Do you wish women would stop glaring at your size zero frame? If only you could explain that you’d love to gain weight! Perhaps you’re someone with a fast metabolism, prominent skinny genes or just one of those people who doesn’t gain weight. Or maybe your child is wafer thin and you can’t sleep at night. The question is how to gain weight with healthy foods? Don’t start inhaling french fries and bacon double cheeseburgers or feeding your child chocolate éclairs! There is a healthy sustainable way to increase your weight without sky rocketing cholesterol and blood pressure. Try these easy and effective tips on how to gain weight with healthy foods. If you are a parent, slowly incorporate more snacks from the list below; introduce your child to new food items one at a time so they don’t feel overwhelmed.
1. Eat three meals a day, especially breakfast: Your body needs nutrients to build muscle, tissue, skin, etc. and so it makes sense that in order to gain weight you need to feed it throughout the day. Breakfast is a very important meal as these calories are used for energy and building blocks. Breakfast needs to be a combination of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats, for example oatmeal with almond milk, ground flax seeds and blueberries. Don’t skip lunch!
2. Eat healthy fats: Healthy fats help us feel full and provide nutrient dense calories. Nuts, especially cashews, brazil nuts, pecans and pistachios have a high calorie count and they are packed with minerals and fibre. Use olive, sunflower and flax seed oil on salads or use it as a dip for whole grain bread with vinegar. Avocados contain fibre, disease-fighting antioxidants and healthy unsaturated fats.
3. Eat snacks between meals: To maintain calorie intake you need to eat in between meals even if it is a handful of nuts as mentioned above. Other choices include, whole grain crackers with hummus, apple with almond butter or a protein bar (look for brands with no added sugar and natural ingredients). Eating protein with each snack and meal gives your body the fuel and raw materials to build muscle and tissue.
4. Eat nutrient dense foods: Also known as superfoods, these are foods packed with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fibre and healthy fats and are low on sugar and refined carbohydrates. This provides another way for your body to gain weight and add meat to those bones! Examples include beans, green leafy vegetables, quinoa and berries. Incorporate these into your daily menu.
5. Keep a consistent eating schedule: Write down when you eat your meals and how long you go without food. You may be surprised that more than four hours pass between meals! Once you are clear when you eat and how many times per day, you can increase the menu plan to include eating three meals and three snacks per day so that you eat every three hours. A routine will ensure that you eat the extra healthy calories needed to gain weight.
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