While weight loss garners a lot of media attention, as much as 9 percent of the population needs to gain weight to improve health and daily function. A healthy, high-calorie diet is an optimal way to gain weight as it provides essential nutrients that support improved energy, hormone production and muscle development. Healthy diets to gain weight generally consist of generous meals and multiple snacks.
Calorie Needs
Gaining weight requires you to eat more calories than you burn. The number of calories you burn is quite individual, depending on your age, activity level and size. An online calculator can help you determine your calorie needs for weight gain, but for most people, a diet ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 calories will result in a healthy 1- to 2-lb. weight gain per week.
Vegetarian
A vegetarian diet is generally healthy and lower in calories than many meat-containing plans. Use naturally high-calorie, plant-based foods to gain weight healthfully on a 4,000-calorie plan. Start with a breakfast of a whole-grain bagel topped with 2 tbsp. of peanut butter and a sliced banana; drink 12 oz. of 2 percent milk as well. Mid-morning, have 2 oz. of cashews mixed into a cup of low-fat cottage cheese. At lunch, mix a salad with 1 cup of cooked quinoa, half of a cubed avocado, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 1 cup thinly sliced kale, 1 shredded carrot and 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber. Mid-afternoon, snack on 1/2 cup of raisins with a serving of dry, whole-grain cereal. For dinner, make a lentil stew by cooking 1/2 cup of dry lentils with chopped carrot, celery and herbs. Serve with 1 cup of brown rice and 2 cups of vegetables roasted with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Before bed, have a cup of granola with 2 percent milk.
Gluten-Free
People with celiac disease are often underweight because their intolerance to gluten causes malabsorption of nutrients, diarrhea and poor appetite. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. A gluten-free, weight-gain diet could begin with pancakes made with gluten-free baking mix topped with 1 tbsp. of agave nectar, sliced banana and toasted almonds. For a mid-morning snack, have 1/2 cup of homemade trail mix consisting of raisins, sunflower seeds, unsalted peanuts and chopped dried apricots. At lunch, boil 4 oz. of rice pasta and toss with 5 oz. of grilled chicken and 1 cup of marinara sauce. Have a large green salad on the side and dress with a mix of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Boost calories in the afternoon by whipping up a smoothie consisting of a banana, 1 cup of frozen berries, 1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt and 1 tbsp. of flaxseed oil. At dinner, have 5 oz. of lean, broiled sirloin with 2 cups of brown rice, a small baked potato topped with low-fat yogurt and 2 cups of broccoli sautéed in 1 tbsp. olive oil. Before bed, have a cup of rice pudding with sliced strawberries.
Low-Volume
You can gain weight with healthy foods, even if you have a light appetite. Adding calories with heart-healthy fats can help boost calories without having to dramatically increase meal volume. A 3,000-calorie meal plan begins with a breakfast of 1 cup of oatmeal cooked in 2 percent milk and topped with 1 oz. toasted walnuts and 1/4 cup of raisins. Mid-morning, have a snack of three medjool dates and 1/2 cup of granola mixed into 1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt. For lunch, have 1/2 cup of brown rice topped with 1/2 cup of black beans, half of a whole avocado, 1 oz. of cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp. of light sour cream and a whole-wheat tortilla. In the afternoon, have a sprouted-grain English muffin with 2 tbsp. of almond butter and a banana. For dinner, broil 4 oz. of salmon and eat with 1 cup of mashed sweet potato and 1/2 cup of peas tossed with 2 tsp. olive oil and fresh dill. Before bed, have two sheets of graham crackers with a cup of 2 percent milk.
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