Healthy & Calorie-dense?

Hi ladies,

I am riding 100-200 miles a week and am having a hard time eating enough to maintain my weight, though I am constantly eating everything I come across, lots of pasta, pizza, veggies, whole grain breads, cheese, (whole) milk, fruit, juice, salad, meat, fish, burritos, nuts, trail mix, crackers, chocolate, potatoes... the only things that I really avoid are processed foods/sodas & corn-fed beef. I don't eat out a lot & eat throughout the day but I have a hard time with huge portions. I am wondering what your favorite calorie-dense foods are that contain recognizable ingredients. When I count I am getting > 3,000 calories a day, but I have still lost 20 lbs in the past 6 months. I don't want to be losing weight...

Any ideas?

Anne

Fruit and fruit juice.
If you can stand the taste, something like Ensure.

Anything with lots of good fats, such as avocados and nuts.

ETA: Failing that, Ben & Jerry's. :D

I noticed that when I ride a lot I tend to avoid junk food (e.g., I can walk right past the donuts at work and not even stop to look--just not interested). My doctor would probably claim that is a good thing except that means I start dropping weight.

Besides upping snacks like nuts, I've gotten into the habit of eating a Luna bar (or equivalent) for a mid morning snack. Yes, processed, but not as bad as some and it boosts my calorie intake. Also, when I'm riding a lot I drink juice instead of water when I can (I prefer water or tea).

I used to have this same problem! And I can't afford to lose any weight, I need to put muscle on. I started to add olive oil to my , oatmeal and it took care of the problem(read it on another forum). It tastes funky at first, and then you start to crave it! You just need to keep the EFA's coming in(essential fatty acids). So avocados, nuts, olive oil. Just a teaspoon or two is all you need,when adding it to your food. If you search on here, I had a thread on this same topic earlier in the year, I will search for it later when I am not so busy at work.

If you are losing weight on such a high caloric intake, maybe a visit to your doc is in order. You know sudden weight loss is an early warning sign of diabetes, and with your family history, perhaps its worth being evaluated, even if only to rule this out as a possible cause.

If you are fine, then obviously foods like nuts and avocados are calorically dense, healthy, and yummy!

olive oil is my friend.

I love this problem! :D

I am maintaining my weight but I am eating way over maintenance while I am training for my first century. I love carb loading!

But you should check it out with your doctor, just to be sure.

Here's my favorite healthy filler: baked sweet potato (use the nuker for faster cooking), squashed with honey or real grade A maple syrup, raisins and a handful of pecans.

Another pecan snack - mix a handful in with 4 oz plain yogurt, banana, lemon juice, peaches, apples, whatever.

Whole wheat pasta with white beans sauce - to make white bean sauce, take a can of white beans, rinse, heat in saucepan over low heat, mash with about 1/2 cup of milk and a little butter, add parmesan cheese. Yum!

Quinoa. Yum. And olive oil. And avacados.

Basically, find someone who is trying to lose weight and ask them about all the healthy things they are told to avoid!

Peanut and other nut butters, fruit juices, whole fat cheeses (man, I wish!!), dried fruit, cream based dressings or soups, olives, seeds, etc.


I ride 100 - 200 miles a week and I'm not losing weight eating a lot less than 3000/day. Can I borrow your metabolism for a few months? :)

Beans. They'll taste good and can take a truly amazing amount of olive oil, lard, butter... Add in that they go well with many healthy veggies, and pack a lot of protein. Lentils are a very fast cooking bean, and tend to have a versatile flavor. Split peas (if the green makes you queasy, try yellow) are not quite as fast cooking as lentils, but are still yummy. There are many other beans that I love, but they tend to be more crock pot food.

Peanut butter! PB & J sandwiches, PB spread on apple slices, PB spread on bananas, PB in celery sticks, PB straight from the jar!!! :D I could live on peanut butter.

Also, how about mixing ground flaxseed into... cereal, yogurt, baked goods, scrambled eggs if you're brave... I also like oatmeal with walnuts, apples, milk and real maple syrup.

Whole wheat spiral pasta tossed with sauteed vegetables (broccolli, red peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach etc), fresh garlic (added after cooking, not sauteed with the veggies -- just make sure your SO eats some too!), and lots and lots of olive oil and grated parmesan.

Tempeh & veggie stir fry, possibly served with whole grain cous-cous & olive oil.

Omelets with veggies & cheese, with a side of toast & jam?

Snacking on low-fat string cheese sticks... lots of protein & calcium.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by liza

Peanut butter! PB & J sandwiches, PB spread on apple slices, PB spread on bananas, PB in celery sticks, PB straight from the jar!!! :D I could live on peanut butter.

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PB & chocolate :D

Hey Ladies, thanks for the great ideas! I've been in a rut, but there are lots of things I can put more olive oil on, avocados are something I overlooked & I *love* a lot of the other suggestions.
Triskeliongirl, fortunately my blood glucose is normal any time I check, though I participated in a JDRF study recently that tests for antibodies, so I should be able to tell if there is risk long term.
Thanks to everyone for the great ideas. It made me think of another of my favorite sides too, polenta with cream and truffle oil, super easy and super fattening. Awesome!

Thanks
Anne

It sounds odd, but try pb in oatmeal. I LOVE it. A little pb, some honey, maybe mashed banana. Mmmmmmm....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HoddyToddy

It sounds odd, but try pb in oatmeal. I LOVE it. A little pb, some honey, maybe mashed banana. Mmmmmmm....

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Mmmmmmmmmm is right! That's one of my favorites (no honey for me, though)

Gosh I would like that problem. I too ride 100-200 per week. PB has a lot of calories and fats. You can add it to oatmeal. What about homemade smoothies, you can add protien powder, pb, yogurt. Lots of good calories