Healthy Ways to Increase Calories and Protein in Rock Hill SC

Our Rock Hill SC Chiropractor can help you put on quality pounds in the form of lean muscle, you will need to increase your caloric intake and get extra calories from healthy, nutrient dense sources. In addition, increasing the amount of protein you eat daily will also support your effort to build and maintain lean muscle. If you're underweight due to an injury, surgery or illness or you just want to look healthier and feel more energetic, adding nutrient-rich calories and lean protein low in saturated fat, will help you heal and provide clean fuel for your body to run on.

Increase Calories and Protein in Rock Hill SC

Increase your calories by eating nutrient-rich, energy-dense foods from each major food group: fruits, vegetables, whole grains (beans and legumes), lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats. Aim for at least five servings of vegetables and fruits per day. Starchy foods such as corn, peas, sweet potatoes and bananas are higher calorie choices, compared to watery, fibrous foods like leafy greens, cucumber or celery.

Choose protein sources low in saturated fat such as salmon, chicken, turkey, lean steak and beans. Nuts and seeds also provide protein along with healthy fats, which are helpful when you're trying to eat more calories. Other healthy unsaturated fats include olive oil and avocados. Dairy, such as cheese and yogurt, and whole grains, such as brown rice and quinoa, further boost your calorie intake in healthful ways.

Pastries, ice cream, soda, chips, fast food and white bread are all sources of calories, but they offer little nutrition to benefit your health. Too many calories from sugars, refined flours and saturated fats make you vulnerable to the diseases associated with over-consumption of these foods, even if you're underweight.

Here are some tips to increase calories at meals and make snacks count, calorically and nutritionally!

• Carry snacks with you at all times so you are prepared to eat every 3 to 4 hours.
• Cook hot cereal in organic milk instead of water.
• Sprinkle extra shredded cheese over eggs.
• Add sunflower seeds to a salad.
• Add extra olive or canola oil when cooking lean meats, vegetables, stir-fry or soups.
• Snack on raw nuts: 1/4 to 1/2 cup everyday.
• Use a natural nut or seed butter on sandwiches, with fruit or on crackers.
• Add olives to pasta, pizza and salad, or eat plain.
• Top hummus on whole grain pita or crackers.
• Add avocado slices or guacamole to your sandwich or salad.
• Use olive oil-based vinaigrette dressings on salads, vegetables and pasta.
• Dip bread in olive oil and vinegar.
• Eat fatty fish, such as salmon, 2-3 times a week.
• Sprinkle nuts or seeds into yogurt, cereal, oatmeal and stir fry.
• Use nuts in muffin and bread recipes.
• Make nachos with baked tortillas, whole beans, low-fat cheese, olives, guacamole and salsa.
• Make an egg omelet using olive oil, lots of veggies and low-fat cheese.
• Blend a smoothie of 1/2 banana, frozen berries, nonfat milk and 1 T nonfat powdered milk.
• Make trail mix with whole wheat cereal, nuts, raisins and other dried fruit.
• Use grass-fed butter tub spreads blended with canola or olive oil.
• Drizzle olive oil onto freshly popped popcorn.
• Limit low-calorie beverages, and replace with organic 2% milk and smoothies.
• Toss pasta in a tablespoon of olive oil before adding sauce to provide an additional 124 calories.
• Chop two medjool dates into a bowl of cold cereal for 132 more calories.
• Add 1/4 cup of whole, dry milk powder to liquid milk, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, casseroles or cereal for another 159 calories.