The term calorie is simply a way to measure the amount of energy that food can provide you when you consume it. Many people want to cut down on their calorie intake while others want to increase it. For Ectomorphs and skinny people especially and those that are looking to gain weight and build muscles, eating more calories than your body is able to burn is one of the many ways that can achieve that, that’s what we call reaching a “calorie surplus”. That’s why it’s essential for Ectomorphs to consume high-calorie foods in order to achieve this surplus.
High-calorie foods that are beneficial for Ectomorphs include rice, potatoes, milk, red and white meat, eggs, nuts, protein shakes, and so on. These foods facilitate reaching calorie goals in order to gain weight and build muscles.
In this article, we’ll list the best high-calorie foods for Ectomorphs, their benefits, and why you should consider implementing them into your diet.
Table of Contents
The Best High-Calorie Foods For Ectomorphs
Consuming any of the foods mentioned below, or implementing a variety of them into your diet will help you significantly in your journey of building muscles and gaining weight.
Milk
After water, milk should be one of your top priorities in terms of healthy drinks. When consumed on a daily basis, not only will it help you gain weight, but it presents tons of benefits. It’s a great source of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and most commonly known, calcium which is the main support of your bones. It also provides many more vital nutrients that are lacking in most diets.
And when it comes to gaining weight and building muscles, according to the National Library of Medicine, consuming milk regularly significantly boosts the synthesis of muscle protein. And when you use it as a post-workout beverage, it greatly increases muscle hypertrophy and lean mass.
1 cup of whole milk contains about 149 calories.
Rice
Rice is one of the easiest types of food that you can implement in almost any diet. It contains a rich amount of calories, carbs, protein, and fibers which makes it essential for Ectomorphs and for skinny people looking to gain weight. And it has many benefits, it’s a good source of energy and protein, prevents obesity, improves the nervous system, and so on. In fact, most athletes love to add rice to almost all their meals simply because of the large number of carbs that it contains which is the best source of fuel for physical training.
1 bowl of rice contains about 136 calories.
Red and White Meats
Being the most popular source of calories and protein especially, red and white meats should be your go-to meal in order to build muscles and gain weight. If you don’t know the difference between the two, then I’ll explain it briefly. It’s all in the name, red meats represent meat that is mostly red just like pork, beef, or lamb, while white meat represents chicken, fish, and turkey. And if you’re wondering what’s the healthiest, white meat contains lower amounts of fat but it’s a lean source of protein, red meat on the other hand contains a lot more fat but it’s richer in nutrients. So for Ectomorphs, make sure to vary between the two types since they’re both gonna be beneficial for you.
Example of red meat: 100 grams of beef contains about 250 calories.
Example of white meat: 100 grams of chicken contains about 239 calories.
Potatoes
You may be surprised that a vegetable made it on this list. I’m sure that you’ll be even more surprised when I tell you that a lot of vegetables contain a rich amount of calories. These include broccoli, soybeans, spinach, corn, and especially potatoes. Potatoes contain vital nutrients such as Vitamin C and B6 which are lacking in the majority of diets. According to the Brazilian Journal of Obesity, Nutrition, and Weight Loss, sweet potatoes in particular are amongst the best sources of carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins, and are considered an excellent meal for practitioners of physical exercise.
100 grams of potatoes contain about 77 calories.
Read more: Best Vegetables For Ectomorphs.
Eggs
Eggs are my absolute favorite! I personally eat about 4 of them every single day, they taste so good and can be made in a variety of ways and implemented in all types of diets. They’re high in calories and they’re an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and healthy fats. While most experts recommend only using egg white when it comes to training and gaining weight, recent studies have shown that whole eggs are more beneficial, especially for Ectomorphs in particular since they need every last bit of fat.
1 egg contains about 75 calories.
Nuts
If you’re wondering about the best snacks that you can eat as an Ectomorph, then nuts are your best bet. Consider eating them between your main meals as a quick way to help in reaching your calorie surplus of the day. They contain a huge amount of calories, fibers, protein, and healthy fats. What’s great about them is they’re highly portable, meaning that you can consume them anywhere you go and they’re so easy to digest.
100 grams of nuts contain about 607 calories.
Protein Shakes
And I’m not talking about the protein shakes that you find in your local commercial store, I’m referring to protein shakes that you make yourself. That’s because protein is just as important as calories when you’re trying to gain weight and build muscles especially. What’s great about them is that they can be made easily right at your home. Here is a quick example of a protein shake recipe that you can implement in your diet:
- 1 cup of milk
- half a cup of Greek Yogurt
- 1 scoop of a protein powder of your choice (Not necessary)
- 2 bananas
This can be consumed before your workout to fuel your body and even after your workout to help your muscles in their recovery.
The amount of calories depends on the recipe you use for your protein shake.
Conclusion:
Consuming high-calorie foods is one of the best things that Ectomorphs and skinny people can do in order to gain weight and build muscles. Now that you have a list of high-calorie foods, consider implementing at least one of these meals into your diet every day and make sure that you’re always reaching your calorie surplus. Having a good diet is good but it’s still not enough if you’re serious about gaining weight as an Ectomorph. That’s why you should follow my Ectomorph weight gain tips, as well as my Ectomorph workout plan for optimal results.