Diet to gain weight: discover the best foods to do it healthily

After particular periods of the year, people often look for a low-calorie diet to lose weight. But what if you had the opposite problem? What if you needed a diet to gain weight?

If you belong to this category of people, don’t think that the best way to speed up the process is to resort to junk food. Learning to select foods well is the best way to heal your body in the right way.

Despite what one might think, there are as many people who fail to gain weight as there are those who would like to lose weight. But why is it so important to make sure you are at the right weight and are achieving it with the right nutrients? Gaining or losing weight without paying attention to what you eat can increase the onset of some diseases related to obesity or being underweight.

On the subject of nutrition, there are many studies, some of which have shown that extreme thinness, as well as obesity, would be attributable to certain factors such as the presence of specific genes, some hormones (as happens in the case of hyperthyroidism) and one’s own metabolism.

In this article, we suggest a series of foods to include in a diet to gain weight in a healthy and balanced way.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR DAILY CALORIE NEEDS?

When you go on a diet, it is important to know your daily caloric needs.

The latter corresponds to the recommended number of calories to be consumed during the day, to allow the normal performance of both basal metabolic activities and normal physical and work activities (such as moving around or staying at the computer).

The balance point is reached when the calories introduced are more or less the same as those consumed. So if the calories introduced are more than those consumed, you gain weight, vice versa you lose.

Caloric needs can be calculated by having parameters such as age, gender, weight, and the daily activity performed as well as physical (divided into light, moderate and heavy).

HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT ON A HIGH-CALORIE DIET

We have already specified how consuming only junk food, sweets and particularly sugary drinks does nothing but cause damage to the body.

So how to get fat in the right way? Before starting any type of diet, remember that everyone is different and reacts to stimuli subjectively. If you suffer from particular pathologies, intolerances, or allergies, our advice is to ask for the opinion of an expert who can provide you with a personalized diet for gaining weight and adapted to your needs.

A diet to gain weight involves the consumption of foods rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals in the right quantities. This can be accompanied, where deemed appropriate, by specific food supplements. On average, we can say that a person in adulthood and normal health conditions consumes about 1800-2000 calories per day.

With a fattening diet, the goal is to increase the number of calories so that they far exceed those required by your daily requirement. Normally an extra 7500 kcal is needed to gain 1 kg of body weight per week, so about 1000 extra kcal per day.

HERE IS A LIST OF THE MOST HEALTHY FOODS YOU CAN INCLUDE IN YOUR DIET TO GAIN WEIGHT:

• Grains. Grains are great for healthily gaining weight. They are foods rich in fiber and important nutrients for health. Therefore, consume lots of oat flakes, muesli, porridge, and other cereals.
• Nuts and avocado. These two types of foods are packed full of healthy fats. Consume lots of almonds, fresh avocados, walnuts, and hazelnuts, all of which are great for gaining weight quickly.
• Extra virgin olive oil. Always add extra virgin olive oil to your dishes. In addition to adding more flavor to everything, the latter is also useful for taking in some extra calories.
• Protein shakes. Protein-based shakes are very important for gaining lean mass because they nourish the muscles, making them grow. You can prepare them in minutes, change their taste often, and always take them with you even if you are in a hurry.

Remember to eat often, having at least five meals a day (three main meals interspersed with two or three snacks), and to drink plenty of water to eliminate accumulated toxins. Give your body time to get used to the new amounts of food, then increase the doses progressively.

EXAMPLE OF DIET

You can start your day with a breakfast consisting of a glass of semi-skimmed milk, coffee, a squeeze of orange juice, fruit juice, or tea (sweetened to taste). Pair your choice with five rusks with orange marmalade, honey, or other non-fat spreads.

In the middle of the morning, as an intermediate snack, you can consume seasonal fruit mixed with dried fruit and yogurt, preferably white.

Then start your lunch with a good dose of carbohydrates. You can consume rice (both white and wholemeal) or pasta, to be seasoned according to your food preferences and trying to flavor everything without excessively fatty condiments such as sauce, EVO oil, cheeses, legumes. You can alternate pasta with soup, as long as it is rich in legumes.

Pair your first course with a second rich in protein such as white meat or lean fish with seasonal vegetables as a side dish. Try to always steam or boil them to preserve their nutrients. Eat a sandwich (plain or wholemeal) or a packet of crackers or breadsticks.

In the middle of the afternoon, you can enjoy dark chocolate, a protein shake, or seasonal fruit.

For dinner you can eat a protein dish, then meat (chicken, turkey, beef), fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), or mozzarella with seasonal vegetables in large quantities. At least twice a week add fresh potatoes and legumes as a side dish. Always consume a sandwich or crackers as well.

If you feel like it, you can consume a handful of nuts as a snack for the evening, at least an hour before bedtime.

Are there different types of diets to gain weight for men and women? Yes, as the weight to accumulate depends on your physical characteristics, your nutritional needs, the daily activity carried out, and so on.

The percentages of fat and muscle are different between genders, so it is not possible to adopt the same diet healthily.

But if you need a diet to gain weight 10 kg or even more kg, armed with a lot of patience, rely on a nutritionist who can help you and try to follow our advice too.