20 High Calorie Nut-Free Snacks for Weight Gain

As a parent in America I'm supposed to be focused on cutting fat, limiting sugar, and getting our portion sizes down to a human-like level. And I am. Sometimes.

But every January the bombardment ensues. Emails with subject lines like 20 Low-Calorie Snacks and Cut Calories with 7 Simple Strategies start flooding my inbox. Magazines promise to Keep the Flavor, Lose the Fat! And that's great for many of us, myself included. But what about the failure to thrive kids like Roo who struggle to grow? What about the not so rare adult who fights to gain or maintain weight. They're out there too, you know. 

I've been fascinated (and somewhat appalled) by the way we respond to a-typical bodies of all types. Sure it's unfair that heavy people are discriminated against, belittled, and worse, but it's time to give the skinny minis a break too.

I've been told on more than one occasion that Roo (all 29 pounds of him) will come to appreciate his lightning speed metabolism one day. Really? I hope he likes his car seat because at this rate he's taking it to prom. My willowy girlfriend gets asked repeatedly why she bothers running when she's already so thin. Skinny actresses get accused of being anorexic, and I'm not saying this is never the case, but no one looks at a chubby star and comments, "Oh gross, she looks totally hypothyroid!" because that would be completely inappropriate and mean spirited, right?

Why is it acceptable in our culture to obsess over a few extra pounds then turn around and dismiss the health and body image concerns of underweight individuals? We're all after the same goal here, right? Healthy, strong, well-nourished bodies. Think about it the next time you want to punch your girlfriend in the face because her size 00 jeans are gaping at the waist. She's no less entitled to a healthy body image than the rest of us.

So, in honor of Roo and underweight kids and adults all over this great country of ours, a few suggestions for (mostly) nutritious, lower sugar, high calorie snacks that just happen to be free of nuts, because that's how we roll.

#10 Whole Wheat Blackberry and Meyer Lemon Ricotta Scones

#19 Zucchini Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

 20 High Calorie Nut-Free Snacks

1. Brie cheese on a baguette with strawberry jam (also known as my favorite late night snack, but this isn't really about me)
2. Full-fat yogurt fruit smoothie (Blend 1&1/2 cups frozen fruit of your choice and 8 ounces full fat yogurt until smooth. Add half an avocado, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and ice cubes for an extra amped up version)
3. Parmesan chunks and black olives (AKA The Roo Special)
4. Graham crackers spread with SunButter, decorated with raisins or dried cherries
5. Banana Bread spread with cream cheese
6. Pumpkin or Winter Squash muffins
7. Croissants (Costco near us makes them without egg, but read your labels!) Cut it open, toast it and butter the cut sides ala Mufasa for more calories.
8. Cheese quesadillas with guacamole
9. Nut-free Granola with whole milk or half and half
10. Whole Wheat Blackberry and Meyer Lemon Ricotta Scones
11. Parmesan and Thyme "Cookies"
12. Real whipped heavy cream with fresh berries and granola (Bean's dream)
13. Mediterranean plate: cubed feta cheese, hummus, buttered pita triangles, cucumber, olives, grape tomatoes
14. Cheesy nachos with bean dip and sliced avocado
15. Cheddar cheese chunks with sliced apple, pear, or nectarine
16. Sweet potato fries dipped in easy garlic aoli (we use Veganaise in place of mayo due to the egg allergy)
17. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Roasted Tomato Dip
18. Buttermilk biscuits with Garlic Chive Butter
19. Zucchini Cake with optional Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
20. Roasted Pepita Honey Butter and Sliced Banana Sandwich

#18 Buttermilk Biscuits with Garlic Chive Butter

#11 Parmesan and Thyme "Cookies"

Roasted Pepita Honey Butter and 25 Nut-Free Alternatives to Peanut Butter

Looly loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which is a problem because, in case you missed the memo, Roo is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. So, sadly, no almond butter or Nutella for us either. For years we've relied on Sunbutter for sandwiches, cookies, and pretty much everything else peanut butter-inspired. Huge props to Sunbutter. I don't know what we would do without you, my friend, and seriously, it is pretty freaking good. We're not tossing our jar of Sunbutter but with the school year looming and roughly 540 lunches to pack (that's 180 days times 3 kids!) perhaps it's time to expand our nut-free horizons.

Yup, that's a a smothering of homemade roasted pepita honey butter, baby. Chunky, salty, sweet, crunchy, nut-free yet nutty in flavor, and loaded with good stuff like amino acids, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Pepitas, by the way, are pumpkin seeds, but "pepitas" is a much snappier way of putting it, am I right?

Bean worked the blender and helped taste test. After giving up one too many spoons to her constant lick stealing, I finally gave her a bowl and a spoon. Roo was intrigued but not ready to actually sample quite yet. And Looly, my usual holdout, she gobbled up half a pepita butter and jelly sandwich then wolfed down another thick slice of bread slathered in pepita butter. Yeah. That was after her lunch.

Roasted Pepita Honey Butter

2 cups pepitas, roasted and salted (I bought our pepitas already roasted and salted but you could easily roast your own pumpkin seeds instead).
3 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup canola oil
salt

Combine pepitas and honey in a food processor or powerful blender and pulse. Slowly drizzle in oil through top of lid and process until you have reached your desired consistency. I left ours just a little chunky and the extra crunch is awesome. Taste and adjust salt and honey to suit your mood.

And just in case you aren't swayed by my recipe, here are 25 more nut-free sandwich spreads to help get you through the school year.

25 Nut-free Sandwich Spreads

1. Sunbutter
2. Wowbutter (soy butter)
3. Nonuts Golden Peabutter
4. Biscoff Spread
5. Guacamole
6. Simple Foods Organic Chocolate Soy Butter
7. Mashed banana
8. Hummus
9. Edamame Hummus
10. Black Bean Hummus
11. Baba Ganoush
12. Roasted Vegetable Spread
13. Lemon Curd
14. Triple Berry Curd
15. Apple Butter
16. Vanilla Pear Butter
17. Pumpkin Butter
18. Mascarpone cheese
19. Goat cheese
20. Ricotta cheese
21. Schuler's Cheese Spread
22. Whipped honey
23. Marshmallow Fluff
24. Nut-free Kale Pesto 
25. Olive Tapenade
26. And of course, Roasted Pepita Honey Butter