When it comes to a healthy vegan or plant-based diet, we hear a lot about the benefits it holds for weight loss. But what if you’re looking for weight gain or to fuel high levels of activity?

If you’re following a healthy, whole food plant-based diet, then it could be harder to gain weight or get enough fuel in the tank. Plant foods are naturally high in fibre and water, making them larger in volume and more filling but without much extra energy. For most people, this is a great thing, as it helps them to reach their daily fibre targets, feel full and manage their weight within their desired range more easily, but this is also exactly why gaining weight can be a challenge.

Many healthcare professionals helping people to take in more energy prioritise weight gain over long-term term health by recommending lots of ultra-processed or high-fat foods. In some situations this is absolutely necessary, but if you are generally well, the good news is that is it entirely possible to take in more energy whilst maintaining a healthy diet (with the odd treats of course).

The key is to choose plant foods that are high in energy but low in volume and use these foods to ‘enrich’ your meals. If you're looking for weight gain, just a small amount of added energy each day can help you to increase your body weight in a sustainable way over time. I recommend doing this alongside strength exercise to promote an increase in muscle mass alongside body fat. If you are struggling with your body weight, body image or a medical condition that impacts your weight, always speak to a health professional who can support you as an individual, as this article is for educational purposes only

Olive oil

Oil is the highest energy food out there. Although olive oil is pure fat, these fats are predominantly healthy monounsaturated fats that support an increase in the good type of cholesterol in our blood, known as HDL cholesterol. Olive oil also provides antioxidants that protect our cells against damage. We don’t need a lot; adding just 1 tbsp onto a salad or over cooked vegetables or roast potatoes will add 120kcal to your meal, without any extra chewing!

Nuts and nut butters

Nuts and nut butters are a fantastic high energy food to add into your diet to support energy intake. Just 2 tbsp of your favourite nut butter, or 30g of raw mixed nuts will provide up to 200kcal to your meal or snack, as well as healthy fats, protein and minerals. You could drizzle some almond butter over your porridge, snack on walnuts between meals, or spread some good old peanut butter on your wholemeal toast.

Avocado

Avocados contain a whole host of beneficial nutrients including healthy fats, fibre, vitamin C, folate and potassium; a great reason to eat this creamy and mild tasting fruit in itself. In addition, just one avocado can provide upwards of 300kcal and so it is so easy to chop into a salad, smash onto toast, whizz into a smoothie, or to top just about any meal!

Tahini

Tahini is similar to nut butter, but it is made out of toasted sesame seeds giving it a more savoury taste than peanut butter. Tahini is high in good fats, protein, fibre, calcium and energy and adding just 1 tbsp to your salad, wrap or dip will add around 90 kcal.

Dried fruits

If you’re looking for a sweeter way to add energy into your diet, dried fruits are a great option. The nutritional value varies between fruits, but all are rich in antioxidants, fibre, and micronutrients. Eating a lot of dried fruit can provide a lot of sugar, so pair with a protein or fat source, such as nuts, for a balanced snack. You could also add dried fruits to your porridge, cereal or plant-based yogurt.

Smoothies

Although not an individual type of food, I recommend smoothies for many people who are aiming to get more energy in. Drinking your calories is often a much easier way to consume them, particularly if you are struggling with chewing through meals or if you’re not feeling well. You could try adding any of the foods above to your smoothie, such as nut butters or avocado, along with some calcium-fortified plant milk. To top up your smoothie further, you could also try a vegan protein powder, like those from BodyMe or Pulsin.

Other higher calorie plant foods include rice, quinoa, seeds, sweet potato, dates, bananas, beans and pulses. One of my favourite high energy treats is a medjool date, split in half, stuffed with almond butter, and topped with a square of dark chocolate! Delicious. 

Hello! I'm Rosie, a vegan and plant-based registered dietitian, I work in the NHS and I am founder of Rosemary Nutrition & Dietetics.

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