Healthy food to put weight on...

fb88

Thanks everyone, they drink around 8l of water a day but the patrol base he has just been moved to is very, 'backwards' and cooking facilities aren't great so they don't get enough food at all. Really appreciate all your suggestions, thank you.

madvixen

Hi hun,

Just to add to all the other suggestions, when my OH is away on Op's he always requests Haribo sweeties. Him and his colleagues call these "moral in a bag". May be worth adding some in as a bit of a treat. I also send nuts, kendal mint cake and cereal bars. Don't send things like Pot Noodles and Supernoodles as they get noodles with virtually every meal as potatoes don't really cook well over there.

HTH

shandyclover

I would second the suggestions of nuts - I've been to Afganistan and it is actually famed for it's dried fruit and nuts, so depending on where he is he might be able to buy quantities there too. Peanut, cashew or almond butter might be good to spread on oatcakes.

What about protein powder, the stuff you add to water to make a shake. I think it can be bought at Holland and Barrett without all the bodybuilding addtives, just flavoured whey powder - DD added it to her smoothies when she was recovering from a severe illness. In chosing things to send think high protein/dense calories plus convinience if there are no proper kitchen facilities

Might be a bit embarassing but is he suffering from dehydration and diarrhea? Nothing takes weight off you faster than amoebic dsyntery or other such continental parasites - I lost 15 kg's in a week and I've seen healthy people 'melt away' in the field. Very important he gets it dealt with if this is a possibility as it will just get worse.

esmf73

Hi OSers,

I know this isnt the normal question, but my eldest son is on medication due to his behaviour which is causing him to lose weight by suppressing his appetite. I am doing all the normal things - using butter, full fat milk and adding cheese to as many things as is appropriate. However what I am also trying to do is to increase his calorie intake healthily. I know I could give him chocolate and sweets and all sorts, but I really don't want to if I can help it.

I have recipies for making cakes (predominately chocolate) which have hidden veg in, but any extra hints and tips would be greatfully appreciated.

Many thanks
E

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Other than cheese... healthy sources of fats are avocados, oily fish (salmon) and nuts. Remember carbs too though... pasta, potatoes, bread etc. Snacking on nuts regularly is a good daily calorie booster (plain, unsalted are healthiest).

annie123

I tried all sorts of things for DD over the last few years including asking on here. She has a very high metabolism and has never liked choc,sweets,crisps etc and at 18 was 5' tall and still under 6st almost a size 6 except for her boobs which were a size 12!

A dietician suggested the following and it worked for her:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=100&prodid=564&cid=47

2 scoops made up with 1 pt full fat milk, almost 500 calories, had 1 per day, which if you don't have an appetite may help as drinking won't seem so bad,. but check with GP to make sure your son is OK to have it due to extra protein in the powder.

The other thing was ice cream smoothies; find the highest calorie ice cream mix with some fruit in a blender and a high calorie smoothie, again as a drink it may help,

DD is just over 7st and happy with her size but also has even bigger boobs now! not that she's complaining.

Maybe your GP could refer you both to a dietician to work out a plan. Our one was very good and never suggested eating carp other than the ice cream.

D&DD

esmf if he is being prescribed strong/antipsychotic drugs,he should be being weighed and monitored every month by CAMHS or whoever is providing them..he should have also had a referral to a dietician,how old is he?
I get so cross with the docs just handing out prescriptions with no thought to any follow ups for the poor kids *or support for the parents!*

Hang in there hun the weight loss does usually stabilise after a while. I run a support group for parents of kids with SN and hear this sort of thing all the time sadly

freezspirit

I have the other problem trying to lose weight so I thought drinking a litre of fruit juice a day was a good option until I saw the dietician who said I was adding a min of 500 calories ontop of my normal daily 1500 calories allowance.

Plus I was drinking smoothies - a couple of tins of fruit blended with water aday.

Because I was drinking it I didn't think to include it.

twofishes

The problem with juice is that it's mostly sugar which will lead to big sugar highs, and then big sugar lows! Upping protein intake is the best bet, also as said above avocados, nuts, oily fish etc all healthy fat sources. Protein shake powder made with whole milk is easy to do. Leave the skin on chicken and make roast pork with crackling, lol. Is he on venlafaxine by any chance, I got switched onto it recently for my depression and anxiety and it's been a massive appetite suppressant for me.

esmf73

He is being monitored by camhs, but no dietician yet. He has only been on it a few weeks and is so active anyway, but I don't want him losing anymore in case they take him off the tablets! Just trying to stop things before he loses too much as he's as skinny as a rake anyway!!!