Healthy Weight–Gain Serving Suggestions
In general, you need only 200 to 500 extra calories daily for safe weight gain, says Stephanie Kay, a registered holistic nutritionist in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
A 1-cup serving of oatmeal made with water and topped with 1 tbsp of peanut butter provides roughly 250 calories. So, eating this as a snack in addition to the number of calories your body uses for energy each day might be enough to help you reach your goals.
If you want to get 200 to 500 more calories than you’d typically need per day, but you’re not sure what total number to aim for, you can try using an online calculator that the USDA created.
Experiment with adding other fruits — like a cup of berries or mango chunks — to your oatmeal for weight gain. And serve your oats with a glass of whole chocolate milk on the side to add more calories.
You can flavor your own milk to avoid monotony with your weight-gain plan. Add a chai teabag to your milk to steep in the fridge overnight for an iced chai latte. Or blend a spoonful of cacao powder and a pinch of cinnamon into whole milk for a creamy, spiced chocolate milk.
Before you embark on a weight-gain diet, speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian. Be sure to get a healthcare checkup if you don’t know the cause of your weight loss or if you’re still losing weight despite eating extra calories.
