How to Gain Weight With Eating Habits

Some people have difficulty gaining weight or maintaining a healthy body weight. This may be due to illness, advancing age or simply low appetite. Whatever the case, the only way to increase your body weight safely is to consume more calories than you burn. According to Self.com, one pound of body weight is the equivalent of 3,500 calories, so it's important to add extra calories wherever you can in order to safely gain one to two pounds a week. Avoid junk foods and focus on healthy, nutritional foods to help you meet your weight gain goal.

Instructions

• 1

  Add nutritional supplements. There are many supplements that are designed to help people gain and maintain a healthy weight. Liquid meal replacement shakes can be found in most grocery stores and pharmacies; to use these to their full advantage, add them to your solid diet rather than replacing meals with them. Protein bars and meal replacement bars are another option. Try eating a protein bar between meals. The Center for Young Women's Health recommends these types of supplements in cases where increasing calories in other ways does not yield results quickly enough.

• 2

  Eat more calorie-dense carbohydrates. Starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, beans and bread are more calorically dense than fibrous carbohydrates like vegetables. However, try to avoid overly refined starches like white bread and sweets. While they are also very calorie-dense, they provide little to no nutritional value. The Health News website recommends choosing complex carbohydrates that are as natural and unrefined as possible to get the calories you need while nourishing your body.

• 3

  Add more healthy fats. Monounsaturated fats like olive oil and canola oil help add extra calories and flavor to home-cooked dishes without raising your risk of heart disease as much as margarine and butter can. Make your own salad dressings with olive oil and vinegar, and drizzle olive oil over vegetables before sautéing or roasting. Add chopped almonds to cereal, yogurt and salads for a satisfying crunch and extra fat and fiber.

• 4

  Increase portion sizes. Starting with one meal, slowly increase the size of the portion you eat, or try adding an extra food item to that meal to increase the calories. For example, if you usually eat toast for breakfast, have an extra slice, or try adding an egg or some peanut butter. Try to avoid drinking fluids with your meal, as this can fill up your stomach too quickly. Save beverages until after you eat as much of your meal as you can.

• 5

  Add "extras" wherever you can. To increase the calories of your meals and snacks, be liberal with flavorful additions. Prepare your oatmeal with whole milk instead of water, add cream to your coffee, and butter your bread generously. Try adding nuts or extra meat to your salads, and pile your sandwiches high with vegetables, cheese and condiments.