suggestions for calorie-rich dishes for a child with a tiny appetite?

[LilyHall]

This has probably been asked before, but does anyone have suggestions for nutritious vegetarian meals that are especially calorie-rich? My 3.5 year old daughter barely makes it onto the bottom of the height/weight chart and basically seems to subsist on air -- she eats the most miniscule meals and snacks and just generally isn't very interested in eating. If it were up to her, she would exist on fruit and yogurt.

DH is vegan and, before Violet was born, I was mostly vegetarian just because it was easier that way. However, largely because we've had to focus on trying to pack as many calories as possible into every meal for DD, we've ended up doing a lot of old-fashioned, non-vegetarian, comfort-food meals. Dishes like these (e.g. beef stroganoff) have been more successful than our efforts to add calories (via butter, olive oil, etc.) to vegetarian dishes.

Eventually I'd like to start replacing some of these meals with vegetarian dishes, but the vegetarian versions of everything (say, vegetarian stroganoff) are always significantly lower in calories, protein, etc., per serving. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions either for a calorie-rich, protein-rich meat replacement, or just suggestions for good vegetarian dishes that pack in a lot of calories and nutrients.

Thanks for any advice/suggestions

[somegirl99]

This link might be useful:
http://www.vegfamily.com/babies-and-...g-toddlers.htm

[Sayward]

Nuts, seeds, and their butters will be your best friend, They are high in protein and micronutrients, very diverse in their applications, and kids love them! Just a handful of nuts is a great snack (over 200 calories in a mere quarter cup of, say, hazelnuts). Almond butter is awesome on celery sticks - add raisins to make 'ants on a log' and dried fruit will add calories plus antioxidants. Any nut butter like almond or cashew is great on toast or in a sammich with jelly/banana/honey if you're not vegan. Sunflower seed butter is one of my favorites, it's great on apples or in oatmeal (great high protein meal) or *ahem* just off the spoon. =) Nut/seed butters can also be added to smoothies, 'desserts' (pudding/ice cream), etc. Whole nuts/seeds can be sprinkled on salads, in wraps, on sandwiches, over stir frys and curries, etc. Flax and sesame seeds are especially great for this. Hemp seeds are one of the healthiest foods around - high in protein and it's a complete protein, good fats, and iron + other micronutrients.

Other ideas are -

Avocados! Smooshed on toast, added to sandwiches, hidden in smoothies/puddings, or as guacamole dip. I love to just halve an avocado, and fill the pit hole with tamari/soy sauce and eat it like that. Yum!

Smoothies are great for kids 'cause they're sweet with the fruit, but you can hide all sorts of healthy, high calorie foods in there.

Coconut oil is great and can replace any oil in cooking or baking, replace butter on bread, or be used to make raw fudge dessert that's actually pretty healthy. Also can be hidden in stuff.

That's all I got for now. Luck!

[number572]

Garbonzo beans are a good source of protein and are bland enough to be masked in other flavors (blended smooth, mashed, used whole). The site that this link goes to has nutrient information on foods too...

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/l...roducts/4326/2

here (highest calorie foods... the site also has recipes for specific foods that you type in...)
http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-0...0000000-w.html

[LilyHall]

Wow -- thank you all so much for the suggestions. I printed out this whole thread, and the vegfamily.com page with the sample menus, to keep in our kitchen.

[annethcz]

pitas & hummus?

[mumkimum]

My dd could almost always eat eggs - we'll do egg tacos, egg in a basket, etc. lots of variations. Cottage cheese is pretty well-liked, and high in protein.

I made an (unliked by my dd, but otherwise delicious kid-friendly sauce) excellent coconut milk/sweet potato sauce that would be awesome with something like a rice pasta, or over rice and veggies. It's simply flavored and naturally sweet. Steam or boil a cut sweet potato, heat 1 can coconut milk with 1/2 cup water or oj, and some diced fresh ginger. Peel the sweet potato and then blend it all together.