Calorie-dense foods that help you hit your targets (without making your stomach burst)

If you’ve ever tried increasing your calories, whether for training, muscle gain, or simply supporting your energy needs, you’ve probably found that eating more can get uncomfortable quickly. Though it might sound like good times at first, gargantuan meals, repeated throughout the day, aren’t always realistic or enjoyable.

That’s why calorie-dense foods are so useful. They let you get more energy from smaller portions, making it easier to meet your goals without feeling overly full or sluggish. Give these foods a try.

Nut butters

Nut butters offer close to 100 calories per tablespoon and are easy to add to meals without increasing volume much. Research also suggests that nut consumption supports healthy weight maintenance and nutrient intake.

They work well in oats, smoothies, or on toast. Or as a quick snack on their own.

Olive oil and other healthy oils

One of the easiest ways to increase calories is to add a small amount of healthy oil to your meals. Olive oil provides around 120 calories per tablespoon, with well-documented benefits for heart and metabolic health.

A drizzle over vegetables, pasta, or rice adds energy without changing your meal too much.

Dried fruit

Dried fruit is significantly more calorie-dense than fresh fruit because the water content has been removed. Options like raisins, dates, and dried apricots are convenient, portable, and provide quick energy. Their regular consumption is also linked with improved diet quality.

They’re easy to pair with yogurt, granola, or trail mix.

Avocados

Avocados are high in healthy fats and offer around 240 calories per fruit. They’re gentle on the stomach and blend easily into both sweet and savoury meals. Research shows they support nutrient absorption and satiety in balanced diets.

Simple ways to use them: as a spread, blended into smoothies, or sliced into bowls and salads.

Full-fat dairy

Whole milk, full-fat yogurt, and cheese offer efficient calories with added protein, making them especially helpful for people with high macro targets.

Choosing full-fat versions over low-fat alternatives is an easy way to increase calories without much extra volume.

Smoothies and liquid calories

Liquid calories tend to cause less fullness than solid meals, which can be useful when appetite is low. A study comparing liquid and solid forms of food found that liquids generally lead to lower satiety.

Smoothies allow you to blend calorie-dense ingredients – milk, oats, nut butter, honey, fruit – into a compact, easy-to-digest option.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa) is calorie-dense and contains antioxidants linked with various health benefits. It’s an easy way to add a small but meaningful calorie boost, whether as a snack or mixed into yogurt or granola.

Putting it all together

You don’t need to overhaul your diet to make it more calorie-efficient. Often it’s as simple as adding or swapping a few ingredients:

• Use full-fat versions of dairy

• Add a spoonful of olive oil when cooking or serving

• Stir nut butter into meals or snacks

• Choose dried fruit over fresh when you need more energy

• Include calorie-dense toppings like seeds, cheese, or avocado

Small changes like these can help you meet your weight gain targets consistently, without making eating feel like a chore.