A healthy weight means giving your body enough nourishment to build and maintain muscle, support normal body functions, and gradually reach a healthier weight.
One frustrating thing about weight gain is that it can be as frustrating as trying to lose weight. Some people eat what seems like a lot of food but still struggle to put on a few extra pounds. Others may lose weight after an illness, during a stressful period, because of a poor appetite, or for reasons they do not fully understand.
Healthy weight gain does not have to mean eating huge portions of unhealthy food every day. A better approach is to gradually increase your calorie intake while giving your body the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals it needs.
For adults trying to gain weight, aim to add about 300 to 500 extra calories each day. Eating smaller meals more often, adding nutritious snacks, choosing calorie-rich foods, and including protein, such as trying out a protein-packed homemade treat, can all help. Strength training can also support muscle growth and may improve appetite.
What Does It Mean to Gain Weight?
Weight gain occurs when you consistently take in more energy from food and drinks than your body uses. Your body can store some of that extra energy, which can increase your body weight.
However, gaining weight does not mean that every extra calorie is equally useful.
For example, eating large amounts of sweets, cakes, and sugary drinks may increase your calorie intake, but that does not make them the best foundation for a healthy diet. A healthier weight-gain plan combines extra calories with nutritious foods.
Find Out Why You Need to Gain Weight
Before changing your diet, ask why your weight is low or why you are struggling to gain weight.
Some people naturally have a smaller body size. Others may have lost weight because of illness, reduced appetite, changes in eating habits, or other circumstances.
Unexpected weight loss deserves particular attention.
Speak with a doctor if you have lost weight suddenly or if you have lost weight even when you have not changed your diet or exercise routine. Unexplained weight loss can sometimes be connected to an underlying health problem.
Mayo Clinic also advises people who are underweight or who have lost weight unexpectedly to speak with a healthcare professional. A doctor or dietitian can help identify possible reasons and develop a suitable plan.
This step matters because simply eating more may not address the reason behind unexplained weight loss.
Increase Your Calories Gradually
One of the most practical ways to gain weight is to increase the amount of energy you get from your diet, like the 3-Ingredient Smoothie.
Adults should add around 300 to 500 extra calories a day for gradual weight gain.
You do not necessarily have to make your meals enormous.
Instead, you can make small additions to foods you already enjoy.
You could add:
- Nuts to porridge or cereal
- Seeds to yogurt or smoothies
- Cheese to meals
- Nut butter to toast
- Milk to cereal or drinks
- Extra starchy foods such as rice, potatoes, bread, or pasta
- Avocado to meals
- Beans or other protein-rich foods for dishes
These small changes can make a regular meal more energy-dense without making the portion dramatically larger.
Eat Smaller Meals More Often
Eating can feel like hard work if you have a small appetite. Instead of forcing yourself to eat large meals, spread your food throughout the day. Eat smaller portions more often, and add healthy snacks between meals.
A simple routine could look like this:
- Breakfast: Oats made with milk, topped with nuts and fruit.
- Mid-morning snack: Yogurt with seeds or nuts.
- Lunch: Rice, potatoes, or another starchy food with beans, fish, eggs, or lean meat.
- Afternoon snack: A smoothie, yogurt, nuts, or another nourishing snack.
- Dinner: Pasta, rice, or potatoes with vegetables and a protein source.
- Evening snack: Rice pudding, yogurt, toast with nut butter, or another nutritious option.
The exact foods do not have to be the same every day. The main idea is to avoid long gaps between meals if your appetite is low.
Choose Foods That Give You More Nutrition and Calories
Not all high-calorie foods are equally useful.
A healthy weight gain plan should include a variety of food groups rather than relying heavily on high-sugar foods.
A balanced diet includes fruit and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, dairy products or alternatives, and protein-rich foods.
Starchy foods can be particularly useful because they provide energy and fit easily into everyday meals.
Good options are
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Bread
- Pasta
- Oats
- Cereals
- Protein is also important because your body needs it to maintain and build muscle.
- Useful protein sources include:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lean meat
- Beans
- Pulses
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Dairy foods
- Soy foods
A healthy weight-gain diet doesn’t need to be complicated. A plate containing a starchy food, a protein source, vegetables, and a source of healthy fat can provide a strong nutritional base.
Add Healthy Fats to Your Meals
Fat contains many more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, so small amounts can add considerable energy to a meal.
If you struggle with large-portion meals, try adding cheese, nuts, and seeds to increase calorie intake.
For instance, you could add nuts to breakfast, seeds to yogurt, cheese to a meal, or avocado to a sandwich.
The key is not to assume that more fat is always better. A balanced diet still matters, and the type and overall amount of fat should fit your health needs.
Include Protein at Regular Meals
If your goal is to gain weight while supporting muscle, then protein is a necessity.
You can include protein throughout the day rather than saving it for one meal.
Eggs, fish, lean meat, beans, pulses, nuts, and dairy foods are among the protein sources for healthy weight gain.
If you are trying to build muscle, resistance exercise can help you build muscle rather than rely only on increased body fat.
This is one reason a healthy weight-gain plan should combine nutritious food with appropriate physical activity.
Take Nutritious Drinks Between Meals
Drinks can sometimes be easier to consume than a large meal, especially when appetite is low, so high-calorie drinks such as milkshakes and high-protein overnight oats between meals can help a great deal.
Homemade smoothies can also be a practical way to combine several nutritious foods in one drink.
For example, a smoothie could contain milk or a suitable alternative, fruit, oats, and nut butter.
Timing matters, so try not to drink so much immediately before a meal that you feel too full to eat, and avoid filling up on drinks before meals when trying to gain weight.
Keep Healthy Snacks Within Reach
If you have a small appetite, snacks can make a real difference.
Rather than waiting until you’re extremely hungry, keep simple foods available to eat between meals.
Some options include
- Yoghurt
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Cheese
- Rice pudding
- Toast with nut butter
- Fruit with yogurt
- Homemade smoothies
Keeping these foods available can make eating more regularly much easier.
Add Strength Training to Your Routine
Healthy weight gain is not just about food.
Building muscle also supports muscle growth and appetite.
You do not necessarily need an expensive gym membership.
Depending on your fitness level, strength exercises may include squats, lunges, push-ups, and other resistance exercises.
If you are new to exercise, start gradually and learn proper technique. If you have a medical condition or have been unwell, speak with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise program.
Do Not Depend on Junk Food for Weight Gain
It can be tempting to think that the easiest solution is to eat whatever contains the most calories.
That approach may increase weight, but it does not provide the balanced nutrition your body needs.
Do not rely on chocolate, cakes, and sugary drinks to gain weight. Instead, use nutritious calorie sources such as nuts, seeds, cheese, dairy foods, starchy carbohydrates, protein foods, and other balanced choices.
You are not simply trying to gain pounds. You are trying to nourish your body while your weight increases.
Be Patient With Your Progress
Healthy weight gain takes time.
If you have spent months or years struggling to gain weight, it can feel discouraging when the scale doesn’t change quickly.
Be patient with yourself and try not to judge your progress based on one day’s weight.
Your weight naturally changes from day to day because of food, fluids, and other factors. Looking at longer-term changes can give you a clearer picture.
A gradual approach is generally more practical than trying to force rapid weight gain.
Healthy Natural Foods That Help With Weight Gain
You don’t need special products to start improving your diet.
Ordinary foods can provide plenty of useful calories and nutrients.
Consider building meals around:
Starchy carbohydrates: rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, and oats.
Protein: eggs, fish, lean meat, beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, yogurt, and other dairy foods.
Energy-rich additions: nuts, seeds, cheese, and other calorie-dense foods.
Fruit and vegetables: these provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber and should remain part of a balanced diet.
The NHS recommends choosing a variety of foods rather than focusing on only one food group.
What About Herbs and Weight-Gain Supplements?
Many products online claim to increase appetite or help people gain weight quickly.
Be careful with these claims. A product being described as “natural” does not automatically mean it is safe or effective for everyone. Consider the evidence for a particular herb or supplement before using it.
If you struggle with your nutritional needs despite eating regularly, a doctor or dietitian can help determine whether a nutritional supplement is appropriate.
Some people with poor appetite or undernutrition may need specialized nutritional support, but a healthcare professional should guide this rather than you choosing it at random.
When Should You Speak With a Doctor?
Do not ignore unexplained changes in your weight.
Seek medical advice if:
- You suddenly lose weight.
- You lose weight without a shift in your diet or exercise.
- You have very little appetite for a prolonged period.
- You find it difficult to eat enough.
- You are worried about being underweight.
- You have an existing medical condition that affects your diet or weight.
- You are concerned that your relationship with food is becoming difficult.
Speak with a GP if you experience sudden or unexplained weight loss.
A Simple Daily Approach to Healthy Weight Gain
A practical way to start is to break your day into small steps.
- Begin with a nourishing breakfast.
- Have a snack between breakfast and lunch.
- Make lunch contain a good source of carbohydrates and protein.
- Have another snack during the afternoon.
- Eat a balanced evening meal.
- If you are still hungry later, have a nourishing evening snack.
- Add calorie-rich foods such as nuts, seeds, cheese, or suitable dairy products to meals where appropriate.
- If your health allows it, include strength exercises as part of your weekly routine.
- Then give your body time to respond.
You do not have to change everything in one day. Small changes that you can repeat consistently are often easier to maintain than a dramatic diet that becomes exhausting after a few weeks.
Your Next Steps to Gain Healthy Weight
Healthy weight gain is not simply about eating as much as possible. It is about giving your body enough energy and nutrients while gradually moving toward a healthier weight.
Start by understanding why you need to gain weight, especially if your weight has fallen without an obvious reason. From there, gradually increase your calorie intake, eat smaller meals more often, add nutritious snacks, include protein regularly, and use foods such as nuts, seeds, and cheese to increase the energy content of meals.
Strength training can also support muscle development and may help improve appetite.
Most importantly, do not feel pressured to rush the process. Your body needs time, nourishment, and consistency.
If gaining weight has been unusually difficult, or if you have experienced unexplained weight loss, professional advice is more useful than trying one weight-gain product after another or over-the-counter products promising weight gain. It is best to speak with a doctor or dietitian to help you understand what may be happening and create a plan that fits your individual needs.
