I’ve seen a lot of concern lately from people wanting to go plant based or vegan but they are worried about get enough calories. Especially if you love vegetables, a lot of vegan foods are low in calories and this can be problematic for body builders, athletes or regular folks with fast metabolisms.
There are actually lots of vegan high calorie foods which can make vegan weight gain easy and delicious. High fat vegan foods tend to have the highest calorie density. Because of this, foods like dried fruit, nuts, nut butters, seeds, coconut cream, and avocados are extremely calorie dense.
If you know about how to get your high calorie vegan foods already and just want some high calorie vegan recipes, scroll down to see 20 amazing high calorie vegan meals.
Want to make sure to give your protein intake a boost as well? Check out our favorite high protein vegan meals!
High Calorie Vegan Foods to Keep on Hand
If you are concerned about not eating enough calories make sure to keep these high calorie foods on hand. You can add nuts, seeds and dried fruit into salads, smoothies, homemade trail mix for a snack on the go, protein bars and more. Add them into some of these vegan recipes for weight gain to take it up even a notch further on calories and nutrients.
You can also buy premade nut butters or make your own to spread onto crackers, toast, fruit or vegetables to boost the calorie count. I love this cashew based aioli which is amazing to spread onto everything and quite calorie dense as well.
Avocados make everything taste better and is easy to turn into guacamole, cream sauces or just eat straight. They are also a great way to turn regular dishes into high calorie vegan meals.
Being Prepared with High Calorie Vegan Meals
If you lead a busy life, I always recommend meal planning to make sure you always have food on hand so that you don’t end up eating junk or something you shouldn’t.
Especially if you are on a special diet, needing high protein vegan meals or worried about gaining weight on a vegan diet, it’s important to be prepared. If you need help figuring out meal planning, be sure to check out this article for tips, strategies and tons of meal prep friendly recipes. Or just scroll through these recipes and put together a vegan weight gain meal plan for yourself!
You may also like our article on The Best Vegan Protein Powders.
If you are too busy to cook for yourself, there are plenty of services that offer delivered vegan meals, right to your doorstep.
Veestro is a highly rated prepared vegan meals delivery service that you should check out if you decide to go this route. You can order a la cart and see calorie counts for all the meals on offer. Check out their meal options and prices here.
20 Amazing High Calorie Vegan Recipes and Meals
This delicious vegan bagel sandwich uses avocado, tofu smothered in BBQ sauce, creamy dill sauce and lots of veg to create the ultimate vegan bagel topping. This sandwich is a really easy way to pack in calories, proteins, healthy fats, and fresh vegetable.
Whether you are looking for a hearty vegan breakfast bagel or a delicious lunch, this sandwich will hit the spot. One bagel sandwich has 648 calories.
This jerk seitan chicken has 1000 calories per serving and 80 grams of protein! The seitan gives a meaty texture and delicious zingy jerk marinade, vegan jerk chicken is a must try.
These vegan parfait cups are low on prep work and come together beautifully. The chia seed parfaits are decadent enough to feel like a lovely treat as a vegan brunch but they are also great for meal prep which makes them a great weekday meal as well!
They are healthy, pretty, delicious, plant based and best of all, there are 678 calories per serving!
These vegan satay skewers are perfect for your next bbq, or you can cook them on the stove top for an easy dinner.
Seitan satay is filling, delicious, and packed with Thai flavors. Combined with the creamy peanut satay sauce, the skewers are taken to the next level.
Three satay skewers with peanut sauce have 440 calories, and when you pair it with some rice, or throw it in a wrap for lunch, it brings the calorie count up to 600+.
Try this delicious vegan cobb salad recipe. It does not disappoint when it comes to the traditional flavors and textures.
Complete with seitan chicken, roasted bacon flavoured chickpeas and ranch dressing, this salad comes in at 1000 calories a serving and packs in all the nutrients your body needs!
It's also a great choice for packed lunches, if you need a meal on the go!
This vegan breakfast pizza is an absolute winner for a tasty, savoury brunch. Topped with typical, tasty vegan breakfast things - this vegan pizza can be enjoyed for brunch, lunch and dinner too!
It's high in calories and protein with over 650 calories per serving and 35 grams of protein!
This delicious vegan chickpea salad is quick and easy to pull together and uses bright, healthy ingredients to form a tasty, well rounded salad. Get a punch of protein, fats, and fresh vegetable in one yummy bowl.
Perfect as a summer chickpea salad, or to help detox heavy holiday foods, this salad will make you feel as good as it tastes! It's also great for budget eaters, as there are no fancy ingredients.
One serving of chickpea salad comes in at around 500 calories a serving.
This Korean seitan sandwich is packed with flavor! From the delicious combo of tastes in the seitan marinade, to the spicy kimchi, and delicious crusty bread, this is one vegan sandwich recipe you are not going to want to miss.
These seitan sandwiches can be made with homemade seitan or store bought and can be customized depending on your personal threshold for spiciness!
A serving of these sandwiches come in at over 900 calories.
Busting with flavors, textures, and colors, this delicious vegan sandwich is our take on a Mexican torta. Stuffed with amazing seitan, refried beans, avocado, salsa and more, this sandwich will satisfy any cravings for a filling, meaty sandwich.
Try out these vegan tortas and you'll definitely keep coming back for more! This is also a great sandwich to get creative with and try out different filling that you love. The torta has around 1000 calories per sandwich.
This spinach salad is a great way to pack in iron, protein, and more. Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse and when paired with dried cranberries and BBQ tofu it becomes even easier to absorb the nutrients and pack in the calories, at almost 500 calories per serving.
This pita sandwich is stuffed with tantalizing middle eastern flavors. Our vegan shawarma is based on oyster mushrooms seasoned with a whole array of delicious spices to give it that middle eastern feel!
It's also served with tzatziki to bring some creamy deliciousness to your meal. One shawarma sandwich served with tzatziki comes in at 746 calories.
This easy vegan egg salad sandwich recipe only takes five minuted to whip up, so it's perfect for even the busiest days. The black salt gives it that delicious egg flavor and silken tofu has a naturally eggy texture when you smash it up.
Make this egg salad sandwich as an easy packed lunch, it's great for meal prep! One sandwich has 494 calories.
Buckwheat with Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpeas, Kale and Avocado Sauce
A delicious vegan dinner of buckwheat, roasted sweet potato and chickpeas, kale, and a vegan avocado cream sauce. Gluten free, healthy, and easy to make with lots of flavor and texture!
These buckwheat bowls come in at 482 calories per serving.
This vegan portobello burger makes an amazing meal, whether you are throwing it on a grill, or pan cooking it to perfection for a healthy dinner. Paired with vegan pesto and a creamy sun dried tomato spread, this is a definite crowd pleaser. It also is heavy on calories with 800 calories per burger!
This Vegan Basil Cream Sauce recipe is packed with fresh basil flavor and a touch of garlic. We’ve served this delicious sauce on fresh gluten-free pasta and we love it with zoodles. This sauce is truly stand-alone fabulous, and works as a dressing too!
A portion made with zoodles is 466 cal, serve with regular noodles, soba noodles, or any other type for higher calorie count.
These Vegan Protein Bars are a wholesome, on-the-go option that provide a filling combination of protein and fiber and is a great allergy free option for those allergic to nuts, gluten or dairy.
The protein bars are a great high calorie snack with 290 calories per bar.
Load up on all the veggies with this amazing sweet potato bowl! It is filled with roasted sweet potatoes, garlic-y kale, and flavorful black beans. It is so delicious and perfect for a quick & easy dinner or meal prep.
One serving of these black bean bowls has 480 calories.
Protein-rich angel hair pasta, edamame, sweet pepper, chick peas, and tempeh get a dreamy sesame tahini, sambal oelek (chile garlic sauce), tamari, rice vinegar, and ginger sauce in this oh-so-healthy #meatlessmondays dish!
One serving of this amazing noodle dish is 656 calories.
This Asian inspired vegan Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms, Lotus Root and Brown Rice Salad is packed full of flavor and just what you need for a meal on its on or a comforting side dish.
We love the pickled mushrooms combined with the crunchy edamame beans! One serving of this dish is 579 calories.
These raspberry overnight oats with hemp seeds and almond butter have 527 calories and 20 grams of protein in one serving! Gluten free, dairy free, and no added sugar. I delicious way to start you day.
This Vegan Lentil and Spinach Lasagna is full of veggie goodness. It’s proper comfort food which is not going to leave you feeling heavy and weighed down but nourished and energized.
One serving of this lasagna has 493 calories.
This healthy vegan protein salad features high-protein ingredients such as tofu, tempeh, chickpeas and hemp seeds and is easy to make for a delicious and filling plant-based meal. It has 613 calories per bowl.
This Creamy Vegan Garlic Mushroom Fettuccini is the perfect comforting meal that is full of rich flavor and easy to prepare. It has a thick and luscious one-minute dairy-free cream sauce that is made in your blender and poured over the sautéed mushrooms.
This recipe is made with simple clean ingredients and is naturally gluten free, plant-based and soy free. It is one of my favorite quick and cozy recipes for busy weeknights, in-home date nights or entertaining a crowd.
This vegan Thai Green curry soup is a healthy, hearty, and super quick meal that’s made from scratch in only 15 minutes! It's creamy and rich (without cream) and wonderfully inviting.
One serving of this soup has 622 calories.
Spicy Chipotle Chickpea Burrito Bowls with roasted sweet potatoes, peppers, black beans and guacamole over a bed of quinoa. This recipe is vegan and gluten free.
One burrito bowl has 491 calories.
This Apple Cinnamon Smoothie is the perfect way to start a busy morning. With ingredients like almond butter, hemp hearts, chia seeds and rolled oats, this smoothie is filled with protein and healthy fats!
One serving of this smoothies has 456 calories
High in healthy fats and protein, these Peanut Butter Protein Balls will fill you with long lasting energy. Each protein ball has 205 calories.
These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cookies are soft and chewy, slightly fluffy and perfectly tangy. They’re covered in a rich, creamy lemon frosting too! Refined sugar free.
Each cookie has 403 calories.
Don’t Forget to Pin This Post For Later!
Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links.
Chelle Thompson
Thursday 29th of October 2020
It’s really amazing, just followed your guide and I’m pretty impressed by the result I got. And I feel a little bit more energetic and fresh the whole day.
Sportswoman
Thursday 1st of October 2020
Clean eating isn't necessarily always going to be conducive for the goal of weight gain on a plant-based diet. While your diet should revolve around healthy whole plant foods there's nothing wrong with indulging in some savory and sweet vegan treats or indulgent takeaway once of thrice per week, if that is what it takes for you to achieve your fitness goals.
Medicaltipes
Wednesday 29th of April 2020
Avocadoes are full of healthy fats, so slice one open and grab a spoon! The average avocado has about 230 calories and is a great addition to any meal. Consume avocado as a side or add it to your sandwich. If you like a smoothie in the morning, blend it up for a mega calorie boost.