Gaining weight sometimes proves to be as difficult as losing. People with underweight become very cautious about their appearance. This leads them to eat more unhealthy junk food to gain weight. But at a certain point in time, it poses them with serious health-related issues like obesity, cholesterol, sugar, and many other problems.
Additionally, being underweight can create several health problems like fatigue, nutrient deficiency, infertility, etc. Thus, nutrition plays an important role in maintaining both your health and weight. Following a proper diet chart with the best foods to gain weight can feasibly achieve your weight goals.
5 Best Foods to Gain Weight: A Comprehensive Guide
Below are the foods to include in your meal plan and regularly following them with discipline can help to gain weight.
1. Protein as a High-Calorie Meal:
Protein is a very essential nutrient for gaining weight. It helps to increase metabolic processes, thermic effect, muscle growth, and protein-rich foods are also very fulfilling. Together these factors help you gain weight and keep you healthy.
With protein-rich foods, you can prepare healthy foods to gain weight. Experts recommend that males should eat one-third of higher protein than females.
Following are some foods that help you in gaining weight and maintain your overall health.
- Seeds and nuts:
Seeds and nuts such as sunflower seeds, flax seeds, almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, brazil nuts, etc are rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Incorporating these in your diet chart can increase your metabolic rate, keep you healthy, and help you gain weight.
- Soy:
Many people consume soy products like soybean, edamame beans, tofu, soy milk, and tempeh. They are easily available and can be included in high-calorie meals to gain weight.
The presence of high protein, fiber, calcium, and iron in soy products is extremely beneficial in healthy weight gain.
- Fishes and meat:
Fishes like salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, and trout are rich in essential fatty acids, and protein. Therefore, you can find a decent number of calories in these fish. These fish are really tasty as well as healthy for maintaining and gaining weight.
- Meat:
The meat of chicken, pork, beef, and lamb is an excellent source of protein and can provide you with a good number of calories.
- Eggs:
Eggs are one among many other protein-containing foods. It is loaded with healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals.
Add it with other meals as a weight gain diet to ensure you get a good amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals from that wholesome meal. You can eat one egg daily to match the protein requirements.
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2. Dairy products are a Part of Healthy Food to Gain Weight:
Dairy products are high in calories, are good protein sources, have healthy fats, and are rich in calcium and vitamin D.
- Milk:
You can consume milk daily at breakfast and at night before sleep. It keeps you fulfilling and taking it at night gives you a good night’s sleep with healthy fats.
- Cheese:
Prepare various meals like sandwiches, baked flour, and macaroni. It makes the dishes tasty and you can eat healthy food to gain weight.
- Yogurt:
Yogurt is also rich in protein and probiotics. Apart from gaining weight, it is good for gut health. You can incorporate yogurt into your meals like oats, and pancakes, and can also pair it with fruits or can make mango smoothies which are best for summer and one of the best foods to gain weight.
3. Whole Grains as a Weight Gain Meals:
It’s like brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain bread, and quinoa are calorie-dense, eating such grains keeps you fuller and maintains your metabolism.
Whole grains are a healthier choice than refined grains. Apart from gaining weight, it keeps you healthy. On the other hand, refined grains increase blood sugar and are bad for chronic diseases.
Therefore, never include refined grains in your weight gain diet because they gain weight but make your body prone to many diseases.
4. Fruits as Gain Diet:
Fruits can also gain weight, and increase your energy. Incorporating fruits into your diet keeps you satiated all day.
- Dried fruits:
Dried fruits are made by dehydrating them which makes the fruits more calorie-dense. Dates, raisins, and dried figs are examples of dried fruits.
Such dried fruits are nutrient-rich and calorie-dense. You can add it to your diet as a high calorie meal to gain weight. It increases your calorie as well as nutrition intake.
- Bananas:
Bananas are a fulfilling fruit. It keeps you full all day. It is high in calories, contains simple sugars, carbohydrates, and fiber, and is rich in nutrients like potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.
- Avocado:
Avocados are nutrient-dense fruits that have fiber and contain good healthy fats like monounsaturated fatty acids.
Prepare meals with avocado as a weight gain diet. It can satiate your hunger, keep you healthy, and gain weight.
- Mangoes:
Mangoes contain fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. It has natural sugars like fructose and glucose. It provides instant energy and the natural sugars help to gain weight.
All you have to do is to maintain a balanced diet by incorporating them easily into your weight gain meals.
- Coconut:
Coconut is a natural stress buster food for its potassium content. If the body releases tension it becomes easy for you to gain weight. Gaining or losing weight sometimes depends on stress factors.
If you want to gain weight but your body is unable to release tension, it may struggle to absorb nutrients from foods. Therefore, the healthy fats in coconut make it a rich fruit. Hence, it is one of the foods that help you to gain weight healthily.
ALSO READ: 7 Health Benefits of Peanuts You Didn’t Know
5. Vegetables as Weight Gain Foods:
Weight gain foods are also available in vegetables. Most of the time vegetarians keep worrying about how they gain weight without non-veg foods as most of the proteins are available in non-veg foods.
But there are certain types of vegetables that, if consumed properly, can help you to gain weight.
Those vegetables are—
- Starchy vegetables:
Starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, and peas are calorie-rich vegetables that contain potassium and support nerve function. These vegetables are the best foods to gain weight.
- Legumes:
Beans, lentils, and peas fall under legumes. They are excellent sources of plant protein which can easily help to gain weight. They are also packed with fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
- Cruciferous vegetables:
Incorporate cauliflower, broccoli, and kale in your weight gain meals as a part of a balanced diet. These vegetables provide proper nutrition and healthy weight.
- Root vegetables:
Root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beet have some essential nutrients and the starchy carbohydrates in these vegetables gain weight.
- Squash:
Squash vegetables like pumpkin, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and kabocha contain natural sweeteners. Prepare a tasteful dish by combining these weight gain foods that maintain and gain your weight.
Conclusion
All these foods are extremely beneficial in gaining weight if properly involved in your diet chart. Gaining weight can take time. You have to religiously follow your diet chart and do proper exercise for proper absorption of nutrients.
If the nutrients aren’t absorbed, there is no use in eating all those healthy meals. If the above-mentioned foods that help you to gain weight don’t work for you, consult with a dietician. The dietician can help you chalk out your meals and guide you for lifestyle changes
