High calorie but reasonably healthy food

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

DH is training for an Ironman triathlon, which involves a massive amount of physical exercise. He was slim to start with and is getting skinnier and skinnier. According to mfp he should be eating at least 3500 to put on a pound a week. He also reckons he needs to eat more protein to build more muscle.

In my opinion, he already eats masses, but I suppose it is mostly, cooked from scratch and not particularly calorie dense. Any ideas how I can stuff some more calories down him?

Yesterday, he made an effort and ate a big bowl of granola, leftover roast pork, salad (with dressing) a few thick slices of butter slathered bread, a Tunnock tea cake, a couple of bananas and an apple, two big plates of kedgeree, (rice, smoked haddock, boiled eggs, peas, onion, spice), chocolate cake and cream. It came in at 2900 and yesterday was his rest day so even without activity he was a under target.

Try protein drinks with a lot of scoops of powder and add peanut butter - easily get 500 Calories in a drink as I sadly worked out having opposite problem!

Manc he's trying to keep away from supplements and he's lactose intolerant anyway (eats lactofree dairy stuff) and loads of them contain milk powder. Peanut butter is a good suggestion though.

Peanuts and cheese are very high calorie

Snack on nuts.

Avocados

A huge handful of nuts. Brazil, almonds. Superb way to build up.

Glass of full fat milk.

Sorry just seem intolerances

Peanut butter
Bounce protein balls
Banana
Dark chocolate
Avocado
Cheese

I think he needs a much bigger breakfast to bump up his calories. A 3 egg, cheese, ham and spinach omelette maybe? Some toast and peanut butter? A big bowl of porridge with a splash of double cream? Sausage and bacon and eggs?

Arla do lactofree cream

My male friends while training eat six "meals" a day. Peanut butter features heavily on wholegrain bread, as do MANY boiled eggs, and chicken breast with rice. They're forever banging on about how bored they get eating the same things over and over but mostly seem to treat it as par for the course when in training.

Nuts, nut butters, avocado, tuna in oil (not bribe ideally), eggs.
What about some dried fruit in place of some of the fresh?
Oil (cream/butter if he has a decent option) on all carbs and veg.

Just do some research on Ironman specific diets. A lot of what you've listed are things my DH would avoid when training for an ironman. There's lots of info out there.

Oh, you could also make up a big batch of flapjack each week. I do this and freeze it in portions. It only takes 15 mins to defrost.

Thanks everyone. We have a fridge full of Arla lactofree stuff (two of my kids are also lactose intolerant) but lots of processed fitness stuff (like those Bounce balls which otherwise look quite good) contains milk.

I think I shall stock up on nuts.

It's very annoying living with someone who is constantly scoffing tasty calorific stuff with impunity though.

ILove but the recommendations I've seen are pretty much what he eats. We eat cake and stuff about once a week normally. It was an attempt to up his calories. What does your DH do differently?

DH is a pain coming up to an Ironman or other big physical challenges he does.

It's been a while since the last one but he differentiates between good calories and useless ones. He wouldn't touch sugar or sauces and dressings, white bread etc.

It's all clean protein (eggs, turkey breast etc) bits and minerals (kale and spinach etc) and energy loaded carbs (pasta).

To be honest I'm struggling to remember but know that sauces etc do get cut out and boring food reigns. He becomes pure muscle and very lean and that's what you need for an ironman.

Nutra-ade vegan smart meal replacements powders are dairy free and good source of protein

So for example from your list he wouldn't have touched granola (may have had porridge and milk), no white bread, wouldn't have particularly loaded on fats like butter or oil, no dressing on salad, no turnock cake in a million years, no way chocolate cake and cream!

But my DH is 'Focused' when he's doing something and does it 110%. Hes also a boxing coach and sought out nutrition advice from international level sports nitritionists etc. He's hard core.

Hmm, I am actually getting a bit worried about DH though. He is 6'1" and 11 stone now (normally about 12). There's not a scrap of fat on him normally, (he runs marathons), but this ironman training is pushing things too far.

I just don't think clean protein and pasta is going to do it. He needs to put some muscle on.

He needs more meals and to make better use of them

If doing an early swim set, flapjack (made with nuts, syrup) before training, glass of milk after, or vegan protein shake (loads of these around)

Breakfast - 2 eggs, avocado, toast. Smoothie made with lactofree/soy milk, oats, peanut butter, banana

Snack: nuts or granola with soy/lactose free yogurt

Lunch - meat (or eggs) with quinoa, flax oil, beetroot, seeds. Chia pudding

Snack - malt loaf and spread

Dinner - meat, noodles, veg, cashew nuts. Rice pudding made with soy/lactofree cream

Post run/turbo - vegan protein shake

Or whatever - but 3 meals, 2 snacks, and protein of some sort immediatly after training.

He also needs to think about fuelling his run and bike sessions as they lengthen. The bike especially he needs to learn to eat a lot as he'll need to replace what he expended in the swim and prepare for the run - bananas, malt loaf, rice balls (the pro cyclists swear by them), home made energy bars or SIS/ Torq energy bars (they don't have milk in I just checked), Torq energy chews -- anything really, but it takes time and experimenting to find what you can tolerate

I would say this was his responsibility to come up with his training and nutrition plan. How is it your issue to get him enough calories and nutrients?

I reckon he needs to make an effort to have additional meals/shakes.

Huel is vegan (no milk) and nutritionally complete - so he could make himself up a batch to have mid-morning and mid-afternoon (or straight afer exercise woudl be better help him recover). He can make up as much as he wants, but suggest he can have at least 1000 calories a day from that.

Then its just 2500 you have to 'feed' him which is nothing really.

Or whatever - but 3 meals, 2 snacks, and protein of some sort immediately after training.

^This

Tinkled, Ironman training is extreme. Would he go see a sports nutritionist? I think he should be building lean muscle, not wasting away. Though at the time of the Ironman my DH was down 16kg from his normal healthy weight.