How to gain weight?

We often talk about losing weight, but this is what you need to consider if gaining weight is one of your health goals. 

For healthy weight gain you need to increase your calorie intake by increasing nutrient and calorie rich foods in the diet. You need to supply your body with all the essential nutrients it needs for muscle growth and maintenance. 

You should be aiming to put on healthy weight by increasing muscle mass with a healthy proportion of body fat. To do this you need to increase your daily food intake of high-protein foods, healthy fats and slow releasing complex carbohydrates. Steer away from heavily processed junk foods that contain 'empty calories' and are high in hydrogenated oils and sugar.

Protein is essential for growth and maintenance of muscles, healthy choices include oily fish, chicken, red meat, dairy foods and nuts and seeds. Protein powders are very useful for people trying to increase their weight, try adding some to smoothies.

Increasing your intake of complex carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain breads, pasta, oats and rice, and starchy vegetables (potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, corn), will help promote healthy weight gain, without disrupting your blood sugar levels.

Upping healthy unsaturated fats, replacing saturated and trans-fats, is also beneficial. Use more cold pressed oils (olive, macadamia, walnut and chia), nuts and seed pastes, and avocado. Try making salad dressings with cold pressed oils and tahini, satay sauces with natural peanut butter, pesto through pasta, and cheese sauces over vegetables. Fresh coconut flesh is a delicious addition to smoothies.

Try including more calorie and nutrient rich snacks in your daily diet such as nut butters, tahini or avocado on wholegrain toast; nuts and seeds with dried fruit; muesli bars (try making your own healthy ones); cheese, avocado and tomato on whole wheat crackers; or smoothies with protein powder, milk, LSA (ground linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds), and banana.

Remember to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as they should be a major part of any healthy diet. 

Conditions such as an over active thyroid can make it difficult for people to put on weight, and should be investigated and treated.