High calorie foods

by | Mar 3, 2015 | Benefits

I got asked an unexpected question on our facebook page yesterday.

“Can you post those foods that are very rich in calories. Top 50 or 100 list including their calorie level. I want to gain more weight.”

diet-617756_1280That’s a simple enough request on the surface, but then I started thinking about what it really meant. We all know that eating fast food two or three times a day is a surefire way to rapid weight gain (remember the film Supersize Me?) – but with that kind of weight gain comes a whole bunch of potential health issues. So I did a little digging around the internet, and came up with the following list of high calorie foods.

These aren’t all healthy foods by any means, as you will see. But they are all very high in calories, and I’ve tried to include as many foods as possible that also have some kind of health benefit, be it vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein or antioxidants. Of course, you can also look on this list as a “what not to eat” reminder when you’re trying to lose weight.

Calorie rich foods for weight gain (all values in calories per 100g/3.5oz)

  • vegetable oils – 884
  • macadamia nuts – 718
  • unsalted butter – 717
  • pecans, dry roasted – 710
  • pecans, raw – 691
  • pine nuts, dried – 673
  • Egg yolk, dried – 666
  • Sunflower seed kernels, toasted – 619
  • Pork, oriental style, dehydrated – 615
  • dark chocolate – 598
  • almonds, dry roasted – 597
  • sesame butter (tahini) 595 cal
  • peanut butter – 590
  • popcorn, oil-popped – 583
  • Cashew nuts – 581
  • Peanuts, raw – 567
  • Plantain chips – 559
  • Pistachio nuts, raw – 557
  • Bacon, cured, cooked – 548
  • Potato chips, plain, salted – 547
  • Dark chocolate-coated coffee beans – 540
  • Noodles, chinese, chow mein – 527
  • Nutmeg, ground – 525
  • Poppy seeds, ground – 525
  • Banana chips, dehydrated – 519
  • Reeses Peanut butter cups – 515 (These might be the least healthy thing on the list. They’re also my favourite naughty treat. Sorry about that!)
  • Tortilla chips, nacho cheese – 514
  • Cheese crackers – 503
  • Chicken skin, cooked – 502
  • Shortbread, plain, commercially prepared – 502
  • Baking chocolate, unsweetened – 501
  • Reeses pieces – 497
  • Milk, dry ,whole – 496
  • Pepperoni – 494
  • Chia seeds, dried – 490
  • Granola, ready-to-eat – 489
  • Trail mix, regular – 484
  • Cookies, vanilla sandwich creme – 483
  • Cookies, peanut butter sandwich – 478
  • Mace (spice), ground – 475
  • Sugar-coated almonds – 474
  • Beef ribs, cooked – 471
  • Granola bar, plain – 471
  • Taco shells, baked – 467
  • Parmesan cheese – 456
  • Chorizo, pork and beef – 455
  • Soup, ramen noodle, dry – 453
  • hard goat’s cheese – 452
  • wholewheat crackers – 443 cal
  • Soy flour, full fat, raw – 436

I have tried to include foods that can either be added to meals (oils, nuts, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese) or else included as a snack for those who are trying to gain weight (trail mix, popcorn). Obviously some items – chicken skin, for example – would never be eaten alone, but someone wanting to gain weight might leave the skin on their chicken legs. To our reader who asked the original question; I hope this is of some help to you!

However, it is important to remember that these foods should be eaten in conjunction with plenty of fruit and vegetables and proteins in order to gain weight in a healthy way.