Diet for Weight Gain
Everyone has heard of dieting for weight loss, but what about a diet for weight gain? There are many people who struggle with trying to gain weight, or even maintain their weight for different reasons like. Some of those reasons are certain illnesses, diseases, malnutrition, low appetite, or difficulty chewing and/or swallowing.
In our second ever informational article, we are going to talk about the ins and outs of a diet for weight gain. This includes options for vegans and vegetarians! Maintaining a healthy weight is important for your health, and as you age it is even more important to keep weight on.
The Healthy Way to Gain Weight
Gaining weight still requires paying attention to what we are eating! It takes more than just eating more food than we usually do, to safely gain weight in a healthy way.
When thinking about gaining weight safely, you want to focus on gaining about 1-2 lbs a week. Gaining more than that is not sustainable, just like if you were to try and lose weight quickly as well. By paying attention to how much we are eating, we can increase or decrease that amount by counting calories.
There are calculations that can be done to calculate how much we should be eating each day. Follow these calculations by checking out this article from The Geriatric Dietitian! To gain about 1 lb per week, you would need to eat about 500 more calories each day. To get personalized help with calories and gaining weight healthfully, seek out a registered dietitian to get expert nutrition advice!
Diet for Weight Gain Non Calorie Counting Approach
Like the title states, we can have a successful diet for weight gain without counting calories! Creating a food journal and writing down what you are eating most often, and what you enjoy, is a great way to start.
Ask yourself questions like, do you plan your meals ahead of time, make time to eat your meals, or do often eat on the go? Answering these questions can help you check in and meet yourself where you’re at! Try to incorporate the foods that you love into your diet for weight gain and make small, manageable changes.
The easiest way to increase your calorie intake is by incorporating more nutrient dense foods! Nutrient dense foods are high in calories and also high in good-for-you nutrients like healthy fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins, and minerals! The first step in incorporating them into your diet is by swapping out familiar foods you already eat.
Try swapping things like your morning creamer for half and half, or adding an extra tablespoon of peanut butter on your waffles. Using full fat versions of things like yogurt are an easy way to incorporate more healthy fats. This also increases your calories!
Another easy way to increase your calories in your diet for weight gain is to add ingredients to your meals! Adding in extra toppings and oils to your meals add more nutrients and flavor to your food. Some options are adding nuts and olive oil to your salads, melting cheese on your favorite veggies, adding dried fruit to cereal or yogurt, or even just drizzling peanut or almond butter on anything!
Snacks are your Friend
Another helpful tip is incorporating more snacks into your day! By eating just a snack or two more each day, you can easily increase your calorie intake. Having a smoothie for dessert or even a small meal like avocado toast with egg increases your calories without feeling too full.
Avoid drinking beverages before or during your meals, since that can cause you to feel full before you have eaten enough. Try having a high calorie beverage after your meal like a yogurt drink or whole milk!
It can be helpful to have snacks and meals prepared ahead of time so you can set yourself up for success. Pre portioning things like rice, cooked chicken, nuts, and even smoothies are a great way to prepare yourself for the week.
Check out some of our delicious high calorie snacks by following this link!
Movement
Exercise is important during a diet for weight gain as much as it is at any other time! Moving your body is important for your overall health and well being, and strength training helps to build and preserve your muscles.
It can also help protect your joints and reduce your risk of falls, and even increase your appetite! Exercising also helps stress levels and your mental health. Doing just 30 minutes a few times a week can also help increase the length of your life.
Gaining Weight for Vegan Diet
The good news is that gaining weight as a vegan is the same as for non-vegans-eat more calories! Many of the tips we have talked about in this article apply the same way, like making high calorie swaps and planning ahead.
Here are some high calorie vegan options to incorporate into your meals:
These calorie dense foods are also nutrient dense! Adding them to your meals will not only add calories, but also important nutrition.
Something to consider when following a vegan diet is that you may not be getting essential nutrients while following this diet. You may consider taking supplements like vitamin B-12, creatine, and plant based protein powders. Taking some supplements may also help with weight gain.
Things to Consider
A diet for weight gain doesn’t mean you have to compromise food that you love, force yourself to eat, or feel overly full! Incorporating high calorie and nutrient dense foods are a great way to increase your calories without having to feel stuffed.
Don’t skip dessert! Enjoying a sweet treat now and then can help you reach your calorie goals and is delicious!
When adding in snacks to your day, aim for around 250 calories for each snack and eating about 2-3 snacks will help you reach your calorie goals.
If you are struggling to gain weight or keep weight on, consider reaching out to a Registered Dietitian for help!