Donuts. Candy bars. Potato Chips.

These foods might have developed a bit of a bad rap but each is filled with something we can’t live without — calories.

Our stomachs and intestines break down the calories within food to power our brains and bodies. Don’t start eating Boston cream pies for every meal, though. A calorie-dense diet is at its best when it’s also a nutrient-dense diet. 

Proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates — these vital nutrients help our muscles move and our bodies replenish themselves.

Grab your grocery list and a pen because we’ve compiled a list of eight delicious, calorie-dense foods to infuse your stomach with flavor and your body with long-lasting energy.

Eggs

Fluffy, runny, scrambled, sunny — there are at least a dozen ways to cook a batch of eggs. However you like your huevos, try to fit a couple of eggs into every day as they’re one of the most complete calorie-dense foods out there.

Egg whites are rich in proteins while yolks are stuffed with rich fats, essential nutrients, and dense calories.

So go ahead and experiment! Fire up a pot of hot water and make a dozen hard-boiled eggs for the week. Get together with friends and have an omelet cookout, stuffing your creation with creamy swiss and crunchy veggies. If you’re looking to flex your culinary muscle, whip up a frittata peppered with smoked meats and mushrooms.

However you like your eggs, your body is sure to get a boost of delicious, long-lasting energy.

Cheese

Delicious when paired with crackers, sprinkled on a salad, or munched on its own, cheese is packed with protein, fat, and calcium to strengthen your bones. 

If you’re browsing at the grocery store, look for a brand of cheese that’s made from grass-fed cows or goats, as these are the highest in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids (and will probably prove even more irresistible to the taste buds!)

While all are relatively high in calories, cheese nutrition varies widely from wheel to wheel. An ounce of feta contains 60 calories while a similar ounce of cheddar contains nearly double that with about 113 calories. 

If you love milky cheese, keep reading! This isn’t the only dairy product that features on this list.

Nut Butter

We all loved a toasted PB and J when we were kids. Now that we’re exploring calorie-dense foods for weight gain, maybe it’s time to get back in touch with our inner youth.

Just two tablespoons of peanut butter are stuffed with almost 200 calories! Each bite bursts with healthy fats, a pile of protein, and even 10% of your daily fiber. 

If you’re allergic to peanuts, no sweat! In 2022, there are dozens of types of nut butter to choose from.

Walnut butter works great as a smoothie base, delivering the most healthy fats out of all the nut butter options.

Smear a healthy serving of almond butter into a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sunflower seed butter dazzles when drizzled on a short stack of pancakes or as a delightful addition to a morning bowl of oatmeal.

Greek Yogurt

Delivering twice the protein of regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is a creamy, healthy option for those seeking a high-calorie, dense food.

A light six-ounce serving of Greek yogurt delivers 165 calories and a heap of protein to go along with it. 

While some love the natural tart flavors of plain Greek yogurt, it’s also a great snack when balanced with naturally sweet toppings like oats, granola, honey, or dried fruit. 

We love dropping a dollop of delicious Greek yogurt in a fruity smoothie to pack in extra protein and healthy fats.

Oily Fish

Tastier than the name lets on, oily fish like salmon, tuna, and trout are filled with healthy fats. They deliver all the protein of red meat with less bad cholesterol, providing a softer, flakier texture for those with eating challenges.

To add in an extra serving of healthy fats, crank up your oven and bake a lemon-pepper salmon drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and wrapped in tin foil. Not only does the foil insulate the fish, but it keeps the juices packed in and marinating while the fish cooks, promising a juicy filet and bundles of flavor.

theEATBar

Top off your favorite calorie-dense food with an easy calorie treat! Designed specifically for those with eating challenges, theEATBar is layered with rich meringue and comes in four unique, irresistible flavors like decadent dark chocolate and delightfully tart lemon. 

Delivering 60 calories in a single half-ounce serving, munching on an EATBar is the perfect option for anyone looking to fall further in love with food with each new bite. 

Dried Fruit

Many people have the wrong idea about dried fruit. They think it’s totally artificial or doesn’t pack as many nutrients as real fruit.

That’s not the case. Dried fruit is simply natural fruit that has been dehydrated, packing even more natural sugar into every bite. 

Whether you’re hankering for apples, bananas, peaches, or apricots, there’s no better way to enjoy calorie-dense fruit flavor.

Dried fruit is a delicious accompaniment to a piping hot bowl of oatmeal, creamy Greek yogurt parfait, or as a standalone snacker.

Dark Chocolate

In contrast to its milky siblings, dark chocolate is made up of less sugar and more cocoa and natural fats. This means dark chocolate gives you more calories pound-for-pound while also offering a healthy serving of essential nutrients like iron and magnesium.

If you like your sweets cold, put a bar of dark chocolate in the refrigerator. If you prefer them hot, melt it in the microwave and pour a thick, chocolate drizzle atop your favorite snack for a sugary treat.

Experience Eating with the Eat Bar

We need calories. They power our minds and our bodies, and they can taste amazing. But eating isn’t just about energy.

A delightful new dish or savory snack is meant to be appreciated and shared among loved ones. 

A spoonful of peanut butter becomes more than healthy fats when you’re splitting a PB and J with a friend. Dark chocolate drizzle becomes more than delicious sugar and antioxidants when you’re cooking up waffles with your family.

Eating is an experience. And each bite is a moment to remember. 

That’s why we designed theEATBar, a calorie-dense bar layered with rich meringue goodness. Whatever sweet flavor you prefer, theEATBar is packed with calories to power you through the day and help you look forward to each new meal. 

For an extra energy boost, use our discount code BLOG15 to earn 15% off at checkout!