If you are underweight, you need to eat more calories than you burn to gain weight and improve your health and appearance. While the average person needs 2,000 to 2,500 calories daily, an underweight person benefits from 3,000 or more calories per day. Processed foods, sweets and fast food may be calorie-dense, but they do not offer the nutrients you need to start looking and feeling your best.
Calorie Needs
Discuss with your health care provider how much weight you need to gain to achieve a healthy weight. The amount of calories you need for your high-calorie diet depends on your weight goals, activity level, age, gender and size. An online calculator can help you estimate the number of calories you burn daily. If you add 500 calories to your daily burn rate, you should put on 1 lb. per week; add 1,000 more calories daily to gain 2 lbs. per week. While a 2-lb. per week gain might get you to your goal faster, it can also be a challenge to consume 1,000 additional calories per day.
Grains and Protein
Choose calorie-dense, but healthy, options from all the major food groups. Opt for dense whole grain breads, granola and pasta for your grain servings -- avoiding refined white bread, airy puffed cereals and white pasta and rice. Go for lean proteins, such as beans, chicken or turkey breast, extra lean beef and white fish, as well as fatty fish. Fatty cuts of meat and dark-meat poultry may contain more calories, but usually are high in artery-clogging saturated fat.
Produce, Dairy and Fats
While leafy greens and watery vegetables are nutritious, they tend to be low in calories so augment them with heart-healthy olive oil salad dressings. Starchy vegetables, such as peas, sweet potatoes, winter squash and corn also boost calorie intake. Dried fruit contains concentrated nutrients and more calories per serving than fresh. Your doctor may recommend full-fat dairy products as a way to increase calories nutritiously. You want to limit saturated and trans fats to protect your cholesterol levels, but unsaturated fats found in nuts, plant oils and avocados are a concentrated source of calories that do not contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.
Approach
Spreading your calories out over several meals can help you manage your calorie intake and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Never skip meals. You might try drinking calories between meals as well -- milk, 100 percent juice and smoothies offer calories with less bulk than whole food. Skip drinks with meals, however, as they can make you feel full and prevent you from eating all you should to support your weight gain goals.
Sample Plan
A high-calorie meal plan with 3,500 calories consists of five meals containing 500 to 800 calories each. For breakfast, have 1 1/2 cups of cooked hot cereal with 8 oz. of low-fat milk, 1/4 cup of raisins, 2 medjool dates and 1 oz. of toasted walnuts. Mid-morning, snack on 1/2 cup of trail mix with a large banana and a cup of plain yogurt. At lunch, opt for a burrito made on a 12-inch whole-grain tortilla and filled with 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1/2 cup of black beans, 1 cup of roasted chicken breast, 1/2 of a sliced avocado and 1/4 cup of salsa. Mid-afternoon, blend a smoothie with 2 tbsp. of almond butter, 1 cup low-fat milk, 1/4 cup dry milk powder and 1 cup of strawberries. For dinner, broil 5 oz. of salmon and have with 2 whole grain rolls, a large baked sweet potato and a green salad dressed with lemon juice and 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
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