Healthy Foods to Help You Gain Weight Quickly

Causes for Less or Slow Weight Gain

The degree of every activity we engage in daily can help us determine if we are on the way to losing or gaining some much needed weight. Weight gain or loss has mostly been a very touchy topic, with body shaming being an unfortunate end-product of the discussion. Some causes for slow weight gain include-

• Eating too less or not eating quality foodstuff
• Health issues
• Substance abuse
• A physically demanding job
• Working out too much
• Genetics

With respect to the food component of this discussion, we give you a list of foods that are loaded with plenty of health benefits, have no nasties in them and can help you gain weight, without needing to stuff yourself with unhealthy alternatives. You need to target getting in more calories per day, and not spending too much of them- like 2500-3500 calories.

• Carbohydrates are not villains. They are good for you, and healthy too. Beginning your day with a starchy breakfast is a good thing- good carbs come from whole grains, cereals, and even rice alternatives like poha.
• Rack your protein count up- aim to get around 1.5 g of protein per kg of body weight, every day. It is not possible at times, but don’t beat yourself up about it. Include plenty of dal, whole fat milk, curd, lean meat, fish, tofu and paneer.
• Fats are essential for good cardiac function. So, say hello to some lip-smacking desi ghee, sesame oil, mustard oil, coconut oil etc. Incorporate nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts or peanuts into your diet. Nut butters and homemade nut-based milks are a great option too.

High-Calorie Healthy Foods to Gain Weight – Breakfast Edition

The best part is that you don’t need fancy ingredients, for the following tasty ideas:

• Pesarattu or green gram dosa- high in protein made with ghee
• Paruppu Adai – similar to Pesarattu, but has a combination of lentils, with rice and chillies, with some butter or fat added.
• Moong dal chilla – dosa made with yellow split moong dal with some desi ghee.
• Paneer Paratha – good fats, yummy protein, and with raita- it is just love!
• Poha- beaten rice made with a simple tempering of mustard seeds, turmeric, toasted groundnuts, boiled potato and peas – to make it calorie dense.
• Banana Smoothie – with nuts like cashews, almonds, and full fat milk.
• Upma – this is a classic staple, and is great on your tummy. Made of roasted semolina and veggies.
• Sandwiches – try different combinations with paneer, potatoes, tofu, eggs, meat etc.
• Sathu maavu or multigrain porridge.

Protein-Rich Foods for Fast Weight Gain- Lunch Edition

We have these options for your consideration

• Include rotis made with ghee, a large serving of dal, veggies, an egg or rice with a poriyal, curry and curd.
• Stuffed parathas – aloo, paneer, dal, with raita and chutney
• Pulao – with veggies, tofu, ghee, methi, etc.
• Dals – like green gram, moong dal, urad dal, red lentils, rajma and green peas are rich in protein, but may not be digested so easily. So cook them in the right way, and soak them overnight too for added precaution.
• You can add more starchy tuber based vegetables – like potatoes, sweet potatoes, arbi, yam and other alternatives.

Healthy Snacks to Help Gain Weight Fast

Snacks are mankind’s greatest inventions, in our opinion. Why avoid them now?

• Fruit based milkshake- banana, mango or avocado for example
• Sathu maavu porridge- one serving
• Dahi chaat or any tuber based chaat
• Smoothies with fruits and nuts
• Sandwich- multigrain with nut butters
• Boiled or ripe bananas with ghee
• Buttermilk and sprouts salad with chutney

Quick Weight Gain With Nutrient-Dense Foods – Dinner Edition

Dinner is the meal that rounds our day off. So, let us look at some lighter-feeling on the tummy, but nutrient-dense meal options, shall we?

• Meat based curry with chapati or rice and salad
• You can change the veggie combinations up, and add in whatever fresh produce you get everyday.
• Lighter versions of breakfast or tiffin foods are totally fine too.
• End the day with a glass of milk and a banana.

Conclusion

Though diet plays a major role in weight gain, exercise plays an even more crucial role in maintenance. So, follow the WHO rule- at least 150 minutes of physical activity in a week. Do yoga, stretching, resistance or weight training and heart friendly exercises. Making adjustments to your lifestyle is also good- eating more often, larger portion sizes, and lastly, there is NO way you can gain weight without some fat getting into the ratio. Muscle alone will not enter the picture. Talk to your physician, as loss or gain of weight is dependent on hormonal function too. You don’t want to mess anything up in that department. Till then, happy eating!