[Kidzaplenty]

I am in need of some high calorie foods for my daughter. She is on an NG tube and we make her formula. It is very well balanced and includes:

cantaloupes, apples, bananas, pears, beets, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, Red onions, Red cabbage, Zucchini, Avocadoes, Green Beans, Broccoli, Squash, Beef Gerber meats, Prune juice, eggs, Black Beans, Flax Seed Oil, Flax Seed, Garlic, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Rice Milk, Gerber baby Oatmeal,

But even with all that, I can't seem to get the calorie count up to where she needs it. I was told that she needed about 1400 calories per day, but can only get up to about 1150.

Any ideas would be greatly appreicated.

 

[USAmma]

That's great that you are able to give her food through her tube! Did you see a nutritionist? I was lucky to be able to pass my dd's blenderized diet by a nutritionist and she said it was really balanced. I had to make sure she had the proper amount of protein and carbs, fats, and I rotated different fruits and veggies. The things that help my dd's calories if she's a bit short are nut butters (all kinds, 100 cal per Tablespoon), heavy whipping cream (60 cal per Tablespoon), and olive oil (120 cal per Tablespoon). Does she not tolerate dairy? I don't see it listed in the foods. If she does dairy you can give her high fat yogurt. For some reaons it liquifies like milk if you add a bit of syrup or jam. Graham crackers have a lot of calories and blend up very, very nicely. 130 calories for 2 big squares.

My dd's lunch is typically: 4 big squares of graham cracker, 2 T peanut butter, 1 T honey or jam, and 1/2 cup water. It all blends down to about 6 oz and is about 500 calories! She takes it orally sometimes and through the tube sometimes. It tastes yummy.

Breakfast is sometimes 2 small pancakes, 1 T butter, 1/2 cup yogurt and a squirt of maple syrup. I have not added it up but it's probably about 400 calories, and again makes about 6 oz blended in the Magic Bullet blender.

 

[Hayes]

avacados are a good green source
nut butters too
flax oil

 

[Finch]

Nutella? Maybe add protein powder to stuff to bulk it up? I suck, I'm sorry I don't know much about tube feeds.

 

[mama-a-llama]

I don't have any suggestions that haven't been said already. But I wanted to say that's awesome that you make her formula. And it goes ok through the NG? Ds doesn't have an NG anymore, but I'm amazed that solids would go down it without clogging.

 

[Kidzaplenty]

I appreciate all the ideas. I had not thought of nut butters. Or Graham crackers. Yes, she is intolerant to milk (tried goat milk for a while, but they said she was intolerant to that as well. I would love to add high fat milks to her diet.

Making her formula is definately a chore, but we have a system now. She has been on tube feedings for three years now. So after much practice, we can get almost anything we want down the tube. We make a batch and freeze it into quart containers. She eats about one quart a day, so we just take it out each day. Keeps it fresh. But to make our formula, we juice all the fruit, steam all the veggies, then blend everything (including all the pulp) together. We strain it, reblending anything that does not strain. In the end, we usually have an entire freeze full of her formula. Our last batch that we did last week provided just over two months worth of formula!

We had a nutritionist consult with us after we began to make her formula, but all she told us she was lacking was protein. So we added the eggs and baby meats to fill that need. Have not been back since. They just want us to put her on tube feeding formula, and they don't know what to do with us and our homemade stuff.

However, I just can't seem to raise the calories. Everything I add is "healthy" and healthy stuff has no calories!

I don't suppose that she will have out grown her dairy intollerance? That would be the easiest thing to add. Rice milk is really useless, but we had to have something.

 

[USAmma]

That is so awesome that you make her formula like that!

Bright Beginnings makes a soy version of Pediasure. You can google it. It might make a nice protein base for some of the formulas you make. I just add fat and carbs for extra calories. The graham crackers, wheat bread, and the oils I mentioned. I of course strain it all before putting it down her tube to prevent clogs.

 

[Jewelie]

what about coconut milk? Its very high fat and the oils in it are supposed to be extremely healthful....

julie

 

[Fay]

Olive oil. Extra Virgin.

 

[bri276]

they also make avacado oil, I bet that's ultra-caloric

lentils, dates have relatively high caloric values also. and some people with dairy allergies don't have bad reactions to yogurt, it depends on the severity.

 

[Em's Mom]

My daughter has a milk intolerance, however we do add Carnation Instant Breakfast to her soy milk. Although it is milk based she does fine with it? Just an idea. It basically has all of the nutrients needed in it

. Good luck. I think it is fantastic that you take that much time and effort to ensure proper nutrition.

 

[mamaverdi]

If she ever can tolerate dairy then butter, sour cream, and cream cheese in mashed potatoes is yummy for everyone.

Well, not vegans.

mv

 

[Satori]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jewelie what about coconut milk? Its very high fat and the oils in it are supposed to be extremely healthful.... julie

ditto, I used to make a drink that had 1600 calories in 16oz if I remember right and it used coconut milk as its base.

 

[meowee]

I "third" olive oil... it is packed with calories. Honey is too.