Diet Plan for Weight Gain: Diet Chart, Food List and Tips

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Bajaj Finserv Health

Nutrition

8 min read

Synopsis

One must include protein and other nutrients in the diet plan for healthy weight gain. Following a healthy diet plan with higher calories than usual and enough sleep and workout is necessary. Check out this blog to find out what you should include in your diet to gain weight naturally and faster.

Key Takeaways

  • Foods with high calories and proteins are essential for gaining healthy weight
  • Eggs, Milk, Meat, Nuts, grains, etc., should be a part of your diet
  • You also need strength training for muscles and enough rest to put on weight

A diet plan for weight gain helps you grow your weight naturally. Yes, you heard that right. There exist diet plans for weight gain, and they are super healthy. Anyone who wishes to lose weight, gain weight, or get in shape must follow a proper diet to lead a healthy lifestyle. Gaining weight can be as hard as losing it. It may sound simple to follow a suitable diet plan to put on weight, or other people may think that all you have to do is eat. But it's not quite as easy as it seems. 

People gaining weight require the same drive, dedication, and persistence as those who are losing weight. This blog gives you a comprehensive idea of how to gain weight naturally at Home. Start your journey today!

What Does Healthy Weight Range Mean?

The Body Mass Index (BMI) determines the healthy weight range. Divide your total weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters to determine your BMI.

Weight Category and BMI Calculation

  • Underweight: Below 18.5
  • Healthy or Normal: 18.5 to 24.9
  • Overweight: 25 to 29.9
  • Obese: above 30 [1]
Healthy Foods to Gain Weight Infographic

Best Weight Gain Tips

Muscle building and weight gain are not as easy as they sound. Besides all the other things, you must follow a healthy diet plan for weight gain. A healthy diet plan for gaining weight gives you access to vital nutrients while supporting muscular growth. Given below are some of the weight gain tips.

Food High in Calories

Eat foods high in nutrients and calories, such as bananas, avocados, and full-fat milk. In addition to consuming high-calorie foods, it's important to know which high-calorie foods to choose. For example, avocados, chickpeas, homemade granola bars, tofu, and other high-calorie, nutrient-dense foods may all be included in your diet.

Eat Healthy Carbs

Gaining weight relies on how many calories you consume and not on carbs. Therefore, you can increase your intake of nutritious carbs like fruits, whole grains, red or brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and bananas to aid in healthy and secure weight gain. Also, try to incorporate some high-quality carbs into each one of your meals.

Protein Rich Foods

A deficiency of protein in the diet might cause calories to be converted directly to fat, making it problematic to maintain a healthy weight. To put on weight and develop lean muscle mass, consume 1.5–2 protein grams per kg of body weight. Lean proteins are abundant in foods, including chicken breast, fish, eggs, lentils, almonds, beans, and milk.

Reducing Stress

Some people experience an increase in appetite when under stress, while others experience a loss of appetite. Try to minimize your stress. Try meditation, deep breathing, relaxing with music, hot baths, and exercise to reduce stress.

Strength Training

It is essential to exercise and undertake strength training a minimum of 2-4 times per week to increase lean muscle mass rather than fat mass. Besides healthy food habits, you can incorporate exercises like pushups, lunges, and squats in your training.

Get Enough Sleep

A solid eight hours of sleep helps maintain your body shape and strengthens your muscles. On the other hand, lack of sleep contributes to hormone imbalance. It could make you feel exhausted, making it difficult for you to engage in any physical activity that promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Additional Read: Gain Weight Naturally

Ideal Weight Gain Diet

The diet plan sample provided below can help you lose weight healthily. The program can be modified to fit your dietary preferences, age, sex, amount of physical activity, and caloric needs. For example, see an illustration of a 3000-calorie weight gain diet chart with Indian food preferences.

Early In the Morning:

1 glass of milk, 2 boiled eggs or bananas, and 10 grams or six- seven pieces of soaked almonds

Breakfast:

2 parathas filled with vegetables or paneer and a cup of curd for breakfast. You can also have two egg omelet with 2 pieces of toasted multigrain or whole wheat bread, two moong dal chilla with paneer filling, or two masala dosas with sambar and chutney

Mid Morning:

3–4 pieces of groundnut, sesame seed chukka, or dry fruit are appropriate for mid-morning snacks, along with one cup of lassi and a handful of roasted almonds

Lunch:

One cup of chicken soup or sprout salad, 2 medium chapattis, 2 cups of your preferred vegetables, 1 cup of dal, 1 cup of rice, and chicken breast or fish.

Evening:

1 cup of coffee or tea with full-fat milk, Nachni Chilla or 2-3 sesame or whole wheat biscuits, Poha with peanuts, peas, and potatoes, or ghee-roasted makhanas

Mid-evening:

3–4 pieces of groundnuts or dry fruit Chikki along with a handful of roasted almonds

Dinner:

1 bowl of mixed vegetable or chicken soup, 2 medium chapatis, 2 cups vegetables, 1 cup of dal, 1 cup of rice, mixed salad, and Chicken Breast/Fish fillet or tofu or paneer

Late-Night:

Two bananas and one glass of milk with organic turmeric

Diet Chart for Weight Gain

If you want to gain weight then the following foods should be in your weight gain diet.

  • Fish
  • Dark leafy vegetables
  • Avocados
  • Legumes
  • seeds and nuts
  • Nut butter
  • full-fat dairy products
  • whole grains
  • Fruits

How to Effectively Gain Weight?

You must adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating well, by following a weight gain diet chart, and exercising, if you want to put on weight. Some people drink soda in an effort to gain weight, but soda can also be harmful to your health. If you are underweight, whether you are a man or woman, you should build a healthy quantity of muscle mass and healthy fat instead of a lot of unhealthy belly fat.

Many men and women who are normal weight develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems that are often linked to obesity. You must follow a nutritious weight gain meal plan and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Additional Read: Peanut Butter BenefitsUltimate Diet Plan for Weight Gain

Ultimate Diet Plan for Weight Gain

The best diet plan for weight gain must include all the necessary proteins and nutrients. Breakfast should have 20g of protein, mid-meal should contain 10g, lunch should contain 25-28 gm of protein, 4 gm in a pre-workout meal, and 10-15/20 gm of protein in dinner. You can follow this kind of diet chart for weight gain in 7 days. If you have other targets, you can ask your dietitian to customize a weight gain plan for you.

Super Weight Gain Food

The best and healthiest food to include in your diet plan to gain weight is eggs. The nutrients your body needs are present in sufficient amounts in an egg. But pastured eggs with omega-3 fatty acids probably work better. Also, they are high in cholesterol and, for the vast majority of people, have little impact on blood cholesterol levels. Regular egg consumption raises HDL (the "good") cholesterol levels, which are associated with a reduced risk of various illnesses. [2] In addition, Eggs provide the finest nutritional supply of choline, which many people lack. By converting small, dense LDL (bad) particles to big LDL, eggs, one of the best foods to gain weight, also reduce the risk of heart disease.

Weight Gain Superfoods

Protein Smoothies Made at Home

Making your own protein smoothies at home might be a quick and highly nourishing approach for weight gain because store-bought ones are sometimes devoid of nutrition and loaded with sugar. Additionally, you have complete control over the nutritional value and flavor.

Milk

For decades, milk has been utilized in their diet plan for weight gain. Besides being a healthy source of calcium, minerals, and other vitamins, it offers a decent mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Milk is a good source of whey proteins and casein for those looking to gain muscle mass.

Nuts and nut butter

If you want to put on weight, nut butter and nuts are excellent choices to include in your diet plan for weight gain. One small handful (or 1/4 cup) of raw almonds has 170 calories, six gms of protein, four gms of fibre, and 15 gms of healthy fats. Just two handfuls of nuts each day as a snack or with a meal can swiftly load hundreds of calories due to their high-calorie content.

Red meats

Red meats are arguably one of the finest foods to have in your diet chart for weight gain. For instance, there are around 5 grams of leucine in 6 ounces (170 grams) of steak. Your body needs leucine to promote muscle protein production and the growth of new muscular tissues. In addition, there is almost 49 g of protein and 456 calories in it as well.

Potatoes and other starchy foods

A simple and affordable strategy to increase calorie intake is to eat more potatoes and other starchy foods. Try to select one of these beneficial sources of starchy carbohydrates:

  • Quinoa
  • Corn
  • Sweet potatoes and potatoes
  • Buckwheat
  • Oats
  • Winter root vegetables
  • Legumes and beans
  • Squash

Adhering to a healthy diet plan is the best method for gaining weight. Eating more calories regularly than you burn off through exercise is the secret to gaining weight. Lifting weights is also essential in order to use extra calories from meals and high-calorie snacks to develop muscle rather than merely fat.

You can make an online appointment and talk to the experienced nutritionists of Bajaj Finserv Health to get more weight-gaining tips and a good diet plan for weight gain. You can also get a general physician consultation and meet experienced doctors to know more about gaining weight and the diet you should follow.

Published on 6 Mar 2023Last updated on 5 May 2023
  1. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/index.html#:~:text=If%20your%20BMI%20is%2018.5,falls%20within%20the%20obese%20range.
  2. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/147/3/323/4669740

Please note that this article is solely meant for informational purposes and Bajaj Finserv Health Limited (“BFHL”) does not shoulder any responsibility of the views/advice/information expressed/given by the writer/reviewer/originator. This article should not be considered as a substitute for any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your trusted physician/qualified healthcare professional to evaluate your medical condition. The above article has been reviewed by a qualified doctor and BFHL is not responsible for any damages for any information or services provided by any third party.

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