Best Food to Gain Weight

author avatar Dr. Eric Berg 08/31/2023

These foods to gain weight will help you get those extra pounds healthily and safely. No need to turn to fatty foods; healthy starch and calories are all you need!

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10 Foods to Gain Weight to Add Healthy Pounds

1. Red Potatoes

I’ve had several questions recently about gaining weight from people who were just too skinny. They also want to know how to do it healthily. One food I use and recommend are red potatoes. I ate quite a few of these back in the day when I was skinny, and I did that consistently.

As far as eating goes, you want something more starchy than fatty if you want to gain weight. You can use red and purple potatoes to make hash browns or cook, bake, and put things on them. Potatoes are acceptable foods to gain weight fast because they have potassium, vitamins, and a good amount of minerals.

2. Wild Rice

You can also use wild rice. Wild rice is not actually rice at all. It’s the seed of a type of aquatic grass similar to rice, but it has no relation to rice. It thrives along the shores of lakes and streams and in shallow freshwater marshes. The food is called rice because it resembles rice, and you cook it the same way you cook rice.

Wild rice only has 101 calories in every cooked 100 g serving, which is fewer than white and brown rice that have 130 and 112 calories, respectively. A 100-g serving of this food gives you 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 21 grams of carbs, to name a few. It also possesses small amounts of selenium, potassium, and iron.

3. Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Raw Organic Steel Cut Oats in a Bowl | Best Foods to Gain Weight In A Healthy Way

Sometimes called Irish oats, steel-cut oats are coarser. Manufacturers of oats cut their kernels into two or three pieces with a steel blade, which is where its name was derived. The oats may take longer to cook compared to the other types of oats and may require soaking before cooking. This type of oat is commonly used for porridge.

In terms of nutritional value, steel-cut oats are similar to instant and rolled oats. It only differs when it comes to dietary fiber, which is double the amount of rolled oats and the oat’s density varies, too. What’s even better about these foods to gain weight is you can eat a few of them but still get the same level of nutrition.

4. Full-Fat Yogurt

Full-fat yogurt is one of the best foods to gain weight for snacking. It contains a good balance of fat, carbs, and protein. You can make different yogurt recipes so that snacking is more flavorful and nutritious. If you want to eat yogurt and fruit, just combine your preferred fresh fruit with 1-2 cups of yogurt. You may add coconut flakes, granola, honey, seeds, and nuts. You can also add yogurt to your healthy smoothies to increase the beverage’s protein content.

5. Whole Eggs

Eggs help build muscle mass and improve muscle growth because they contain high-quality, healthy fats and proteins. Consume whole eggs as much as possible in your diet or meal plan because the nutrients are mostly in the yolk. You can eat four whole eggs per day, as long as you don’t have an intolerance to it.

6. Cheese

Delicious cheese on the table | Best Foods to Gain Weight In A Healthy Way

You can include cheese in your list of healthy foods to gain weight. Cheese is high in fats and calories, and if you eat it in large amounts, you’ll gain a good amount of protein, which may help you gain weight, too. If you have an intolerance to dairy products, you might need to consult a registered dietitian to determine if cheese is okay for you.

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7. Dark Chocolate

High-quality dark chocolate gives you good amounts of antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals in the body and lower your chances of developing diseases.

You may opt for dark chocolate with 70% cocoa content or higher. Like cheese, dark chocolate is high in calories, which makes it easy for you to increase your calorie intake as much as you want. A 100-g serving of it has 600 calories with magnesium and fiber.

8. Cereal Bars

Cereal bars are great workout snacks. These weight gain bars are best before and after your strength training or workout because they contain a combination of slow and fast digesting carbohydrates. You may find bars with healthy ingredients like seeds, nuts, and dried fruits. You can also combine the bars with other protein sources like yogurt and eggs to boost protein content.

9. Avocados

Avoado Boat | Best Foods to Gain Weight In A Healthy Way

Avocados have a lot of healthy fats, but they are also packed with high amounts of calories, which is great for gaining weight. One large avocado gives you 322 calories, 17 grams of fiber, and 29 grams of fat. They contain beneficial plant compounds and vitamins and minerals. You can add them to your sandwiches or omelets.

10. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have a high nutritional content, such as potassium and fiber. One medium sweet potato contains 2.3 grams of protein, 24 grams of carbs, 103 calories, 12% potassium, 25% vitamin B6, and 25% vitamin C. You can roast sweet potatoes to allow their natural flavors to come out.

Eating Fat Does Not Help You Gain Weight

I was very, very thin in my early twenties, and I wanted to gain weight. I went for all the fat, and that just caused me to lose more weight. So, eating fat is not the best way to gain weight. You want to eat more starchy foods instead. But, don’t consume foods with high sugar content or junk foods. You can have sweet potatoes, yams, and others, so you can healthily gain more weight.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are the best foods that make you lose the most weight.

With our list of foods to gain weight, you will have a variety of food choices to choose from to achieve your ideal weight safely. Just remember to select foods with healthy calories to pack on the extra pounds without increasing your risk of developing health issues.

Do you have the same problem? What have you been eating to gain weight? Tell us in the comments section below.

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Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.

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