What Everybody Ought to Know About Healthy High Calorie Foods

Nuts and Nut Butters

Nuts and nut butters pack a ton of nutrition and protein. Some of the best nut choices are Brazil nuts, almonds, almond butter and walnuts. One ounce of walnuts, for example, contains 183 calories, almost 2 g dietary fiber and 4.3 g protein, plus folate, vitamin B6, and thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, phytosterols, essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and small amounts of other vitamins and minerals.

In addition to the nutrients, nuts are high on the satiety scale; eating nuts makes you feel full for a longer period of time, essentially decreasing appetite. While it is wise to monitor how much you eat, adding nuts to a healthy diet is an excellent nutritional choice. Half an apple or a cup of blueberries with a handful of nuts is a powerhouse afternoon snack that’s hard to beat.

Avocados

Avocados are high in calories, most of them from fat, but it’s good fats–omega-6 and omega-3, which are proven to be good for lowering cholesterol–and they are also full of nutrients. The 365 calories in one whole Florida avocado provides 88% of your daily needs for Vitamin C, plus vitamins E, B6 and A, niacin, folate, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. You also get a whopping 17 g dietary fiber. Adults need 25-35 grams of dietary fiber every day, but most people don’t get more than about 15. Bring on the guacamole!

Wild Salmon

Salmon is well known for high omega-3-fatty acid content, the heart friendly fats that help to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. In general, wild salmon is a better choice due to potential PCB and dioxane contamination in farm-raised fish. A typical serving of salmon (about 4 ounces) has 182 calories and 25 grams of protein, along with vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamin and folate plus selenium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, magnesium, and iron. Other good fish choices are albacore tuna, mackerel, and halibut. The essential fats in these fish make them healthy high calorie foods that anyone can–and should–enjoy regularly.

Black Beans

Beans are high on the list of superfoods, and great healthy high calorie foods, and black beans are the best choice for nutrition. Black beans, also called turtle beans, are a great source of protein, fiber and folate, plus thiamin, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper and zinc. Black beans have the densest range of nutrients and are high in folate, which most diets lack in sufficient quantity, but all virtually beans and seeds are healthy choices.

Dark Chocolate

While it should be eaten in moderation because it is combined with sugar and fats to make it palatable, chocolate is rich in flavonoids, which are a kind of polyphenol antioxidant shown to lower blood pressure and raise good cholesterol. Compared to other foods considered high in antioxidants, chocolate is higher in antioxidant content and quality. But before you reach for the candy bars, remember that it’s the darkest, most bitter chocolate that is most healthy, and that some healthy high calorie foods should be eaten in moderation. For a healthy snack, try dark-chocolate coated almonds or cranberries, or make old-fashioned, lightly sweetened hot cocoa with skim milk.

References

1. Nutrition Data

2. Mayo Clinic: Healthy chocolate — Dream or reality?

3. Mayo Clinic: Nuts and Your Heart