a dollop of heavy cream or sour cream for high, add more spice or plain nonfat greek yogurt to the low. Greek yogurt is a great sour cream sub too, if you're doing mexican or something that calls for it.

No clue if that helped.

sleepingtodream

Avocado is a healthy fat and a great addition to most meals sweet or savory... you can even use it in desserts (try blending avocado, banana, and cocoa powder... yum), smoothies, salads, sandwiches, as a side dish.... Besides that organic whole milk, real butter, any kind of nuts or seeds, coconut milk, almond butter, chia seeds, are all good. Avoid processed stuff, it's not healthy for anyone whether trying to gain or lose.

some easy ideas:

Nix the Ranch and use olive oil, balsamic, and salt and pepper for dressing on salad - this can be easily adjusted as far as how much fat/calories any person is getting. If salad, include more avocado and nuts for those with higher calorie needs, more veggies for those with lower.

For pasta - add some full fat cheese and olive oil to fat free marinara sauce on the stove for higher, and add spices like cayenne and extra flavors like oregano etc. for lower. Can start with the same sauce. Spicy food boosts the metabolism and also makes you eat slower/less.

Chicken seems like an easy one. Either buy a whole chicken and separate the breast from the rest of the more fatty meat, or buy breast and something more fatty like thigh, wing, drumstick, make the same dish, just use different parts of the chicken. Or fry one roast the other.

Soup - add a dollop of heavy cream or sour cream for high, add more spice or plain nonfat greek yogurt to the low. Greek yogurt is a great sour cream sub too, if you're doing mexican or something that calls for it.

No clue if that helped.

Very well said! ^^^ These were many of the things I was thinking of as well. Another option is eggs/egg yolks, oatmeal and greek yogurt.

My son 2.5 years and is between 24-27 lbs and his diet includes alot of what is listed. I guess I'd just like to mention that unless your child is having health issues you might not need to worry so much about weight as long as it's a healthy nutirious diet. My son is just slim for his age and will "fill out" down the road:)

ahende612

My daughters doctor is concerned with her weight. They were going to diagnos her with FTT when she was hospitalized for Meningitis 9/2012. She goes for weigh-ins every 3 months, and they would like to seen some weight gain and have her move up a couple percentiles.

Thanks for all of the ideas! I will definitely be saving some and trying them out especially the full fat cheese in the pasta sauce.

AJ_G

Peanut Butter...The End

sleepingtodream

My daughters doctor is concerned with her weight. They were going to diagnos her with FTT when she was hospitalized for Meningitis 9/2012. She goes for weigh-ins every 3 months, and they would like to seen some weight gain and have her move up a couple percentiles.

Thanks for all of the ideas! I will definitely be saving some and trying them out especially the full fat cheese in the pasta sauce.

Sorry to hear she is struggling with some health issues! I hope the next time she goes in you get a good weigh-in:) Good luck!

livingleanlivingclean

What about getting them to eat more meals?

Swap water for smoothies with fat added, add coconut oil/butter/olive oil to everything. Nut butter on fruit, on vegie sticks. Make some "energy balls/bars" with dried fruits, dates, nuts, honey, coconut, coconut oil etc.