The need to gain weight can come from a genetic predisposition towards being underweight, an illness, certain medications or other medical reasons, according to a publication from the University of North Texas. Helping your husband gain weight involves careful meal planning, healthy, higher calorie food selection and encouragement. As your husband gains weight, using healthy cooking techniques and menu planning can help him maintain his newly gained weight.
Weight Gain Process
Just as losing weight requires a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories, which is equal to 1 lb. of body fat, gaining weight requires a 3,500 calorie surplus. A healthy rate of weight gain for your husband is about 1 to 2 lbs. per week, according to registered dietitian Joanne Larsen. Analyze your husband's current diet to determine how many calories he is currently consuming. Add between 500 to 1,000 calories to his diet each day to help him gain up to 2 lbs. per week. As he gains weight by eating whole foods, he will tend to gain muscle rather than fat.
Healthy Calories
Foods high in calories can help your husband gain weight; however, feeding him high-calorie desserts or offering him potato chips and fast food will not help improve his nutritional status. Instead, focus on adding larger quantities of healthy food into his diet ,so he can gain weight and not increase his risk of developing high triglycerides, high blood pressure or increasing his risk of cardiovascular disease through eating an unhealthy diet. If he needs 3,000 calories a day to gain weight, allow 500 to 600 calories for snacks, and about 800 calories each for his three main meals.
Meals
To gain weight, your husband will need to eat larger quantities of food. To help him avoid feeling uncomfortably full, serve him higher calorie foods rather than large quantities of low calorie foods such as lettuce. For breakfast, shredded wheat or bran cereals are higher in calories than puffed rice cereals, 2 percent milk has more calories than skim milk, and thick, whole-wheat toast has more calories than white bread. For lunch, a 1 cup bowl of chicken and rice soup contains 60 calories, while a 1 cup bowl of chili with beans has 269 calories. Use dense bread for sandwiches, and add peanut butter, 6 oz. of chicken or turkey, or a large hamburger patty made with lean rather than extra lean ground beef. Serve him 1 1/2 cups of whole-grain pasta with a white or red sauce with cooked ground beef. Give him full-fat salad dressings for green salads instead of low-calorie versions.
Snack Ideas
Regular snacking can help your husband consume enough calories to gain weight, particularly if he finds it difficult to consume his calories in just three meals. Dried fruit, which has a higher calorie concentration than fresh, is a healthy, high calorie choice. Other snack options are whole-milk yogurt, nuts, seeds, bean dips, granola and higher calorie fruits such as avocados. Whole-grain crackers with almond butter or sharp cheddar cheese are also healthy, higher calorie snacks.
Beverage Calories
Adding calories through healthy beverages is an easy strategy to help your husband consume enough calories throughout the day. Add milk to his lunch meal, offer him a cup of 100-percent fruit juice in the morning or prepare him an after-dinner protein smoothie for a high-calorie snack. Avoid serving him colas, as the sugar in these drinks is unnecessary.
References
- University of North Texas: Wanting to Gain Weight
- Ask the Dietitian; Underweight; Joanne Larsen, R.D.
- American Heart Association; Triglycerides: Frequently Asked Questions; April 2011
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17: Energy
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Weight Gain Tips for Athletes; Linda Houtkooper; February 2006
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