If you are looking for foods which will give you plenty of protein and calories without a lot of bulk, then you have plenty to choose from. There are numerous cheeses, meats, nuts, seeds and a few other odds and ends that you can enjoy, which will perfectly meet these needs. The items on this list all offer at least 60 calories and 6g of protein in a 1-oz. serving. That means in a normal serving size of 3 to 4 oz., you will get at least 180 calories, and no less than 18g of protein.
Cheeses
Cheese is an obvious choice as a high-calorie, high-protein food. It's nutritious, hearty, convenient and packs a lot of calories and protein into a small package. Cheeses have an average of 100 calories and 6 to 8g of protein in every ounce, and come in dozens of varieties. Go beyond plain old cheddar, and try one of these: blue, brick, caraway, Cheshire, Colby, Edam, fontina, goat, Gouda, Gruyere, Mexican, Monterey, mozzarella, muenster, Parmesan, Port Salut, provolone, Romano, Roquefort, Swiss or Tilsit.
Meats and Fish
Meats of all types are the highest protein foods. Some are lean and low in calories, but there are several choices which are rich and fatty and contain a lot of calories per ounce. So if you want to "beef up" your daily calorie and protein intake, try almost any cut of beef, pork, duck, or lamb--roasted, broiled or braised. For example, a 3 oz. serving of braised lamb has 207 calories and 24g protein. Another option is fish, such as mackerel, salmon, mollusks, shad, herring or eel. Caviar or fried shrimp are another option, as is stewed or fried dark meat poultry. Some wild game meats also fit the bill if roasted; consider bear, beaver, opossum or raccoon. Of course, processed meats, such as bologna, bratwurst, liverwurst, pepperoni, salami, sausage or chorizo also have more than 60 calories and 6g of protein in 1 oz.
Nuts and Seeds
Due to their high oil content, most nuts, seeds and their butters fall into the high-calorie, high-protein category with 60 or more calories 1-oz. serving and at least 6g of protein. These foods are also especially convenient, given that they stay fresh for long periods of time without refrigeration. Keep all of these nut varieties in mind when choosing: hazelnuts, hickory nuts, pecans, pine nuts and walnuts, as well as almonds, beechnuts, butternuts, chestnuts and ginkgo nuts. From the seed family, should consider the seeds of squash, sesame, safflower, sunflower, pumpkin and watermelon. Black walnuts are a good example for this category with 175 calories and 6.8g of protein in 1 oz.
Odds and Ends
In addition to more traditional foods, there are few oddball food choices to add to your list of high-calorie, high-protein foods: beef jerky or meat "sticks," pork skins, turkey bacon, soy chips, peanuts and meatless fish sticks. Soy chips, for example, have 109 calories and 7.5g of protein in a 1-oz. serving.
Member Comments