While most people want to lose weight, a few are trying to gain pounds. "Today's Dietitian" reports around 9 percent of the population is underweight. Your low weight could be caused by underlying medical conditions, medications or simply poor eating habits. If you are underweight, you may suffer from a weakened immune system, lack of energy, weak bones and decreased muscle strength. Discuss your weight gain strategy with your doctor before adding calories to your diet. Visiting your doctor will also rule out any potential illnesses that could be causing your low weight.
Healthy Snacks
Avoid junk foods high in fat, as they won't help you stay healthy. Instead, opt for foods full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Choose tasty, energy-dense snacks every two hours suggests "Today's Dietitian." These snacks include nuts, granola or yogurt. Add liquid nutritional supplement to boost your calories between meals. Create your own smoothies with milk and added yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit and a small amount of protein powder for an additional boost. Have a snack before bedtime, advises MayoClinic.com, such as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or an avocado and cheese sandwich.
Beverages
Adding calorie-rich beverages adds on the pounds. Stay away from drinks with empty calories, such as sodas, teas and coffee, advises MayoClinic.com. They have little nutritional value and may fill up your stomach during a mealtime; drink 30 minutes before or after a meal. Choose drinks such as milk, fruit juice or smoothies. Add nutritional liquid supplements to your diet. These are a good choice as a snack as they are loaded with not only calories, but also a variety of important vitamins and minerals.
Meals
Mealtime is critical and you should never skip meals if you're trying to gain weight. Eat all three meals and have moderate to large portions. According to Columbia University, each meal should contain between 500 and 700 calories. Avoid highly processed food loaded with sodium and fats. Instead, focus on whole-grain pastas, rice and bread. Have about five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Lean meats are a healthy choice. Not every meal must contain red meat, even when you're trying to gain weight. Focus on poultry, seafood and tofu for rich sources of protein that are low in unhealthy saturated fats.
Additional Weight Gain Tips
Make a meal plan and discuss it with your doctor. Write down exactly what you are eating, including portion size and calorie count to track your progress. Similar to weight loss, gaining pounds is a slow process. Gaining 1 to 2 lbs. per week is a healthy goal when attempting to gain weight, suggests "Today's Dietitian." You can usually do this by adding 500 to 1,000 calories to your diet each day.
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