We’ve put together a list of healthy high calorie plant-based foods to incorporate into your diet to rise your caloric intake.
Whether you’re a new or seasoned vegan, you’d know that a benefit to a well-planned plant-based diet is better weight management. This is typically through consuming less calories than the average vegetarian, pescatarian and omnivorous diets.
You may want to consume more calories for bulking up or to find a balance in your daily macros; with this list you’ll be well on your way to get there.
Fruits
There are quite a few dried fruit options that provide a good amount of calories, ideal for adding to yoghurts or trail mix as a healthy snack.
Apricots (dried)
Apricots are great, chewy and sweet, easy to get organic too. Dried apricots provide 191 calories for every 1/2 cup.
Coconut (milk)
Coconut milk has the highest calorie count of all the plant-based milk options; Typically used for vegan dessert recipes, coconut milk packs 552 calories/cup. Probably best to have this one in moderation.
Dates
A typical fruit eaten in the Middle east and Northern Africa. You can ensure yourself of hitting your calorific goals with a whopping 23 calories per date, almost 100 calories in just 4!
Figs (dried)
Dried figs are something I had to grow into, but once I got older, I started loving them; You can expect to get 186 calories per half cup of dried figs.
Raisins
A childhood favourite, a marmite of fruits if you will, either love or hate ‘em. Regardless, raisins provide you with a decent amount of calories, with 129 calories in every 1.5 ounce portion.
Grains
There are many grains that could have been covered but we’ve only highlighted a few key ones.
Granola
If you’re really trying to bulk up, you should definitely get some granola in your diet. Granola, varying with each brand, averages around 597 calories per cup.
Oats
A go-to for many for breakfast, versatile and rich in zinc & magnesium, as well as many other minerals. Oats are sufficient in calorie count, providing 194 calories in a 50 gram portion.
Quinoa
Quinoa is one of my favourite alkaline grains, rich in iron and a complete plant-based protein. You can expect to get 222 calories per cup of cooked quinoa.
Risotto
An Italian favourite, an easy quick dinner for those in a mid-week hurry. For every half cup portion of risotto, you get 206.5 calories.
Dips & Nut Butters, Oils
As a vegan, we gotta have some dip recipes on-hand to boost our caloric intake, let’s go through a few below.
Guacamole
Guacamole is rich in nutrients, easy to make and great with tortilla chips. For those trying to bulk up, you’ll get around 180 calories per half cup of guacamole.
Hummus
One of my favourite dips, perfect paired with my homemade falafel. Also rich in nutrients and healthy fats, you can expect to get 340 calories per half cup of it with your veggies or pitta.
Olive oil
Olive oil is essential for my salads on a day to day, extra virgin olive oil that is. A little goes a long way with olive oil, providing 169 calories per tablespoon.
Peanut butter
Peanut butter banana sandwiches are banging, I love me one of ‘em for a midnight snack. You can even slap it in a smoothie. For every tablespoon of peanut butter you eat, you get 100 calories.
Tahini
Tahini being the secret ingredient in hummus and also great with falafel; You get 89 calories for every tablespoon of tahini.
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds are notoriously known as vegan foods that are high in calories.
Cashews
Cashews are great on their own, as well as vegan dips, pasta sauces and as a base for vegan cheeze. 100 grams of cashews equates to 553 calories.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds are one of those ancient nutritional powerhouses that are great in a vegan diet for extra nutrition. Each tablespoon of chia seeds provides 70 calories.
Hemp seeds
Hemp seeds are a lesser known seed that’s beneficial on many levels, and great in soups, salads and smoothies. Each tablespoon of hempseed provides 40 calories.
Macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts are crunchy and moreish, with a few going a long way. 1 ounce of macadamias provide you with 204 calories.
Pecans
Pecans are tasty, great in baked goods or even in trail mix. A 1 ounce handful of pecans has 196 calories.
Legumes/beans
As a vegan, you’ll naturally eat more legumes and beans on a day to day. Luckily these are also rich in calorie count, just need to know which ones!
Black beans
One of the more popular high calorie vegan foods, great in any Mexican dish as a nutrient rich meat replacement. 1 cup of calories provides you with 227 calories.
Chickpeas
The key ingredient in falafel, onion bhajis and hummus, chickpeas are versatile AF. Each cup of chickpeas provides you with 286 calories.
Lentils
Lentils are tasty and banging in stews, also being a surprisingly good mince replacement. 1 cup of boiled lentils equates to 230 calories.
Tempeh
Tempeh is the fancy word for fermented tofu, a higher protein, healthier version of the soy based food. Tempeh is also high in calories, providing 193 calories per 100 grams.
Healthy high calorie plant-based foods
We hope you enjoyed this high calorie vegan foods list, we tried to include a good group of foods that are more whole-food in nature.
If you liked this post feel free to share, bookmark and leave a comment if you feel there was any other vegan food you think should make the list!
