High-Calorie Food Additions

These instructions are for patients that need to increase calories in their food or to maximize nutrition in a limited volume of food.

Instructions for adding calories to food:

Avocado
75 calories for 1/4 avocado

• Use in dips, like guacamole, with tortilla chips

• Spread on toast or crackers

Butter and margarine
100 calories per tablespoon

• Add to hot cereal, breads, muffins, rice, pasta or potatoes

• Add to meat or vegetables when cooking

Cheese
100 calories per ounce or slice

• Add to vegetables, potatoes, rice, pasta or soup

• Top bread or crackers

• Mix into eggs or casseroles

• Pair with crackers or fruit as a snack

Cream cheese
50 calories per tablespoon

• Spread on bread, crackers or muffins

• Use as a dip for vegetables or fruit

Coconut cream
50 calories per tablespoon

• Add to shakes or smoothies

• Add to rice for more flavor

• Add to stews and soups

Dry pudding mix
40 calories per tablespoon

• Add to shakes or smoothies

• Add to mixes when making cake, muffins or breads

Granola
300 calories per ½ cup

• Add to yogurt, ice cream or pudding

• Mix with milk and eat as cereal

Full fat/ whole milk Greek yogurt
150 calories per 5-6 ounces

• Use in place of regular yogurt

• Add to shakes or smoothies

• Offer with fruit as a snack

Heavy cream
50 calories per tablespoon

• Use in milkshakes or pudding

• Substitute for 1/3 of the milk in recipes for casseroles, macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes

• Add to a glass of whole milk

• Add to oatmeal or cereal

Hummus
25 calories per tablespoon

• Use as a dip for vegetables, crackers or pretzels

• Use as a spread for a sandwich

Nut butters
95 calories per tablespoon

• Includes peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter, soy nut butter or hemp seed butter

• Add to a glass of whole milk

• Add to smoothies, shakes, yogurt or hot cereal

• Spread on toast, muffins, crackers, waffles or pancakes

Oils
125 calories per tablespoon

• Includes olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil or coconut oil

• Mix oil into baby food or pureed table foods

• Drizzle oil onto cooked vegetables, pasta, rice, or chicken

Powdered milk
25 calories per tablespoon

• Add to milkshakes, mashed potatoes, hot cereal, ground meat or macaroni and cheese

Full-fat sour cream
30 calories per tablespoon

• Add to potatoes, casseroles, sauces, or soups

• Use as a dip for vegetables, crackers, pretzels or tortilla chips

Salad dressing and mayonnaise
60-100 calories per tablespoon

• Use for dipping raw vegetables, pretzels, chicken or other meats

• Use as a spread on sandwiches

Wheat germ
25 calories per tablespoon

• Add to cereal, ice cream, or yogurt

• Mix into pancakes, waffles, hot cereal, quick bread or muffin mix

Reviewed April 2025 by Paige Ketabchi, RD