When increasing your overall calorie intake to promote healthy weight gain, eat quality, protein-rich foods. For example, start by incorporating lean meats, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, nuts, tofu, seeds, and lentils into your meals and snacks more regularly.
High protein foods are rich in protein, providing your body with the required nutrients to grow muscles and gain weight. Such foods include animal-based sources such as chicken breast, eggs, and dairy and plant-based protein sources like nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains.
Healthy high-protein foods include meats, fish, eggs, many dairy products, legumes and nuts. Protein supplements like whey protein can also be useful if you struggle to eat large amounts. Although protein is king, you'll also need to eat a lot of carbs and fat to exceed your calorie requirements each day.
Aim for calorie-dense foods, such as:Nuts and nut buttersAvocadosWhole grains (brown rice, quinoa, whole grain bread)Dried fruitsFull-fat dairy products. Eat More Meals: Instead of three large meals, try eating five to six smaller meals throughout the day to increase your calorie intake.
Successful weight gain requires that you increase your daily intake of carbohydrates. Avoid low carbohydrate diets. Eating vast amounts of dietary protein won't make your muscles grow faster and will put unnecessary pressure on your body, especially your kidneys. Avoid high-protein diets.
High-protein snacks you could eat on the go include nuts, protein bars, roasted chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, pumpkin seeds, and low-sodium jerky. Quick-and-easy high-protein snack options include canned fish, overnight oats with berries, wholegrain crackers with cheese, edamame, whey protein shake, and protein balls.
Peanut butter is high in protein, aiding weight loss, but it is rich in calories, so it can help you gain weight if you consume too much of it. Nuts are some of the healthiest things you can eat, providing proteins, healthy fats, and a range of vitamins and minerals.
Bananas contain the right amount of carbohydrates and calories. Therefore, incorporating bananas into your diet depends on your goals. You can eat up to one banana a day as part of a healthy diet for weight loss. But eating 2 to 3 bananas will add up to 350 extra calories that can help you with weight gain.
Plan for 3 meals and 2-3 snacks each day. Quick Snack ideas – crackers and cheese, yogurt and fruit, peanut butter toast, fruit and nut mixes, hard boiled eggs, tuna or egg salad on crackers. Quick Meal ideas – baked potato topped with chili, vegetable and rice stir-fry, chicken or beef taco, quesadilla, bean soup.
Nutritional information
They're rich in protein and healthy fat, and they're calorie-dense. Two tablespoons, or 32 grams, of peanut butter gives you 7.2 grams of protein. Peanut butter also contains: fiber.
You may be born naturally small and your low BMI can be due to your genes. You may have a very high metabolism and find it hard to put on weight, even if you eat foods that have a lot of calories. You may not follow a healthy, balanced diet because you forget to eat or cannot afford nutritious foods.
Experts recommend consuming 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter per day for weight gain. Peanut butter can also be consumed as a pre-workout or post-workout snack. Peanut butter protein can help repair muscle tissue after a workout, while the carbohydrates can provide the energy needed to power through a workout.
Add extras to your dishes for more calories, such as cheese in casseroles or nut butter on whole-grain toast. You also can add dry milk or liquid milk to foods for extra protein and calories. Some examples are mashed potatoes or soups. Try smoothies and shakes.
A handful of nuts such as almonds or peanuts, can be an excellent choice for a snack before bed to help you gain weight. Not only are nuts high in healthy fats, but they are also high in calories, making them ideal for healthy weight gain.
The fruit is fairly low in protein, under 1.3 grams per medium banana. The protein content in a banana helps you make informed food choices, ensuring your daily protein requirements are fully met. A single banana contains 1–1.5 grams of protein.
They are an excellent source of carbohydrates and calories, which can help you gain weight naturally. One medium-sized banana contains 105 calories and 27 grams of carbs. A fully ripe banana contains more sugar as compared to unripe ones. Make sure you always stick to fully ripe bananas for weight gain.