Healthy Foods That Can Help You To Gain Weight
If you want to gain weight healthily, opt for nutrient-dense foods and beverages, like nuts, dried fruit, high-fat dairy products, meat, and shakes.
Why is gaining weight important?
Many people in the United States are underweight. Trusted Sour.
Some individuals may be naturally underweight due to genetics or a fast metabolism. Being underweight may also indicate poor nutrition or underlying health conditions Trusted Source.
Additionally, many people who are not clinically underweight may still want to gain muscle and put on weight for other reasons.
Whether you’re underweight or attempting to gain muscle weight.
Different strategies for gaining weight
Whatever your reasons are for wanting to gain weight, there are a variety of strategies you can use to bulk up.
Below, we’ve outlined several ways to help you gain weight.
Increase your caloric intake
The most important thing you can do to gain weight is to create a calorie surplus, meaning you eat more calories than your body needs
Adequate consumption of high-quality proteins from animal products is essential for optimal growth, development, and human health.
Increase your intake of carbs and fat
Many people try restricting either carbs or fat when trying to lose weight.
This may make it hard to gain weight,it will make it harder to get in enough calories.
Eat plenty of high-carb and high-fat foods if weight gain is a priority for you. It is best to eat plenty of protein, fat, and carbs at each meal.
You may want to avoid eating plans such as intermittent fasting. This eating plan can be useful for weight loss and other benefits but can make it much harder to eat enough calories to gain weight.
Tips for gaining weight safely and things to avoid
While obesity is becoming a significant public health risk, being underweight can also cause health problems. However, there are still many misunderstandings about the correct methods for putting on weight safely.
Some methods of gaining weight can have severe short- and long-term effects on health. This poses a challenge for people needing to gain weight and for those who are at a healthy weight but wish to build muscle.
This article provides tips for gaining weight safely and healthily, including what to avoid while trying to put on weight.
Eat Right Before Going to Bed
When you’re trying to lose weight, one of the most important pieces of advice is not to eat right before bedtime. But when trying to gain weight in a healthy manner it is advised that you eat right before bedtime.
A lot of repair and regeneration of the body happens when you’re sleeping. It is the time for building muscles and lean tissues. Thus, eating a healthy snack right before bedtime will give the body the required nutrients.
Eat three to five meals a day
Eating at least three meals a day can make it easier to increase calorie intake. Snacking between meals can also help to increase the number of calories in the diet.
Eat enough protein
A diet with the right amount of protein will support muscle growth. In combination with regular weight training, consuming 0.8–2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight will increase a person’s muscle mass. This is essential to healthy weight gain.
Foods high in protein include eggs, meats, fish, nuts, and legumes.
Dried fruits
Dried fruits contain fructose, which is a sugar in fruit. They are useful as a natural sweetener and a way of increasing the calorie content of meals.
For example, people can sweeten cereals or oatmeal with dates, add dried apricots to yogurt, or blend dried fruits in a smoothie. Some dried fruits also work well in salads and certain cooked meals, such as tagines.
Rice
Rice is high in carbohydrates. For example, uncooked brown rice provides 76.7 grams (g) of Trusted Source in a 100-g serving. This type of rice is higher in protein than some other types of rice. A 100-g portion also contains 368 calories.
Eggs
Eggs are high in protein and healthy fat. They are also rich in choline, a nutrient that is a vital source of brain health and plays an important role in fetal development.
Eat Nutrient Foods
When finding the answer to how to gain weight, it is essential that you store some extra nutrition. The best way to do this without eating junk food or eating large quantities of food is by eating nutrient-dense foods.
Pick nutrient-rich, healthy foods to gain weight that are a powerhouse of carbohydrates, proteins, or fats in a small serving. Dry foods are one of the best choices for nutrient-dense foods. When there is no water, the portion shrinks by 75%. Try to eat dry fruits with no added sugar or preservatives to gain weight fast.
Protein
Adequate protein intake is important for everyone, as it helps with muscle growth and maintenance. Some good sources include:
Yogurt
A person can flavor yogurt naturally by adding honey, fruit, nuts, or unsweetened cocoa powder.
Milk
Milk is a calorie-dense food that is rich in calcium, carbohydrates, and protein. A cup of 2%-fat milk provides about 122 caloriesTrusted Source.
The protein content of milk makes it a good choice for people trying to build muscle, while the calcium makes it useful for people who are concerned about bone density or osteoporosis.
Nuts and seeds
Many nuts and seeds are good sources of unsaturated fat, and they also provide plenty of calories. For example, just 20 g of almond butter provides 129 caloriesTrusted Source, as well as calcium and magnesium.
Healthy food to gain weight
If you’re trying to gain weight eating foods that are healthy and high in energy will not only help you to put on weight but will also give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to work properly. Foods high in protein and natural fats support the body’s natural repair and build functions, helping you to grow muscle and put on weight.
Reaching for cakes, biscuits, crisps or sugary drinks may make you gain weight quickly but in doing so you could be harming your health and increasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Instead aim to eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day, choosing from the main food groups – fruits and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, dairy or dairy alternatives, and protein.
Planning your meals in advance will help you to track the amount of calories you are consuming as well as make sure you are enjoying a varied diet. You could get the whole family involved with everything from planning a weekly menu to preparing healthy snacks.
Foods That May Contribute to Weight Gain
Soda. Soda is high in calories and added sugar, yet it lacks important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants ( 1 ). ...
Sugar-sweetened coffee. ...
Ice cream. ...
Pizza. ...
Cookies and doughnuts. ...
French fries and potato chips. ...
Sugary breakfast cereals. ...
Exercises to gain weight for females and males
Bench press
For this exercise, you’ll need a flat bench to lie on and a weighted bar. Don’t overload the bar, though, because you can injure yourself.
Bench presses help build shoulder, tricep, and chest muscles. This is a good exercise for bulking up. The more weight you can bench, the more muscle you’ll build.
You may want to perform this exercise with the help of a spotter for safety.
Lie on your back on the bench. If the bench has a rack for the bar, face the bar. If there’s no rack, hold the bar carefully and slowly lie backward on the bench until you’re comfortable.
If there’s a rack, grab the bar with both hands, including your thumbs. Feel free to spread your fingers a bit.
Extend your arms to take the bar out of the rack.
Slowly lower your arms to bring the bar down to your chest.
Slowly straighten your arms and raise the bar back toward the rack. If there’s no rack, make sure you have the strength to sit back up after you’re done.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 as many times as you feel comfortable.
Push-Ups
Lie down on your stomach.
Put your hands on the ground – palms flat and facing downward, and elbows bent and shoulder-width apart.
Place your toes on the ground.
Align your legs, feet, and back.
Slowly push your entire body up off the ground with your hands. Stretch your arms completely. Your entire body should be off the ground, supported by your hands and toes.
Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows. No part of your body should touch the ground except your hands and toes.
Do 15 reps or as many as you can as per your comfort.
Squats
About: if you are looking for the best weight gain exercise, this is the one for you. Squats are highly beneficial for your lower body muscle strength.
How To Do It:
-Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
-Push your hips down in an action similar to sitting on a chair.
-Reach as far below as you can.
-Return to the initial position.
-Repeat
Lunges
About: if you are looking forward to gaining weight, then lunges will be highly beneficial for you in bulking up your thighs and hip muscles.
How To Do It:
-Stand straight.
-Step forward with and lower your body till the point your leg makes a 90-degree angle and your thigh is parallel to the floor.
-Push yourself up to go back to the initial position.
-Repeat with the other leg.
-Repeat.
What Exercises To Avoid When Trying To Gain Weight?
In the previous section, we have discussed in detail, the weight gain exercise for beginners and advanced bodybuilders. We identify that the exercises that are best for weight gain are strength training or resistance training exercises. There are also certain exercises that will not really be beneficial for you if you wish to gain weight. Cardio and aerobics are exercises that are known to be beneficial for burning fat and toning your muscles. If your goal is to gain weight, you must either avoid these or do them in moderation.
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