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Foods for Gaining the Right Kind of Weight

Underweight individuals often struggle with similar diet issues as overweight people. Gaining weight can be challenging for people with fast metabolisms or certain medical conditions. Most underweight people should try to gain muscle mass rather than additional fat deposits. Choosing the correct type of foods helps you gain weight in a safe, healthy manner. Discuss your diet plans with your physician before trying to gain weight.

  1. Calorie Calculations

    • To gain weight, you must consume more calories than your body utilizes each day. Use a calorie calculator to estimate your daily caloric needs. To gain 2 pounds each week, add 1,000 calories per day to this estimate. Although this net caloric surplus can come from dietary changes or exercise, focusing on your diet allows you to maintain an exercise routine for its health benefits. Consider using an online journal such as My Pyramid Tracker to monitor your daily food intake and physical activity.

    Whole Grains

    • Carbohydrates provide your body with fuel to keep your energy level high throughout the day. Eating whole-grain foods boosts your energy and helps you gain weight. Aim to eat at least 6 oz. of grains each day, with 3 oz. coming from whole-grain sources. Choose a variety of whole-grain foods, such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, whole-grain pasta or whole-grain cereals.

    Healthy Fats

    • Fat is a more energy-dense molecule than carbohydrates or proteins, meaning that there are more calories per gram of fat. Increasing your intake of saturated or trans fats may increase your cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular disease. To gain weight in a healthy way, boost your consumption of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. To increase your intake of these healthy fats, cook with olive oil, eat oily fish, snack on nuts or sunflower seeds, eat avocados or take fish oil supplements.

    Lean Protein

    • Increasing your consumption of lean protein helps you gain lean muscle mass. Avoid eating large portions of red meat, which can be high in unhealthy saturated fat. Instead, choose from a variety of plant and animal protein sources. Tofu, tempeh, soy milk, yogurt, chicken, lean red meat, eggs, fish and nuts add lean protein to your meals. Aim to eat 5 or 6 oz. of lean protein every day. Incorporate these high-energy foods into each meal to increase your calorie consumption. Switch from nonfat to low-fat dairy products to further boost your caloric intake.

    Meal Portions

    • Many underweight people struggle to incorporate 1,000 additional calories into their diets. To increase your overall calorie consumption, eat five or six meals per day. Plan each meal so it includes a whole-grain product, lean protein and healthy fat. If you get full very easily, add small amounts of energy-rich foods to your meals to increase the number of calories you consume.

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