Gaining weight with nutrition for someone with ALS/Gehrig's Disease

Mariekegetsfit
Mariekegetsfit Posts: 148 Member
edited December 3 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi everybody,

I need some advice from the food experts on here. My father-in-law has been diagnosed with the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS (also known as Lou Gehrigs). It means he has muscle atrophia all over his body, which will eventually be fatal because his breathing will stop. He has lost over 24 kilo, a lot of it muscle. To stay strong and remain his muscles as long as possible, it is important he eats well, with lots of protein.

The problem is, that he is getting trouble swallowing. A lot of substances are therefore difficult for him. For example, proteinshakes are often not completely smooth but a bit 'granular'. Mixing it through yoghurt and smoothies works, but he does not want to eat yoghurt all day.

I went looking for some recipes like protein muffins, but I am looking for as much variation as possible. PLUS, most protein recipes i found online are low-cal and of course we want exactly the opposite!

So my question:

Do you have any tips/good recipes to incorporate protein in a way that the food is not too granular, not too crunchy/hard, but is high in calories?

Mostly sweet and savory snacks that are easy and fast to incorporate in an already hectic life (his family has to care for him so no time for loads of kitchenwork)
BUT we are happy with all help, it can be anything from whole meals to bites.. and it does not have to be flour of suger-free or anything.

It may seem weird to ask here, since it has little to do with bodybuilding and weightlifting, but I find there is a lot of knowledge among the people here!

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I'm sorry for your father in law, that's a hard diagnosis

    I see you've already found Greek yogurt

    Protein fluff recipes might be worthwhile too
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Some of the premixed protein shakes are very smooth (muscle milk, EAS, atkins, premier protein). Outside of that, you can try a few different types of protein (especially whey since it mixes a lot easier). I like designer whey, dymatize, muscle milk, and quest; ON, trutein and PEscience are also very popular. Also consider ensure. Below is a thread that might help you too. And don't forget, he can just drink milk (strawberry and chocolate if you want more calories).

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read#latest
  • BikerGirlElaine
    BikerGirlElaine Posts: 1,631 Member
    My Dad has Huntington's, and also has difficulty swallowing. His swallowing issues are a little bit different from yoru FIL's, though.

    Cheese & peanut butter have some protein and lots of calories. Dad has cheese on Triscuits every afternoon -- don't know whether that's too crunchy.

    Eggs scrambled with cheese should be another winning combo based on your post.

    How about tortellini? Cheese-filled pasta, with a meaty sauce, should fit the bill.

    I used to make something called yam cakes. They were bars that had protein powder, quick cooking oats, mashed sweet potato, and peanut butter. They were delicious and high calorie. If that sounds interesting let me know via IM and I'll find the proportions for you.

    Good luck. I love that your FIL is surrounded by people who love and care for him.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Also, look into a company called P28. They main protein based products, which includes spreads/butters/bagels and bread. Love 'em!
  • Mariekegetsfit
    Mariekegetsfit Posts: 148 Member
    Thank you all for your responses! A lot of helpfull suggestions :) The p28-company doesn't deliver in the Netherlands, but I found a Dutch company that sells similar products.

    As a start, we ordered a kitchenaid and yesterday I made chocolate-peanutbuttermuffins stuffed with whey proteinpowder. That worked really well!

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