Weight Gain Recipes – The Delicious and Healthy Way 

As with losing weight, gaining weight can be a struggle that requires a strategic approach to ensure it’s accomplished using healthy and sustainable methods. Whether your weight gain goal is to build muscle or enhance your curves, the right recipes can help make all the difference. 

However, before we look at various recipes, it’s essential for anyone who is trying to gain weight to understand the fundamentals of healthy weight gain. It’s not about eating more, but eating right. During your weight gain journey, focus on nutrient-dense foods that provide a balance of macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and micronutrients (such as vitamins and minerals). 

While high-calorie, low-nutrient foods may add pounds, they won’t support your overall health and are likely to negatively impact it instead. Keep reading for a collection of weight gain recipes tailored for different needs, ensuring everyone can find something delicious and effective.

What Are the Best Weight Gain Recipes?

The best weight gain recipes should include nutrient-dense foods that provide a healthy balance of macro and micronutrients. This includes whole foods rich in fiber, grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and a lot of fruits and vegetables. (1) The following recipes meet that criteria: 

• Healthy Orange Chicken – Paired with broccoli and rice, orange chicken makes a complete meal at only 662 calories. 
• Keto Breakfast Sandwich – Featuring two beef patties, a fried egg, and mashed avocado, this 664-calorie meal is low in carbs. 
• Teriyaki Chicken – Combined with rice and broccoli, this meal offers a healthy combination of protein, fats, and carbs. 
• Avocado and Chickpea Salad – Packed with healthy fats and proteins, avocado and chickpeas together are an excellent source for weight gain. 

How Can a Skinny Person Gain Weight?

As the saying goes on any weight loss journey – fewer calories in than out. The reverse applies to a skinny person who wants to gain weight. The first step for gaining weight is to ensure you consume more calories than you burn. As previously noted, this doesn’t mean consuming large amounts of calorie-heavy unhealthy foods. Rather, you should focus on nutrient-dense foods, such as healthy fats, lean proteins, and carbs. 

The second crucial step for weight gain is strength training. A skinny person who is looking to gain weight should regularly engage in resistance exercises, such as weight lifting while prioritizing compound movements, such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.(2)

Finally, during a weight gain or weight loss journey, it’s important to get enough sleep and manage your stress levels. They are essential for muscle recovery and overall health. (3)

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How to Make a Weight Gain Meal Plan

The most important factor when designing a weight gain meal plan is to first identify your caloric needs and plan your meals around those needs, ensuring they all strike a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. The following step-by-step guide is a great way to start. 

Step 1: Calculate Your Caloric Needs

To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than your body burns. You can estimate your daily caloric needs using the following formula:

• Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): Multiply your current weight (in pounds) by 12.
• Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): Multiply your BMR by your activity level (1.2 for lightly active, 1.4 for moderately active, 1.6 for very active).

Step 2: Plan Your Meals

Once you’ve established your caloric needs, it’s time to plan your meals. If your goal is to gain weight, you should aim for three full meals a day, combined with two to three snacks a day. (4) Each meal should include a balance of:

• Proteins: Such as chicken, fish, lean meats, eggs, dairy, legumes, and tofu.
• Carbohydrates: For example, whole grains, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables.
• Healthy Fats: Such as avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish.

Step 3: Stay Consistent

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Whether you’re trying to lose or gain weight, it won’t happen overnight. One of the most important steps of any meal plan is consistency. Make sure you’re eating regularly and avoid skipping meals. Also, keep track of your progress to remain motivated and adjust your caloric intake as needed.

Step 4: Hydration and Exercise

Finally, diet alone won’t help you accomplish your weight gain goals. It’s essential that you also stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water throughout the day, and regularly incorporate strength training exercises into your overall meal plan. (5) 

The following sample 3,300-calorie meal plan offers some excellent meal suggestions. (6)

Read more: 7 Reasons for Summer Weight Gain & How to Deal With It

What Foods Help You Gain Weight Fast?

Some foods are more calorie-heavy than others, while still providing a healthy balance of nutrients and essential vitamins and minerals.(7) The following foods are excellent options for helping you gain weight quickly while still maintaining a healthy diet: 

• Nuts and nut butters, such as almonds, cashews, and peanuts are high in healthy fats, proteins, and calories. Just a handful or spoonful can add substantial calories to your diet. 
• Whole grains, including foods such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole-grain bread are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates and fiber and are ideal foods for weight gain. 
• Dairy products, such as whole milk, cheese, and yogurt are rich sources of calcium, protein, and fat, and help make great high-calorie additions to any meal. 
• Lean proteins, such as chicken, turkey, fatty fish, and lean cuts of beef are important food sources for muscle growth. 
• Starchy vegetables, including potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn are high in calories, and are also carbohydrate-heavy foods. 
• Smoothies and shakes. Most homemade smoothies include a calorie-heavy, yet nutrient-dense mix of fruits, dairy, and nut butters. It’s one of the simplest, yet effective foods for gaining weight. 

Which Homemade Food Is Best for Weight Gain?

The simplest and yet one of the most effective homemade foods for gaining weight is a protein smoothie. Often made with simple ingredients that most people already have in their homes, for example, banana, milk, yogurt, and peanut butter, one smoothie can sometimes pack a massive 600 calories. (8)

Other simple and easy-to-make, yet calorie-heavy homemade foods for weight gain include whole-grain sandwiches, preferably with avocado, starch-heavy meals, such as potato casseroles, and red meat dishes, such as beef casseroles or steak. 

Here are a few simple healthy, yet calorie-heavy recipes to get you started on your weight gain journey. 

Avocado and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine the diced avocado, chickpeas, red onion, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then toss gently to combine.
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

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Creamy Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp chia seeds (optional)

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Protein-Packed Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• Salsa, to taste

Instructions:

1. Scramble the eggs in a non-stick pan.
2. Warm the tortilla in a separate pan or the microwave.
3. Layer the scrambled eggs, black beans, cheese, and avocado slices on the tortilla.
4. Roll up the tortilla and serve with salsa.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, bell pepper, avocado, and cilantro in a large bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss everything together until well mixed.

Read more: High Calorie Breakfast Ideas You Must Try for Muscle and Weight Gain

FAQs

• How long does it take for a skinny person to gain weight?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for any skinny person who wants to gain weight. The reality is various factors contribute to the time it takes anyone, including a skinny person, to gain weight. This includes the individual’s current weight, activity level, diet, and metabolism. Your metabolism – whether it is fast or slow – can play a very important role in how quickly you gain weight. 

BetterMe Featured Article: Learn how to gain weight even with a fast metabolism.

• How can I stay skinny and gain weight?

If your goal is to build lean muscle, where you gain weight but remain skinny, one of the most important steps is to focus on a combination of a nutrient-dense diet and strength training. Strength training emphasizes compound movements, such as deadlifts, squats, and bench presses. Regarding your diet, you should focus on high-protein foods, such as chicken, fish, and eggs, and also healthy carbs and fats, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts. 

• Why am I skinny even though I eat a lot?

Diet alone won’t guarantee weight gain and therefore, some people can eat a lot but still remain skinny. Many factors play a significant role in how skinny or heavy a person is. One of the leading factors that can keep a person skinny despite eating a lot is a high metabolism. A high metabolism means that your body burns calories faster than usual, which makes it difficult to gain weight despite consuming a lot of food. 

Other significant factors that can keep you skinny despite eating a lot include genetics (inherited genes from a family of naturally skinny people), a medical condition, such as hyperthyroidism (10), and hormonal issues. Hormones such as leptin and ghrelin (11) regulate hunger and satiety and therefore, if your body produces high levels of either hormone, it may impact your overall appetite.

• What is the worst food for weight gain?

The worst foods for weight gain are processed foods. (12) They include chips, cookies, sugary cereals, and processed meats, such as bacon, sausages, and deli meat. These foods tend to offer little nutritional value and are generally incredibly high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and sodium. While it’s fine to indulge in these foods occasionally, moderation is key.