Last Updated on August 25, 2025 by Mandy Tyler, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD

10 High Calorie-Dense Foods for Athletes

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A simple way to boost the caloric content of an athlete’s diet is to include a variety of calorie-dense foods in their meal plan.

Let’s identify what a calorie-dense food is. Then we will explore 10 high calorie-dense foods that can support an athlete’s sports nutrition needs.

What is a Calorie-Dense Food?

A food that is calorie-dense contains a high number of calories relative to its weight. By selecting calorie-dense foods, athlete can increase their calorie intake without having to greatly increase the amount of food they are consuming.

Calorie-dense foods can support athletes with meeting their overall nutrition needs for both health and performance.

In addition, athletes desiring to gain weight can benefit from adding calorie-dense foods to their meals and snacks.

Calorie-Dense vs. Nutrient Dense Foods

When selecting calorie-dense foods, it is important for athletes to choose foods that also provide other nutrients, such as: protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.  

Some calorie-dense foods provide a lot of calories with relatively few nutrients. For example, candy or a slushie are both calorie-dense, but the calories come from added sugar and don’t provide other nutritional benefits.

Thus, when selecting calorie-dense foods, athletes want to make sure to select those that are also nutrient-dense. A nutrient-dense food provides a high amount of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fat) per serving.

Pro Tip: Select foods that are both calorie-dense and nutrient-dense to enjoy in your sports nutrition meal plans.

High Calorie-Dense Foods for Athletes

Let’s now explore 10 high calorie-dense foods that are also packed full of nutrients that athletes can add to their meal plans.

#1 Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is a great calorie-dense food option for athletes. It is a healthy way for athletes to add carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals to their meals and snacks (1).

Since dried fruit is calorie-dense, just enjoying a small amount can help athletes easily boost their caloric intake. To provide an example, the calorie content contained in ¼ cup of a variety of types of dried fruit is listed below (2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

• Raisins: 120 calories
• Dried pineapple: 138 calories
• Dried mango: 128
• Dried cherries: 133 calories
• Medjool dates (2 dates): 133 calories

Ideas for Adding Dried Fruit to Meals and Snacks

Easy ways for athletes to add dried fruit to their meals and snacks include:

• Stir into oatmeal, granola, or whole grain breakfast cereals
• Include as an ingredient in a sandwich wrap
• Add dried fruit as a topping on a salad
• Include as part of trail mix with mixed nuts, jerky bites, pretzels, and dry cereal

In addition to traditional dried fruit, fruit leather has become a popular option. Consider trying That’s It® Fruit Bars or the BEAR® Fruit Rolls for a tasty, packaged dried fruit snack option (available on Amazon).

Pro Tip: Dried fruit can be a convenient high-carb snack for athletes to enjoy prior to a workout. It is also mess-free, making it a great snack for athletes to toss in their backpacks.

#2 Bagel: Calorie-Dense and Carbohydrate-Rich Food for Athletes

A bagel is a simple way for athletes to increase both the calorie and carbohydrate content of their meals and snacks.

A large deli-style bagel can contain over 320 calories and 60 grams of carbohydrates (7). This is the carbohydrate equivalent to eating ~4 slices of bread.

A bagel can be a great high-carb snack option before a workout. It is also a great way for athletes to boost the carbohydrate content of their breakfast.

When selecting a topping for the bagel, I recommend athletes swap nut butter for cream cheese. This healthy food substitution is an easy way to add protein, unsaturated fat, vitamins, and minerals to an athlete’s meal plan.

Pro Tip: When eating breakfast out, order your breakfast sandwich on a bagel instead of a biscuit or croissant for a healthier option.

#3 Granola

Granola is a simple and tasty way for athletes to add calories to their diet. A 0.5 cup serving of granola can provide over 200 calories (8).

Easy ways for athletes to enjoy granola in their meal plans include:

• Prepare a Greek yogurt, berries, and granola parfait
• Add granola as a topping on overnight oats or stir into your breakfast cereal
• Enjoy dry protein granola as a snack
• Enjoy a large bowl of granola with whole milk as an evening snack
• Add as a healthy topping to your favorite dessert

Pro Tip: Try the new protein granolas from Kodiak®, Nature Valley®, and Magic Spoon® (available on Amazon) for a perfect calorie-dense option to enjoy dry as a snack before a morning practice.

#4 Nuts and Nut Butters: Plant-Based Calorie-Dense Food for Athletes

Nuts and nut butters are a simple way to add calories and nutrients to an athlete’s meals and snacks.

Nuts provide protein, unsaturated fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (1). Since different types of nuts offer different nutritional benefits, athletes should aim to include a variety of nuts in their sports nutrition meal plan.

Nut Butters: Calorie-Dense Spread

Nut butter is a nutritious calorie-dense spread; a 2-tablespoon serving provides ~190 calories and ~7 grams of protein (9).

When choosing a nut butter, athletes should select a product that has limited added ingredients, such as hydrogenated oils.

Athletes who have a nut allergy, can consider trying SunButter® spread. Sunbutter® products are prepared with sunflower seeds and are nut-allergen free. 

Ideas for Adding Calorie-Dense Nuts and Nut Butters to an Athlete’s Meal Plan

Easy ways for athletes to add nuts and nut butters to their meal plan include:

• Add walnuts to your morning oatmeal
• Pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to eat as a post-workout snack
• Top a salad with sliced almonds or chopped pecans
• Create a balanced snack combo with nut butter and apple slices
• Choose a trail mix that includes mixed nuts
• Enjoy nut butter on top of protein waffles as an evening snack

#5 Avocados: Nutrient-Rich, Calorie-Dense Food for Athletes

Avocados are a nutrient-rich, calorie-dense food choice for athletes. They are a great way to add healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber to an athlete’s meal plan.

One medium avocado (201 g) provides 322 calories and 30 grams of fat. The majority of fat found in avocados is monounsaturated fat (~20 grams), a type of healthy, unsaturated fat (10).

Avocados also provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, including: B Vitamins, Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and magnesium (10).

As an added benefit, a medium avocado provides ~14 grams of fiber (10). Thus, avocados are a nutritious way for athletes to boost the fiber content of their diet.

Ideas for Adding Avocado to Meals and Snacks

Easy ways to add avocados to meals and snacks include:

• Enjoy avocado toast on a whole grain bagel for a high-fiber breakfast
• Add guacamole to your burrito bowl at lunch
• Enjoy guacamole with baby carrots and whole grain pita chips for a healthy snack
• Blend avocado into a high-calorie smoothie 
• Use guacamole as a spread on a sandwich or wrap

#6 Olive Oil

Olive oil is a calorie-dense oil that is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. A 1-tablespoon serving of olive oil provides 120 calories (11), making it a convenient way for athletes to add calories to their meals.

Olive oil also contains polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in the body. In addition, the polyphenols and compounds within olive oil may have beneficial effects on athlete gut health (12, 13).

Consider the following ways for athletes to add olive oil to their meal plans:

• Drizzle olive oil on top of avocado toast
• Use olive when preparing scrambled eggs or omelets
• Toss potatoes or broccoli in olive oil before roasting
• Use olive oil to sauté vegetables
• Choose olive oil as a dressing for your salad

#7 Seeds

Tiny, but mighty – seeds are a nutrient-rich, calorie-dense addition to an athlete’s diet. In addition to calories, seeds provide fiber, protein, unsaturated fat, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (14). 

Since seeds are calorie-dense, even sprinkling in a small amount can boost the overall calorie content of an athlete’s meal. For example, a 1-ounce serving of sesame seeds provides 160 calories (15).

Ideas for ways athletes can add seeds to their meal plan include:

• Add chia seeds or ground flaxseeds to overnight oats and fruit smoothies
• Top your bowl of breakfast cereal or oatmeal with a variety of seeds
• Include ground flaxseeds in muffin, waffle, and pancake mixes
• Mix seeds in your favorite homemade granola and trail mix recipes
• Meal prep chia seed pudding to enjoy as an afternoon snack
• Include pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds as a topping on a salad

#8 Whole Milk: Calorie-Dense Beverage for Athletes

Whole milk is a nutritious, calorie dense beverage that can support athletes with adding calories as well as 13 essential nutrients to their diet.

A 1-cup serving of whole milk provides ~150 calories and 8 grams of high-quality, complete protein (16).

I suggest athletes purchase an ultra-filtered, whole milk, such as Fairlife®, to help boost the protein content of their meals. Ultra-filtered, high-protein milk is filtered to remove the lactose and contains a concentrated protein and calcium content. 

To provide a comparison, a cup of ultra-filtered milk has ~13 grams of protein (17), while a cup of regular cow’s milk has 8 grams of protein (16).

Thus, drinking ultra-filtered, whole milk with meals and snacks is a great way for athletes to add calories and protein to their day.

Pro Tip: Use ultra-filtered whole milk when preparing a high-calorie smoothie for athletes. This is a simple way to increase both the calorie and protein content of the drink.

#9 Sweet Potato: Calorie-Dense Vegetable Option

Sweet potatoes are a calorie-dense vegetable option that are packed full of nutrients.

Sweet potatoes provide carbohydrates and fiber, as well as vitamins, mineral, and antioxidants. In addition, they are rich in the antioxidant, beta-carotene, which is used by the body to produce Vitamin A (18).

Ideas for adding sweet potatoes to an athlete’s meal plan include:

• Add diced sweet potatoes to a breakfast bowl
• Instead of mashed potatoes prepare mashed sweet potatoes
• Enjoy roasted sweet potatoes as a side dish with meals
• Top a sweet potato with chili for a nutritious weeknight dinner
• Try roasted sweet potatoes topped with cottage cheese for a sweet and savory dish

#10 Fatty Fish

Fatty fish is a nutritious way for athletes to add both lean protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids to their meal plan.

Omega-3 fatty acids have many important roles in the body, such as supporting optimal brain health and helping to reduce inflammation in the body (19).  They are considered essential fatty acids because the body cannot produce them.

Thus, athletes must consume omega-3 fatty acids in the diet to support their health and nutrition needs.

Cold-water fatty fish are the best dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids. This includes fish such as (19):

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Herring
• Sardines
• Mackerel

A 3-oz serving of salmon provides 177 calories, 17 grams of protein, and 11 grams of fat (20). Given that many athletes will easily eat more than double this amount at a meal, fatty fish can be a healthy way to boost an athlete’s intake of calories, protein, and healthy fats.

Pro Tip: Athletesshould aim to include several servings of fatty fish in their sports nutrition meal plan throughout the week.

10 High Calorie-Dense Foods for Athletes

You are now set with ideas for nutrient-rich, calorie-dense foods that athletes can add to their sports nutrition meal plan.

For additional sports nutrition tips, make sure to check out my blog with high-protein school lunch ideas for athletes.

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About the Author

Mandy Tyler is a Sports Dietitian Nutritionist in the San Antonio, TX area. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Licensed Athletic Trainer, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. Mandy has experience working with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She believes the key to reaching one’s full potential, both in everyday life and in sports performance, relies on a healthy nutritional foundation.

If you are looking to take your performance to the next level, make sure to check out my new Sports Nutrition Game Day Guide. This downloadable guide is written to help athletes develop an individualized plan to achieve peak performance on game day.