Can't consume enough Calories

Tittan44

Hey Guy/Girls... need ideas to eat clean to increase my calories
I am finding that i cant eat enough on training Days. I want to maintain not lose weight.
I am already eating 5-6 times a day but I am not hungry.
I am striving for 2850 -3000 Cal per day but when I factor in training I am always to low

20yearsyounger

like nuts? eat them.

Hornsby

peanut butter, use more butter/olive oil, whatever fats you think are "clean", eat more of those.

williams969

I see a lot of egg whites, but no yolks. Eat the yolks--that's where the nutrients (and calories) are. Toast w/ butter or nut butter, bowls of cereal w/ whole milk, bagels w/ cheese.

Or sometimes, you just "gotta" drink some calories--some of the "gainers" of MFP have homemade "mass gainer shake" recipes made from whole food ingredients (I've no experience, but maybe a Pinterest search for drinkable, wholesome calories would help).

ndj1979

why can increased calories come only from "clean" foods?

the reason that you can't hit your calorie goal is because you are trying to twist yourself into a variation of "clean"..

I would suggest adding in pasta, ice cream, bagels, etc; just make sure that you still hit your calorie/micro/macro targets...

yogilifter

grind up 1/4 cup steel cut oats and add to your protein shakes. extra 150 calories there. second on eating the yolks. find ways to sneak in those things and you are still eating clean if that's your goal

JustinAnimal

How about the four Bs of healthy eating: beer, bacon, booze, butter.

michellemybelll

peanut butter. ice cream. cookies. pizza.

diannethegeek

I went through an adjustment period when I moved to maintenance. It's funny how hard it seems to add in those extra calories sometimes, isn't it?

You might start pre-planning your days, if you aren't already, to see how you can get some more calories in. Calorie dense foods can be your friend right now. They add a quick 100-200 calories to your day without making you eat a ton of extra food.

This is a generic list and it's definitely not comprehensive, but anything here can be included in a balanced diet (as long as there are no allergies, medical conditions, obviously):
avocado
cheese
full fat dairy
Greek yogurt
ice cream
peanut butter (or other nut butters)
dark chocolate
less lean cuts of meat (including beef, pork, sausage, etc.)
seeds (chia, flax, sunflower, etc.)
nuts
olive oil
coconut oil
butter
beans and lentils
protein shakes, bars, and smoothies
hummus
beef jerky
cornbread
tuna
full calorie condiments (including mayo if you like it)
full calorie sauces & dressings
sour cream
guacamole
whole grain pasta
rice
bacon
whole eggs
quinoa
fruit and fruit juices
pretzels
bananas
scones
muffins (bran, blueberry, banana nut, etc.)
potatoes (sweet, red, gold, purple, white, etc.)
dried fruit (raisins, apricots, plums, dates, etc.)
granola
coconut
salmon
edamame
honey
molasses

FitFitzy331

After looking at a couple days of your diary, you could easily switch out the 100cal yogurts for full fat, that goes for the milk as well. Also eat the whole egg rather than just the whites. It looks like you're mixing your protein with just water since no other beverage is listed, mix it with milk, oats, pb, anything. All of that gives you at least a couple hundred calories a day.

JustinAnimal wrote: »

How about the four Bs of healthy eating: beer, bacon, booze, butter.

But this is my favorite answer to add more calories into your diet.

sjohnson__1

ndj1979 wrote: »

why can increased calories come only from "clean" foods?

the reason that you can't hit your calorie goal is because you are trying to twist yourself into a variation of "clean"..

I would suggest adding in pasta, ice cream, bagels, etc; just make sure that you still hit your calorie/micro/macro targets...

SPOT-THE-F**K ON.

sijomial

So what does "clean eating" mean to you OP as everyone seems to have their own definition?

Would start by eating whole eggs instead of egg whites, full fat milk instead of skimmed - drop all the "diet foods" in fact.

You are getting a lot of your calories from supplements instead of real food. Not enough fruit and veg IMHO.

JustinAnimal

Full fat milk, yogurt, eggs, everything tastes so much better and, most of the time, doesn't add a horrendous amount of calories. Consider it, OP! And no more light, domestic beer, for you; CRAFT BREW FOR BREAKFAST!

SoDamnHungry

Nacho plate. Eat it. Eat it and tell me about it.

jkwolly

SoDamnHungry wrote: »

Nacho plate. Eat it. Eat it and tell me about it.

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuus.

cdn_beaver

Fats aren't the enemy. They are calorie dense and healthy for you. Avocados, full fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese), nuts, coconut oil, etc.

PRMinx

I so much want this challenge. I would eat so much peanut butter and a whole avocado every day. A girl can dream.

jkwolly

PRMinx wrote: »

I so much want this challenge. I would eat so much peanut butter and a whole avocado every day. A girl can dream.

And wine, duh!

jennifershoo

Chocolate!

PRMinx

jkwolly wrote: »

PRMinx wrote: »

I so much want this challenge. I would eat so much peanut butter and a whole avocado every day. A girl can dream.

And wine, duh!

Absolutely wine.

And cheese.

scrittrice

PRMinx wrote: »

I so much want this challenge. I would eat so much peanut butter and a whole avocado every day. A girl can dream.

My thoughts every time I read one of these posts. If only there were some kind of carbon offset-type program for calories...

mbauer013

SoDamnHungry wrote: »

Nacho plate. Eat it. Eat it and tell me about it.

Love it, This would be my choice, or Ribeye, yum! Can't wait to get to maintenance!

nxd10

Calories fuel those workouts. Fats are your friends.

jessupbrady

jennifershoo wrote: »

Chocolate!

Yes this! I make my own turtles, peanut butter cups, chocolate covered cherries.... Calories never tasted so good.

Danni_peck

Go for healthy fats, like peanut butter, nuts, and avocado. They have a lot of calories, but they are healthy for you.

SezxyStef

make yourself a brownie bottomed peanut butter cup cheese cake. Cut into slices and free slices and when low thaw one and eat it...about 800 calories each but well worth it...oh and if you double the brownie bottom even better...about 1k calories each slice.

JoRocka

ndj1979 wrote: »

why can increased calories come only from "clean" foods?

the reason that you can't hit your calorie goal is because you are trying to twist yourself into a variation of "clean"..

I would suggest adding in pasta, ice cream, bagels, etc; just make sure that you still hit your calorie/micro/macro targets...

cosign.

jkwolly

SezxyStef wrote: »

make yourself a brownie bottomed peanut butter cup cheese cake. Cut into slices and free slices and when low thaw one and eat it...about 800 calories each but well worth it...oh and if you double the brownie bottom even better...about 1k calories each slice.

Holee heck yes.

AggressivelyUnhungry

Avocado! It's a really healthy fat, great for your skin. Did I mention it's as rich as butter (but better for you!) and technically a fruit?

Tittan44

Thanks to all who answered great tips I'll use them