Sample Menu for Gaining Weight

The best way to gain weight is to continue to eat a balanced diet, but with more calories. The extra calories should come from healthful foods (here's a list of my top picks for foods to help you gain weight).

Keys To Weight Gain Successfully

Eat at least three meals every day with larger portions if you have the appetite for it. If you don't feel like eating much, then you might do better with five or six smaller meals spaced a few hours apart. If you tend to forget about eating, you can set a reminder with an alarm clock or with a timer on your computer or smart phone.

Carbohydrates are your body's preferred form of energy, and to gain weight you need to give your body the energy it needs to perform your daily tasks, plus some extra. Increase your carbohydrate intake with whole grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables.

Don't resort to eating highly processed junk foods to get your extra calories. Sure they're energy-dense, but they're generally low in nutritional value, and worse - they can be bad for your health if they're high in saturated fats, trans-fats, added sugar or sodium.

Choose foods that contain healthful fats, like fish, avocado, olive oil, flax, nuts and seeds. This will increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, both of are important for a healthy body.

Sample Menu for Weight Gain

First you need to know how many calories you need to eat so that you can gain some weight. Use my calorie calculator for men or my calorie calculator for women. Then take a look at my sample menus for a 2,500 calorie day. It has a balance of healthful foods so you get plenty of nutrients and fiber.

2,500 Calorie Menu

Breakfast

• One cup oatmeal with one-half cup reduced-fat milk and one-half cup raisins
• One cup orange juice

Morning snack

• One apple and 24 almonds
• Glass of water

Lunch

• Sandwich with two large slices of whole grain bread, four slices of lean turkey, two tomato slices, lettuce and mustard
• 10-ounce glass of reduced-fat milk
• One baked sweet potato with a pat of butter or margarine

Afternoon Snack

• One protein bar
• Glass of water

Dinner

• Garden salad with three tablespoons salad dressing
• Six ounce salmon filet
• One cup cooked spinach
• One-half cup mashed potatoes with butter or margarine
• One glass wine (or milk or 100-precent fruit juice)
• One dinner roll

Nighttime Snack

• One-half cup plain yogurt with one-half sliced strawberries
• Glass of water

You can bring this menu up to 3,000 calories with the following additions:

Breakfast

• Add one slice whole grain toast with two tablespoons peanut butter

Morning or Afternoon Snack

• Add one up reduced-fat milk

Nighttime Snack

• Add seven whole wheat crackers

I designed this menu using Calorie Count. Membership is free and you can keep track of the foods you eat to make sure you're getting enough calories and all the nutrients you need.

More Tips for Healthy Weight Gain

• Feel like you're too thin? Here are my tips for gaining weight without resorting to a junk food diet: How Do I Gain Weight?
• You should gain weight when you're going to have a baby - the amount depends on what you weigh before you get pregnant: How Much Weight Should I Gain While I'm Pregnant?
• Understanding how energy-density works will help you gain weight by choosing foods that are higher in calories: What is Energy-Density?