Why don't you come on over calories?!

Calories. The word scares a lot of people. The word has caused a lot of fo pain and suffering due to diet culture. Me, I love calories. I grab for the foods that have higher calories and higher carbs; that's how my body gets the energy it needs to function. 


The most common question vegans get is "How do you get enough protein?" But often the idea of getting enough calories is ignored. A vegan/plant-based diet is inherently lower in calories than meat. For example, a Chik-Fil-A chicken sandwich has 440 calories, and a Boca chik'n patty (vegan) only has 130 calories. A serving of tofu, by itself, is 94 calories. Plants naturally are lower-calorie than meat, which makes it especially important to monitor calories (at first) when going vegan. When I first transitioned, I used the My Fitness Pal app to monitor my macros. This was not to lose or gain weight but simply for the mindset "Am I getting what my body needs?" And on days when I did not meet my protein goal, I did not feel all that different. However, I noticed a significant difference if I feel pretty short on calories. I might feel shaky or irritable. Transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle is not always simple and takes a bit of intentionality. When I was "still figuring it out", which let's get real we all are still learning about our bodies and what we need to put in them to be our happiest and healthiest selves, I needed to have high-calorie foods on stand-by to help me out. These foods were my best friends while transitioning: 

1. Nuts and seeds. Simple, easy, and give a one-two punch (high calorie, high protein). 
2. Smoothies. Pack whatever you need in there. Nut butters and dates are high calorie and taste great in smoothies. 
3. Pasta and bread. Load up on those carbs and do not feel bad about it. Those carbs and calories give your body the energy it needs to function. 
4. Brown rice. Higher calorie than quinoa and great for meal prepping! ​

Whether your goals are to stay at a healthy weight, get more daily calories (GAINNZZZ), or to avoid high-calorie foods for health reasons then here are my top four high calorie foods!