Looking for some healthy, calorie-dense foods

  • ok, this sounds really silly, but there are days when I'm finding it really hard to eat my recommended amount of calories.

    There are a lot of days when I'll have anywhere from 200-300 calories left over. I never go have an issue with going over.

    I'm not feeling hungry or deprived.

    Sure, it would be easy to have a chocolate bar or something to meet my calories, but I don't want to fall back into the trap of having junk food on a regular basis. That's what got me fat in the first place.

    For breakfast I almost always have a bowl of cereal or oatmeal.
    Lunch is usually a chicken burger or soup & sandwich, and fruit.
    Afternoon snack is a usually a granola bar or a Skinny Cow ice cream treat.
    Supper is a meat/veggies/carb side almost every night. Heavy on the veggies.
    Evening snack is usually popcorn or pretzels or fruit & cheese.

    I'd love some ideas for healthy items I can add to my meals, or maybe substitutes? Thanks!
  • Avocados and nuts are my favorites.
  • Julie beat me to it.

    Nuts, all the way. Nutritional powerhouses.
  • Yes, nuts! This reminds me that I should buy more almonds.
  • I was asking a co-worker about this yesterday. They suggested natural peanut butter or almond butter. Just 2 tablespoons of peanut butter will run you around 200 calories depending on the brand.
  • Ditto on the suggestions of avocado and nuts - I try to have at least one of those every day for their nutritional value, in addition to being a good snack or part of a meal.

    But I am curious what your calorie target is, the amount of food you are eating doesn't seem all that low to me, unless you are having pretty small portions?