High calorie and high protein diet for a child with burns

 (High calorie and high protein diet)

Children with burn injuries have special needs when it comes to eating.  To help your child’s wounds heal, a high calorie and high protein diet is needed.  The more severe the burns, the more calories and protein your child will need.

Use the MyPlate diagram and the USDA general guidelines below as a starting point to help you plan a healthy and well-balanced diet for your child. 

Balancing Calories:

• Do not offer oversized portions.

Foods to Increase: 

• Make half the plate fruits and vegetables.
• Make at least half the grains whole grains.

Foods to Reduce:

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals.  Choose foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Nutrition tips

• Help your child to eat as much food in a well-balanced diet as they can while they recover from the burn injury.  Offer different kinds of foods.
• Give your child meals and snacks more often.  Try 3 meals and 3 snacks a day or 5 to 6 small meals per day.
• The doctor, nurse, or dietitian may suggest nutritional supplements, like special formula drinks for your child.
• Give small servings of fluids to drink with meals.  Give only small amounts of juice, soda or sweetened drinks between meals.  This will help keep your child from filling up with fluids.
• Look at the food in your kitchen.  Foods that say light, low-fat, fat-free or diet do not have as many calories.  They are not as helpful to your child.
• Milk shakes, cheese or peanut butter and crackers, and yogurt are good snack ideas.
• Offer serving sizes to fit the size of your child.  Your child may feel stressed if they get too much food at once. 
• Let your child decide when they are done eating.  Do not force them to eat or finish all of the food.
• A multivitamin is helpful for many children with burns.
• Foods that increase protein or calories 

Foods that increase protein or calories

Meat/fish/poultry - 7 protein grams per ounce and 75 calories per ounce

• Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Fish
• Cold cuts or deli meats
• Chicken nuggets/fish sticks
• Cheeseburgers
• Tuna or meat salads
• Hot dogs (for children over 3 years of age)
• Serve meat with gravy or cream sauce; bread or fry to increase calories

Cheese - 7 protein grams per ounce and 100 calories per ounce

• Add to casseroles, sandwiches or salads
• Melt over vegetables and eggs
• Serve on bagels, crackers, rolls or fruit
• Use any kind of cheese, including cream cheese or cottage cheese

• Yogurt with fruit, Greek Yogurt 
• Cheese – cheddar, Colby, American, Swiss
• Ice cream or frozen custard
• Cottage cheese, cream cheese
• Eggnog
• Fortified soymilk can be used if you child cannot drink milk

Powdered whole milk - 3 protein grams per tablespoon and 40 calories per tablespoon

• Sprinkle in casseroles, cream soups, hot cereal, potatoes, ground meat and gravy

Peanut butter - 4 protein grams per tablespoon and 100 calories per tablespoon

• Spread on crackers, fruit, vegetables, muffins, bread, tortillas or cookies
• Swirl in ice cream or blend into shakes

Eggs - 7 protein grams per egg and 75 calories per egg

• Add cooked eggs to salads, sandwiches
• Serve boiled, scrambled, fried, poached or as deviled eggs
  

• Only for children over 3 years of age
  

Dried beans/legumes - 7 protein grams per 1/2 cup and 100 calories per 1/2 cup

• Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, lentil, chickpeas and black-eyed peas
• Serve baked or refried beans
• Add to tacos, nachos, chili, casseroles

Butter and margarine - 0 protein grams and 35 calories per teaspoon

• Melt on vegetable, noodles, hot cereal, popcorn and fish
• Spread on tortillas, sandwiches, muffins and crackers
• Use to fry meats or sauté vegetables

Honey, jams and jellies - 0 protein grams and 55 calories per tablespoon

• Spread on toast, bread and crackers

Instant super shake
600 calories, 15 g protein per recipe

½ cup half and half
¾ cup ice cream or frozen custard
1 package instant breakfast

Blend first 2 ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Mix in instant breakfast powder. Serve immediately.
You may add chocolate syrup, peanut butter or malt powder if you wish.

Pudding with a punch
250 calories, 8 g protein per serving

2 cups whole milk
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 package instant pudding
2 packages instant breakfast

Add vegetable oil to milk. 
Blend milk and oil with the pudding mix and instant breakfast. 
Pour into ½ cup containers and chill in refrigerator until set. 

Peanut butter snack chow
380 calories, 7 g protein per ½ cup serving

1 cup peanut butter
1 stick margarine
1 - 12 ounce bag chocolate chips
1 box Corn Chex™ or Crispix™ cereal
1 cup powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips, margarine, and peanut butter. Pour over cereal. Put mixture into a brown paper bag. Add powdered sugar & shake until coated. Store in an air tight container. In warmer climates, it may need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Double milk
270 calories, 17 g protein per serving

Add 2 to 4 Tablespoons powdered milk to 1 cup whole milk.