Eat more calories to gain weight. You must consume 3,500 calories to gain 1 lb. Technically, you could gain 1 lb. a day by eating at least that much. Follow sensible eating habits as described in My Food Pyramid, designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They recommend eating a varied diet of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, low- to non-fat dairy foods, legumes, nuts and unsaturated fats. Gain weight by consuming more calories per day, but watch salt, sugar and saturated fat consumption to avoid increasing your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and certain cancers.
Step 1
Eat breakfast every day. Many people who want to gain weight eat only lunch and dinner. To gain 1 lb. a day, you could eat five meals of 700 calories. Consuming a high-protein breakfast with complex carbohydrates and low-fat dairy gives you a solid start. For example, a 700-calorie breakfast may consist of a cup of oatmeal (300 calories), one large banana (100-150 calories), one cup of non-fat Greek-style yogurt (120 to 150 calories) and one quarter cup of almonds (100 calories.)
Step 2
Plan to eat several "mini meals" and snacks throughout the day to keep your blood sugar level and your calorie intake high.This is better than having two or three very large meals a day. Eating several small meals makes it easier for your body to digest and prevents binging. For example, a mini meal may consist of half a tuna sandwich, carrot sticks and half a cup of vegetable soup. If you cannot eat 700 calories five times a day, try to eat 600 calories five times a day and have two snacks of 250 calories each (such as two 5-inch chocolate chip cookies sweetened with fruit juice, not white sugar).
Step 3
Snack on nutrient-dense foods to add calories. A cup of non-fat Greek yogurt with a quarter cup of strawberries or sliced banana gives you a whopping 22 to 24 grams of protein and fiber. Or munch on low-salt crackers, low-fat cheese such as edam, cheddar or feta, and a few olives. Bake sweet potatoes, slice them and dredge them through hummus. Hot-air popcorn with olive oil and cayenne pepper has fiber and unsaturated fat and is about 45 calories per cup.
Step 4
Avoid saturated fats to reduce your risk for developing high blood pressure, heart disease or certain types of cancer. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature; beef, poultry, pork, butter and coconut fat are examples. The USDA recommends eating no more than 10 percent from saturated fats, so trim all visible fat from beef, poultry and chicken, eating mainly the lean meat. Instead, eat unsaturated fats such as olive, canola, flax seed, hemp seed and fish oils. Consume unsalted nuts of all kinds for heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
Tips and Warnings
- Gain weight by eating more calories than you do now. If you eat only 1500 calories a day, add another 500 calories from healthful foods. Consuming a tablespoon of olive, flax or hemp seed oil gives you 120 calories. Were you to add just two to three tablespoons a day (even by taking it directly), you would consume 360 more calories that are heart-healthy.
- Avoid binging on high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar fast foods or sodas. Were you to do that, you'd be consuming too much saturated fat, salt and sugar. Eating too much saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Eating too much salt can increase blood pressure. Eating too much sugar can damage teeth, leach valuable vitamins and add inches to the belly, creating the "apple shape" that is a warning signal for increased risk of cancer.
Things You'll Need
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Lean proteins: fish, poultry, beef with visible fat trimmed away
- Legumes
- Whole grains: brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats
- Unsaturated fats: olive, canola, flax seed, hemp seed, fish oils
- Low- and non-fat dairy foods
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