A high-fat, high-calorie diet is not recommended for most people as it can lead to weight gain and health issues. Some high-fat, high-calorie diets may be composed of healthy fats and foods to help underweight people gain weight. Understanding what constitutes an unhealthy high-fat, high-calorie diet can help you develop a healthier eating plan.
Significance
The typical moderately active woman needs just 2,000 calories per day and the typical man needs 2,500 calories with between 20 and 35 percent of total calories coming from fat, according to the Institute of Medicine. In addition, you should keep your intake of saturated fats and trans fats to a minimum. A high-fat, high-calorie diet might include 3,000 calories or more daily with up to 50 percent of calories coming from fat. High-fat, high-calorie diets may also include a large amount of saturated fat, well over the 7 percent of daily calories recommended by the American Heart Association.
Unhealthy Type
A typical unhealthy high-fat, high-calorie diet includes fried foods, processed products, fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy -- all of which can contribute to heart disease. For example, if your diet regularly contains a fast-food biscuit with sausage, egg and cheese, a lunchtime burger with fries and a soda, and a dinner of a 12-oz. steak with a baked potato topped with sour cream and butter -- you are likely eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet.
Healthier Version
You can make a high-fat, high-calorie diet healthy for cases in which you need to gain weight due to a wasting disease, high metabolism or eating disorder. Instead of eating high-calorie fast food, emphasize calorie-dense foods that are naturally high in unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats do not raise your cholesterol levels as do saturated fats but are a concentrated source of calories.
Sample Plan
A healthy high-calorie, high-fat diet for weight gain might begin with a breakfast of two scrambled eggs, 1 cup of low-fat milk, two slices of whole grain toast and 2 tbsp. of peanut butter. For lunch, you might have 5 oz. of chicken breast alongside 2 cups of brown rice and a salad made with leafy greens, ½ of an avocado, 1 oz. of walnuts and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. At dinner, have 5 oz. of grilled salmon with a large baked sweet potato and 1 cup of peas tossed with 1 tbsp. of olive oil, mint and 1 tbsp. of parmesan cheese. Snack on trail mix, granola cereal and dried fruit between meals.
References
- Lucille Packard's Children's Hospital at Stanford: High-Calorie / High-Protein Diet
- American Heart Association: Healthy Diet Goals
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- Institute of Medicine; Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids; September 2002
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