If you are trying to gain weight, you might want to know some helpful tips for consuming more healthy calories. It seems hard to think about putting on weight these days when many people are trying to lose weight. I know many people who want to put on several extra pounds, but they don’t know how to do it. When I started my weight gaining journey two years ago, I couldn’t find any information about how to gain weigh in a healthy way. Whether you had an eating disorder, or you’ve just been ill and dropped a few pounds, putting on weight can be an excellent goal. These wonderful ways to consume more healthy calories are ways that I’ve tried and used myself. They really helped me and I hope they will help you as well.
1. Take small steps
Although a lot of people say that gaining weight is an easy task, it actually isn’t. You need to take small steps and make small changes. Add a few extra tablespoons of your favorite olive oil to your salads, a bit of nut butter to your oatmeal and smoothies, and a bit of butter to your steamed vegetables. Small steps always add up, remember it.
2. Do it right
Putting on weight doesn’t have to be difficult, but make sure you do it right. I know how it’s tempting to eat a few hamburgers and drink a milkshake in order to gain weight overnight. But this way won’t help you to do that and it will give you a stomach ache and even morning bloat. Do you really need it? I hope, no. So, gain weight the right way, enjoying the amazing tastes of calorie-dense, healthy foods. Treat your body well and it will certainly thank you for it.
3. Add fat to each meal
One of the best ways to consume more healthy calories is to add fats to each meal, not only one. I recommend adding 2 tablespoons of fat to every meal you eat. I may seem a bit scary at first, but fat is really great for you since it can improve the health and look of your hair, skin, and nails. Plus, it helps your body effectively absorb all of the nutrients from the healthy foods you eat. There are many good fats to choose from, including olive oil, nuts, coconut oil, seeds, avocados, flax oil, and hemp oil.
4. Add healthy smoothies to your eating plan
Smoothies are not only for weight loss. They can help you consume more healthy calories and put on weight fast. Add nut butter, avocado, hemp seeds or bananas to your smoothies to increase the calorie content. You can also add coconut oil, sugar-free or low sugar yogurt and shredded coconut. Choose 4 dense healthy foods per smoothie, and don’t forget to add some greens.
5. Eat raw nuts
If you are trying to consume more healthy calories, raw nuts are a must. Eat them instead of all raw fruits and veggies as your snack. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat veggies and fruits. They are essential for your health, but they won’ help you put on weight since they are low in calories. Just add your favorite raw nuts to your veggies and fruits as a snack to consume more calories. You can also add a little bit of dark chocolate to your snack.
6. Use a healthy starch
Along with using fat in your every meal, you should also add a healthy starch. It doesn’t necessarily have to be bread or white rice. A sweet baked potato, quinoa, some winter squash, and some brown rice are excellent sources of starches. They will help you put on weight slowly, but, you know, small steps add up. Have one serving of a healthy starch for two of your meals daily. While many people consume these to drop unwanted pounds, they don’t actually eat them every day, which you have to do to put on those extra pounds the healthy way.
7. Add more protein
Protein is a must when it comes to gaining weight the healthy way. Add double the protein you usually consume in order to put on a little weight. When I was trying to consume more healthy calories, I used a vegan protein powder in my oatmeal and smoothies, and ate fish like salmon for dinner. Since protein helps the body build lean muscle, it can contribute to weight gain. Protein will also help boost your energy level.
Apart from the tips mentioned above, I also recommend you to avoid refined foods and sugar, because they can mess with your blood sugar levels. Just because you are trying to put on weight doesn’t mean that you can eat unhealthy foods. Don’t neglect your health and pay attention to what you eat every day. Hopefully, these tips helped you. Do you have some other helpful tips on how to put on weight the healthy way?