5 Healthy Ways to Gain Weight

 5 Healthy Ways to Gain Weight

If you’re trying to gain weight, you might think that eating as much food as possible will help you reach your goals. However, most of the food that people eat while they’re trying to gain weight is high in calories and fat, meaning it won’t help you meet your goals and will make it more difficult to get the nutrients you need from food. Instead of eating the foods that are bad for your health and waistline, try these five healthy ways to gain weight.

1) Add healthy snacks

If you’re looking for a way to add more calories, you should consider adding healthy snacks. Be sure not to replace your regular meals with extra snacks, though! Instead, snack on healthier foods like fruit, yogurt or peanut butter and crackers. Not only will these help with weight gain but they also contain vitamins and minerals that your body needs. If you still feel hungry after eating one of these healthy snacks an hour later, try drinking a glass of water before consuming more food.

2) Don’t skip meals

While breakfast is by far one of the most important meals of our day, it can also easily be skipped in favor of a cup of coffee or something equally non-nutritious. Instead, keep your body energized and primed for weight gain with a healthy breakfast every morning. In addition to providing energy, eggs contain nutrients that play an essential role in helping you feel full and encouraging weight gain.

3) Incorporate more protein

Protein is one of three macronutrients that help make up our diet, along with carbs and fat. Protein helps us maintain muscle mass as we gain weight; studies suggest that those who consume a diet high in protein weigh significantly less than those who consume a low-protein diet. Health experts recommend getting 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories from protein; however, depending on your goals, you may want to bump up your intake.

4) Eat mindfully

It may seem counterintuitive, but mindful eating is an important way to prevent weight gain. So next time you reach for a snack, take a few moments before doing so to consider what your body needs. A delicious pick-me-up might be just what you need—and that’s OK. Just try not to go overboard and eat too much at once; instead of consuming one large meal, it’s better for your health if you spread out your calories across several smaller meals during the day.

5) Enjoy more time with friends and family

When it comes down to it, eating well and getting adequate sleep will be much more effective at helping you gain weight than taking a weight-gain supplement or liquid diet. With that in mind, remember that one of your best tools for weight gain is having time—which is much easier when you're sleeping better and enjoying yourself more with friends and family.