Healthy high calorie foods?

[amorey]

I know conventional wisdom says that if it’s high in calories it isn’t healthy, but my DH has a really high metabolism and is trying to gain weight. His plan is to work out more and eat more. He eats about 6,000 calories a day, often in the form of frozen pizza and burritos. That’s negating the idea of working out and being healthy if you ask me. He also has some health problems, and a bad diet can’t help.

I want him to eat nutritious whole foods, but he needs things that are calorie-dense. All I can think of is nuts, which are high in fat.

[emmjay]

I was going to say nuts and avocados - they are both high in fat but it is "good" fat and I would consider them to both be healthy foods.

[Hello Kitty]

Y'know I'm all about the macronutrient ratios, so I found this on a bodybuilding site:
The ideal macronutrient ratios for weight gain are 30% protein, 55% carbs, and 15% fat (give or take 5% either way).

For him to gain muscle mass, you should look for lean protein sources, complex carbohydrates, and unsaturated fat sources - combined at every meal. It's so much easier said than done though, and I know it can get expensive.

Another trick is your body can only use so much food in a period of time. So yeah, he may take in 2000 cals with a pizza, but a lot of it will be wasted. Try to break things down into 5-6 meals/day.

Even though I am not an advocate of subbing processed stuff for real food, he might want to supplement with some weight gaining shakes, provided they fit the macronutrient ratio.

Has he had his thyroid/blood sugar checked? There might be some other underlining problem that makes it so that he doesn't gain weight at all. Maybe his doctor can make some suggestions or refer you to someone who can.

DH is wanting to start gaining again (he maintains unless he's trying to gain) and I hope this time around he'll do it with more whole foods, etc...

[linekelei]

Nuts are full of good fat, so that is a good thing for him to eat. He should also include all-natural peanut butter, avocados, and whole milk. He could also drink protein drinks for extra calories. I would encourage him to stay away from the frozen and processed foods because of the bad fats (trans fats and saturated fats) and preservatives. The best thing for him to eat to gain weight would be a high calorie diet full of lean meats, veggies, nuts, fruits, and dairy sources. But if he's eating 6000 calories a day and still needs to gain weight, he should probably see a doctor. He might have a thyroid issue that needs to be addressed.

[amorey]

It could be a heath problem. DH has a whole host of weird medical issues. His platelet count is so low he should be bleeding from his eyes and ears, but he studies martial arts and hardly ever gets a bruise. He has immune system problems so he gets full blood work for everything twice a year. He’s seen specialists about his weight and they can’t find anything that would cause it.

He has been heavier before. He had his leg reconstructed in high school (long story) and did a lot of weight training and was able to gain weight before his surgery. His mom was at home and cooked for him all day. He lost a bunch of weight when he moved out of the dorms and away from the all-day all you can eat cafeteria.

He’s trying to put together healthy meal plans for himself. I tend to eat more fruits and veggies and lean meats, and if he eats “Ann food” for too long he gets really hungry and frustrated and runs to the grocery store and buys taquitos and doughnuts in an effort to feel satisfied. He’s so expensive to feed!

[kalogrias]

My mom has the same problem. She simply can't gain weight unless she eats ALL the time (and I mean ALL the time). I know that when she's tried to gain, she's eaten a lot of dairy -- whole milk, cheeses, etc, a lot of bread products (usually whole wheat as they are healthier, but still pack on the carbs), red meats (steaks), potatoes, and she loves avocados, nuts, and bananas. Especially bananas. Yogurt (not low-fat) is a favorite, too. Oh, and she will drink Ensure in between meals as well.

[Rose]

Granola, as long as it's not filled with sugar.

[Meredith]

Figs, eggs, salmon, olive oil, hummus, tabouleh, whole-wheat bread. In general, give him lots of low-sugar, high-fiber foods and/or with a high monounsaturated fat count.

If you give him peanut butter, avoid the type with partially hydrogenated oils and sugars. Try the all-natural variety instead! :p

[Hello Kitty]

I'm bumping this up for more ideas. Ever since DH started the fire academy, he's lost three pounds, which is huge for him. He's getting bigger from lifting, so I know he's trading fat for muscle, but honestly, I don't think he can get much leaner - I can pinch more on the back of my hand than anywhere on his body. :(

It's also very hard because I'm trying to lose weight, and while a lot of his snacky bad stuff doesn't tempt me, I just don't buy it, which is probably bad for him.

Amorey, how is your DH doing? What are you buying (and if it doesn't break the bank, that's all the better! :D

[amorey]

DH is doing pretty well. He actually weights more than I do now, which means our system is working!

Sean seems to eat a lot of breakfast food- eggs with cheese and salsa, French toast, peanut butter toast, organic bacon, and sausage. He will also shred up a potato and fry it in butter with eggs and cheese and top with sour cream. He eats most of this while I’m at work so I’m not tempted by the greasy goodness. ;)

I’ll also throw roasts in the crock-pot for him- with veggies like potatoes, carrots, onions and celery or BBQ sauce. He’ll eat the barbeque on sandwich rolls over a day or two. Sometimes he eats a whole roast in a day. Pastas are also good. Sometimes he’ll eat whole wheat, but other times he’ll have egg noodles with alfredo sauce.

Sean eats breakfast and lunch, a healthy dinner with me and then another meal after dinner. After dinner he might microwave cheese on something like chips or tortillas or eat something easy like cereal. He goes through about 3 boxes of cereal and 2lbs of cheese a week!

It’s not cheap. I make big meals at dinner and there are never leftovers. Sean can eat a pound of lean beef or chicken breasts in one sitting. We spend $90-125 on groceries every week. It’d be cheaper to feed him frozen pizzas and pot pies, but he seems much happier when he gets a whole, balanced diet.

[MurphysLaw]

Great suggestions so far. Another bump for good measure! :)

[Hello Kitty]

DH is big on convenience foods, so if I don't have stuff on hand, he just doesn't eat. :rolleyes: A couple things we keep in the fridge are:
- cooked turkey burgers
- pasta salad (a huge hit!)
- cooked chicken breasts
- lots and lots of milk
- hot dogs with buns
- pot of chili

Some budget friendly foods are beans (dishes and soups), lentils, barley - all those long cooking things. Hot dogs are super cheap, and you can get all beef ones.

I still haven't done a roast - I definitely will though. I'd love it b/c it would be quick for both of us to grab.