Ever-rising obesity rates have made weight reduction a widespread priority, but some people would rather pack on the pounds than lose them. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults with a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5 are clinically underweight; such individuals may want to gain body mass for health and aesthetic reasons. Although certain weight-gain drinks and supplements claim to bulk up your frame, choosing a natural approach can be safer and less expensive. Making several dietary and lifestyle adjustments will help you healthfully raise the numbers on the scale.
Step 1
Increase your intake of healthy, high-calorie foods such as peanut butter, avocados, hearty bean soups, dried fruit, nuts, eggs, lean meat, potatoes, bagels and pasta. Gaining weight requires consuming more calories than you expend, so filling your menu with calorie-rich items will help you boost your total energy intake.
Step 2
Choose cooking and preparation methods that add extra calories to your food. The University of Michigan Health System recommends sautéing vegetables and meat in healthy oils, such as canola or olive oils, and drizzling generous amounts of dressing over salads. Other ways to increase the calorie content of your food include making soups with milk instead of water, adding powdered milk to mashed potatoes and topping breakfast cereals with nuts or dried fruit.
Step 3
Snack on healthy foods between meals and before bed. Energy-dense fare such as yogurt with cereal, trail mix, granola bars, cheese and crackers and vegetables dipped in ranch dressing can easily squeeze additional calories into your daily menu, which will help you gain weight.
Step 4
Consume calorie-filled beverages instead of water or other non-caloric drinks. According to the McKinley Health Center, drinking milk, smoothies and fruit juices such as grape, cranberry, orange and apple will pad your diet with extra calories. Adding cream to coffee and honey to tea can help transform these low-calorie beverages into drinks more suitable for weight gain.
Step 5
Eat dessert after dinner. Although most dessert items are not healthful in large quantities, indulging in a daily slice of cake, a scoop of ice cream, a piece of pie or another dessert of your choice is a safe way to add extra calories to your menu and facilitate weight gain.
Step 6
Participate in muscle-building exercises at least twice per week. Resistance training activities using dumbbells, barbells, exercise machines or your own body weight can help build lean muscle mass, which increases your weight. Even if you don't have access to fitness equipment, you can do crunches, push-ups and lunges at home.
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