How to Gain Weight on a Gluten Free Diet

According to information from the Mayo Clinic, a gluten-free diet is often prescribed for individuals who are suffering from an allergy or intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a type of protein which is found within most grains such as wheat, barley, and rye, making adherence to a gluten free diet a carbohydrate restricted diet under which many individuals have trouble gaining weight. Regardless of these restrictions, with a few simple tricks and adjustments you can still gain weight easily on a gluten free diet.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Digital scale

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Avoid foods containing gluten to comply with the restrictions of a gluten free diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, these include many foods such as cakes, pies, breads, candy, beer, processed meats, pasta, cookies, cereal, and soups. Check labeling information on questionable products to determine whether gluten is an ingredient, and search for foods that are expressly labeled gluten free.

• 2

  Set an initial daily calorie limit to begin your weight gain. While the number of calories you will need to gain weight is largely determined by your existing body weight, a good starting figure for you to work with is between 3.000 and 3,500 calories per day. Keep track of this using a notebook or computer file, writing down all the foods that you eat and attempting to hit your caloric limit each and every day. Consume six or seven small meals throughout the day to help you achieve your goal, aiming to divide your caloric needs evenly across these meals. Aim to gain around a pound a week, using a digital scale to track your progress. Increase your daily caloric limit by 200 calories a day when progress stalls.

• 3

  Use small adjustments in the foods that you consume to increase their overall caloric value. For example, purchase whole fat dairy products instead of low fat, and use liberal amounts of high calorie cooking oils to prepare your foods. Olive oil is a fairly tasteless oil that goes well over vegetables and salad, providing 120 calories per tablespoon, for a fairly significant caloric boost without any real additional effort in the kitchen. Also snack on high calorie foods like nuts, seeds, and dried meat. Peanut butter on celery is another easy way to pack in calories and fiber. Look for small ways to increase the amount of food you are eating throughout the day to make big changes in your physique, even without the availability of gluten.