High calorie does not have to mean unhealthy. Try some of the foods listed below to increase your calorie intake while still eating a healthy diet.
Cereals
(1 cup high calorie cereal with 1/2 cup whole milk)
Ezekiel® cereal = 435-475 calories
Post Blueberry Morning®= 250 calories
Frosted Wheat Cereal = 275 calories
Raisin Bran = 275 calories
General Mills Honey Nut Clusters®= 285 calories
Post Banana Nut Crunch®= 315 calories
Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran®= 340 calories
Granola = 570 calories
1 packet instant oatmeal made with ½ cup heavy cream = 510 calories
Dairy
Yoplait® thick and creamy yogurt (any flavor): 6 ounces = 170-190 calories
Stonyfield Farms® organic whole milk yogurt: 6 ounces = 170 - 210 calories
½ cup cheese curds = 220 calories
1 cup 4% fat cottage cheese = 240 calories
Instant pudding made with heavy cream: ½ cup = 300 calories
Smoothie made with 1 carton vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 banana, and ¼ cup half and half = 360 calories
Flavored milk made with ¾ cup whole milk, ¼ cup cream, and 2 Tbsp chocolate or strawberry syrup = 415 calories
Milkshake with 1 cup ice cream, ½ cup whole milk, ½ cup fruit = 435 calories (top with whipped cream and crushed peanuts for an extra 100 calories)
Nuts, Dried Fruit, and Peanut Butter
¼ cup chocolate covered raisins = 190 calories
¼ cup chocolate covered peanuts = 200 calories
Dried fruit: ½ cup = 200 calories
2 Tbsp of nut butter* = 200 calories
1 apple with 2 Tbsp of nut butter* = 270 calories
Celery with 2 Tbsp of nut butter* and 2 Tbsp of raisins = 285 calories
Trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit, pretzels, chocolate chips – buy or make your own): ½ cup= 350 calories
Sandwich made with 2 slices bread, 1 Tbsp nut butter, and 1 Tbsp Nutella®= 350 calories
Sunflower seeds: ½ cup = 375 calories
Oil roasted mixed nuts: ½ cup = 435 calories
*If allergic to peanut butter, try soy nut butter, sunflower seed butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Add to smoothies and shakes.
Crackers and Bars
Power Bar® or Clif Bar®= average 220-260 calories
KIND® Bars = 190-210 calories
Lara Bars® = 190-220 calories
15 Tortilla chips with ¼ cup guacamole = 230 calories (add ¼ cup cheese to take calories up to 350!)
Marathon Protein Bar = 150-290 calories
5 Akmak® crackers with 2 Tablespoons nut butter = 310 calories
5 Ritz® crackers with 5 cheese squares = about 220 calories
*Eat one of these high calorie snacks at least once a day.
Condiments that Count
Ideas for 50 – 70 calories
Sour cream: 2 Tbsp=50-60 calories
Put on baked potato
Put on burritos or tacos
Stir into cream soups
Hummus: 2 Tbsp=50 calories
Spread on pita bread
Use as a dip with raw vegetables
Wheat germ: 2 Tbsp=50 calories
Sprinkle on yogurt, ice cream, or pudding
Stir into oatmeal or cream of wheat.
Add to casseroles
Chia seeds: 1 Tbsp=60 calories
Sprinkle on yogurt or parfaits
Stir into oatmeal or cream of wheat
Add to smoothies
Add to baked goods
Large black or green olives: 5 olives=50 calories
Add to salads, tacos, nachos, or pastas
Layer on sandwiches
Coconut (shredded): 3 Tbsp=55 calories
Add to trail mix, homemade granola, cookies, or cakes
Sprinkle over cereal or oatmeal
Sprinkle over ice cream or yogurt
Guacamole or avocado: 2 Tbsp=60 calories
Serve with tortilla chips, tacos, or burritos
Add to salads
Serve with raw vegetables
Cheese dip: 2 Tbsp=60 calories
Use as a dip for pretzels
Spread on apples or celery
Melt over broccoli or cauliflower
Mayonnaise: 1 Tbsp=60 calories
Spread on sandwiches and burgers
Add to fruit and vegetable salads
Salad dressing: 2 Tbsp = 145 calories
Serve with salads
Use as a dip for vegetables
Use as a spread with sandwiches
Flaxseed meal (ground flax): 2 Tbsp=60 calories
(same uses as chia seeds)
Honey (not for children under 1 year old): 1 Tbsp=65 calories
Serve on bagels and toast
Mix with peanut butter and spread on sandwich
Use as a dip for fruit
Add to whole milk yogurt with fruit
Add as sweetener to plain oatmeal.
Scandical® 2 Tbsp=70 calories. Tasteless and mixes into anything:
Drinks
Cottage cheese or yogurt
Hot cereals
Casseroles
Ideas for 100-145 Calories
Heavy cream: 2 Tbsp=100 calories
Add to mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese
Use in cream soups
Use to make oatmeal
Add to eggs
Add to coffee
Add to whole milk
Use in a smoothie or milkshake
Peanut butter or Nutella®: 1 Tbsp=100 calories
Spread on breads, crackers, apples, bananas, and celery
Add to smoothies or milkshakes
Cream cheese: 2 Tbsp=100 calories
Spread on bagels
Use flavored cream cheese as a dip for fruit
Butter or margarine: 1 Tbsp=100 calories
Add to vegetables, mashed potatoes, breads, muffins, pastas, casseroles, hot cereals, and eggs
Bake fish in butter
Nuts or seeds: 2 Tbsp=100 calories
Add to trail mix, salads, cereal, ice cream, and yogurt
Vegetable oil (olive, canola, sunflower, etc.): 1 Tbsp = 120 calories
Drizzle over noodles and vegetables
Use to make scrambled eggs
Teach Back
What is the most important thing you learned from this handout?
What changes will you make in your diet/lifestyle, based on what you learned today?
If you are a UW Health patient and have more questions please contact UW Health at one of the phone numbers listed below. You can also visit our website at www.uwhealth.org/nutrition.
Nutrition clinics for UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) can be reached at: (608) 890-5500.
Nutrition clinics for UW Medical Foundation (UWMF) can be reached at: (608) 287-2770.