Five Higher-Calorie Healthy Foods That You Should Be Eating

When you’re on a diet, it’s easy to fall into the trap of fretting over every last calorie. Many dieters avoid some super-healthy foods just because they have a few more calories than alternatives. Here are five high-calorie but high-nutrition foods that you should work into your diet (just be careful about portion sizes.)

1. Avocado

A great addition to salads (and the main ingredient in guacamole), the avocado is one of the best fruits you can eat. Yes, half a medium-sized avocado contains 140 calories – but it also contains 8g of fiber, 430mg of potassium and a dose of healthy mono-unsaturated fat.

Try adding thinly sliced avocado to a sandwich, or mash half an avocado and use it as a spread (instead of butter or mayonnaise). Guacamole with vegetable crudities makes a much healthier snack than chips with a creamy dip.

2. Bananas

Some dieters avoid bananas because other fruits are lower in calorie density. But bananas are a good source of potassium – and they’re great at filling you up if you need a between-meals snack. One large banana contains 121 calories, 3.5g of fiber and 487mg of potassium. It also has 20% of your daily requirement of vitamin C.

If, like me, you dislike the texture of bananas, try grilling them, or using them in banana loaf – a great low-fat alternative to cake. You could also add them to cereal or fruit salad.

3. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are full of essential minerals and vitamins. You do need to eat them in moderation (for example, a 1oz serving of peanuts is 166 calories, and consists of about 30 peanuts), which means they’re great for sprinkling on your cereal or baking into your bread. Don’t scoff them absent-mindedly from the packet – it’s surprising how easy it is to get through several handfuls!

Mixed dried fruit and nuts make a healthy alternative to other snacks: the natural sugars and healthy fats make them far better for you than chips or candy bars.

4. Olive Oil

One of the ingredients most associated with the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is olive oil. Packed with mono-unsaturated fat and rich in anti-oxidants, it’s thought to cut your risk of heart disease and cancer. Measure it out rather than pouring straight from the bottle; one tablespoon contains 119 calories.

Instead of a mayonnaise based dressing, drizzle olive oil on your salad, along with a dash of balsamic vinegar. A tablespoon of olive oil is also a great way to enrich pastry, and adding a little olive oil to cooked pasta can stop it from sticking.

5. Oily Fish

We should all be eating at least two portions of oily fish every week: tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines all count. (There’s a handy list of oily fish here.) These fish are slightly higher in calories than white fish like cod or haddock, but they’re packed with healthy mono-unsaturated fats and Omega-3 fatty acids which is thought to help lower your blood pressure and reduce your chance of developing cancer or heart disease.

If you think you’re not a fan of oily fish, you might well enjoy tuna or smoked salmon sandwiches. Shellfish have similar benefits to oily fish, too, so you may want to try them instead.

When you’re cutting down the amount you eat and watching calories, it’s especially important to eat nutritious foods. Try making some canny swaps to include the above five if necessary (e.g. switch mayonnaise for mashed avocado, or butter for olive oil). Which are your favourite higher calorie, healthy foods – and why?

Written by Ali Hale

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