Free guide from Gaining with Grace
Warm, nourishing meals that add up gently — built for days when appetite is shy or eating takes effort. Food is care, not math.
Each one is designed to be generous with calories while staying soft, comforting, and adaptable. Many include an "easier-to-eat" option for blending or loosening when you need it most. Use them as a starting point — add cream, butter, or a second helping without guilt.
Creamy avocado, soft eggs, and a generous pour of good olive oil on sturdy sourdough.
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Ingredients (key ones): 2 thick slices sourdough, 1 ripe avocado, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more to drizzle, Squeeze of lemon...
A handful of feta or a few olives on the side adds easy calories and makes it feel like a proper plate.
No-bake, pocketable, and ~150 nourishing calories each — gentle grazing between meals.
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Ingredients (key ones): 200g medjool dates, pitted, 100g almonds, 2 tbsp almond butter, 2 tbsp rolled oats, 1 tbsp cocoa powder...
Press a whole almond or a square of chocolate into the centre of each for a little surprise.
Warm, spoonable baked oats with banana, peanut butter, and melty dark chocolate. Gentle on the appetite and quietly generous with calories.
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Ingredients (key ones): 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, 2 ripe bananas, mashed, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1 tbsp honey or maple...
A little extra whole milk or cream poured over the warm oats adds even more gentle calories.
A sippable 600+ calories for the days when eating a whole meal feels like a lot.
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Ingredients (key ones): 1 ripe banana (frozen is lovely), 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup whole milk, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp honey...
Add a scoop of your usual protein powder or a spoon of ground flax for even more, without changing the taste much.
Make-ahead, freezer-friendly, and easy to double when you need the calories to add up.
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Ingredients (key ones): 400g penne or rigatoni, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp plain flour, 600ml whole milk, 150g cheddar, grated...
Stir a tin of tuna, some shredded chicken, or roasted veg through the sauce to turn it into a fuller meal.
A one-pan, gently spiced dinner with a silky coconut sauce that loves a second helping.
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Ingredients (key ones): 600g boneless chicken thighs, 1 onion, finely sliced, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp curry powder...
A handful of cashews or a side of warm naan brushed with butter rounds it out and adds easy calories.
Crispy, comforting, and quietly calorie-dense — the side dish that does a lot of gentle work.
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Ingredients (key ones): 1kg potatoes, cut into chunks, 5 tbsp olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, skin on, A few sprigs of rosemary, Flaky salt
Drizzle with a little more oil or a spoon of pesto out of the oven — both add easy, tasty calories.
A warm, calorie-dense bowl that comes together in one pot — gentle on a shy morning appetite.
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Ingredients (key ones): 1 cup rolled oats, 2 cups whole milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 ripe banana, mashed, 1 tbsp honey...
Want more? A spoon of chopped nuts or a second banana adds another ~150 kcal without crowding the bowl.
These kitchen tools make the "easier-to-eat" versions of recipes dramatically simpler (blending soups, smoothies, and custards into silky textures). I only recommend things that genuinely earn their spot in my kitchen.
Some links on this site (including recommendations here) are affiliate links. See the full disclosure. I only share what I actually use.
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