High Calorie, High Protein Eating When You Have Diabetes

A high calorie, high protein diet is sometimes needed to give you more nourishment in your diet. This may be needed because you have lost weight, you are recovering from surgery or you cannot eat as much as you normally would.

In situations like those, a high protein, high calorie diet can:

• Help with wound healing and speed up recovery from surgery
• Help you regain muscle that you may have lost
• Give your body’s immune system energy to work and to help you fight infections
• Make you stronger so that you are less likely to fall, or protect you from injury if you do fall.

The advice in this leaflet may be different from healthy eating advice you have been given in the past. Some of the advice may seem ‘unhealthy’ but it is what your body needs at the moment. If you have questions, please ask the healthcare professional who gave you this leaflet. They can also tell you how long you will need to follow this advice for.

Blood glucose management on a high calorie and high protein diet

It is possible to eat high calorie foods and still manage your diabetes, but eating differently may affect your blood glucose. If your blood glucose is much higher or lower than normal, or you need help with adjusting your diabetes medication, please speak to your diabetes nurse or doctor.

You should continue to:

• Avoid drinks that are only sugar e.g. cola, lemonade, sugar in tea/coffee, energy drinks
• Eat regular meals
• Include a portion of starchy food at each meal e.g. bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, porridge, breakfast cereal (not sugar coated), crackers or plain biscuits.
• Monitor your blood glucose levels if you normally do or you have been asked to.

Little and often

When you have a small appetite, you may find it difficult to eat your usual portions. You can help your nutrition by eating more often. This means it is important to keep some snacks and drinks at hand to have between meals.

• Aim to have three small meals and three snacks per day, choosing nourishing foods and drinks
• Have your main meal at the time of day when you feel most well
• Use at least one pint of fortified milk each day (see below)
• Try to have protein food at least twice a day
• Example protein foods: Eggs, fish, meat, cheese, beans, nuts, eggs, vegetarian meat alternatives, such as tofu
• Keep a store cupboard of easy to prepare foods, to make it easier at mealtimes
• Examples: baked beans, tinned fish, long life milk, cans of soup, tinned spaghetti, cans of potatoes and ready-made custard.

Remember to make your diet as varied as possible. It is alright to eat more fat at the moment; this will give you more calories, which will help. Don’t worry if your eating is different from usual, it is ok to use foods that are easy to prepare and to eat foods at different times. It is more important to give your body food and drink than to follow traditional eating ideas and habits.

Practical tips

Milk

• You can increase the protein in milk by adding three to four tablespoons of dried milk powder to one pint of full fat milk or non-dairy milks. This is called fortified milk and can be used in drinks, on cereals, in puddings, soups or in sauces.

Drinks

• Try to have nourishing drinks between meals e.g. hot or cold fortified milk (add coffee or cocoa for flavour).

Cereals

• Add fortified milk to cereal or porridge. Evaporated milk, double cream and full fat yoghurt could be added.

Vegetables

• When you serve vegetables, add knob of butter or margarine or a drizzle of oil.
• Try topping vegetables with a chopped hard-boiled egg or grated cheese.
• Choose vegetables with a savoury sauce e.g. cauliflower cheese or stir in some cream cheese

Potato

• Top potato with a knob of butter or margarine or a drizzle of oil.
• Add a dressing of grated cheese or chopped hard boiled egg.
• Use double cream or crème fraiche as well as butter/margarine when making mash.
• Add tinned butter beans when making mash.

Soups and sauces

• Add sauces to meals as often as possible e.g. white sauce, cheese sauce, parsley sauce. If making them yourself, use fortified milk.
• Boost your soup by adding cooked meat mince, canned beans or lentils.
• Top your soup with grated cheese, chopped hard-boiled egg or a big swirl of double cream (do not boil soup with double cream or it may curdle).
• Make up packet soups with fortified milk instead of water.

Eggs and tofu

• Boiled eggs make a nutritious snack. Try having a few hard-boiled eggs in the fridge so they are ready when you need them for a snack.
• Omelettes and scrambled egg/tofu make a good snack or quick meal. Try adding cheese for extra calories.

Puddings

• Add cream or fortified milk to puddings and use fortified milk if making your own custard or milk puddings
• Try scones, teacakes, crumpets or tea-bread. Add butter, margarine or cream and a little jam.
• Choose full-fat yoghurts.
• Try fresh or tinned fruit (drain the juice or syrup) with cream or plain ice-cream.

Fats

• Spread margarine or butter thickly on bread and crackers.
• Stir extra margarine, oil and butter into hot potato, pasta or rice.
• Cook potatoes and chips in the oven or on the hob with extra oil.
• Add mayonnaise to salad or sandwiches e.g. tuna, egg, avocado.

Fruit and vegetables

• Vegetables are important for fibre, vitamins and minerals. Include small helpings with your meals but try to avoid filling up on them as they are low in protein and calories. Add a knob of butter or a drizzle of oil for a calorie boost.
• Fruit is important for fibre, vitamins and minerals. Fruit does contain sugar but is ok to eat in standard portions (one cupped handful at a time).
• Have fruit as a snack or a pudding. Add cream, evaporated milk or plain ice cream to give your fruit a calorie boost.
• If you are not eating fruit, a small glass (150ml) of fruit juice once a day can be included, for vitamin C.

Suggested meal ideas

If these meal ideas don’t suit your dietary needs/preferences, please ask to see a dietitian for more tailored advice.

Breakfast

• Cereal or porridge with fortified milk and berries
• Wholemeal toast with peanut butter
• Boiled or scrambled egg with toast and mushrooms.

Main meal

• Fish in cheese or parsley sauce with cheese-topped mash and a small portion of peas
• Sliced beef, roast potato, cauliflower cheese and gravy
• Jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn mayonnaise.

Plus:

• Fruit with cream
• Full-fat yoghurt.

Smaller meal

• Boosted soup (see above) with a brown roll and butter
• Sardines on toast with fresh or tinned tomato
• Baked beans topped with grated cheese
• Cheese on toast
• Cheese and wholemeal crackers, with pickle.

Plus:

• Full fat yoghurt
• Chocolate mousse
• Custard pot
• Rice pudding.

Snacks

If meals are small, aim to add snacks mid-morning, mid-afternoon and evening:

• Milky drink (use fortified milk)
• 1-2 plain biscuits
• 1-2 crackers with cream cheese
• Crisps or nuts
• Crumpet with butter
• Slice of quiche
• Full-fat yoghurt
• Custard pot.

Useful websites/information

Diabetes UK
www.diabetes.org.uk
Helpline: 0345 123 2399                 

The Malnutrition Pathway
www.malutritionpathway.co.uk

About this leaflet

Author: Sandra Hood
Updated by Isabel Hooley, Diabetes Specialist Dietitians
Written: April 2020         
Updated and approved: February 2026
Review date: February 2029
Edition: v2

If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk