Gaining weight or building muscle can be just as challenging as losing weight for some individuals. However, by incorporating certain foods into your diet, you can effectively support your weight gain goals. This article highlights some of the best foods to help you gain weight or build muscle in a healthy way.
1. Homemade Protein Smoothie
How to gain weight fast? Drinking homemade protein smoothies can be considered a quick and nutritious way to gain weight. This way, you also have complete control over the flavor and nutrient content. For example, you can prepare yourself a chocolate banana smoothie: 1 banana, 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein and 15ml of peanuts or other nuts, etc.
These smoothie recipes can provide the body with about 400–600 calories, along with a large amount of protein and other important vitamins and minerals.
2. Milk
Milk has been used as a food to help gain weight or build muscle. Milk provides a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat and is a rich source of calcium, as well as other vitamins and minerals.
For those trying to gain muscle, milk protein will provide both casein and whey protein. Furthermore, milk can help you add muscle when combined with weightlifting. Additionally, milk, or whey and casein combined, can lead to greater mass gains than other protein sources.
3. Rice
158 grams of cooked white rice provides 204 calories, 44 grams of carbs, and very little fat. Rice is also quite high in calories, which means you can easily get a large amount of carbs and calories from a single serving, helping you eat more food.
There are many ways to make rice more delicious. The easiest way to boost protein is to add some ingredients after the rice has been cooked: avocado and Parmesan cheese; broccoli and cheese; eggs; toasted sesame seeds, peanuts or cashews, etc.
4. Nuts and nut butter
Nuts and nut butter are a great choice if you're looking to gain weight. 1⁄4 cup of almonds contains 170 calories, 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of healthy fat. Because nuts are so calorie-dense, just two handfuls a day with meals or as a snack can quickly add hundreds of calories.
5. Red meats
Red meats are probably one of the best muscle-building foods and are also considered weight gain foods. For example, 170 grams of steak contains about 5 grams of leucine. Leucine is an important amino acid that your body needs to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and add new muscle tissue. In addition, red meat also contains 456 calories and nearly 49 grams of protein, red meat is the best natural source of creatine in the diet, which can supplement some of the best muscle-building compounds.
Both lean and fatty meats are quite rich sources of protein, but fatty meats provide more calories, which can help you gain weight.
6. Potatoes and starches
Potatoes and other starchy foods are considered good sources of calories for people who want to gain weight. However, you should choose one of the following healthy starch sources: quinoa; oats; corn; buckwheat; potatoes and sweet potatoes; squash; winter vegetables; beans and legumes.
Potatoes and other tubers not only add carbs and calories to help you gain weight, but they also increase the glycogen stores in your muscles. Glycogen is the primary fuel source for most activities and sports.
Many of these carb sources also provide important nutrients and fiber, as well as resistant starch, which can help feed your gut bacteria.
7. Salmon and oily fish
Like red meat, salmon and oily fish are also excellent sources of protein and important healthy fats. Of all the nutrients that salmon and oily fish provide, omega-3 fatty acids are among the most important and well-known. This fatty acid has many health benefits and helps fight disease.
170 grams of boneless wild sockeye salmon provides about 250 calories and 12 grams of healthy fats along with 37 grams of high-quality protein to help you build muscle or gain weight more effectively.
8. Protein Supplements
Taking protein supplements is a popular weight gain strategy for athletes and bodybuilders looking to gain weight. Protein supplements are available in a wide variety of forms, including whey, soy, egg, and pea protein.
Some people think whey protein is unhealthy or unnatural, but whey protein is made from milk and has been shown to improve health conditions and reduce the risk of disease. If you are also working out, protein supplementation may be even more important, as your daily protein needs increase.
Whey protein contains all the essential amino acids your body needs and works to stimulate muscle growth.
9. Dried fruit
What to eat to gain weight quickly? Dried fruit is high in calories and also provides antioxidants and micronutrients. There are many different types of dried fruit, and all of them are high in natural sugars, which can help you gain weight quickly.
While many people think that fruit loses most of its nutrients when dried, dried fruit is actually high in fiber, and the vitamins and minerals in dried fruit remain intact.
10. Whole grain bread
Whole-grain bread is another good source of carbs to help you gain weight. You can make some very simple, high-calorie, balanced meals by combining bread with protein sources such as eggs, meat, and cheese.
11. Avocado
Avocados are high in healthy fats. Plus, avocados are quite high in calories, making them a great food to help you gain weight.
A large avocado provides about 322 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 14 grams of fiber. Additionally, avocados are packed with vitamins, minerals, and various beneficial plant compounds.
12. Healthy Cereals
Healthy cereals can provide your body with great carbs, calories, and nutrients.
While you should avoid processed, sugary cereals, healthier forms of cereals, such as: Oatmeal cooked with whole milk, are great carb sources to add to your diet. One cup of cooked oatmeal can provide your body with about 130 calories.
13. Cereal bars
The average cereal bar provides your body with 150–200 calories. Cereal bars are also considered a good choice before or after a workout because they tend to contain a mix of slow-digesting and fast-digesting carbs.
Granola bars are great as a snack or on-the-go meal, so try pairing a granola bar with other sources of protein, such as Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, cold cuts or a protein shake.
14. Dark Chocolate
High-quality dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and has many health benefits. Dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao (the bean from which chocolate is made) is thought to help regulate stress hormones and blood sugar. Chocolate may also help reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, inflammation, stress, and type 2 diabetes.
15. Cheese
Cheese is high in calories and fat. One ounce of cheese has 110 calories and 7 grams of protein.
Cheese comes in many different varieties, including creamy, soft, or hard. Many cheeses are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, so it's best to consume these cheeses in moderation.
16. Eggs
Eggs are one of the healthiest muscle-building foods on the planet. They provide your body with high-quality protein and healthy fats.
How you eat them is also important, as almost all of the beneficial nutrients in eggs are found in the yolk.
17. Full-fat yogurt
Full-fat Greek yogurt ranks as another healthy and convenient snack. Greek yogurt has a great nutritional profile, including a balanced mix of protein, carbs, and fat.
A 170-gram serving of plain yogurt will provide your body with 165 calories and 15 grams of protein.
18. Healthy Fats and Oils
Healthy fats and oils are considered some of the most calorie-dense foods.
You can add 1 tablespoon (15mL) of olive oil to your dressings, salads, and cooking to quickly add 120 calories.
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Reference source: healthline.com
