To stay truly fit, you need to make sure that you are having the right diet and maintaining the correct weight as per your height and BMI. While being overweight has been linked to a lot of diseases, being underweight can also be a health issue for some people. Many individuals struggle to gain weight in spite of all their efforts. However, gaining weight can be a fun and easy process when combined with a healthy diet of calorie-rich foods and proper exercise. In this article, we’ll take a look at high calorie foods for weight gain that you can add to your diet plan and some tips you can follow to put on weight.
Here is a list of foods rich in calories that can help you gain weight over time in a healthy manner:
Rice is almost a staple diet in large parts of the world, and subject to a person\'s taste buds, it can be used to prepare multiple delicious foods. As rice is rich in carbohydrates, calories in rice are inevitably high with around 130 in 100 grams of cooked rice. With just a small serving of rice, you can get abundant calories. For optimum results, rice can be added to other high-protein foods such as cottage cheese, pulses, and scrambled eggs. Rice is also easily digestible and won\'t make you feel bloated. It’s among the most widely available calorie-rich foods for weight gain.
Potatoes are another high carbohydrate food that can be consumed in a variety of ways, either as a side meal or main course for lunch or dinner. When it comes to calorie count, there are about 80 calories in potatoes for every 100 grams. Potatoes can be boiled, baked and stir-fried. High starch content in potatoes helps boost calorie intake, supplies essential nutrients and also increases glycogen in the muscles. Potatoes can also be supplemented with other foodstuffs such as beans, corn and root vegetables.
Dry fruits are not just yummy snacks and taste enhancers but also mini powerhouses of calories, fibre, fat and antioxidants. To gain weight, the best way is to add a combination of dry fruits to your daily diet. They can also be added to salads or smoothies. Another benefit of dry fruits is that they are a rich source of vitamins as well.
Bread made from whole grain is readily available everywhere and is the cheapest source of carbohydrates, along with being one of the calorie rich foods for weight gain. Eating bread along with high-calorie foods is a good way to augment your calorie intake. Bread can be consumed along with butter, cheese, eggs, or fruits such as avocado. When it comes to calories in bread, there are around 30 calories in a single slice.
Red meat is very high in lean protein and can be consumed to build muscle mass. One of the naturally occurring ingredients in red meats is lucine, an essential amino acid that helps in protein synthesis. Red meat is also loaded with creatine, a natural protein that boosts muscle building. Both the lean cuts as well as fatty cuts contain equal amounts of protein, but if you want to gain weight and not just muscles, then go for the fatty cuts.
Milk has been used for millennia by people as a good source of nutrition and nourishment and as a dairy product, calories in milk are naturally high. Milk provides a good proportion of natural proteins, fats and carbs and also serves as an excellent source of calcium. It is a great choice to add to your breakfast or have as a post-meal snack. As per studies, milk can help you gain weight in combination with weightlifting and other forms of workouts. If you are lactose intolerant or vegan, you can choose soy milk or almond milk and other vegan milk alternatives available in the market.
Like meat, certain types of fish like salmon and tuna are good sources of nutrients that can help you gain weight in a healthy way. Fish contains essential nutrients like fats, proteins, omega-3 fatty acids and amino acids. Calories in fish are also generally very high, meaning it can help you put on weight faster compared to other food sources. Fish can be prepared in various ways such as grilled fish, fish curry, fried fish or even in the form of sushi. Canned salmon and tuna are affordable options to add to your daily diet.
Avocados are a type of fruit rich in healthy fats and nutrients and are also one of the best sources of food to gain weight. While avocados are rarely found in India, you can find them online or through large grocery chains or supermarkets. Avocado are very high in calories, and just one single avocado can provide around 322 calories. There are plenty of benefits of avocados as avocados are also rich in vitamins, minerals and various other micronutrients.
As a by-product of milk, calories in cheeses are also high but differ amongst different types of cheese. It is also a fat-dense and highly nutritious food with healthy cholesterol that can help you gain weight in a healthy way. There is a large variety of cheese available in the market such as mozzarella, cheddar, etc. that you can choose from as per your taste preferences. There are endless ways you can use cheese - it can be used as toppings on salads or used while cooking pasta, sandwiches and other recipes.
Eggs are one of the best foods available for gaining kilos and are affordable enough that you can add them to your daily diet. People who work out regularly and build muscle often use calories in eggs as the most effective source to put on muscle and gain weight. Many athletes and bodybuilders eat up to six or more eggs per day to maintain and gain muscle due to their high-calorie requirements. The white portion of the egg contains calcium and protein whereas the yellow part, known as the yolk, is dense in fats and other nutrients.
Now that you have a high calorie foods list for weight gain, here’s a look at a high calorie diet plan.
While healthy high calorie foods for weight gain like avocados, cheese, fish, etc. can be extremely vital in helping you gain weight healthily, there are also some calorie dense foods you should stay away from. Here is a list of high calorie foods you should avoid as they may be harmful to your health:
Cold drinks
Refined carbohydrates
Fast foods
Products containing a high amount of sugar
Fried foods
Processed meats
Ice cream
Some types of alcohol (that contain high amounts of carbs or sugar)
These foods contain unhealthy nutrients and toxins that have been linked to several diseases, so avoiding them is a good way to gain weight without attracting any health problems.
Here are some effective tips you can follow to gain weight in a healthy manner:
On average, your body requires around 2000 calories per day to function. If you start to consume a higher amount of calories than required by your body, you will start to gain weight.
Working out and exercising can help you gain muscle which is the healthiest way to gain weight. However, make sure you consume a healthy and calorie-rich diet to help you put on weight.
Some people may find it difficult to consume enough calories through just lunch and dinner. In that case, you can choose to have 4-5 small meals in a day so that you can consume more calories.
As mentioned above, your diet is the most important part of gaining or losing weight. Eating calorie-rich foods with healthy nutrients is the key to gaining weight sustainably. If you are unsure of the number of calories in certain foods, you can use an online tool like a calorie calculator.
While exercising is good, some cardio exercises like jogging and running are typically used by people to lose weight. It is a good idea to avoid these exercises.
.png){kind=logo}