How to Gain Weight Healthfully

In order to gain weight, you have to consume more calories than you burn off. Theoretically, this means eating an additional 500 calories a day to gain one pound per week.

Some people, however, have difficulty gaining weight and have to eat far more than that, perhaps an extra 1,000 calories per day.

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Easy ways to boost calories include eating:

• an extra snack, such as a peanut butter and jam sandwich with a glass of milk at bedtime.


• larger-than-normal portions at meals, such as two sandwiches instead of only one.


• higher calorie foods, such as cranapple instead of orange juice.

The average American diet generally contains about twice the recommended amount of protein. Hence you don't need to spend money on protein pills, powders, and special supplements.

Instead, spend your money on wholesome carbohydrates such as juice, bananas, and raisins. These carbohydrates will fuel your muscles and enhance your ability to do muscle-building exercise that, along with dietary protein, will add bulk.

Fats
Although fats are the most concentrated form of calories, you can successfully and healthfully gain weight by choosing a variety of wholesome foods and not simply "fat loading."

If you insist on boosting your calories with high fat foods, at least make heart-healthy choices such as peanut butter, nuts, soft tub margarine, canola oil, olive oil, and salad dressings made with olive oil. Limit your intake of saturated fats (bacon, butter, juicy steaks, ice cream).

The following suggestions can help you healthfully boost your calorie intake. In addition, read the calorie information on food labels to compare foods so you can make the highest calorie choices.

Juice
Apple, cranberry, cranapple, pineapple, grape, and blended juices have more calories than grapefruit, orange and tomato juice. To increase the calories in frozen orange juice concentrate, add less water than the directions suggest.

Fruit
Bananas, pineapple, raisins, dates, dried apricots and other dried fruits have more calories than watery fruits (grapes, plums, peaches).

Milk
To boost the calorie value of milk, add 1 cup powdered milk to one quart of 2% milk. Then add Carnation Instant Breakfast, Nestle's Quik, Ovaltine, malt powder, or other flavorings. By mixing these by the quartful, they will be ready and waiting for you in the refrigerator. You can also make blender drinks such as milk shakes and fruit smoothies.

Cold Cereal
Choose dense cereals (rather than flaked and puffed types), such as granola, Grape-Nuts, and Wheat Chex to gain weight. Top with bananas, raisins, and other fruits, as well as chopped nuts.

Hot Cereal
By cooking hot cereal with milk instead of water, you'll boost both calories and nutritional value. Add lots of mix-ins, such as powdered milk, margarine, peanut butter, dried fruit, walnuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and banana.

Toast
Spread with generous amounts of jam, honey, and/or peanut butter.

Sandwiches
Select hearty, dense breads (as opposed to "fluffy" types), such as multi-grain, honey bran, rye, pumpernickel to gain weight. The thicker the slices, the better.

Spread with a modest amount of margarine or mayonnaise. Generously stuff with turkey, chicken, lean roast beef, low fat cheese and other sandwich fillings. Peanut butter & jelly is an inexpensive, healthful, calorie-rich choice.

Soups
Hearty lentil, split pea, minestrone and barley soups have more calories than do brothy chicken and beef types (unless the latter are chock-full of vegetables and meat). To make canned soups such as tomato or chowder more substantial, replace water or regular milk with evaporated milk, or add extra powdered milk. Garnish with (low fat) cheese and croutons.

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Meats
Although beef, pork, and lamb tend to have more calories than chicken or fish, they also tend to have more saturated fat. Hence, you should eat fatty meats in moderation, and carefully select the leanest cuts.

You can boost the calorie value of lean meat, chicken, or fish by sauteing them in olive oil or canola oil, as well as by adding wine sauce and bread crumb toppings.

Beans, Legumes
Lentils, split pea soup, chili with beans, bean burritos, hummus, and other foods made with dried beans are not only calorie-dense but also are excellent sources of vitamins, carbohydrates and protein.

Vegetables
Corn, carrots, peas, beets and winter squash have more calories than watery vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, summer squash, and spinach. Top with margarine, olive oil, slivered almonds, or grated cheese.

Salads
What may start out being low calorie lettuce can be quickly converted into a substantial meal by adding cottage cheese, garbanzo beans (chick peas), sunflower seeds, assorted vegetables, chopped walnuts, raisins, tuna fish, lean meat, croutons, and salad dressing (preferably made with olive oil).

Potato
Add margarine and extra powdered milk to mashed potato to gain weight. On baked potato, use butter and gravy sparingly because these saturated fats are poor choices in terms of heart health. (Lite sour cream, margarine and low fat gravy are better options.)

Desserts
By selecting desserts with nutritional value, you can enjoy a treat as well as nourish your body. Try frozen yogurt, oatmeal raisin cookies, Fig Newtons, chocolate pudding, stewed fruit compote, or pumpkin pie.

Even blueberry muffins, corn bread with honey, banana bread, and other sweet breads can double as dessert, as can the whole grain muffins and breads available in health food stores and bakeries.

Snacks
A substantial afternoon and/or evening snack is an excellent way to boost your calorie intake. If you don't feel hungry, just think of the food as a "weight gain medicine" that you have to take.

Some healthful snack choices include fruit-flavored yogurt, frozen yogurt, (low fat) cheese and crackers, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, trail mix, granola, granola bars, energy bars, pretzels, English muffins, bran muffins, (whole grain) bagels, peanut butter crackers, milk shakes, instant breakfast drinks, hot cocoa, dried fruits, bananas, pizza and sandwiches.

Alcohol
For adults, a glass of beer or wine, along with accompanying snacks such as peanuts and pretzels, can add extra calories and stimulate the appetite. Because alcohol offers little nutritional value, do not substitute it for juices, milk or other wholesome beverages.

Conclusion
By taking the prescribed 500 to 1,000 additional calories per day, you should gain weight. Be sure to perform muscle-building exercise two or three times per week, so you bulk up rather than get fat.

If you don't gain weight after two weeks of consistently eating more calories at three meals every day plus snacks, look at your family members to see if you have inherited a naturally trim physique. Observe your personal activity patterns: Are you a "fidgeter" who burns every calorie you consume? Perhaps you need to be more mellow.

Also keep in mind most skinny people gain weight as they get older. Your turn will likely come too. Until then, work on improving your running and enjoy being lean, light, quick.

Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD
Nancy Clark's new Sports Nutrition Guidebook (2008), Food Guide for Marathoners, and Cyclist’s Food Guide are available at her website www.nancyclarkrd.com.

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