Being underweight can affect a teen's health and psyche. If your doctor has determined that you need to gain weight, you want to adopt healthy strategies that improve your appearance and your energy levels. Gaining weight requires special attention to your diet, including the content and consistency of meals.
Calories
To gain weight, you need to create a calorie surplus, meaning you eat more calories than you burn. A healthy, achievable rate of gain is 1 to 2 lbs. per week. A pound is equal to 3,500 calories, so you should eat 500 to 1,000 calories more than you burn daily to meet this rate. Your doctor can help you determine how much weight you need to gain and for how long you need to follow a higher-calorie diet.
Food Choices
To gain weight you want to choose foods that offer a lot of calories per serving. While junk foods, candy, cookies, snack crackers, ice cream, chips and fast food taste good and contain a lot of calories, they also offer little nutrition. Instead, choose healthy high-calorie foods such as nuts, dried fruit, full-fat milk, olive oil and yogurt. You should eat these foods in addition to proteins, such as eggs, chicken breast, extra lean meat and beans; whole grains, such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread and low-sugar, whole-wheat cereal and pasta; and fruits and vegetables.
Exercise
While it may seem like you want to burn fewer calories to help you gain weight, moderate physical activity can actually help support your efforts. Exercising regularly, for example taking a walk, can help make you feel hungrier. Strength-based exercise also encourages your body to build muscle mass, which can help teen boys and girls look and feel healthier. Consult a personal trainer or coach for an exercise program appropriate for your age and capabilities.
Strategies
To sneak more calories into your day, choose milk or 100 percent juice over water or diet sodas. Pack snacks in your backpack -- such as cheese sticks, trail mix or raisins -- so you never miss a meal. Start every day with breakfast, which can give you a jump start on your daily calorie needs. You can also add calories to your existing meals without having to include huge serving sizes. Try stirring peanut butter in oatmeal or smoothies, add nuts to cereal and salads or toss pasta in olive oil before adding sauce.
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