Food and diet advice

Energy Boosters

Little and often.........

When you have a small appetite it is important that the food you do eat is as nutritious as possible. You will need to eat a variety of foods and choose high energy foods whenever you can. 

General hints

  • Eat small, frequent meals every 2-3 hours. This is often easier than 3 main meals and can be just as good for you.
  • Clipartsalbum 34817Eat meat, fish, lentils or beans daily. Remember to take your phosphate binders before these foods.
  • Use full cream milk instead of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
  • Avoid diet or low fat products.
  • Eat when you fancy something and when you are hungry.
  • Make the most of good days when you have a good appetite. 

There are two ways to increase your energy intake:

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Eating more

Having a larger serving at meal times or having a second portion. You could include a pudding or a slice of cake or you can have an extra snack after school or at bedtime.

Adding extra energy to food

There are simple ways of adding extra energy to foods to increase the energy they provide. 

How to eat more

Savoury snack ideas
  • 81113Sandwiches (filled with tuna mayonnaise or sliced meat), toast. Plain rice, pasta or noodles with unsalted butter or low salt margarine.
  • Scones, pancakes, crumpets, croissants, bagels, teacakes, English muffins.
  • Celery sticks or bread sticks or crackers with full fat cream cheese or hummus. Garlic bread made with unsalted butter.
  • Breakfast cereals e.g. Shredded Wheat, Sugar Puffs or Crunchy Nut Cornflakes with full fat cream..
Sweeter snack ideas
  • 33376Plain/cream biscuits, e.g. custard creams, pink wafer biscuits, digestives, jam sandwich biscuits and nice biscuits. Jelly marshmallows, jelly and boiled sweets, mints, chews, Turkish DelightTMand iced gems.
  • Tinned fruit in syrup, stewed fruit (low potassium fruit) with cream or sorbet. Fruit squash, barley water, non-cola fizzy pop or Lucozade.
  • Cakes e.g. cream cakes, muffins, Madeira cake, sponge, doughnuts, Victoria sandwich, jam tarts, mini apple pies and meringues. 

How to add extra energy to your food

Unsalted butter and low salt margarine or olive oil:
  • 35651Over pre boiled potatoes.
  • Vegetables.
  • Spread thickly on toast, crumpets and rice
  • Pasta dishes.
  • Try frying foods in olive oil instead of grilling.
Double cream:
  • Add to puddings, cereal, soups, over cakes or tinned fruit in syrup.
Cheese:
  • 35737Spread full fat cream cheese on
  • sandwiches and bagels.
  • Add grated cheese (from your allowance) to soups, sauces, potatoes and vegetables. Remember to take your phosphate binders if prescribed.
Full fat salad dressing and mayonnaise:
  • Add to salads and sandwiches Use mayonnaise as a dip.
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Sugar, syrup and honey:
  • Add to drinks, cereal and puddings.
  • Spread honey, lemon cured or jam thickly on toast, crumpets or scones. 

 

Children’s Dietitians

The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition

Queen’s Medical Centre Campus

Derby Road

Nottingham

NG7 2UH

 

A printable version of this leaflet can be downloaded here. 

Click here to return to the main dietetic resources page.