In our enthusiastic attempts to create a fuller physique and jump aboard the ‘gains train’, often the quality of our food can be compromised simply by our sheer focus on consuming the most calorie dense foods as possible! Also known as the ‘dirty bulk’. But, there is no doubt that the best and most sustainable way to gain lean mass and pack on the size, all whilst providing your body with adequate fuel and nutrients for a solid training regime, is by eating high calorie clean foods.
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The term, ‘clean eating’ gets thrown around a lot, but simply refers to wholesome foods. Foods that have been created by earth/nature and have not been interfered with through chemical enhancement, processing, or any other artificial process.
Common misconception has it that foods associated with being ‘clean’, or healthy and natural are low in calories and consumed by those wishing to lose weight. Whilst this can be true for some clean foods, there are plenty of high calorie clean foods that are loaded with the good stuff that is perfect for bulking! With so many references and differing information available out there, it’s hard to know what the best high calorie clean foods for bulking are. That’s where I come in! Get a pen and get ready to populate your shopping list with these high calorie, clean food, bulking beauties:
#1 Fresh Salmon
Hello, sushi! Well, whichever way you like to eat your fresh salmon, it should be included in your weekly bulking meal preparations. Not only is it delicious, but it is packed with protein, the building blocks of muscle! Pair some fresh salmon with a complex carbohydrate and some fresh greens, and you’re set!
PER 100G (RAW)
- Calories – 208
- Protein – 20g
- Fat – 13g
- Carbohydrates – 0g
#2 Lean Minced Meat (Beef)
Put your hand up if you love a good spaghetti bolognaise! Well you can have it, and have it clean too! The key here is to select a lean minced meat when doing your grocery shopping. My go to is beef and the details below are for beef, but you can also use turkey or chicken! When shopping for your meat, be sure to look for free range, or better yet, organic. This reduces the chances of hormone filled produce and supporting bad practices. Pair lean minced meat with some wholemeal pasta, a homemade tomato sauce, and Bob’s your Uncle!
PER 100G (RAW)
- Calories – 332
- Protein – 14g
- Fat – 30g
- Carbohydrates – 0g
#3 Whole Wheat Pasta
… For that bolognaise! I guess you might be surprised to see pasta feature on a clean foods list, but it’s not a trick, I promise! The thing with carbohydrates is they come in two forms, simple and complex. When looking at high calorie clean foods, you will find many carbohydrate rich foods featured. The reason they are classed as, ‘clean’, is because they are made up of complex carbohydrates. To put it simply, the unprocessed version! If you’d like to read up more about complex carbohydrates and the way our body digests them differently, check this out. (please link to here:
PER 100G (COOKED)
- Calories – 124
- Protein – 5.3g
- Fat – 0.5g
- Carbohydrates – 26.5g
#4 Quinoa
Quinoa seemed to come out of nowhere and storm the market, reaching major levels of popularity amongst the clean eaters, (and bulkers) of the world. Quinoa makes for a great side or base to a meal and helps to add a good amount of carbohydrates, i.e. energy to train like a beast. Quinoa can now be found in almost every supermarket and comes in a range of colors, for example, black, red, and white. Fancy! I tend to use quinoa in fresh summer salads mixed with some raw baby spinach, avocado, tomato and feta. Yum!
PER 100G (COOKED)
- Calories – 120
- Protein – 4.4g
- Fat – 1.9g
- Carbohydrates – 21.3g
#5 Brown Rice
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a bodybuilder’s plate with no brown rice on it. Brown rice is often referred to as one of the staple bulking foods. Being a high calorie clean food that is made up of complex carbohydrates, is reasonably priced and easily sourced, you can see where it gets its good reputation. Brown rice, best served warm, is a great accompaniment to a meat dish. But feel free to get adventurous with it and serve it cold in a salad!
PER 100G (COOKED)
- Calories – 112
- Protein – 2.3g
- Fat – 0.8g
- Carbohydrates – 23.5g
#6 Full Fat Cottage Cheese
This is a multipurpose ingredient that can be used for breakfasts and dinners, sweets and savories, and even be baked or eaten as is! When on the hunt for high-calorie clean foods, always pick the full fat/full cream option. Remember, dairy naturally contains fat, so for there to be reduced fat or no fat means something has been ‘done’ to it. And that breaks the rules of clean eating! And …gross! Full fat cottage cheese makes for a mean salad stick dip, don’t say I didn’t tell you!
PER 100G
- Calories – 103
- Protein – 12.5g
- Fat – 4.5g
- Carbohydrates – 2.7g
#7 Greek Yogurt
I’m talking breakfast of champions here. Greek yogurt follows closely behind full-fat cream cheese in awesomeness and should be considered when picking your high-calorie clean foods. Apart from the fact that it’s delicious, and oh so creamy, it provides balanced micronutrition AND the added benefit of probiotics! Happy tummy! Think Greek yogurt, a handful of mixed fresh berries, a squeeze of honey, and a sprinkle of almond slivers. Sold?
PER 100G
- Calories – 95
- Protein – 9g
- Fat – 5g
- Carbohydrates – 4g
#8 Almonds
You must know, it’s really all nuts that could be on this list, but I’m focussing on the one with the best micronutrition out of all them, for bulking. And that is the well-known almond! Most of us have crossed paths with an almond in our time and are familiar with them. People tend to lean towards the ‘roasted’ almonds, but it’s best to stick to the raw/natural almonds and nuts whilst doing a clean bulk, as apart from containing added salt, they also lose a bit of their antioxidant value in the roasting process. Almonds make a perfect on the go snack! Just make sure you ration them, as to not overdo it! They’re sneaky little calorie pocket rockets.
PER 100G (UNROASTED)
- Calories – 120
- Protein – 4.4g
- Fat – 1.9g
- Carbohydrates – 21.3g
#9 Avocados
The fruit that we all know should really be a vegetable, the pompous avocado! The avocado certainly tops the fruit and vegetable list, as far as high calorie clean foods go. It is nutrient dense and provides a significant amount of good fats, in comparison to other fruits and vegetables that provide nearly none. Avocado is great in salads, mashed on wholemeal toast, or as sliced on the side to accompany any meal.
PER 100G (RAW)
- Calories – 160
- Protein – 4.4g
- Fat – 14.7g
- Carbohydrates – 8.5g
#10 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Last, but not least, extra virgin olive oil. Food can be prepared using a variety of oils, but those in seek of high calorie clean foods should be stocking up on this oil for their bulking food preparation needs. What it lacks in cost effectiveness, it makes up for in nutrient density. An excellent source of good fats, extra virgin olive oil is ideal for cooking with and drizzling over salads.
PER 1 TEASPOON
- Calories – 120
- Protein – 0g
- Fat – 14g
- Carbohydrates – 0g
Final words
I hope you feel like you can now go forth confidently on your bulking journey and have total piece of mind knowing you’re doing it the healthy way and giving your body the love, it deserves. Alongside the diet side of bulking comes the training side of bulking, and it’s important that your body has the right foods for ultimate performance and recovery.
Feel free to comment below any good clean eating recipe ideas or other high calorie clean foods you have to share with our other readers!
