You're in the minority if you want to gain weight and put on body fat. Since there are few other people facing your predicament, there aren't as many resources to consult. It's simple to follow a diet that's high in fat and calories, but to gain weight and add fat in a healthy way, limit the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat grams that you eat. Focus on healthy, monounsaturated fats and natural, calorie-dense foods.
Nuts
Keep your kitchen stocked with nuts and nut butters, which are high in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. Health News recommends snacking on nuts and nut butters throughout the week to add extra calories to your usual intake. Try spreading peanut butter on crackers or toast, sprinkling nuts on cereal, or eating a handful of nuts as a between-meals snack.
Cheese
Add calories, fat and protein to your meals with a bit of extra cheese. Some cheeses are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, however, so keep your choices healthy. The University of California--Los Angeles recommends serving low-fat cheeses with a variety of other foods, such as crackers or vegetables. You can sprinkle cheese on salads, melt it and make it into a sauce, or bake it into casseroles.
Dairy
Use 2 percent milk or whole milk instead of skim or 1 percent. These milk varieties boost your daily amount of fat and still offer valuable protein, vitamins and calcium. Add dry milk powder to casseroles, smoothies, or shakes for more calories and fat. You can also choose whole-milk yogurt or cottage cheese to serve with fruit and salads.
Fruit
Eat dried fruits as a snack, or use them as a condiment. Dried fruits and avocados, which are technically a stone fruit, offer high amounts of calories and fat per serving. They're also very nutritious, so they'll give you the vitamins and minerals you need to healthfully increase your total amount of body fat.
Dessert
Have a treat to top off your meal or perk you up between meals. Since most desserts offer more fat and calories than traditional snacks, you'll almost certainly gain some body fat if you get into the habit of eating them regularly. The Mayo Clinic recommends choosing desserts that also offer some nutritional value, such as bran muffins, sweet granola bars, and fruit pies or tarts. "Healthy" desserts such as these will help you gain weight while still keeping your risk for high cholesterol and heart disease relatively low.
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