Cancer Institute

Increasing Calorie Intake

To increase your caloric intake, it is better to increase foods that are higher in nutrients, like nuts and olive oil, than to add calories from desserts.

Some foods that will add calories to your diet and are not harmful to your health:

  • Extra virgin olive oil: Use it to cook vegetables, prepare foods in general, as a salad dressing, or to dip bread.
  • Olives in salads, casseroles, and main dishes.
  • Nut or nut butters: You may use natural peanut butter for sandwiches, on crackers, or on bananas, apples or other fruit.
  • Cheese
  • Granola or trail mix
  • Instant breakfast drinks or chocolate milk
  • Milkshakes, smoothies or malts. Try to include fruits in the ingredients.
  • Butter melted on bread, vegetables, potatoes and main dishes. If you use margarine, look for margarine that does not contain trans fat. If the words "partially hydrogenated fat" are in the list of ingredients, the margarine contains trans fats and should be avoided.
  • Cream cheese on bagels or other breads.