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- If you’re trying to gain weight, it’s important to eat healthy, nutrient-dense foods that are also high in calories.
- Snacks such as avocado toast, trail mix, and full-fat Greek yogurt are good options.
- Relying on healthy snacks may be helpful for gaining weight, since it allows you to eat more often without feeling too full.
Most nutrition advice out there centers on weight loss; however, it’s also crucial to eat strategically if you’re trying to gain weight.
Whether it’s to support muscle gain, to counteract a poor appetite, to fuel you for a long endurance workout, or to help you recover from illness, eating high-calorie foods can help you achieve your health goals.
Snacks can help you meet your desired daily caloric intake, but for best results, it’s important to choose nutrient-dense options that support your health overall. Here are eight to try.
1. Full-Fat Greek Yogurt
- Calories: 230 calories
- Serving size: 1 cup of plain, whole-milk yogurt
Choosing whole milk (full-fat) Greek yogurt helps you add more calories to your diet without vastly increasing the amount you need to eat. Plus, Greek yogurt is incredibly nutrient-dense—1 cup offers 21.5 grams of protein, 272 milligrams of calcium, and a significant dose of probiotics (bacteria that may support digestion and gut health).
How to enjoy it: Greek yogurt works well as a snack on its own, or you can top it with granola, nut butter, seeds, or berries. Snacking aside, Greek yogurt also easy to add to meals—from chili to salad dressing—to increase calories.
2. Peanut Butter
- Calories: 191
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons of unsalted, smooth peanut butter
Peanut butter is energy-dense, plus it’s a great source of protein, healthy unsaturated fats, and micronutrients like vitamin E. Research has also linked frequent peanut butter consumption to benefits such as improved memory in young people and greater muscle power in older adults.
How to enjoy it: Add peanut butter to whole-grain toast, apple or celery slices, or simply enjoy it straight out of the jar. For an especially nutritious, calorie-dense treat, try making a chocolate peanut butter smoothie—blend 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, and a frozen banana.
3. Avocado Toast
- Calories: 236
- Serving size: One-half of an avocado, plus one slice of whole-wheat toast
With its creamy, mild flavor, avocado makes for a delicious pairing with crunchy, whole-wheat toast. Together, these foods offer calories, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals.
Avocado and whole-wheat toast may also help support heart health. Regular avocado consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and improved cholesterol levels, in part because they’re rich in unsaturated fats. Studies also show that a greater intake of whole grains may reduce heart disease risk.
How to enjoy it: Mash avocado on whole-grain bread and top with a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Cottage Cheese
- Calories: 185
- Serving size: 1 cup of 2% cottage cheese
Aside from the benefit of added calories, cottage cheese is rich in protein—one cup provides 24 grams of protein. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and B vitamins.
Choosing 2% or whole-milk cottage cheese is especially helpful if you’re trying to gain weight because the higher fat content boosts the overall calorie density without increasing volume. This means you get more energy in a smaller serving.
How to enjoy it: Pair with fresh fruit, use it as a dip for crackers or veggie sticks, or eat it on its own with a drizzle of honey.
5. Trail Mix
- Calories: 346
- Serving size: One-half cup of regular trail mix
The exact calories you’ll find in trail mix depends significantly on what’s in it. However, nuts as a whole are very energy dense, so any combination of them—from almonds to walnuts to pistachios—can be part of a convenient, calorie-dense snack.
Regular nut consumption is also associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, improved metabolic markers, and even healthy aging in older adults.
How to enjoy it: A bag of trail mix makes for easy snacking. You can make your own using nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, or purchase one at your local grocery store—just be sure to avoid trail mixes with lots of chocolate chips, candies, or other sweets, as they can increase your intake of added sugar and potentially spike your blood sugar.
6. Kefir
- Calories: 127
- Serving size: 1 cup
Kefir, a fermented dairy drink, has a similar texture to a smoothie, making it an easy way to get a nutritious snack without pulling out the blender.
The amount of calories in kefir depends on whether it’s made with low-fat or whole milk, so to maximize your caloric intake, look for products with a higher fat content.
Beyond calories, kefir offers functional benefits for your gut health—it’s rich in probiotics, or beneficial bacteria that improve the health of the microorganisms living in your digestive tract (the gut microbiome). These probiotics may also help reduce inflammation in the body, potentially protecting against chronic diseases.
How to enjoy it: Drink kefir plain, or blend it with fruit for a smoothie-style snack.
7. Hummus
- Calories: 155
- Serving size: 4 tablespoons
Hummus—made primarily from chickpeas and tahini—provides a nutrient-dense combination of healthy fats, plant-based protein, and fiber. Plus, it contains a decent amount of calories, which can be further increased if you dip breads or pita in your hummus.
Research shows that people who add hummus to their diets tend to have higher diet quality overall, plus hummus may help prevent spikes in blood sugar.
How to enjoy it: Serve hummus with whole-grain bread, warm pita, or vegetables for a healthy, easy snack. To increase your intake of calories and healthy fats, drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on top of your hummus.
8. Almond Butter
- Calories: 196
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons of unsalted, plain almond butter
Almond butter is calorie-dense and easy to add to snacks. In addition to the calories, a tablespoon provides around 3 grams of protein and a mix of healthy fats and fiber.
Research also shows that regular consumption of almonds and other nuts has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as a lower risk of all-cause mortality.
How to enjoy it: Almond butter works well as a topping for whole-grain toast or crackers. For a touch of natural sweetness and crunch, you can also spread almond butter on apple slices, sprinkling with cinnamon to finish.
How To Add High-Calorie Snacks to Your Diet
To gain weight or increase your caloric intake in the healthiest way possible, make sure you’re focusing on nutrient-dense foods—this ensures that you’re not just eating more, but you’re also supporting your overall health.
Adding healthy snacks (like the ones above) to your diet and eating every few hours can make it easier to meet your caloric needs without feeling overly full.
