Does healthy eating = low-calorie eating?
It can… but it depends a great deal on the individual person. In many cases, I’d argue that a low-calorie diet is not ideal for optimum health (such as the case of an athlete, a growing child or teen, an underweight or healthy-weight adult, etc.).
Today’s post is going to be a little different.
It’s a topic about which I’ve been meaning to write for quite a while; ever since there was a bit of drama and confusion over it in the comment section of this post.
You see, I don’t want to send out the wrong message or give people the impression that I only eat low-calorie foods… or that anyone else should only eat low-calorie foods if he/she doesn’t medically need to do so. My website is not a “this is what I ate today” food blog, and the photos you see on this site are usually just of the recipes (as opposed to the entire meal I might’ve eaten along with the recipe. I can tell you I hardly ever eat just a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast!).
Due to the fact that healthier foods are often lower in calories, and because I know a large number of my blog’s readers are watching their weights, many of the recipes on this blog are—or can be—quite low in calories.
In the photo above: Low-Calorie Peanut Butter Ice Cream
To help the large percentage of my readership that doesn’t want the extra calories, I try to always point out when lower-calorie options exist in my recipes (such as when one can sub applesauce, how to make a recipe lower in fat, etc.).
However, the cool thing is that many of my recipes are easily adaptable to almost any diet. Perhaps I need to pay better attention to the other portion of my readers; those who do not have weight to lose?
It’s a common (and dangerous) misconception that a person who needs to gain weight or eat a high-calorie diet must consume exorbitant amounts of junk food in order to meet this goal. You can meet your nutritional needs without downing milkshakes at every meal, and you’ll probably feel much less sluggish.
Today, I thought I’d highlight a few of the tricks I use to calorically bulk up my food while still being healthy.
In the above picture: Chocolate-Strawberry Truffle Pie.
1. Focus on calorie-dense foods.
Eat these first at a meal, so you don’t feel too full before you’ve gotten in enough calories. Here are some calorie-dense, yet healthy, foods:
- all nuts and nut butters
- oils (such as olive, sesame, or coconut) in their pure form (not the hydrogenated stuff they put in packaged goods!)
- avocados
- Thai coconut meat (really good in smoothies, pies, or puddings)
- dried fruit
- canned coconut milk
- giant bowls of pasta (my favorite!)
- dark chocolate (oh wait, that’s my favorite!)
Raw recipes are often calorie-dense. Here are my favorites.
2. Don’t skip the veggies
…because you’re afraid they’re too low-cal. But do be sure to not just eat them plain and steamed. Try sautéing or roasting with a generous drizzle of olive or coconut oil (so so good).
3. Bigger portions.
For example, I post oatmeal recipes that are for one serving. But when I make them for myself, I always times the recipe by 1.5. Try it sometime… you probably won’t even notice you’re taking in more calories!
4. And eating more often.
Instead of three huge meals per day, space it out with 5-6 smaller meals and snacks throughout the day, giving your stomach a chance to digest. Personally, my job as a recipe developer means I never stop snacking! Chocolate is always close to my heart greedy fingers.
5. Non-healthy treats… sometimes.
I’d say I probably eat healthy foods 80% of the time. But does that mean I’ll turn down a friend’s cookies that she veganized just for me? Or Hangawi’s incredible cheesecake in NYC? No, it does not. (I probably should get a post up about this topic, too… but not today. I think I’ve already talked your ears off enough for one day!)
Do you eat a high-calorie diet? A low-calorie diet?
Or maybe you have absolutely no idea how many calories you consume! Please take an introspective look at your life and make responsible food decisions for you. If that means eating a low-calorie diet, my recipes are here to help. But if that means not eating a low-calorie diet, please take advantage of some of the higher-calorie options listed both in this post and in my recipe posts!
For more, see the following: High Calorie Recipes.
What I like most about this post? I think you’re on to something here. So many of us are on a low-cal weight loss program. I’m almost to goal and getting ready to transcend to maintenance. I’ve been one of your readers for about 3 months, and saving your recipes to use once I reach my goal. I love that you give alternative recipes that I can use to get good calorie dense foods!!! Love your Blog, Posts, Recipes and I too Love Chocolate!!!
I don’t really do either. We try to eat sensible, and homemade. We don’t eat out much and I cook from scratch most of the time. I think eating smart for your needs is the best way to go about it.
Well, said Kaite! I’ve always loved your outlook on health! I’d say you were the one who started my interest in healthy vegan eating years ago! Thanks girl!
Funny thing is when I used to watch my fat and calorie intake I couldn’t take the weight off. Now, I eat a healthier, more balanced diet (do not count fat and calories) and I have no issues with my weight!! 😉
Since I still have got a few pounds to lose before I reach a healthy weight, I am watching my calories, but I try not to overdo it. I prefer sugar, honey, agave/maple syrup to artifical sweeteners any day, and if my fat intake is too low, my skin cracks up at the back – so no diet food for me, only healthy, well-calculated meals. (And exercise, of course.)
I really love this topic. I used to count calories all the time, even though I knew I was eating natural and healthy nutritional foods, but still. So, after reading some of your topics, I finally decided to stop counting my calories, even though I knew I needed the calories. I stopped counting the calories and just ate what I liked and whenever was good for me, and I was able to enjoy my favorites such as putting almond butter on top of my oatmeal AND with extra nuts in for crunch ;). After being in tune with my body and my feeding my soul I was much happier and relaxed. Even my mother noticed this. I used to be controlling about what i ate and how many calories I consumed and the times I had to eat it. It was CONTROLLING MY LIFE. I was uptight and unhappy and I got sick of listening to the “rules of eating” by society. Screw you, society. Nobody tells my what to do with my body. My body creates its own rules and it knows what It needs as do my mind and soul. I want to live my life in a way that makes me happy, not by the way is right for society… I hope this made sense, I talk in circles a lot 😀
Thank you so much for addressing this issue, Katie! It’s really great to have support for people like me who struggle with becoming comfortable eating higher-calorie foods. There are far too many negative messages about dieting floating around the internet, even in well-meaning places. You really are a role model for so many. 😀
Thank you so much for this post! It came at the perfect time. I struggle to keep weight on but have recently switched to a much healthier and clean diet. I have lost a few pounds in the process as I don’t want to eat those processed foods like I did in the past. I have been searching for healthy, high calorie options. I would love to hear more!
Thanks again!!!!!
I’ve got a good ten pounds I’d still like to lose, but I’ve decided not to fret over them. If my body never gets smaller than it is, I’ll still be content.
That said, I keep a vague count in my head of how many calories I consume per day, and I just try to make sure that not too too much of them are pure sugar and bad fats. It just gives me a bit of a reality check to keep myself from gorging on five full-fat, NON-healthy desserts per day, which I would totally do otherwise. Not that undereating has ever been a problem for me, but nevertheless, I’m careful to not do it. I practice dance and do a lot of strength training and cardio, so I don’t want to starve my body.
Ironically, when I used to watch my fat and calorie intake I was at a point where I couldn’t drop the weight! Now, I eat a healthier, more balanced diet, DON’T count calories or fat, and I have no issues with me weight!!!!