Being lean is considered a healthy sign. However, it can be a concern if a person is underweight due to improper nutrition, pregnancy, or other health concerns. Therefore, in being underweight, one must immediately consult a doctor or a dietician for a proper evaluation.

What Is Healthy Weight Gain

For some, adding muscle or gaining weight can be difficult, just like losing weight for some is a big challenge. However, adding certain foods to the diet can lead to healthy and effective weight gain. Here is a list of foods that can help to add muscle or healthily gain weight:

Protein Smoothies

It is a nutritious and quick way to gain weight. Preparing protein smoothies at home is way better than going for commercially available products since the latter is devoid of nutrients and is full of sugar. Also, the homemade variety extends a better flavor and rich nutrient content.

Milk

For decades, milk has been the number one choice for both muscles as well as weight gain. It extends a good balance of fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and calcium. Milk is also a good source of whey proteins and casein.

What Foods Help Gain Weight

Weight is recommended to people who might be losing weight consistently, thereby posing a risk to a range of health complications. Building muscles is also a way of gaining weight. However, weight gain could be a challenge, and the following food can be quite helpful.

Rice:

A single cup of rice has almost 200 calories. It is a good source of carbohydrates that promotes weight gain.

Red Meat:

Consumption of red meat can help to build muscles, thereby leading to weight gain. Steak contains both creatine and leucine and other nutrients that play a significant role in increasing muscle mass. It also contains fat and protein that also help to promote weight gain.

Nuts And Nut Butter:

Consumption of nuts on a  regular basis can help to gain weight in a safe way. These are great snacks and can be included in any meal. Dry roasted or raw nuts are the most beneficial. Nut butter without hydrogenated oils or sugar is most beneficial.

Weight Gain Meal Plan For Underweight

Being underweight is never good for health. It can lead to a weakened immune system, tiredness, and weak bones. The best way to determine whether a person is underweight or not is through the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator.

If the BMI of a healthy adult is less than 18.50, it indicates that the weight is pretty low. In that case, a general medical practitioner or practice nurse must be immediately consulted for advice.

If it is found that the reason for the low weight is improper diet, resorting to a healthy food habit can provide the correct calories to help gain healthy weight.

The first step is to avoid having high-calorie food since these are full of saturated fat and sugar. These include cakes, chocolate, and sugary drinks. Going ahead, these can lead to high cholesterol in the blood.

Secondly, go for vegetables, fruits, rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, wholegrain, egg, fish, meat, and pulses.

Healthy BMI Range

BMI or Body Mass Indicator is the weight of an individual (in kilograms) divided by the square of the height (in meters). It is a relatively easy and inexpensive screening method for determining the weight category of an individual, like healthy weight, overweight, underweight, and obesity. It does not take into account body fat directly. However, the BMI is moderately associated with the direct body fat measures. Also, it appears to be strongly related to various metabolic and disease outcomes.

BMI can be used as a screening tool. However, it cannot diagnose fatness or health. To find out whether BMI is a health risk, health care would perform specific assessments. These include physical activity, family history, diet evaluation, and measurement of the skinfold thickness.

Since the calculation involves just the weight and height of an individual, BMI is considered expensive. The BMI ranges for adult individuals are as given below:

Weight Gain Diet Plan

A diet that consists of 2000 calories is considered a standard diet since it meets most of the nutritional requirements of a person. However, based on body size, activity level, and health goals, a person may need something extra.

It would be a challenge to consume the above-mentioned calorie every day from unprocessed, whole, or marginally processed food like protein, fat, vegetables, and whole grain. The reason is, such foods may have nutrients but a relatively low amount of calories. Therefore, a person is required to eat more.

Read More here – 7 Days Weight Loss Meal Plan For 2021

It would be easy to get the above calorie from processed foods and sugary drinks. But, these are junk food and do not have the much-needed nutrients. These can be obtained through:

·       Animal-based protein like eggs, beef, chicken, and salmon.

·       Plant-based proteins like chickpeas, tofu, and peas.

·       Grains like pasta, rice, and oats.

·       Dairy like milk, cheese, and yogurt.

·       Fruits and Vegetables.

·       Fats and Oils like olive oil, flaxseed, and olive oil.

How To Put On Weight Safely – 5 tips

Here are a few tips that can help to put on weight safely:

1. Frequent Eating:

When a person is underweight, the urge to have food will be quite less. The best option is to eat small meals instead of going for two or three large meals in a day.

2. Nutrient-Rich Food:

A healthy diet consists of cereals, fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, dairy products, nuts, seeds, lean protein, and whole grain.

3. Shakes And Smoothies:

Diet soda, coffee, and other drinks should not be the only preference since the calorie count is very low, and so is the nutritional value. The best is to go for milk, fresh fruits, or a liquid meal.

4. Snacks Time:

Have snacks that are rich in protein and healthy carbs like protein bars, trails, peanut butter, etc.

5. Exercise:

Too much of aerobics may work against your goal of putting on healthy weight by burning too much of calories. You can rather do strengthening exercises like yoga or weight lifting which help you in gaining or maintaining weight.

The best approach would be to have small meals every 3 to 5 hours. It will help to consume more without feeling filled. Try not to drink water at least 30 minutes before any meal. Go for beverages that have got calories like juice, shake or smoothies. For cooking, use extra virgin olive oil or butter, or coconut oil to increase the calorie content.

Reuben’s Gourmet Meal Plans provide various monthly and weekly meal plans to gain healthy weight. You just have to choose your plan and a fresh, nutritious, and healthy meal will be delivered to you at your doorstep. Our meal plan delivery service can be availed anywhere in Northern Ireland. So, no more hassle of cooking and rushing to the office. We strive to provide high standards to our clients.