Welp...there's my problem

[WishfulSpirit]

So I've been trying to improve my diet. Want to get healthier and stuff, and deal with the fact that given my appetite-suppressing meds and my hectic work day, I often just grab whatever is available whenever I have a spare moment. "Whatever is available" usually turns out to be pretty unhealthy.

The other day I decided to write down what I'd eaten (doing that seems to help make healthier choices). Just for fun I tracked on SparkPeople so I could see my nutrients (or lack thereof). No surprise I'm low on vitamins and minerals, but even with as much junk food as I stuff in my craw, this is what I got:

I'm averaging 1260 Calories. Per day.

Just for reference, a normal diet for an adult of my age, height, and activity level should include 2000-2200 calories per day. Think I found out why I've dropped three pant sizes in 6 months.

So, any ideas for calorie-dense foods that still have nutrition in them?

[Aria]

Nuts are great if you want something calorie-dense. Hard boiled eggs are convenient and full of nutrition. Are you talking about just snacks on the go or actual meals?

[EricKei]

Fresh/not-from-a-box Potatoes (with the skins on, and without butter and other unhealthy add-ons) have a surprising amount of vitamins/minerals in them, with Vitamin A being a major exception (important for the eyes). The downside is that they're basically pure starch. Better on days when you know you will be active, I suppose.

Raw fruits and veggies are generally a good bet, with the same caveat -- fruits tend to have a lot of sugar, and veggies' goodness tends to be counteracted by dressing/dip that most people enshrine them in Carrot or celery sticks are great for on-the-go if you like them. If you crave some variety, add some natural peanut butter (meaning, the ingredients should read something like "Peanuts, salt" and that's it -- this type usually needs to be kept in the fridge after opening, preferably upside down) to the celery and put raisins on top: Viola! Ants on a Log ^_^ Maybe not every day, but from time to time. Peanuts will provide both some fat (you need SOME) and some protein, and are calorie-dense.

[Crossbow]

Too bad our new Fearless Leader is on vacation... He's a traithlete, and I'm sure can give you some good advice.

[April]

What about protein shakes? Just replacing one meal a day with a protein shake?

Also, what I do (for the opposite, to lose weight) is pre-package stuff. On Sunday night, I will chop and portion out veggies for the next week. Keeping healthy snacks and foods on hand and already prepared help me a ton. I keep yogurt in my office for breakfast. At the beginning of the week, I buy fruit for my office. Avocados are high in Fat, but it's a good fat. Mash some up with a bit of lemon juice to keep it from going brown and eat with veggies or baked crackers.

[EricKei]

CB - I'll put in a word with the team ^_^

[mjr]

Could you take a supplement like Centrum? I try to take one daily. Usually the chewable orange flavored ones.

Sometimes, though, it's not about "calorie dense". Sometimes it's about how long and how hard your body has to work to digest food. That's why a lot of people suggest "roughage".

And sometimes it's about trading calories. For instance, my breakfast most mornings is a bowl of Rice Chex and fat-free milk. I usually make it a point to have a lunch with some sort of vegetables in it, and I have a salad a few times a week. I use Romaine lettuce, and lower fat (and in some cases fat-free) dressings and cheeses, but I tend to make my own dressings, or use a fat-free honey mustard I found.

Also, if you like rice dishes, look into long-grain brown rice, and whole wheat pasta (if you want to eat it). I made a risotto with brown rice, and 99% fat free stock, and it turned out really well. All you need is the rice, the stock, some lemon zest, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and nutmeg.

[Aria]

OK! I think I'll do a longer post... to start off with, I've lost 100+ lbs by following the Primal Blueprint and I think I know a fair amount about nutrition at this point. However, weight LOSS is not what we're aiming for here so let's see how I can help.

If you want extremely nutrient rich and also calorie rich food, there's an obvious candidate: Liver. Also kidneys. Liver and kidneys are the richest sources of nutrients you can find, followed closely by shellfish. Tinned oysters make a great snack.

After organ meats, I think I would nominate eggs. Eggs have sometimes been dubbed a superfood for all the nutrients they contain and they are reasonably calorie dense. Had boiled, they make a great snack.

Next would probably have to be nuts and nut butters. They are extremely calorie dense and have valuable nutrients. I would suggest maybe using them as a dip for vegetables. Someone else suggested Ants on a Log, that's a great idea.

Now, vegetables... while they are nutrient rich they are also calorie poor. Because of that, I can't recommend eating too many raw ones. Instead, I would cook them. Soups, made with full fat coconut or cream, would be excellent. That would let you eat more while maintaining calorie content.

Someone mentioned meal replacement smoothies... I don't know about commercially available ones but I make my own smoothies. I use a tea base, frozen fruit, sprouts/kale/spinach and then blend it up with a scoop of whey protein. However, that's low calorie. For a high calorie version I would change the tea to coconut milk or milk.

Anyway, that's all I've got right now, have to go back to work. Hope that helps!

[Chromatix]

Speaking of milk, go for the full-fat or even extra-creamy versions, not the skimmed or low-fat versions. They taste better and have more calories.

[Sliceanddice]

eggs yolks have lots of nutrients in it and they tend ot be fairly calorie dense and easy to cook. And fast.

[TheSHAD0W]

Someone's mentioned protein shakes, but if you're already getting enough protein, genuine ice-cream milkshakes have more calories, taste better and do a good job of settling one's stomach.