To gain one pound of weight you need an extra 3,500 extra calories per day. In order to gain weight, consuming more than the amount of calories burned during resting metabolism and other daily activities is necessary. Adding high-calorie foods to each meal and having between-meal snacks can boost weight gain. While increasing caloric intake is vital, it is also important to avoid potentially harmful fat and excess sugar.
High Calorie Basics
According to the Student Nutrition Action Committee at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), to gain weight, a high calorie diet should include vitamin-rich dried fruit, starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams, dense whole grain breads and cereals and nuts.
UCLA suggests substituting low-quality white bread with nutritious oat bran, whole wheat, pumpernickel or rye bread. Eat thick slices with high calorie toppings.
Dried fruits contain more calories per ounce than fresh fruit because the zero-calorie water has been removed. Eat dates, prunes, dried apples, apricots, pineapple and raisins.
Starchy vegetables have more calories than water-based cruciferous vegetables. Eat plenty of potatoes, squash, carrots, peas and corn to get a high amount of calories with nutritional benefits.
Choose dense cereals instead of flakes or puffs. Dense cereals include Grape-Nuts, granola, muesli and oatmeal. Use milk instead of water when making hot cereal.
Nuts and seeds are high in calories. Choose nutritional nuts like almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds and peanuts.
Top low-calorie lettuce with high calorie toppings like kidney beans, chopped egg, bacon, nuts and croutons. Use an oil-and-vinegar dressing for high calories without the high saturated fats found in creamy dressings.
High Calorie Snacks
UCLA suggests adding at least two high calorie snacks each day. Nutritious high calories snacks include sports or energy bars, bagels, crackers, nuts and seeds, pretzels, dried fruits and cereals. Nutritious energy drinks are also good sources of high calorie, nutrient-dense snacks.
Sports or energy bars containing nuts and dried fruit are a good choice, as are bagels. Add cream cheese or peanut butter to bagels for added vitamins, minerals and calories.
Whole grain crackers can be topped with a number of high calories choices such as cheese, peanut butter, hummus or liverwurst.
Whole grain cereals with whole or low-fat milk are an excellent choice for high calorie snacks. Add fresh or dried fruit to increase the calories.
High Calorie Add-Ins
Add-ins can boost the calories in any meal. For example, spread jam, peanut butter, honey, cream cheese or humus on bread and bagels.
Add nuts and dried fruit to cold cereal or mix peanut butter and jelly into hot cereal.
Incorporate avocados, olive oil, low-fat cheese, low-fat sour cream and trans-fat free margarine to foods. These healthy fats add calories without contributing to high levels of cholesterol.
Add a few tablespoons of lemonade mix to plain drinking water and add Ovaltine or other chocolate drink mixes to milk. Add cream and sugar to coffee. Drink lots of juices, protein drinks and milkshakes.
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