sweety,

there have been a series of posts around this issue lately which you may want to check out in the _currently in treatment_ forum. i've also been looking for weight gain or weight maintenance solutions for my sister who's got a PEG tube and unable to handle large amounts of any kind of food. here's what we've come up with so far for a lactose-free diet with some nutritional variety:

- eating small amounts but frequently (every 2-3 hrs).

- relying on scandishake (powder mix, 525 cals per 8 fl. oz) on days that she really has a tough time keeping food down and we need to keep the volume as low as possible. this is the most concentrated calorie rich product i've found (and i've spent a lot of time looking and going from one healthfood store to another). but it also has high sugar content, so i use it on her bad days or only as part of her diet.

- home-made pureed foods. usually some chicken or other meat, cooked with brown rice and/or potatoes and some vegies. after everything is cooked, i add fresh avocados which brings up the calories.

- add flax seed oil (130 cals per table spoon) to any food you eat. this oil is high in omega 3 fatty acids as well.

- oatmeal cooked in rice milk or soy milk (rice milk is usually higher in calories). to make it thinner for the tube, i add Isocal (Ensure type, prescription meal replacement) and flax seed oil and run it through the blender.

- home-made shake made with egg, bannana, rice/soy milk or Isocal/Ensure stuff.

- add whey protein to any food. it's tasteless and doesn't add much to the volume but has, depending on the brand, 80-110 calories per scoop.

- weight gain powder mix added to any food. depending on the brand, this stuff usually has 200-240 cals per scoop and doesn't add much to the volume. i look for stuff that do not have added sugar (a bit lower in calories but you can make up for it by adding oil).

my sister was truely in a rough shape 2-3 weeks ago and she was on iv for several days at home, etc., etc. we've now managed to stop the weight loss, and in fact she's gained 2 lbs since last week. not much, but this is pretty good for someone who can only eat 180 ml of liquid food at a time. hang in there. you can do it too, even if all you do is add the powder stuff and some oil to what you're already eating.

be well.

gita