Soft High-Calorie Foods That Are Easy to Eat

Written by James Frost, founder of Flaming Phoenix. Updated October 2026.

Quick answer: The best soft high calorie foods are smooth nut butter, avocado, full-fat Greek yoghurt, cream soups, buttery mashed potato, whole-milk porridge, smoothies, scrambled eggs, rice pudding and custard. Smooth peanut butter is about 95 calories a tablespoon, and a tablespoon of olive oil or butter stirred into soup or mash adds 100 to 120 calories without adding chewing.

This page is for anyone finding chewing hard work for now: after dental treatment, with a sore mouth or throat, after a spell of illness, or simply when tiredness makes a full meal feel like too much. Every food here is both soft and calorie-dense. For the general list of high calorie foods, crunchy ones included, see that guide instead.

If swallowing is difficult, or eating and drinking make you cough or choke, the NHS advice on swallowing problems is to ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 before changing textures yourself.

Why do soft foods help when your appetite is small?

Soft foods take less chewing and less time, so a few mouthfuls are easier to manage before tiredness or fullness sets in.

Chewing is tiring. Dry or tough food can feel like hard work, and a full plate can look too much before the first bite. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, in its guide to a soft, moist diet, describes soft food as food that breaks down into small pieces that can be chewed easily, and suggests smaller meals or snacks every 2 to 3 hours rather than three big sittings.

When only a few mouthfuls are possible, each one has to carry more. That is why most of this page is about butter, oil, cream and nut butter: they add calories to soft food without making the bowl any bigger.

If you are cooking soft, high calorie food for an elderly parent or relative, my guide to high calorie foods for older adults looks at the same problem from a carer's side.

Which soft foods have the most calories?

Smooth nut butter, avocado, full-fat yoghurt, cream soups, mashed potato with butter and porridge made with whole milk carry the most calories per soft spoonful. Calories listed are approximate and based on standard UK portion sizes.

Nut butters (smooth)

Smooth peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter are among the most calorie-dense soft foods you can buy. A single tablespoon of smooth peanut butter provides roughly 95 calories. Two tablespoons, a comfortable amount to spread on soft bread or stir into porridge, provides around 190 calories.

Eaten off a spoon or mixed into other food, nut butter needs no chewing at all. Stir it into warm porridge, blend it into a smoothie or spread it on soft banana slices. If it feels too thick or sticky, loosen it with a little warm milk.

Avocado

Half a medium avocado provides approximately 160 calories. It is naturally creamy and needs almost no chewing: mash it onto soft toast without crusts, blend it into a smoothie or eat it from the skin with a teaspoon. Mashed with a tablespoon of olive oil, a whole avocado provides over 440 calories in a portion that fits in the palm of your hand.

Full-fat yoghurt and fromage frais

A 150g pot of full-fat Greek yoghurt provides around 150 to 200 calories depending on the brand. Adding a tablespoon of honey (64 calories) and a tablespoon of smooth nut butter (95 calories) turns it into a 310 to 360 calorie snack that needs nothing more than a spoon and can be eaten slowly. Full-fat fromage frais with fruit compote is similar in calories and smoother still.

Cream-based soups

A 300ml serving of cream of mushroom, cream of chicken or cream of tomato soup typically provides between 200 and 350 calories. Adding a tablespoon of double cream (around 60 calories) or a tablespoon of olive oil (around 120 calories) raises that without changing the texture.

Soup can be sipped from a mug, which is often easier than a bowl and spoon on a tired day. A tin or carton of cream soup with a spoon of cream stirred in takes five minutes and no chopping, or try one of my high calorie soup recipes.

Mashed potato with butter and cream

A 200g serving of mashed potato made with butter and whole milk provides roughly 180 calories. Adding an extra tablespoon of butter (around 100 calories) and a tablespoon of double cream (around 60 calories) brings a single serving to approximately 340 calories. Grated cheese stirred in while the potato is still warm adds protein as well, and mash freezes and reheats well, so a batch made on a good day covers several meals.

Porridge made with whole milk

A bowl of porridge made with whole milk rather than water provides around 250 to 300 calories. A tablespoon of smooth nut butter, a drizzle of honey and a spoonful of ground seeds can take a single bowl past 500 calories. It can be made thicker or thinner to suit, and it is one of the easiest warm breakfasts when solid food feels hard first thing in the morning. My high calorie porridge guide has more toppings.

There is also a shortcut I make myself: Phoenix Bars are soft high calorie bars that can be broken into small pieces by hand, or stirred into warm milk to make a porridge with nothing more than a kettle or microwave.

Smoothies and milkshakes

A smoothie made with a banana (around 100 calories), 200ml of whole milk (around 130 calories), a tablespoon of smooth peanut butter (95 calories) and a tablespoon of honey (64 calories) provides roughly 390 calories and needs no chewing at all. A scoop of full-fat ice cream or a spoonful of yoghurt makes it thicker and richer. A smoothie can be sipped over an hour or two, which is often more manageable than sitting down to a meal.

Scrambled eggs with butter

Two large eggs scrambled with a tablespoon of butter and a splash of double cream provide approximately 300 calories. They take under five minutes, can be eaten with a spoon and need very little chewing. Grated cheese stirred in at the end adds more, and eggs bring protein, useful when the amount eaten is small.

Rice pudding and custard

Ready-made rice pudding from a tin or pot provides around 130 to 200 calories per 200g serving, depending on the brand. A 200g serving of custard provides around 160 to 220 calories. Both are entirely soft, need no cooking and can be eaten warm or cold. A pot of rice pudding with a spoonful of jam on top comes to roughly 170 to 240 calories between meals.

Soft cheese and cream cheese

A 30g portion of Brie provides around 100 calories, and a 30g serving of full-fat cream cheese about 75 calories. Cream cheese spreads on soft bread, stirs into mash or scrambled eggs, and mixed with flaked smoked salmon or mashed avocado makes a soft snack that needs almost no chewing.

What soft savoury meals are easy to eat?

Cottage pie, fish pie, macaroni cheese, dahl, risotto and flaked salmon in sauce are all soft, savoury and easy to make richer with butter, cheese or cream.

• Fish pie, cottage pie and shepherd's pie. Soft mash on top, soft filling underneath. Stir butter and grated cheese into the mash.
• Macaroni cheese. Soft pasta in a rich sauce. Made with whole milk and plenty of cheese, it is filling without being a big portion.
• Flaked salmon or other oily fish. Soft, easy to break apart with a fork and higher in calories than white fish. Serve it with mash or in a creamy sauce, and check carefully for bones first.
• Dahl with rice. Red lentils cook down to a soft, thick texture. Coconut milk or a spoon of oil stirred in at the end adds calories without making the bowl bigger.
• Risotto. Soft rice, finished with butter and parmesan.
• Hummus. Smooth and dense, good on soft bread or eaten from a spoon.

Ready meals are fine here. The high calorie, high protein diet sheet from Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust lists cauliflower cheese, macaroni cheese, shepherd's pie and soup with cream or cheese added among its easy meals, ready-made versions included. Check the label and pick the richer version where there is a choice.

Which high calorie foods are easy to digest?

Soft, smooth, lower-fibre foods are usually the easiest to digest: porridge, mashed potato without skins, white rice, scrambled eggs, yoghurt, custard, rice pudding and flaked fish.

Most of the calories in these come from what you add. The NHS facts about fat put fat at 9 calories a gram, against about 4 for carbohydrate or protein, so a teaspoon of butter in rice or a spoon of cream in custard adds a lot for its size.

There is a trade-off. A large amount of rich or fried food in one go can sit heavily, especially if you feel full quickly. Spread the extras across the day instead: a little butter at breakfast, a spoon of cream at lunch, a nut butter smoothie mid-afternoon. If you fill up fast, have drinks after a meal instead of just before it, which the Leeds soft diet guide also suggests. The same guide recommends leaving out tough or roast meat, raw vegetables, skins and pips, nuts, seeds and dried fruit while eating feels hard.

Cold soft foods for days when warm food is hard

Chilled yoghurt, ice cream, rice pudding, custard, overnight oats and mousse are soft, cold and calorie-dense, and often easier with a sore mouth or in hot weather.

• Full-fat Greek yoghurt with honey and smooth nut butter stirred in.
• Ice cream, especially the richer, full-fat kinds. My guide to high calorie ice cream compares them.
• Chilled rice pudding or custard straight from the pot.
• Overnight oats made with whole milk, left to soften in the fridge.
• Frozen banana blended with peanut butter into a soft-serve style pudding.
• Cheesecake and chocolate mousse.

What soft foods are high in calories without dairy?

Smooth nut butter, avocado, hummus, porridge made with oat or soya milk, red lentil dahl with coconut milk and mash made with olive oil are soft, dairy-free and calorie-dense.

• Smooth nut butters and avocado, which are naturally dairy-free.
• Porridge made with oat or soya milk and finished with nut butter or a spoon of coconut oil.
• Coconut yoghurt, or plant yoghurt with nut butter stirred in. Calories vary a lot between brands, so check the label.
• Hummus, and red lentil dahl made with coconut milk.
• Mashed potato made with olive oil and a plant-based cream.
• Silken tofu blended into smoothies for extra protein.

For more ideas, see my guide to vegan high calorie foods.

Are soft foods easy to swallow?

Not always: soft food and safe-to-swallow food are different things, and a soft food can still be the wrong texture for someone who has trouble swallowing.

Bread is a good example. It is soft, yet the Leeds soft diet guide notes that it can swell and stick for some people.

The NHS advises asking for an urgent GP appointment, or calling 111, if eating or drinking makes you cough or choke, food feels stuck, or your voice sounds gurgly or wet after eating. A GP can refer you to a speech and language therapist or a dietitian, who will say which textures are safe, and that advice always comes before anything on this page. If you have been advised to eat smooth food, my guide to high calorie pureed foods has ideas that work within it.

How to get more calories from soft food with less effort

The simplest approach is to enrich food that is already being eaten, so portions stay the same size while each spoonful carries more.

Choose full-fat versions

Swapping skimmed milk for whole milk, low-fat yoghurt for full-fat and diet products for regular ones adds calories without adding volume. It takes no extra effort and the food looks the same on the plate.

Fortify what is already on the plate

A tablespoon of olive oil or butter stirred into soup, porridge, mashed potato or pasta adds around 100 to 120 calories. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust suggests whisking four heaped tablespoons of milk powder into a pint of full-cream milk and using that milk for cereal, sauces, soups and puddings.

Soften with milk, gravy or sauce, not water

A common mistake is loosening mash, porridge or soup with water to make it easier to eat. Water adds volume and no calories, so the same bowl now holds less. Use whole milk, cream, gravy or a smooth cheese or white sauce instead; the Leeds guide softens food the same way.

Eat little and often

Five or six small meals or snacks a day is often easier than three full meals, and it is the pattern Gateshead's diet sheet recommends for a small appetite. A pot of custard mid-morning and a smoothie mid-afternoon count.

Keep ready-to-eat soft food within reach

Yoghurt pots, rice pudding, custard pots, a jar of nut butter and a carton of soup need no cooking. Having them in the fridge or cupboard removes the step between deciding to eat and eating. If you want something shelf-stable for a bag or bedside drawer, I've compared the meal replacement bars available in the UK, including which are softest.

Sip some of it

Warm milk with honey, hot chocolate made with whole milk, or a milkshake add calories without any chewing. My guide to high calorie drinks has recipes that work between meals.

How much do small additions add up to over a day?

Five small additions to an ordinary day of soft food come to roughly 500 calories, and none of the portions gets any bigger. Using the figures above:

• Porridge made with 200ml of whole milk instead of water: about 130 calories.
• A tablespoon of smooth peanut butter stirred into that porridge: about 95 calories.
• A tablespoon of butter beaten into a 200g serving of mash at lunch: about 100 calories.
• A tablespoon of olive oil stirred into a mug of soup at supper: about 120 calories.
• A tablespoon of honey on a pot of yoghurt: about 64 calories.

That is 130 + 95 + 100 + 120 + 64 = 509 calories from food that was being eaten anyway. Gateshead's diet sheet frames it the same way: small changes rather than eating more.

Related guides

• Calorie-dense foods: what they are and when they help
• How to get more calories without eating more food
• What to eat when your appetite is low
• How to gain weight
• High calorie snacks ranked by calories per bite
• High calorie drinks, smoothies and milkshakes

Frequently asked questions

How can I increase my calorie intake without eating more food?

Choose full-fat dairy products instead of low-fat versions. Stir nut butter into porridge or yoghurt, and add butter, oil or cream to soups and mashed vegetables. A tablespoon of olive oil adds about 120 calories to a bowl of soup without making it any bigger. My guide to getting more calories without eating more food goes further.

What is the difference between calorie-dense foods and soft high calorie foods?

Calorie-dense foods hold a lot of calories for their size or weight, and many of them, such as nuts, seeds and dried fruit, are hard or chewy. Soft high calorie foods are the subset that also needs little chewing: nut butter rather than nuts, mash rather than roast potatoes. My calorie-dense foods guide covers the whole category.

What are soft foods with protein?

Scrambled eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, flaked fish, smooth nut butter, hummus, lentil dahl and silken tofu all give protein without much chewing. Two scrambled eggs followed by a pot of Greek yoghurt make a soft breakfast with protein in both parts. Older adults often need more protein than younger ones, as my guide to protein for older adults explains.

What are good soft foods to eat after dental work?

Follow your dentist's aftercare advice first. Cool or lukewarm soft foods such as yoghurt, smoothies, mashed potato, scrambled eggs, soup that has cooled a little and rice pudding are usually easiest, and butter, cream or smooth nut butter makes them more filling. Skip straws, avoid hot food and drink until any numbness wears off, and chew away from the treated area.

How can I keep my weight up on a soft diet?

Enrich the soft food you already eat rather than trying to eat more of it: whole milk, butter, cream, cheese and nut butter, little and often, with drinks after meals rather than before. The NHS advises seeing a GP if you have lost a lot of weight without meaning to over the last 3 to 6 months. My guide on how to gain weight covers the wider plan.

What are good high calorie foods when you can only eat small amounts?

Choose foods that hold a lot in a small space: smooth nut butter at about 95 calories a tablespoon, full-fat cheese, avocado, cream soups and enriched porridge. Eat them as five or six small snacks rather than three meals, and add the butter or cream at the end. My guide to high calorie low volume foods lists more.

Sources: NHS, swallowing problems; NHS, facts about fat; NHS, when to see a GP about weight loss; Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, eating well with a soft, moist diet; Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, high calorie, high protein diet.