Before CFTR modulator therapies were widely used, most people with CF needed extra calories to help maintain a healthy weight. Today, many people with CF can follow a typical healthy diet without extra calories. But some people with CF, such as those who cannot take modulators, may need extra calories for several reasons: 

• Thick, sticky mucus in the digestive system makes it hard for the body to absorb fat and nutrients.
• Fighting infections and coughing on a regular basis burns extra calories.
• Although they take pancreatic enzymes, they still aren't able to use 100 percent of the energy they consume because enzymes cannot break down everything they eat or correct their problems with absorbing nutrients.

Maintaining a healthy weight is key to fighting infection and keeping your lungs and body strong. By making small changes in your daily routine, you can make a big difference in your weight.

It’s critical to talk with your CF dietitian about your individual nutrition goals. If you need to gain weight, your dietitian can help you choose the healthiest ways to add extra calories. Eating nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains still matters for your long-term health, even when you need to gain weight. Exercise is also still important for heart health, bone health, and mental health.

Tips for Planning and Preparing Meals

Give yourself time to plan. Before you go to sleep, think about the busy day ahead. Where will you be spending your time? Where can you easily stash food? Is there a refrigerator nearby? Microwave? How about a place to eat? Will you have enough enzymes?

Think about “packability.” Plan meals or snacks that you can carry in your backpack, purse, or bag and store in your desk drawer, locker, office fridge, or a cooler in your car. Buy a variety of foods so you don't get tired of eating the same foods every day.

Cook once to eat three times. When cooking, make enough to pack a meal for tomorrow's lunch or freeze meals that you can easily reheat later.

Use a slow cooker. For breakfast, overnight oatmeal made with heavy cream and dried fruit and nuts is a hearty start to the day. If you find that you have more energy earlier in the day, make dinner in the slow cooker so that at 5 p.m. you don't settle for pizza or fast food.

If you are cooking for only one or two people, look for recipes designed for smaller portions so food doesn't go to waste. Or make a full portion and freeze part of it for when you're not feeling up to cooking.

You can find information about eating a vegetarian diet from this resource.

Organize Your Kitchen

Organize your kitchen so that everything you need for grab-and-go snacks and meals are within arm's length. Stock up on things like paper bags, plastic bags, napkins, and food containers.

Create a shelf in your kitchen or refrigerator just for your grab-and-go favorites.

Keep containers on hand to store meal-sized portions in the refrigerator or freezer. In the morning, just grab a filled container to take to work or school or wherever you go.

Organize Your Shopping

Avoid wandering aimlessly around the grocery store by planning ahead. Plan out your menu for the week so you have what you need on hand and don't have to play the “What's for dinner?” game.

Many cooking websites provide creative ideas for menu planning, such as theme meals (Taco Night or Meatless Mondays). Thinking ahead ensures you have more nutritious and satisfying options.

Buy peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese, and other foods in single-packet servings you can just toss in your bag. If you have trouble finding these in your grocery store, there are many options available online at restaurant supply stores. (Use the search phrase “restaurant supplies condiments.”)

To save, buy in bulk. You can save money by buying in bulk at discount stores and individually wrapping foods yourself in plastic wrap, plastic bags, or foil.

Read food labels. Food labels will help you learn to choose foods that meet your goals. For more on food labels, see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.

Grab-and-Go Meals and Snacks for Gaining Weight

Eating should be enjoyable. Planning your meals and snacks ahead of time can help you avoid added stress or going hungry during any part of the day. The following ideas can inspire you and even boost your appetite. Talk with your CF dietitian about these ideas and your individual nutrition goals.

Breakfast

• Keep a bowl of fruit by your front door. Grab a banana, orange, or apple on your way out the door.
• Scramble an egg or two with cheese, and wrap it in a warm tortilla that you have spread with a little butter.
• Microwave a breakfast sandwich while you are getting dressed.
• Keep canned shakes, yogurt drinks, and other high-calorie beverages in your backpack, purse, or bag.
• Before you go to bed, fill a water bottle with your favorite beverage or shake each night. Grab it before you head out in the morning.
• Make a batch of whole wheat French toast or pancakes, wrap individual servings, and freeze. In the morning, pop a serving in the microwave.
• Keep instant oatmeal in your pantry or cupboard. Just add hot whole milk or cream and take it with you.
• Buy cold cereal in individual containers (bowls or boxes) or pour your favorite cereal into a reuseable container. Take along single servings of boxed liquid whole milk (the kind that does not need to be refrigerated).

Mini-Meals 

• Top bagel halves with spaghetti sauce, shredded cheese, and olives for a pizza bagel.
• Make sandwiches (such as peanut butter and jelly, ham, or turkey with cheese) at the beginning of the week and freeze them. Toss one in your bag and let it thaw during the day. You can also look for frozen sandwiches in the grocery store.
• Think about refrigerated wraps or burritos. Buy microwavable burritos so you can wrap one in a paper towel, heat it, and run.
• Pack microwavable soup, instant noodles, fun-size containers of spaghetti and meatballs, or macaroni and cheese.
• Try a tuna kit (comes with tuna fish, crackers, and mayo).

Snacks

You never know when you're going to be delayed or stuck somewhere, so carry a snack with you. Easy-access snacks are particularly important for those with CF-related diabetes.

Keep these snacks cool with an ice pack in an insulated lunch bag or cooler:

• High-fat deli meat and cheese roll-ups
• Cheese sticks or other single servings of cheese (such as Gouda, cheddar, or whole-milk cottage cheese)
• Whole-milk yogurt and yogurt drinks
• Hummus in a small container and pita bread cut into triangles

Keep these anywhere:

• Fruit (fresh, dried, or canned)
• Nuts (such as peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts)
• Trail mix
• Granola
• Protein bars, fig bars, or other snack bars
• Cheese and whole wheat cracker packs
• Shakes (canned or bottled)
• Individual peanut butter packets
• Muffins
• Sunflower seeds
• Raisin bread
• Cereal
• Single-serving juice or milk boxes
• Bottled coffee drinks