You might feel lonely trying to gain weight in a "lose weight" world, but some simple tips can get you started: Eat larger portions of healthy foods, eat more frequently, and check with a physician for any underlying health conditions or malabsorption issues. There is much you can do with proper diet and exercise to put on some weight, but, as the University of Michigan's Health System states, "you can't turn a marathon runner's body into a linebacker's body...the genes you inherit from your parents play a strong role in body type." Add 500 to 1,000 kilocalories daily for weight gain and include some of these healthy, high-calorie, high-fat foods to your diet.
Nuts
High in healthy mono and poly unsaturated fats, nuts make a great snack. Add chopped or ground nuts to your cereal, salad or other meal items to increase the calories, fat and protein.
Seeds
Seeds, including sunflower, sesame and pumpkin, are concentrated sources of healthy fats, protein and calories. Try tahini sauce (ground sesame seeds) in soups and sauces, or munch on sunflower seeds between meals.
Plant Oils
Saute foods in plant oils like olive or canola instead of butter for healthy fats and extra calories.
Dried Fruit
Raisins, dried apricots, pears or apples add more calories per bite than their non-dehydrated counterparts. For example, half a cup of dried apricots contains 106 calories while half a cup of sliced, fresh apricots contains 36 calories.
Fruit Juice
Select 100 percent fruit juices that are high in natural fructose sugars instead of "fruit drinks" loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Drink juice instead of low calorie coffee, and replace some of your water consumption with juice.
Whole Milk
Whole milk and products made from milk (yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese) are calorie and nutrient dense. Stuff cheese into sandwiches, and melt it onto vegetables. Blend a milkshake with whole milk, yogurt and frozen fruit.
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