In our body
image conscious society, it’s rare to actually want to gain weight. But if you’re
anything like me, stuck with a high metabolism and lanky frame, it’s really
tough to put on any amount of weight.
Food
is the obvious solution, but what should we be eating? You don’t want to fall
into the trap of junk food: those empty calories won’t help. Finding healthy
and cheap foods to gain weight is essential.
You need to
find something that you like, that you can afford, and something that’s good
for you. No pressure, right?
Here are a
handful of healthy food choices for putting on weight. Add a few of these to
your diet and eat regularly, and you’ll see amazing things happen.
DID
YOU KNOW: The average man needs about 2000 to 3000 calories per day. A woman
needs about 1600 to 2400 calories. To gain any weight, you need to exceed that
amount, probably to the tune of 500 calories per day.
Let’s start
with making sure you’re eating a complete meal. If you want to gain weight by
eating healthy foods, you’ll also want to ensure a balanced diet.
Each meal should contain at least one carb, a
protein source and a veggie of some kind.
RICE: A LOW COST FOOD TO GAIN WEIGHT QUICKLY
Rice is one
of the most popular grains in the world, and it’s packed with a ridiculously
high amount of energy. 100 grams of rice contains about 130 calories, and it’s
a very inexpensive food to buy.
Simply adding a generous portion of rice to your
meal can add hundreds of extra calories.
What’s more, it’s a very digestible grain with none
of the gluten issues faced with wheat.
Rice
contains many essential vitamins, such as thiamin and niacin. It’s easy and
quick to prepare, particularly if you have a rice maker.
Meal tip: a
rice and bean burrito is an energy packed, protein rich, healthy and delicious
way to enjoy this grain.
GRANOLA: HEALTHY, TASTY, ONE OF THE BEST FOODS FOR
GAINING WEIGHT
Granola is
a great choice. It’s not only a tasty breakfast cereal, it’s also loaded with
energy, protein and fibre, as well as calories. One cup of granola contains
over 450 calories, and that’s without adding milk! A granola bar contains a
similar amount.
Another key
advantage to granola is it’s quite healthy. As long as it’s not too sugar filled
(and some types really are), you can eat it all day long.
Add a bowl
or bar several times a day, and you’ll see some healthy weight gain happening
in no time.
PEANUT BUTTER: CALORIE & PROTEIN RICH
You’ll find peanut butter on a lot of these lists,
and it’s there for good reason.
There are 90
calories, 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of carbohydrates in a tablespoon, and
it’s not hard to love.
It does
contain a bit of saturated fat, so don’t go too crazy on this one, but it’s a
healthy weight gain food to add to your routine.
Peanut butter also happens to go really well with
the next item on this list.
BANANAS: AN ENERGY DENSE SNACK ON THE GO
Bananas have
the benefit of being affordable, convenient and really tasty! The average
banana is a great food for putting on weight because it has about 100 calories.
Bananas also
have some fibre and a good helping of potassium, an essential vitamin in your
diet.
Bananas
have a lot of sugar. For that reason, I recommend them as a post-workout snack
when your body is after that easy energy. I also recommend you don’t pound six
of them in one go, even if they are delicious.
TUNA: A RICH PROTEIN WITH HEALTHY FATS
Because it’s
a fish, tuna is an extremely healthy protein that contains many of the
essential oils that your body needs to operate smoothly.
Tuna is also
really easy to prepare (if you go canned), and it works in a lot of different
dishes, so it’s an easy addition to your meal plans.
Have you tried seared tuna steak before? It’s
amazingly delicious!
Tuna is a
healthy and inexpensive food for gaining weight quickly, it’s a very good
protein source, and I recommend adding more to your diet.
WHOLE MILK / SOY MILK: QUICK, CHEAP AND CONVENIENT
WEIGHT GAIN ON THE FLY
A tall glass of milk is just about one of the most
convenient sources of quick energy.
A glass of
whole milk contains nearly 150 calories, as well as 8 grams of protein! It’s
such an easy thing to add to your diet, it’s a no brainer.
If you’re
lactose intolerant, soy or almond milk make a fantastic alternative. Soy is almost
as energy dense with 130 calories per glass, and about equal in the protein
department.
Both milk
and soy milk contain a bit of fat, but that’s not a bad thing at all. Would I
recommend drinking gallons per day? No, but a couple of glasses will certainly
make a big difference.
AVOCADO: A NATURAL CALORIE MACHINE, PERFECT FOR
ADDING ON POUNDS
The avocado
provides a shocking amount of calories and fats to your diet, making it a
dieter’s nightmare and a skinny person’s best friend.
It’s odd to
think of a fruit like this being good for weight gain, but it’s surprisingly
energy packed.
There are
approximately 320 calories in a standard sized avocado, with a stunning 29
grams of fat. Some of that is saturated fat, so it’s not wise to go too crazy
on these delicious fruits.
I like to
add avocado to a salad to give it a bit more energy density, or use it as a
spread on a sandwich if it’s a bit on the riper side.
And don’t forget guacamole!
EGGS: A HIGH CALORIE FOOD FOR PUTTING ON WEIGHT
QUICKLY
Maybe you’ve
seen the Rocky movies where he’s chugging raw eggs as part of his workout. Let’s
be clear, that’s not what I have in mind!
Eggs are
super nutritional, and there’s a reason that they’re a popular breakfast food:
they provide your body with essential energy and nutrients to get through the
day.
Eggs are a
great and healthy food for gaining mass because they’re inexpensive, readily
available, and they give you a ton of cooking options so it doesn’t get stale.
One egg has
about 75 calories, along with 5 grams of fat and about 6 grams of protein, as
well as essentials like vitamin B-12.
I wouldn’t
eat too many of them in a single day because of the cholesterol, but enjoying
eggs several times a week is a good practice, and it’ll certainly help with
your weight gain goals.
NUTS: AN EXTREMELY GOOD, CALORIE RICH FOOD SOURCE
Nuts have
one of the highest amounts of energy for their weight of any kind of food, and
they’re certainly one of the healthiest of the calorie dense food groups out
there.
A 100 gram
serving of macadamia nuts, for example, has over 700 calories! They’re a
healthy snack rich in calcium and fibre.
They’re an
extremely great food choice for gaining weight quickly because they’re easy to
pack and delicious.
The downside? They tend to be expensive, and they
have a high fat content.
That being
said, I’d definitely look into nuts and seeds as great, portable energy sources
on the go. Try to get them dry roasted and unsalted.
DARK
CHOCOLATE: AN ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOOD FOR PUTTING ON POUNDS AND FEELING AMAZING
Yes,
I’m not kidding! In moderation, dark chocolate is a great choice as a treat
food for gaining mass. A 100 gram bar of chocolate has over 500 calories, and
it’s loaded with antioxidants and enzymes that improve your mood.
There’s
also sugar and loads of saturated fat (which is part of why it tastes so good)
so this isn’t an ‘every day’ kind of food supplement to gain weight. However, a
few pieces every day certainly won’t hurt you, and every extra little bit of
caloric intake helps increase your mass.
It’s a
treat, but it certainly doesn’t hurt, and it’s a lot better than many types of
candy and junk food out there.
I’m a huge
fan of cheese, and it happens to be an amazing supplement food to put on extra
weight. It’s calorie rich and full of good stuff like calcium. It’s a viable
protein source for you vegetarians out there, and it’s easy to add to most
dishes by means of shredding or sprinkling.
Like all other fatty foods, it’s definitely
something to enjoy with a bit of moderation.
Cheddar
cheese, for example, has 400 calories in a 100 gram serving, and that includes
100% of your daily recommended intake of saturated fat; fantastic energy
density per serving, but not the best thing to binge on!
It is,
however, delicious, nutritious, easy to add to any recipe and relatively
inexpensive, so it’s a weight gain supplement food that you should definitely
add to your repertoire.
SOYBEANS: A CALORIE DENSE PROTEIN SOURCE THAT’S A
CHEAP WEIGHT GAIN FOOD IDEA
Soybeans are
a staple of mine because they’re healthy, inexpensive and full of nutrition.
There’s a lot going on in that unassuming little green pod.
A 100 gram
serving of soybeans has 400 calories. That includes very little in the way of
fat, and an astounding 36 grams of protein! By weight it’s a better protein
source than red meat. Did I mention it’s also a significant source of
magnesium, iron and calcium?
I can’t
think of many downsides to it. My favourite form is edamame, or boiled whole
soybean pods. It takes about 4 minutes to prepare and it’s amazing as a snack
or a supplement to a main.
I’d definitely encourage you to incorporate soybeans
into your diet.
STILL SKINNY? TRY A SUPPLEMENT
Real,
unprocessed food is always the best choice, in my opinion. However, a
supplement gives you some flexibility.
First, it
allows you to eat on the go. If you don’t have time for a full breakfast, you
can just mix a quick shake.
Mass
gainers tend to have a high caloric content, loads of protein, and even
vitamins and minerals to boost your weight. They (usually) mix really easily,
and some of them actually taste pretty good.
I don’t
advise using a gainer as a meal replacement, because it’s not. It’s meant to
reinforce your calorie intake and help fill in the gaps between meals.
Optimum
Nutrition makes a really good one called Serious Mass that I’m pretty fond of,
but that’s just one of many great choices. We live in a great time for
supplements!.
OTHER TIPS:
Try to get
yourself some sort of eating schedule. The downfall of many skinny people is
just not eating enough. A schedule or meal plan is a huge help in packing on
some weight by intentionally adding extra meals in.
Your body
will take time to adjust to a more consistent meal schedule, and more frequent
snacking. That’s normal. Try to stick with it even if you’re not super hungry.
Drinking
lots of water is important when you eat more. Water helps move the nutrients
around your body, and will provide a bit of supplementary mass in the form of
water weight. Be sure to keep hydrated.
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