High calorie ideas - yes, really.

This could go in the Health section but I stuck it here because I actually need food ideas...

My husband is naturally very thin. Unlike many really thin people, though, he does not eat like a horse. He eats just normally. But when he is stressed, like now (REALLY stressed), he doesn't eat as well and will lose weight easily. He is now at the same weight he was when I met him. Which, without disclosing numbers, is too low.

I'm trying my best to cook filling meals but with being pregnant, it's hit or miss. I'm doing the same thing I did last pregnancy which is not eat like I usually do so I'm losing fat, but gaining baby weight. For me, that's good. Doesn't help DH much though.

I need some ideas for things DH can snack on, or things to supplement his meals with, that don't take a lot of time or effort to throw together. They also can't cost much. He needs to put on weight now. His mother will be upset when she sees him at Christmas if he hasn't put a bit on. 

A couple cans of beer is not an option!

Not really a good suggestion (sorry) but my sister went from a size 8 (UK) to a size 16 in less than a year through snacking on Crisps!

peanut butter?  can you make a satay stirfry?  it's fat but good fat.

another good fat that my sister uses to keep her weight up is avacados.  she eats about 3-4 week.

Anything with peanut (or any other nut) butter.  

Will he do a shake in the morning or as a snack or maybe a while after dinner time?  (Eating late in the evening is a sure way to pack on a few pounds!)  Maybe a good protein shake (not sure what kinds of protein powders they sell in the UK yet.)  They make "weight gain" ones which are especially high in calories.  You can add your own stuff to make it yummy like whole fat milk, peanut butter, even a scoop if ice cream, bananas, etc.

I guess anything cheesey would be a good hight fat / calorie option.

An ex-partner of mine verged on being anorexic (not because of body issues, but because of phobia/anxiety issues).  I usually tried to get him to eat a lot of extra dairy -- cheese & ice cream.  Also chocolate.  Maybe extra portions of starch as well - potatoes, bread, etc?

Not sure about the cost or health point -- this is just what I did, knowing these foods had a lot of calories in them.  Also, I told him not to move around much - I know it's not healthy not to exercise, but we were just trying to get some weight on him at the time to keep him out of the hospital & the doctor agreed with the strategy in the short term.

Wanted to throw a couple things out there, but I'm sure others will have better suggestions than I do!

Does he like peanut butter? I have a really simple recipe for peanut butter balls--just peanut butter, rolled oats, powdered milk, and honey. You could use any nut butter, come to think of it. I'll look up the proportions tonight if you'd like.

Trail mix--dried fruit and nuts, maybe some Smarties. Smoothies with frozen fruit, juice, yogurt, banana.

Oh, and my mom is a big fan of "candy"-type things made out of dried fruit. I don't think I have any of her recipes, but I could get them if that sounds interesting.

I have a really simple recipe for peanut butter balls--just peanut butter, rolled oats, powdered milk, and honey. You could use any nut butter, come to think of it. I'll look up the proportions tonight if you'd like.

Those sound good!  You could also add shredded coconut that.

Salmon is a good source of healthy fat. Also try upping his red meat intake. I've also heard that flax and wheat germ are good for boosting weight - both can be sprinkled on cereal. Instead of serving a low fat vegetable like green beans, go for peas or corn instead. Avocados, as others have mentioned, are good. Olives, too. Both can be sneaked into sandwiches pretty easily. Instead of drinking water or diet soda, switch him to fruit juices, smoothies, full fat milk or protein drinks. Another suggestion I've heard is having more meals per day - 5 or 6 medium sized meals, rather than 3 large ones.

does he have a sweet tooth?  full fat rice pudding is easy to make, cheapish.

Mexican food, if he's a fan. It traditionally uses lots of stuff that are fairly healthy, but have good fat or starch such as avocados, sour-cream (not great fat, but...) cheese, meat, beans. Something like beef nachos w/ guacamole isn't too hard to make.

Sigh. Ah if only.... I gain wait just looking at food. 

I've also heard that flax and wheat germ are good for boosting weight

Don't do flax - that can also, er, improve your digestion. Which is sort of not what you want at the moment. 

I agree with healthy fats - salmon, avocado, olives, etc. Nuts for sure, but they're expensive.

Dip bread in olive oil?

I also sometimes make tarts with puff pastry which is loaded with butter - roll it out really thin and throw a ton of toppings on it. Score it very close to the edge so the edge puffs up to make a little crust. You could spread it with philadelphia, sun dried tomatoes (in oil!), olives, etc.

Don't do flax - that can also, er, improve your digestion. Which is sort of not what you want at the moment. 

I didn't know that!! Thanks!! 

 How about slim-fast, but as a supplement to meals, rather than as a meal replacement, as it includes vitamins and fibre.

Has he seen a doctor to find out why he is so thin? My BIL was very thin and anaemic for most of his life - he finally discovered that it is because he has coeliac disease. If he has some type of food sensitivity, you don't want to be making matters worse by having him fill up on a food that he has a reaction to.

My DH and DS are the same. And they're both high performance athletes.   They eat a lot of hot dogs.  Not the best food but for them, it's comfort food.  They also eat a lot of peanut butter.  and if you're DH, peanut butter ON the hotdogs (blergh)

DS loves the nutrigrain 11sies bars.  High fat yogurt.  More food at dinner.  Now they fight over the left overs. 

In there is also a lot of fruit, whole grains, meat protein etc..  They drink semi skimmed milk but maybe you could bump Glenn's up to whole milk. 

you can always get a protein supplement that body builders use. 

My hubby is the same way. Skinny with a small appetite, and he loses weight when he's stressed. Wish I were that way!

I've found the snack to send him to work with is Doritos. He'll eat a couple of individual bags at work, at 150 calories a bag. He'll eat some at home, too. Healthy food is important, but when you're dealing with someone who doesn't eat much and you just want to make sure they get enough calories, resort to whatever you can to tempt them to eat.

If your hubby likes cheese or cookies or chips, I'd keep some of those around and send him with some to work. Anything that he likes so much it will tempt him to snack even if he's stressed or busy will do the trick. Maybe encourage him to go for a milkshake at lunch or make one for him after dinner. If you pack a sandwich for him for lunch, make sure to add cheese, and even top it with bacon if he likes that, or use mayo or whatever else he likes that's high calorie.

There are lots of things you can do to make foods fattier at home, but of course you end up eating it, too! Like use butter in dishes instead of a low-cal alternative, have mashed potatoes with butter and cheese, use full-fat milk and cottage cheese, offer up his favorite dessert and add whipped cream or ice cream on top. If you have salad, use the full-fat dressing and add croutons and cheese. Good luck fattening him up!