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 love this post! And your website in general 🙂 Please, please, publish a follow-up on ways you adapt your recipes for higher-calorie needs! I am trying really badly to gain 10-12 pounds and I find it very hard because I always feel bloated and not hungry!
I think this was a great post! I think you walk a fine line between wanting to be a universally healthy blog and to show a little candor about your personal habits/passions, and speading yourself too thin trying to please everyone. But I think you do it well. I also think it would be a good idea to post how you adapt your own recipies to be nutritionally denser, or to just talk about what a variety of diets “healthy” can mean.
Personally, I come from the healthy-and-chubby camp. I used to be self-conscious, started counting calories, and so slowly drifted into unhealthy habits that I didn’t realize it until my body made the decision for me that I needed to gain weight. I’ve since had to re-train my thinking and unravel my routines, and for me one thing that meant was consciously *not* thinking about total calories. Everyone’s different, and there is not a goal weight – or a scripted diet – for health. I really enjoy that this is something you address, is what I’m getting at =)
Ok, so my comment is totally off-topic, but I saw your recipe for peanut butter ice cream, and I’ve noticed quite a few of your other recipes call for peanut butter. My son is allergic to peanuts and I’m wondering if you (or any readers) have ever subbed a different nut butter for peanut butter in your recipes and if so, which one(s) works best and has the closest flavor match? We love almond butter, but it doesn’t taste much like peanut butter.
Try soy butter! Roasted soynuts taste very peanutty! I also really love sunflower seed butter. Not peanutty, per se, but roasty and savory in the same way – definitely more so than almond butter. 🙂
I sub almond butter in many of CCK’s recipes and it works really well! Doesn’t taste “peanuty”, but does work in every recipe I have made from this site (which is a lot!).
As the other two girls said, you can almost always sub another nut butter! 🙂
Which one just depends on the particular recipe.
I just try to be aware of the calories I’m consuming, and the way that my body feels based on that intake.
I think it’s a mistake to say diets are either low calorie or high calorie, that’s too simplistic. I have eaten things that are so-called “high calorie” but lost weight. Things like coconut oil, butter, avocados, nuts, seeds. I think the type of food is often more important than the calorie amount. You will feel more satiated with certain types of foods and that makes a difference. Foods that are designed to be sweet but low calorie often having people eating more versus a food that nourishes and is higher calorie and keeps you full.
Great post – I’m actually trying to gain a little weight right now so this came with perfect timing. I like that you are staying true to yourself while still addressing some reader concerns. There will always be people who disagree with your opinions, but don’t ever let those people change who you are.
Love the topic post!
I have BOTH problems in my immediate family. My father, and my son are both very skinny and have to eat a high calorie diet. They struggle to hit the low end of the BMI. My son is about 5’8 (at 13yrs old) and barely weighs around 100 lbs.Last year his appendix burst and he lost 10 lbs, it was awful. After he got out of the hospital I was trying everything I could think of to make him gain weight, But he really can only eat so much and it has to taste good! He eats 4 times a day, and consumes as much as an adult at each meal, but people think I starve him. Its sooo frustraiting! However my dad has the same problem and I believe its genetic. I on the other hand have the opposite problem where I put on weight easily and have to watch what I eat very carefully. I have a dense bone structure (my son has a very light one) and have genetic problems of high cholesterol and a predisposition to diabetes (my mom’s side). I struggle to stay in the high end of the BMI, keep from needing to take cholesterol medication and not be over weight. I’m 6 feet, female and weight around 190 regularly. I had a baby in the last year and have been struggling to get back to 190 (currently 205). I usually cook a low cal meal, and then I separate out my sons portion and put in olive oil, nuts, dressings of all kinds, cheese, you name it. He seems to always make room for desert, so I try and always cook desert but its hard to not have any myself. So I try and make healthy deserts so I can have a little too. My son is a child though (13 yrs old) so I try not to load him up on donuts and junk food as he gets all that from everyone else and the unhealthy eating causes behavior problems, besides the fact I think it leads to health problems later on in life. Its hard to sympathize with the other side until you’ve had to walk in their shoes. Or in my case your the mom making sure her son wears the shoes lol.
Thanks!
I have no idea how many calories I eat. I think I’d be afraid to actually count!
Nice post – I’d say that while healthy eating doesn’t NECESSARILY = low calorie, you are correct in the assertion that healthy eating means eating more nutrient dense foods that may or may not be low in calories. Even with healthy eating, moderation is the key. For example – nuts. a fantastic super food in every way, but if eat a ton of them, they are high in calories and can lead to excess weight gain. If thats not what you’re looking for, buyer beware 🙂 The great thing about your recipes is that they are a perfect inspiration/starting point for people to customize to their own needs. Keep the awesome recipes coming! (fitbunnie.blogspot.com)
I really appreciate this post, but can I ask if you typically eat overnight oats? They are higher in volume so if you need the extra calories, wouldn’t normally-cooked oatmeal better fit the bill?
Hi Steph,
I have different oatmeal recipes. Some I make the night before (for convenience and because I like the creamy texture), and some I make the day of.