Foods and drinks that promote weight gain

Limit consumption of energy-dense foods¹

Avoid sugary drinks²

Public health goals

• Average energy density of diets³ to be lowered towards 125 kcal per 100 g
• Population average consumption of sugary drinks² to be halved every 10 years

Personal recommendations

• Consume energy-dense foods^1,4 sparingly
• Avoid sugary drinks²
• Consume 'fast foods'⁵ sparingly, if at all

1. Energy-dense foods are here defined as those with an energy content of more than about 225-275 kcal per 100 g
2. This principally refers to drinks with added sugars. Fruit juices should also be limited
3. This does not include drinks
4. Limit processed energy-dense foods (also see recommendation 4). Relatively unprocessed energy-dense foods, such as nuts and seeds, have not been shown to contribute to weight gain when consumed as part of typical diets, and these and many vegetable oils are valuable sources of nutrients
5. The term 'fast foods' refers to readily available convenience foods that tend to be energy-dense and consumed frequently and in large portions

For more details see Chapter 12 in our resource downloads section.