Suggestions for high calorie diet

Hi there.  My 13 month old son has had an on again off again nasty virus (they think) that causes vomiting and diareah. It seems to go away for a week, then comes back.  This has been going on since mid January. Prior to that he had a cold and an ear infection.  All of these things combined have caused him to lose a great deal of weight, and he is now only 17 lbs.  He still won't eat a lot, but is eating solids.  We are working hard to get his weight back up to normal, and I was given a sheet of some really basic suggestions.  Nutrition is also important, and I want to be careful to combine the high calorie foods while still focusing on him having a balanced diet.  I am looking for suggestions on age appropriate meals that take care of both.  The sheet is not very informative.  A lot of the information contained might be appropriate for an older child, but not a baby this young.  Any menu ideas would be gratefully accepted.  Thank you for your help.

[Renee Radenberg]

It is good he can feed himself (with his fingers) and is eating regular food, cut up in small pieces. Here is a guideline for a 12-24 month old child should eat the following on a daily basis: Dairy 3-4 feedings a day – Milk (4oz), cheese (½ oz), yogurt (½ cup), or cottage cheese (¼ cup). Starch 4 feedings a day – Cereal (¼ cup), pasta (¼ cup), rice (¼ cup), bread (½ slice), or crackers (2). Fruits & Vegetables 4 feedings a day – Fruits (including 100% juice limited to only 4-6ozs) & Vegetables (¼ cup). Protein source 2 feedings a day – Meat or fish (1oz), egg (1), or beans (¼ cup). He should eat 3 meals and have snacks between meals using the foods above to be spread out throughout the day. Suggest in place of milk and at the end of each meal give him milkshakes (milk and ice cream blended together – add a banana if he will accept it) or yogurt smoothies (yogurt, milk, and frozen fruit blended together) or a Pediasure milkshake for increase acceptance. Some tips for additional calories: Add dry milk to oatmeal, mashed potatoes, gravies, creamed vegetables, and creamed soups (add additional meats to soups). If he likes pasta, then add meat or cream sauces to the pasta instead of plain tomato sauce or plain pasta. Use all fat dairy products and no low fat foods. As he grows and gains weight after a few years, then you can go to lower fat dairy items. Hope this helps you.

[adgal]

Sorry, just thought I should add.  He was a low birthweight baby.  17 inches and 4 lbs, 14 oz.  He was thriving before all of this though.  He had gone from 3rd percentile to around the 20th I believe (he was just shy of 21 lbs when all of this started). He was always an excellent eater.  One of the things my pediatrician has us doing right now is giving him formula (we had weened him to whole milk) mixed at a higher concentration then normal (385ml formula with 250ml water).  He likes pretty much everything, but just won't eat very much of it right now.  Thanks again.