Foods To Ensure Weight Gain

To gain weight, you need to eat 500 to 1,000 additional calories each day, according to "Krause's Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy." When it comes to weight gain, it is important to make healthy food choices to supply your body not only with the additional calories it needs for weight gain, but also vitamins and minerals. There are a number of high-calorie foods you can choose to ensure weight gain.

Whole Milk

One cup of whole milk contains 150 calories and 8g of protein. Drinking whole milk with each meal can increase your total daily calorie intake by 450 calories. In addition to providing calories and protein, whole milk also supplies calcium and vitamin D, both important nutrients for bone health. You can also add items to milk to increase its caloric content. For example, you can make high-calorie milk shakes by adding ice cream and peanut butter to your milk.

Nonfat Dried Milk Powder

Nonfat dried milk powder is a calorie booster you can add to a number of foods to help you gain weight. A tablespoon of nonfat dried milk powder contains 33 calories and 3g of protein. Add a tablespoon of dried milk to your cup of milk to increase its calories to 183. Dried milk powder can also be added to hot cereal, soup, pudding, yogurt, sauces and gravies, casseroles and mashed potatoes.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds, which have a concentrated source of calories, are a healthy choice for weight gain. A 1 oz. serving of nuts or seeds, about 1/4 cup, contains 150 to 200 calories. Nuts also provide you with heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. MayoClinic.com suggests everyone eat an ounce of nuts a day to limit risk of heart disease. Nuts and seeds may be eaten as a snack or added to hot cereal, salads or ice cream. Nut butters also make a nutritious choice to help ensure weight gain. One tablespoon of nut butter contains about 90 calories. Add nut butters to crackers or fruit for extra calories.

Juice

Juice intake can also ensure weight gain. Each cup contains about 120 calories. Choose 100 percent fruit choose to increase your vitamin intake. Drink juice as an alternative to milk with meals or in between meals to quench your thirst instead of calorie-free water.

Cheese

You can also use cheese as a source of calories for weight gain. Cheese, like milk, also provides calcium for healthy bones. Add cheese slices to sandwiches or place on crackers for a high calorie snack. Pour cheese sauce on vegetables and potatoes for extra calories. Cheese can also be added to casseroles and soups.