Eating extra calories when sick - children

Caring for Your Child

When children are sick or undergoing cancer treatment, they may not feel like eating. But your child needs to get enough protein and calories to grow and develop. Eating well can help your child handle the illness and side effects of treatment better.

Change your children's eating habits to help them get more calories.

• Let your child eat when hungry, not just at mealtimes.
• Give your child 5 or 6 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones.
• Keep healthy snacks handy.
• DO NOT let your child fill up on water or juice before or during meals.

Make eating pleasant and fun.

• Play music your child likes.
• Eat with family or friends.
• Let your child listen to the radio or watch TV while eating.
• Try new recipes or new foods your child might like.

Ways to add Calories to Your Child's Food

For infants and babies:

• Feed babies infant formula or breast milk when they are thirsty, not juices or water.
• Feed babies solid food when they are 4 to 6 months old, especially foods that have a lot of calories.

For toddlers and preschoolers:

• Give children whole milk with meals, not juices, low-fat milk, or water.
• Ask your child's health care provider if it is OK to sauté or fry food.
• Add butter or margarine to foods when you are cooking, or put them on foods that are already cooked.
• Feed your child peanut butter sandwiches, or put peanut butter on vegetables or fruits, such as carrots and apples.
• Mix canned soups with half-and-half or cream.
• Use half-and-half or cream in casseroles and mashed potatoes, and on cereal.
• Add protein supplements to yogurt, milkshakes, fruit smoothies, and pudding.
• Offer your child milkshakes between meals.
• Add cream sauce or melt cheese over vegetables.
• Ask your child's provider if liquid nutrition drinks are OK to try.