The weight gain diet is an eating plan that emphasizes gradual weight gain while eating healthy foods. If you wish to gain weight, you should first speak to your doctor. He will want to monitor your weight to make sure it stays within a healthy range.
Calorie Needs
You need to consume an extra 500 calories per day to gain weight. This figure will allow you to gain an average of one to two pounds a week. If you can't seem to put on weight by increasing your caloric intake by 500 calories a day, you can try to eat 700 more calories daily.
Types
Use healthy fat sources to pack on the pounds. Healthy fats will not adversely affect your cholesterol levels and are considered heart healthy. Some examples of healthy fats include olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nuts. Other foods with a high amount of healthy fat that can help you pack on the pounds are peanut butter, honey and jam. You can add these to breads to add more calories to the meal. Other extras that you can add to foods to increase calories to gain weight include wheat germ, milk powder and soy protein powder.
More Foods
Complex carbohydrates and protein foods can also help you put on weight. The proteins that you consume should be lean and consist of items such as chicken, turkey, eggs and fish. Complex carbs that may help you gain weight include wheat breads, fortified cereals, oatmeal, brown rice and beans. You can get a lot of calories from eating dense whole grains, such as rye bread, pumpernickel, whole grain crackers and multigrain bread. Include fruits and vegetables when you are trying to gain weight. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, squash and corn can add calories to your diet. Higher calorie fruits are apples, bananas, grapes, guava and pears. Dried fruits will pack more calories than fresh versions.
Considerations
Changing the way that you eat is also a part of the weight gain diet. Eat more frequently . Make sure you don't skip meals. Your snacks can include nuts, seeds and protein bars. Trail mixes are also a good snack item to help you gain weight. Increase your portion sizes as well to get in more calories.
Warning
Do not binge on fast food or junk food. Although you may pack on the pounds, you will be at risk for medical problems such as heart disease and diabetes. Avoid fried foods, fast-food entrees, candy, cookies, cakes and chips.
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