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.
i eat what my body wants some days i find myself eating in a healthy calorie range others im eating alot more, and i use most of your recipes for parties ofcoarse but also if i want a real decadent snack thats not goin to derail my eating i come to you and you always no just wat i want haha! good job for sticking up for yourself, this is your blog!
I read your blog because I hate the thought of eating meat and eggs, and I just found out I’m lactose intolerant.
I go through your recipes to find whatever sounds good for whichever meal or snack I need inspiration for. I’m so happy that you (mostly) use ingredients that I have in the house or that can easily be found in our small-town store.
I’m trying to maintain my weight, or lose a little, depending on what the scale says each weekend.
So, I don’t necessarily have a strict low-calorie (or high-calore diet), I’m just enjoying eating yummy food that doesn’t contain meat, eggs or dairy (and therefore, doesn’t cause me to have severe tummy pain)!
Thank you for publishing the recipes you do because it makes my life easier!
In agreement with your comment in this post, I tend to move between a high and low calorie diet depending on my activity levels. I tend to fluctuate between “lazy” periods (i.e. studying for finals) and “active” periods (daily weight-lifting, martial arts, biking) and try to eat accordingly. Really I find that just eating when you’re hungry, and not eating too too much works well to keep full and not put on too many extra pounds.
Speaking of which – you mentioned that one of your tricks to sneak in a few extra calories is to eat more frequent meals. I’d question this, not because it’s wrong, but I think this can be used either to lose or gain weight. Waiting too long between meals throws off your blood sugar and can cause people to gain weight to my knowledge, whereas frequent meals may prevent this. Conversely, eating frequent but fairly large meals – I’d guess it’s a way to sneak in a few extra calories at a time?
I’d love to hear opinions on this!
It’s funny, but they (the diet experts… I guess those would be nutritionists and diet researchers?) recommend the same thing– eating frequent small meals–for people wanting to lose OR gain weight.
Frequent meals stabilizes your blood sugar and prevents people from gorging themselves at their next meal. That would help in the weight loss camp as you are keeping your metabolism going, and not making yourself feel “starving” later on. With the weight gain side of things, if you eat more often (and in larger quantities) you will consume more calories in the day. The stomach can only handle so much so it makes sense to spread out the required calories over the day. I believe there is too much focus on calories these days though. Unless you have serious weight to lose (or gain), eating healthful foods and listening to your bodies hunger cues is the way to go.
I liked this post Katie! It is hard not to judge people’s eating habits when they are put out there in public for all to see, but some people take it too far. Food blogging is such a sensitive area and a blogger cannot possibly be responsible for how every person out there interprets your words. I’d say for the most part people come to this blog to find healthier dessert recipes (I know I do). For me, I limit sugar (not the fat) so I adjust recipes accordingly. You do a great job at providing modifications for all types of diets. Keep it up!
I’m so glad you posted this! While I’m actually the opposite of you and could stand to lose a few pounds, I agree that everyone needs to listen to their OWN body and know what it’s telling them! I’m a runner as well, but I never ate that well until about six months ago. I fell into the “low-fat, low-calorie is healthy for you” trap in college and now that I’m (ahem) nearing 30, my body has completely changed! We started eating “clean” and that has helped a bunch! Your website has been CRUCIAL to getting my sweet-toothed husband on board with the whole eat clean thing. THANK YOU for everything, Katie!
This is a great post. As someone who likes to enjoy a treat almost everyday, I don’t always want that treat to be high calorie. You give many great ideas for both low calorie and more indulgent desserts.
I just popped the peanut butter ice cream into the freezer in an ice cube tray. The liquid form was so tasty! I can’t wait for it to freeze up!
Thanks for all your great recipes!
I’m really not quite sure how many calories I consume in a day but I’d guess it’s between 1800-2200. I eat A LOT throughout the day. I try to incorporate lots of healthy fats, protein and fruit into my regular diet (most of the time). I have gained a few lbs here and there but I think its more due to my lack of movement and weekend splurges. I think that as long as you eat a healthy diet with minimal processed foods, calorie counting is not necessary.
I am always watching my weight it seems, or trying to lose 10 lbs in between babies. So I have been keeping track of my calories off and on for several years. Right now I am trying to lose weight, but I am also breastfeeding so I can’t be too low calorie. I used to use that as an excuse to eat junk and still lose weight, but now I am doing several of the things you suggested to make sure I get enough calories and healthy fats, but not too many calories, to be able to feed my baby and still lose weight. I am not vegan, or even vegetarian, but I love that your dessert recipes are so healthy. I am trying to get my kids used to eating healthily from the beginning instead of eating all the junk that is out there.
yay! I’m so glad you are doing this! I feel like every diet book in the land tells you how to take in less calories, but then makes you feel terrible if 200 calories doesn’t fill you up. For the first time ever, I am eating over 1600 calories and finding that I finally have energy. THIS IS SO HELPFUL KATIE- THANK YOU SO MUCH
Hi Katie:
Thanks for this post. I don’t need to lose weight but I keep my treats as healthy as possible and as low-cal as possible so that I can get most of my calories from nutrient-dense dinners and main meals. That’s why I love your low-cal recipes! I’m sure there are people who would prefer the high-cal versions but as you said yourself, I can see pretty easily how you could adapt them to be either/or.
Also, I’m sorry and sad that you have to endure some of the comments you get, especially those on that last post. It’s really just ridiculous, and it makes me so sad to see people who don’t even know each other just getting at each other. I think there’s a different caloric need for every individual so people just need to pay attention to their own bodies.
I think I am pretty much in the middle, though there are times when I feel I do not get enough calories (e.g. when I have oatmeal in the morning and just veggies for the rest of the day) and then I just listen to my body and grab some nuts.