Fat, protein and carbohydrates are the categories of nutrients that provide calories. If you eat more calories than you expend -- or burn -- you will gain weight regardless of the type of food from which those calories come. However, there are some calorie sources that are more likely to lead to weight gain, so you might want to take a careful look at your diet to see whether these sources might be causing you to gain weight.
Fat
Fat is the nutrient with the highest energy density, providing 9 calories per gram; high-fat diets can cause you to gain weight. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends getting less than 35 percent of your total calories from fat to ensure that you meet your nutrient needs without going over your calorie limits. High-fat foods tend to be high in calories; you can may be able to reduce your calorie intake by choosing low-fat such as reduced fat milk and yogurt or lean proteins. However, you should aim for at least 20 percent of your calories coming from fat to reduce your risk of deficiencies in fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin E. Focus on limiting your unhealthy saturated and trans fats from fatty meats, cheeses and partially hydrogenated oils, while you get polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats from nutrient-dense sources such as nuts, vegetable oils and fatty fish.
Sugars
Sugars are carbohydrates that only provide 4 calories per gram, but may promote weight gain if you are eating certain kinds of sugars. Some foods are natural sources of sugars; these foods may actually help you prevent weight gain. For example, fruit contains a sugar called fructose, which is relatively low in calories, and milk and yogurt contain lactose, or milk sugar. In contrast, sugars that are added to foods are more likely to promote weight gain because they provide calories without other nutrients and tend to be in less filling foods such as sugary soft drinks, candy, baked sweets and processed snacks. Examples of added sugars include honey, white or brown sugar, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar and confectioner's sugar. You can read the list of ingredients on food packages to check for added sugars.
Starch
Starch is a nutrient that may cause you to gain weight even though it is a complex carbohydrate. A starch molecule consists of multiple sugar molecules that are linked together. Starch is found in white bread, crackers, pasta, cooked white rice and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and winter squash. Some kinds of starch are high-glycemic, which means that they cause your blood sugar levels to spike. Since your body digests them quickly, you might feel hungrier by the next meal and choose to eat more than if you had eaten a low-glycemic meal. This can eventually cause weight gain.
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