Being underweight can cause a myriad of health and social problems. Underweight people may get sick more often. Underweight women experience irregular periods or infertility. Underweight children may fail to hit growth targets and be teased because of their size. Underweight elderly are more susceptible to falling and are more likely to have trouble performing day-to-day activities. Underweight men may suffer from low self-esteem. In some cases, you may need professional guidance to devise a diet to gain weight, but larger portion sizes and higher-calorie foods can help.
Features
A diet for an underweight person should at least include the standard three meals per day. In addition, you should plan to eat three to four substantial snacks. Rather than turn to junk foods for your calories, stick to healthy foods that are naturally high in calories, such as grains, plant oils, nuts, seeds, starchy vegetables and dried fruits. Some healthcare providers will recommend consuming full-fat dairy and adding calorie-boosters such as wheat germ, dry milk powder and cheese to your foods.
Calorie Requirements
Adding calories daily can help you gain weight. You must increase your calorie consumption above what you burn daily -- an increase of 500 calories per day should yield a 1-lb. gain per week. Diets ranging from 2,500 to 6,000 calories may be required, depending on your age, sex and activity level. You can add calories by increasing portion sizes and by choosing higher-calorie foods. For example, choose granola instead of flaked cereal at breakfast, chowder or chili instead of broth-based soup at lunch, and opt for dense whole-grain bread over white versions at dinner.
Meal Suggestions
The amount you need to serve yourself at meals depends on how many calories you require daily. For a 4,000-calorie diet, for example, you would aim to eat about 850 calories at each meal. An 850-calorie breakfast might include two slices of whole wheat toast with 2 tbsp. of peanut butter, a 3-egg omelet with 1½ oz. of cheddar cheese and sautéed vegetables, and 12 oz. of orange juice. For lunch, you could have 2 cups of lean turkey chili topped with 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella. On the side, have 1/2 of an avocado mashed with lime juice and garlic and one serving of baked tortilla chips. An 850-calorie dinner might include 5 oz. of grilled salmon, a large baked sweet potato, 3 cups of green salad tossed with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and two whole wheat rolls.
Snacks
The size of your snacks depends on your calorie target, but for the sample 4,000-calorie diet, aim to eat about 480 calories at each of three sittings. Make these calories come from foods such as nuts, trail mix, dried fruit, granola, lean meats, whole grains, nut butters, yogurt, milk and bean dips. Examples of 480-calorie snacks include 3 oz. of chicken on two slices of whole wheat bread with sliced tomato and 1½ oz. of pretzels; a smoothie made with 1 cup low-fat milk, 1 cup blueberries, 1 scoop whey protein powder, ½ tbsp. of flax seed oil and 1 large banana; or 1½ oz. of toasted almonds mixed with 1/2 cup of raisins.
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