Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

For athletes that need to gain weight eating calorie dense foods is key

15 Oct 2025 · 1 min

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0:49

In this brief instructional video, the speaker explains that athletes aiming to gain weight must consume a large number of calories, which can be challenging when relying on low‑calorie, high‑volume foods. By comparing the calorie content of a medium sweet potato (160 kcal) to the much larger volume of carrots needed for the same calories, and showing that three small Power Bites (360 kcal) provide the same energy as three slices of wheat bread, the speaker demonstrates the concept of calorie density. The core recommendation is to prioritize foods that are small in volume but high in calories—making it easier to meet caloric goals—while still including nutrient‑dense items like vegetables and whole‑grain bread for overall nutrition.

Chapters

This medium sweet potato is 160 calories. To get 160 calories of carrots, you would have to eat this many. These 3 Power Bites add up to be 360 calories. To get 360 calories of bread, you'd have to eat at least 3 slices. When athletes need to gain weight, they have to eat a ton of calories, a ton of food. So my number 1 hack when it comes to athletes and gaining weight is to focus on foods that have a lot of calories but at the same time are pretty small. It's going to be a lot easier for you to eat this sweet potato than it is for you to eat 3 cups of carrots. Same way as it would be easy to eat these 3 little Power Bites versus 3 slices of bread. Now, I'm not saying to never eat wheat bread or to never eat carrots. You absolutely need these foods in your diet. But what I am saying is when you struggle gaining weight, opt for foods that are smaller but have a ton of calories in them still.