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What Should You Eat in Order to Gain Weight?

Although most people are interested in eating foods that keep weight off, there are some people who have trouble gaining weight or keeping weight on. If you fall into the latter category, there are plenty of foods loaded with calories to help you pack on the pounds.

  1. High-Calorie Foods

    • There are many high-calorie foods to choose from in every major food group. Heavy, dense breads such as oat, pumpernickel and rye are high in calories and even higher when they're covered with peanut butter, jam or cream cheese. Vegetables such as potatoes and cauliflower are high in calories, and so are fruits such as avocados, bananas, pears, raisins, dates and apricots. Many cereals can help you gain weight fast, and the best ones are granola, Grape-Nuts and Shredded Wheat. Even soups can help with weight gain. The list includes cream-based soups such as clam chowder and heavy soups such as black bean, split pea and minestrone.

    High-Calorie Beverages

    • Don't completely eliminate water from your diet, but make sure you drink calorie-rich beverages whenever possible. Opt for low-fat milk (you still get the calories without the fat and don't get as full), fruit juices, smoothies, shakes and even regular soft drinks. These drinks have a surprising number of calories. Drinking 1 1/2 cups of apple juice delivers 200 calories, and 1 1/2 cups of low-fat milk contains 180 calories. Avoid tea, coffee and diet soft drinks that contain caffeine and tend to suppress your appetite.

    High-Calorie Snacks

    • In addition to eating three large meals a day, you should eat two or three snacks to gain weight. In order to gain one pound a week, you need to consume 3,500 extra calories, and that means consuming 500 extra calories per day. Bagels covered with cream cheese, honey or jam can contribute hundreds of calories to your weight gain plan, along with large pretzels. Dried fruit is easy, convenient and loaded with calories, as are fruits such as avocados, bananas and pears. Other good options are peanuts, pistachios, almonds, sports bars and crackers with cheese or peanut butter. The goal is to load up on calories and eat healthfully at the same time.

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