Gaining weight in a healthy manner can be difficult. To gain 1 to 2 lbs. a week, you have to consume 500 to 1,000 more calories than needed for weight maintenance. To reduce risk of chronic health problems, it is important to gain weight from healthy food choices. Compared to consuming large amounts of calories from sugary, high-fat and overly processed foods and beverages, choosing healthy foods that will lead to weight gain can be a challenging task.
Step 1
Eat three meals and two to three snacks daily. Try eating a snack between each meal and before bed at night, or every one to two hours. Skipping meals is detrimental when trying to gain weight, so plan ahead and always have snacks available. Handy, high-calorie snack ideas include trail mixes, dried fruit, yogurt with fruit and granola and nuts.
Step 2
Increase portions at each meal time. If you can, have second and third servings. Keep a journal of foods and beverages you eat, along with portions, to help track calorie totals.
Step 3
Add high-calorie, healthy ingredients to your meals. Spruce up cold cereal by adding extra calories from granola, dried fruits, honey and/or nuts. Cereals such as granola, shredded wheat and muesli contain 200 calories per cup. For hot cereals, always cook with 2 percent milk. Add dry, powdered milk, margarine, protein powder or peanut butter for extra calories from healthy fats. Choose breads that contain at least 100 calories per slice.
Step 4
Drink real fruit juice, milk, hot chocolate, eggnog and sports drinks for extra calories, instead of water and sugar-free beverages. Use a blender to make milkshakes and smoothies with yogurt, frozen fruit, banana, dry milk powder, honey and protein powder.
Step 5
Incorporate extra calories into salads and soups. Salads taste great with added beans, peas, raisins, cottage cheese, nuts, croutons, deli meat, cheeses, granola and sunflower seeds. Use salad dressings that are made from healthy oils such as olive oil or canola oil. Soups made with lots of lentils, peas, meat and beans will contain more calories than vegetable-based soups. Cream based soups and soups made with milk instead of water will also contribute more calories than broth-based soups.
Step 6
Focus on starchy vegetables, such as peas, corn and potatoes, which contain up to three times as many calories as other non-starchy vegetables. Add these vegetables to casseroles, stir-fry, soups and salads.
Step 7
Add calories to foods whenever possible. You can add dry powdered milk or unflavored protein powder to many foods, including mashed potatoes, ground meats, casseroles, cereals and creamy soups. Casseroles and ground meat dishes can also be made with extra eggs to increase calories. Use peanut butter on crackers, vegetables and fruit. Add butter, sour cream, cream cheese, and/or cheese on vegetables, rice, pasta, bagels and bread.
Step 8
Indulge in desserts that are tasty and nutritious. Try granola bars, frozen yogurt or fruit- or vegetable-based cakes, pies, cookies and muffins. Incorporate nuts and dried fruits into favorite recipes or as an added topping.
Things You'll Need
- Journal
- Scale
References
- Mayo Clinic: Underweight? See How to Add Pounds Healthfully
- "Advanced Nutrition: Macronutrients: 2nd Edition;" Carolyn D. Berdanier; 2000.
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