If you want to gain weight healthily, opt for nutrient-dense foods and beverages,

like nuts, dried fruit, high fat dairy products, meat, and shakes.

Which food is best for weight gain?

If you’re looking to gain weight, it’s very important to do it right.

Consuming soda, donuts, and other junk foods may help you gain weight initially,
but it can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (1Trusted
Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

A healthy approach to gaining weight involves gaining a balanced amount of muscle

mass and subcutaneous fat rather than a lot of unhealthy belly fat (4Trusted
Source).

A recent animal study suggests that belly fat may be correlated with increased
cancer risk (5Trusted Source).

A high percentage of body fat also increases your chances of developing type 2
diabetes and other health problems, even if you are not overweight (6Trusted
Source, 7Trusted Source).

To gain weight safely, focus on eating more nutrient-dense foods and living an
overall healthy lifestyle that involves exercising, getting enough sleep, and
reducing stress, if you can.

This article outlines simple strategies to quickly gain weight — without increasing
your risk of disease.

SUMMARY
It’s important to eat mostly healthy foods even when you’re trying to gain weight.

Why is gaining weight important?

Many people in the United States are underweight (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted
Source).

Some individuals may be naturally underweight due to genetics or a fast metabolism.

Being underweight may also indicate poor nutrition or underlying health conditions
(9Trusted Source).

Additionally, many people who are not clinically underweight may still want to gain
muscle and put on weight for other reasons.

Whether you’re underweight or attempting to gain muscle weight, the main principles
are the same.

What does it mean to be ’underweight‘?

The clinical definition of underweight is having a body mass index (BMI) below
18.5. This is estimated to be less than the body mass needed to sustain optimal
health (10Trusted Source).

However, keep in mind that there are many problems with the BMI scale, which only
looks at weight and height. It does not take muscle mass into account.

People can have different BMIs and body types and still be healthy. Being
underweight according to this scale does not necessarily mean that you have a
health problem.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), being
underweight is about twice as common among women compared with men. In a U.S.
survey that grouped participants into men and women, 1.3% of men and 2% of women 20
years and older are underweight (9Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Being underweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5. It’s
more common in women.

ADVERTISEMENT

Health risks linked to being underweight

Being underweight can be harmful to your health.

One study found that clinically underweight individuals have nearly two times the
risk of death compared to individuals with obesity, suggesting that being
underweight may be worse for your health than having obesity (11).

Additionally, another study found that self-reported health outcomes fell

significantly in underweight individuals after the age of 38, indicating that a low
BMI later in life may come with increased health risks (12Trusted Source).

Being underweight can impair your immune function, raise your risk of infection,
lead to osteoporosis and fractures, and cause fertility problems (13, 14, 15Trusted
Source, 16Trusted Source).

What’s more, people who are underweight are much more likely to be affected by
sarcopenia (age-related muscle wasting) and may be at greater risk of dementia (17,
18Trusted Source).

For children, it can also lead to growth and development problems (19Trusted
Source).

SUMMARY
Being underweight can negatively affect your health. People who are underweight are
at risk of osteoporosis, infections, fertility problems, and early death.

Causes of being underweight

Several medical conditions can cause weight loss, including:

Eating disorders: This includes anorexia nervosa, a serious mental health condition
(20Trusted Source).
Thyroid problems: An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can boost metabolism and
cause unhealthy weight loss (21Trusted Source).
Celiac disease: The most severe form of gluten-related disorder. Overall, the
incidence of celiac disease has risen throughout the 20th and 21st centuries
(22Trusted Source).
Diabetes: Diabetes (mainly type 1) that is not properly managed can lead to severe
weight loss (23Trusted Source).
Cancer: Cancer can cause the body to be in a hypercatabolic state, which leads to
increased energy being used. It can cause someone to lose a lot of weight but the
severity and weight loss can depend on the type of cancer and the age of the
person. (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).
Infections: Certain infections can cause someone to become severely underweight.
This can include parasites, tuberculosis, and HIV (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted
Source, 28Trusted Source).
If you’re underweight, you may want to make an appointment with a doctor to rule
out any serious medical conditions.
This is particularly important if you have recently started losing large amounts of
weight without trying.

SUMMARY
Several medical conditions can cause weight loss. If you’re underweight, consider
making an appointment with a doctor to rule out a serious health problem.

Different strategies for gaining weight

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to gain weight, there are a variety of
strategies you can use to bulk up.

Below, we’ve outlined several ways to help you gain weight.

Increase your caloric intake

The most important thing you can do to gain weight is to create a calorie surplus,
meaning you eat more calories than your body needs.

You can determine your calorie needs using this calorie calculator.

If you want to gain weight slowly and steadily, aim for 300–500 calories more than
you burn each day according to the calculator. If you want to gain weight fast, aim
for around 700–1,000 calories above your maintenance level.

Keep in mind that calorie calculators only provide estimates. Your needs may vary
by several hundred calories per day, give or take.

You don’t need to count calories for the rest of your life, but it can help to do
it for the first few days or weeks to get a feel for how many calories you’re
eating. There are many great tools out there to help you.

SUMMARY
To gain weight, you need to eat more calories than your body burns. Aim for 300–500
calories per day above your maintenance level for slow weight gain or 700–1,000
calories if you want to gain weight fast.

Increase your protein intake

Adequate consumption of high quality proteins from animal products is essential for
optimal growth, development, and human health (29Trusted Source).

A 2020 study of 23 individuals demonstrated that increasing protein will increase

lean muscle mass (30Trusted Source).

To promote skeletal and muscle growth and physical strength in healthy adults with
minimal to intense physical activity, the Recommended Dietary Allowance of protein
is between 1 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (30Trusted
Source).

Up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight of protein per day may be safe for
healthy adults, with the upper limit at 3.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per
day.

High protein foods include meats, fish, eggs, some dairy products, legumes, nuts,
and others. Protein supplements like whey protein can also be useful it is
difficult for you to get enough protein in your diet.

However, protein may also reduce your hunger and appetite significantly, making it
harder to get in enough calories (31Trusted Source). Eating too much protein may
also increase your risk of heart disease (32Trusted Source).
Talk with a doctor to see if increasing your protein intake would help you achieve
your goal to gain weight safely.

SUMMARY
Protein forms the building blocks of your muscles. Eating sufficient protein is
required to gain muscle weight in addition to other nutrients.

Increase your intake of carbs and fat

Many people try restricting either carbs or fat when trying to lose weight.

This may make it hard to gain weight, as it will make it harder to get in enough
calories.

Eat plenty of high carb and high fat foods if weight gain is a priority for you. It
is best to eat plenty of protein, fat, and carbs at each meal.

You may want to avoid eating plans such as intermittent fasting. This eating plan
can be useful for weight loss and other benefits but can make it much harder to eat
enough calories to gain weight (33Trusted Source).

Make sure to eat at least three meals per day and try to add energy-dense snacks
whenever possible.

SUMMARY
To gain weight, eat at least three meals per day and make sure to include plenty of
fat, carbs, and protein.

Increase your intake of energy-dense foods

It’s very important to eat mostly whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, and legumes.

However, these foods tend to be more filling than processed junk foods, making it
harder to get in enough calories.

Using plenty of spices, sauces, and condiments can help with this. The tastier your
food is, the easier it may be to eat a lot of it. Toppings may also add additional
calories.

Also, try to emphasize energy-dense foods as much as possible. These are foods that
contain many calories relative to their weight.

Here are some energy-dense foods that may help you gain weight:

Nuts: almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and peanuts

Dried fruit: raisins, dates, prunes, and others
High fat dairy: whole milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, and cream
Fats and oils: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil
Grains: oats, brown rice
Meat: chicken, beef, pork, and lamb; you can also choose fattier cuts
Tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams
Other energy-dense foods: dark chocolate, avocados, peanut butter, coconut milk,
granola, and trail mix
It may be a good idea to avoid over-consuming vegetables and fruit if gaining
weight is a priority for you. The fiber in fruits and vegetables can lead you to
feeling full faster. This can leave less room for energy-dense foods.

If you need more suggestions, these foods may help you gain weight faster.

SUMMARY
Base your diet on energy-dense foods as much as possible, as they contain many
calories relative to their weight without processed sugars or unnatural
ingredients.

10 quick tips
Combining a high calorie intake with heavy resistance training may help you gain
weight (34Trusted Source).

That being said, there are several other strategies to gain weight even faster.

Here are 10 additional tips for gaining weight:

Avoid drinking water before meals. This can fill your stomach and make it harder to
get enough calories (35Trusted Source).
Eat more often. Squeeze in an additional meal or snack whenever you can, such as
before bed.
Drink milk. Drinking whole milk to quench thirst can be a simple way to get in more
high quality protein and calories.
Try weight gainer shakes. If you are having trouble gaining weight, consider weight
gainer shakes. These are very high in protein, carbs, and calories.
Use bigger plates. Consider using large plates if you’re trying to get in more
calories, as smaller plates can cause people to eat less (36Trusted Source).
Add cream to your coffee. This is a simple way to add in more calories.
Take creatine. The muscle-building supplement creatine monohydrate can help you
gain a few pounds in muscle weight (37Trusted Source).
Get quality sleep. Sleeping properly is very important for muscle growth (38Trusted
Source).
Eat your protein and fat source first. If you have a mix of foods on your plate,
eat the calorie-dense and protein-rich foods first. Eat higher fiber foods like raw
vegetables last.
Avoid smoking, and if you smoke, consider quitting. Smokers tend to weigh less than
non-smokers, and quitting smoking often leads to weight gain (39Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
There are several other things you can do to gain weight faster. These can include
drinking milk, using weight gainer shakes, adding cream to your coffee, and eating
more often.

How can I gain weight without eating too much?

To gain weight, you’ll likely need to consume additional calories.

You can avoid overeating too much and make sure that the excess calories go to your
muscles instead of just your fat cells by starting a resistance training program.

Resistance training, or strength training, includes bodyweight exercises and free

weights. Resistance training leads to muscle hypertrophy, which increases muscle
mass (34Trusted Source).

Combining protein supplementation with resistance training can promote additional

gains in lean body mass beyond those gained by resistance exercise alone.

One study found that protein supplementation during resistance training for six
weeks increased lean mass growth by 27% in healthy adults (40Trusted Source).

If you’re new to training, consider hiring a qualified personal trainer or taking a

class to help you get started, if this is possible for you.

You may also want to consult with a doctor if you have skeletal problems or any
medical issues.
To maximize muscle mass, it’s best to focus on resistance training over cardio
(41Trusted Source).

Doing some cardio can help improve fitness and well-being, but you may want to
avoid doing so much that you end up burning all the additional calories you’re
eating.

SUMMARY
Lifting heavy weights and improving your strength through resistance training can
help you gain muscle mass.

How long will it take to gain weight?

By consuming 500 additional calories a day, a person might gain an average of about
15 pounds (6.8 kg) over 6 months (42Trusted Source).

A more aggressive approach of consuming an additional 1,000 calories per day may
allow a weight gain of about 25 pounds (11.4 kg) over 6 months. However, a large
portion of this weight gain may be comprised of fat (42Trusted Source).

It can be very difficult for some people to gain weight, and the amount of time it
takes to gain weight will be different for everyone.

That may be because your body might have a certain weight, called a setpoint, where
it feels comfortable. It’s theorized that whether you try to go under your setpoint
(lose weight) or over it (gain weight), your body resists changes by regulating
your hunger levels and metabolic rate (43Trusted Source).

When you eat more calories and gain weight, your body may respond by reducing your
appetite and boosting your metabolism. This may be largely mediated by your brain,
as well as weight-regulating hormones like leptin (43Trusted Source).

However, researchers have not proven or dismissed their theory and more research is
still needed (43Trusted Source).

So you may encounter a certain level of difficulty.

SUMMARY
The amount of time it takes to gain weight will be different for everyone, as your
body responds to extra calories and weight gain by reducing your appetite and
boosting your metabolism.

The bottom line

There are many reasons for wanting to gain weight.

It’s important to do so by eating nutritionally-dense foods and building lean

muscle mass.

Changing your weight is a marathon, not a sprint. It can take a long time, and you
need to be consistent if you want to succeed in the long run.

If you’re having trouble gaining weight despite trying the strategies discussed
above, it’s