Whether you are looking to gain weight for increased bulk and muscle mass or to build a curvaceous figure, it is important to focus on healthy nutrition instead of high fat fast foods. Plenty of foods will pack on the pounds, but not all pounds are created equal. Just packing on extra fat pounds is not heart healthy. Numerous inexpensive nutritional foods are available to help you gain weight and stay healthy.
Calorie Need
Calculate your calorie need as a guideline to plan your daily meals. You need to eat more calories than you burn in order to gain weight. One pound equals 3,500 calories. Your body's metabolic rate determines how many calories you burn during the day. You must eat more than your daily metabolic rate in order to gain weight. Online calorie calculators such as the one available on the MayoClinic.com, listed in the resources section, will give you this base number. If you add an extra 500 calories per day, you will gain one pound in a week.
Carbohydrates
Nutrient rich carbohydrates are loaded with calories and an essential part of a balanced diet. A large selection of inexpensive carbohydrate food choices is available at most local food stores. Whole grains are good for you and loaded with calories. As of 2011, oatmeal costs around $3 per 1 lb. bag, whole grain pastas cost from 69 cents to $4 per pound, cereals around $2 per box and whole grain breads from $1 to $5.
Protein
Meat is good for building muscle especially if you are working out while gaining weight. Meat provides a high calorie meal, but stay away from saturated fats as they can put you at risk for heart disease. Inexpensive sources of protein include lean ground beef, turkey and pork. The range of price for ground meat is from $1.63 to $3.25 depending on the variety or meat.
Healthy Fats & Oils
One third of your daily calories come from fats. Good sources of healthy fats with include olive oil; peanut butter costs around $1.25 jar, nuts have around 280 calories per ½ cup, seeds and avocados. Many brands of inexpensive olive oil are available around $1 to $5. Peanut butter is not only loaded with calories, 100 per tablespoon, but also loaded with antioxidants that lower your risk for chronic degenerative diseases. Some nuts such as peanuts are inexpensive, but many other nuts can be expensive. Shop around and buy nuts in bulk to get the lowest price.
Combining Foods
Some ideas for adding extra calories in your day include eating more snacks during the day. A good high calorie snack is peanut butter on crackers. It is inexpensive, easy to make and can be easily packed into a lunch. Top off salads and soups with sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Seeds add a flavor boost to your meal along with the extra calories. Drink smoothies or shakes instead of sodas. This is healthier and has more calories than soda. Smoothies are cheap if you make them at home. Just get some unflavored yogurt, frozen fruit, milk and ice to make a frozen smoothie afternoon snack. Adding frozen fruit to oatmeal, cereal or shakes is another way to add extra calories without a lot of cost.
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