Do you want to gain weight in a healthy way but struggle to do so? Fueling your body with the right nutrients for healthy mass and energy can be tricky and require more planning than filling up on high-calorie junk food. But it can be done!
Whether you’re looking to build muscle, recover from an illness, or simply reach a weight that makes you feel confident, adopting healthy habits is key for long-term well-being and weight maintenance.
In this blog, we’ll discuss meal and snack ideas that are high in calories and nutrients to give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to putting on weight. You’ll also learn some helpful lifestyle tips to make weight gain easier.
These are tips that I’ve used for myself, my family, and my patients as a registered dietitian nutritionist that have proven successful.
Let’s get started with some nutritious foods and tips to help you gain weight in a healthy way that is also sustainable.
Nutrient-Dense Foods to Help You Gain Weight in a Healthy Way
1. NUTS & NUT BUTTERS: Nuts like cashews, almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are an excellent source of calories, healthy fats, protein, fiber and vitamin E. Have 1-2 handfuls as part of a snack between meals. Or, use them in nut butter form! Almond butter, peanut butter, and other nut spreads contain the same nutrients as whole nuts and may be easier to consume in large amounts without feeling overly full.
How to Eat Them:
- Spread nut butters on whole-grain bread
- Add them to smoothies
- Mix them into yogurt
- Enjoy them with veggie sticks
- Eat nut butter straight off the spoon or nuts by the handful
- Pair with an apple or other fruit you enjoy for a mid-day snack
2. HEALTHY FATS: fats like avocados, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed organic butter and hemp seeds can aid weight gain in a healthy way. Oils are one of the easiest ways to sneak in lots of extra calories in a small package by cooking with them or drizzling on/mixing in before eating. They provide a concentrated source of calories that are beneficial for heart health, fighting inflammation, and can increase good HDL cholesterol.
How to Eat Them:
- Bake or roast your usual meats and veggies, but add 1-2 extra tablespoons of olive or avocado oil as marinade.
- Saute veggies with extra oil
- Add mashed avocado to whole grain toast and top with slices of hardboiled eggs
- Add avocado slices to salads and sandwiches
- Make guacamole and enjoy with tortilla chips or tacos.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of hemp seeds to just about anything – rice, granola, smoothies, yogurt, salads, etc.
- Drizzle olive oil or avocado oil on salads, rice, add to soup/chili.
- You can even add them into protein smoothies!
3. WHOLE GRAINS: Grains like quinoa, brown rice, and oats not only provide energy but are also rich in fiber and B vitamins. These tend to be easy to consume in large quantities without feeling like you’ve eaten a lot. While not a whole grain, fresh-baked sourdough bread is a gut-friendly, high-calorie bread option you can add in moderation.
How to Eat Them:
- When eating rice or quinoa, cook with olive oil or avocado oil or drizzle some in right before eating to add extra healthy calories and flavor.
- Add oats to smoothies
- When making oatmeal, add maple syrup, chia seeds, pecans and berries to make a more calorie-dense and healthy breakfast.
4. DAIRY PRODUCTS: Full-fat Greek yogurt, cheese, and kefir are great options. They are a great source of protein, calcium, and gut-friendly probiotics (found in yogurt and kefir). They’re very high in calories for relatively small amounts. Always choose organic when eating dairy to avoid added hormones and antibiotics. Avoid fruit-added yogurts to keep added sugars to a minimum, and instead add your own fruit and honey for extra calories.
How to Eat Them:
- Consider protein smoothies made with kefir or homemade milkshakes with added protein powder
- Enjoy Greek yogurt with honey and granola for a delicious calorie boost.
- Add cheese to veggies, omelettes, tacos, meat dishes soups, or enjoy with almond-flour crackers.
5. POTATOES: All color varieties of potatoes offer carbohydrates, fiber, potassium and vitamin C can be quite versatile. Roasting or mashing them can turn these vegetables into a satisfying side dish or main component.
How to Eat Them:
- Mash sweet potatoes made with maple syrup, cinnamon and pecans for a sweet side dish
- Cut sweet potatoes into thin strips, coat lightly in olive oil and cook in an air fryer for homemade fries
- Make a loaded baked potato (sour cream, onion, cheese, bacon pieces) as a side dish or add steak, chicken, or chili to turn it into a main course
- Mash white potatoes with cream cheese, grass-fed butter, Greek yogurt and/or sour cream for extra calories.
6. PROTEIN: Eating adequate protein is essential when you’re trying to gain weight and muscle. While fatty cuts of meat provide more calories, they are also higher in unhealthy fats. To gain weight in a healthy way, opt for lean protein sources like organic, grass-fed 90/10 beef, organic chicken/turkey, and fatty fish like salmon and sardines. Wild-caught salmon is an especially great option due to its anti-inflammatory properties and higher levels of healthy fat.
Eggs are another great option as they contain both protein and fat and are extremely versatile.
Protein powder and meal replacement powders are supplements you can include to make sure you hit your protein needs in a way that’s fast and easy to digest. Just don’t rely on these for your main source of protein as they are a supplement to a whole-food diet. Look for organic options with simple ingredients like Naked Whey, Orgain, EarthChimp, VegaOne, Sun Warrior, and Kachava.
How to Eat Them:
- Cook any animal proteins, tempeh, or tofu in avocado oil for extra calories.
- Make egg salad with avocado mayo and serve on organic whole-grain or gluten-free bread
- Cook an omelette with extra-virgin olive oil and add your favorite veggies and cheese.
- Buy ready-to-drink protein drinks like Kate Farms, Orgain, or Owyn and use as a snack when you don’t have time to prepare something. Or, consume regularly as a supplement to help meet your protein needs in an easy-to-digest way.
8. DESSERTS: Sweets are often a more appealing way to pack in extra calories. You can make your own at home with healthier ingredients like maple syrup and coconut oil, or purchase from stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts for more natural treats.
How to Eat Them:
- Avocado chocolate mousse
- “Nice” cream
- Coconut macaroons
- Dark chocolate pieces
- Banana muffins
- Zucchini bread
- Black bean brownies
Practical Tips for Healthy Weight Gain
1. Eat Frequently: Aim for 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large ones. This can help you consume more calories without feeling overly full. If needed, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to eat.
2. Defy Traditional Advice: While dietitians usually recommend the MyPlate guidelines, suggesting half your plate should contain vegetables, this is not always true for everyone. When trying to gain weight, it can be challenging to get all the calories you need if half of your plate is low-calorie, filling veggies. You should still include vegetables at all meals/snacks if possible, but it’s okay to reduce them in order to eat more protein, fat and carbohydrates. Once you reach your goal weight, you can start adding more vegetables to promote optimal health.
3. Incorporate Protein Smoothies: Nutrient-rich smoothies can pack a calorie punch. Combine foods and supplements like protein powder, fruits, nut butter, Greek yogurt, oats, chia seeds, MCT oil, and/or greens (fresh and greens supplements) to create a delicious blend that’s easy to drink. These drinks are essentially pre-digested, making them easy to consume and less likely to make you feel as full as a whole-food meal.
4. Cook Liberally with Oils: Use healthy oils like olive oil or avocado oil liberally when preparing meals. Drizzling oil on salads or using it in cooking can enhance flavor and caloric content without adding much volume. At some specialty stores, or even Trader Joe’s, you can find more flavorful oils like garlic olive oil or lemon olive oil to add flavor to your meals. You can even take it straight from the tablespoon before bed!
5. Dress it Up: Dress up your meals with salad dressings (ideally homemade) and sauces. Not only do they add great flavor, but they quickly add calories. Primal Kitchen makes healthier dressing and sauce options with natural ingredients if you don’t have time to make your own at home. Trader Joe’s offers healthier Ranch and Caesar dressings in the refrigerated section. Use avocado mayo instead of regular mayo as a condiment or as part of a homemade dipping sauce.
6. Snack Smart: Keep healthy snacks handy at all times. Nuts, trail mix, dried fruits, protein bars, homemade granola bars or energy balls make for great and easy options that you can munch on throughout the day. This way you can ensure you don’t accidentally skip meals or snacks.
High-calorie snacks and brands to try: Aussie Bites, Bobo’s bars, Nurture Life Mighty Bites, Heavenly Hunks, Siete brand chips (great with guacamole), Rx Bars, Purely Elizabeth granola.
7. Strength Training: Engage in resistance and strength training to promote weight gain in a healthy way via muscle. Adding muscle mass will also improve your metabolism, strength, and bone density. Just remember that when you workout and build muscle, you burn more calories. Your body will require more energy, so always eat extra to make up for the calorie burn. A small snack before a workout and a meal or protein shake immediately after your is ideal.
8. Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is important for many health reasons, and you can make it higher-calorie by mixing in a splash of juice or an electrolyte drink/powder, or adding a tsp of honey to your tea.
9. Digestive Enzymes: If digestive upset makes it hard for you to eat enough, consider taking digestive enzymes before meals. These can help to break down your food for better digestion and nutrient absorption.
10. Monitor Your Progress: Track your weight gain progress. Take your baseline weight, then check it at least once per week to make sure it’s trending in the right direction. Adjust your meals and activity levels based on how your body responds to your new habits. A tool like the Hume Health Body Pod is an awesome way to not only track your weight, but also see how your muscle mass, body water, and bone density are changing over time.
This is ideal for long-term use to make sure you’re not gaining too much fat and maintaining a healthy ratio of fat and muscle. Use code RENEWAL15 to get 20% off your BodyPod scale.
Need Personalized Help to Gain Weight in a Healthy Way?
If you’re still struggling to gain weight, contact us for a free consult for personal Nutrition Counseling to help you reach your goals.
It requires time and patience to gain weight in a healthy way, but with the right foods and practices, you can do it! Focus on nutrient-dense foods, eat frequently, and pair healthy habits with exercise to promote muscle building. Remember, the goal is to increase your weight in a way that supports your overall health. Embrace the process, and celebrate your progress along the way!
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