High caloric foods are those that offer a high number of calories in relatively small servings. While dieters look for foods with low-calorie density such as fruits and vegetables, people trying to gain weight may seek out high caloric foods. Some foods, such as fried foods, candy and processed snacks are high in calorie, but lack quality nutrition. Even someone trying to gain weight should pay attention to nutrition as they can develop health problems related to over eating sugars, sodium and saturated fats. Those watching their weight should keep stick to modest servings of these foods.
Nuts
Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios and macadamias contain about 200 calories per ¼-cup serving. Nuts also contain numerous minerals and compounds that make them potentially beneficial to heart health, say Spanish researchers in the "Current Atherosclerosis Reports" in November 2010. Frequent nut consumption seems to positively affect blood pressure, reduce visceral belly fat and foster glycemic control, the study says. Nuts are also a good source of unsaturated fats, which when eaten instead of saturated varieties can improve cholesterol levels, notes the American Heart Association.
Dried Fruit
The drying or dehydrating process removes moisture from fruit and concentrates many of the nutrients. As a result, dried fruit contains more calories than fresh. For example, a cup of fresh, seedless grapes contains 104 calories while a cup of raisins contains 434 calories.
Granola
Granola is a mix of oats, nuts, seeds, sweetener and oil baked until crunchy. This combination results in a high concentration of calories -- between 120 and 200 per ¼-cup serving. Compare this to flaked cereals which average 110 to 140 calories per 1-cup serving or 60 calories in a cup of puffed varieties.
Cheese
The number of calories in cheese varies depending on type, but they average about 100 calories per ounce. One ounce is approximately the amount in a slice of cheese or a ¼ cup of shredded cheese. Low-fat cottage or ricotta cheese are not considered high-calorie foods.
Chocolate
Chocolate, whether milk, semi-sweet or dark, contains about 860 calories per 1 cup of chips. Chocolate and cocoa provide antioxidants and flavonoids that offer benefits to heart health, notes the Cleveland Clinic. The more processed a chocolate, the less of these compounds it contains.
