Weight gain is not just a matter of what foods you consume. It is more about a balance between calories that are consumed and burnt. Underweight people can certainly increase their body weight with high-calorie food intake and doing weight training or exercising. When more calories are consumed than burnt by the body, it might help in gaining bodyweight. There are other factors like the genetics of a person which influence body weight and hormonal imbalance too is responsible for weight issues. Healthy weight gain is the one where more muscle mass is gained rather than putting on more fat. Ideally, a calorie-rich diet is one that has micronutrients like minerals, vitamins and trace elements. Junk foods help gain weight but that is an unhealthy weight gain. Junk foods are devoid of necessary nutrients and you gain more fat weight. When you eat a high-calorie diet that has low-nutrient value, you become fat. While eating high-calorie food, make sure that you get the macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fat in the right proportion to support muscle and weight gain. An average of 250 to 500 extra calories consumed daily than what you burn, might lead to a weight gain of 250 to 500 grammes per week.
Let us now learn about 10 high-calorie foods for weight gain, meaning a healthy body weight gain with less fat and more muscle. Presenting a high-calorie food list or high-calorie Indian food:
Whole milk:
Full fat whole milk is one food that is ideal for gaining muscle and body weight. Laden with calories and protein, this food is an easy and healthy way for increased energy intake. Apart from being a calorie-rich food that has 420 calories/litre, full-fat whole milk has 34 grammes of protein, 50 grammes of carbohydrates and 10 grammes of fat. Milk also is a good source of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A.
Banana:
Bananas are loaded with calories. There are 89 calories in a medium-sized banana. Eating a combination of banana, milk and nuts is ideal for increasing body weight in a healthy manner. Bananas have nutrients like vitamin C, A, folate, potassium, protein and dietary fibre. Having 1-2 bananas in a day gives you an energy boost resulting in increased stamina and therefore an increased exercise capacity. This increase in exercise capacity when exploited; helps build muscles and reduces fat.
Brown rice:
Apart from retaining the natural wheat germ, brown rice retains nutritional content like vitamins and minerals. It thus helps in gaining a healthier weight as compared to white rice. Brown rice is rich in carbs that provide energy. You get 111 calories in 100 grammes of brown rice along with 23 grammes of carbs and 2.6 grammes of protein.
Potatoes:
Potatoes are a rich source of carbohydrates. Whether you eat sweet potato or white potato, they both are calorie-rich and help gain healthy body weight. Fried potatoes might harm your health. It is advisable to consume steamed or baked potatoes. The other nutrients present in this food are fats, potassium, protein, dietary fibre. One large potato has nearly 300 calories.
Olive oil:
The type of olive oil called Extra virgin olive oil is rich in calories and nutrients as well. It has strong antioxidant properties and nutrients like vitamin E, vitamin k, trace amounts of carbohydrates, proteins. One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil has 120 calories. The fat content is around 14 grammes. The high amount of unsaturated fatty acids in this oil leads to a healthy gain in body weight. Olive oil can be taken with salads, shakes, etc.
Avocados:
Avocados make it to high-calorie foods as it is calorie-dense fruit. The fat content is one of the highest in any fruit at 77%. This fat is a healthy fat type. One fruit contains 332 calories, 13 grammes fibre, 17 grammes carbs, 29 grammes and 4 grammes of protein. Avocados are rich in potassium and contain 40% more potassium when compared with a banana. They also contain vitamins like A, B6, C, E, K and, Sodium, Magnesium. Their high fibre content and monounsaturated fats support heart health.
Nuts:
A handful of peanuts will give you 125 to 200 calories. Peanuts contain fat, fibre, proteins and benefit our immune system and muscle health. Thus, peanuts are a great snack food that is perfect for muscle growth and weight gain. Different types of nuts have different caloric values and nutritional content. Eating a handful of good quality almonds will give you nearly 160 calories along with 15 grammes of fat and 6 grammes of protein. A handful of Pistachio nuts will provide 159 calories, 8 grammes of carbohydrates, 3 grammes of fibre, 13 grammes of protein.
Peanut butter:
This is a delicious high-calorie diet. 100 grammes of peanut butter has 588 calories. The high protein and healthy fat content of this food help in building muscles while increasing the weight of the body. Peanut butter is a tasty way to gain weight and it goes well with so many food recipes. There are 9 grammes of protein in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.
Dark chocolate:
Apart from being the healthiest variety of chocolate, dark chocolate is also a calorie-rich food. It is a powerful antioxidant and boosts mood. When you consume 100 grammes of 85% dark chocolate variety, you get 600 calories, 43 grammes of fat, 8 grammes of protein, 46 grammes of carbohydrates. It also has nutrients like zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins. Avoid overeating dark chocolates as their fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated type.
Oatmeal:
When consumed with whole milk, oats help weight gain in the most fruitful manner. Oats made of whole grain are rich in nutrition like vitamins, minerals, magnesium, phosphorous, proteins, unsaturated fatty acid, starch, dietary fibre. Having 100 grammes of raw oats will give 390 calories along with 6.9 grammes fat, 66 grammes carbohydrates, 17 grammes protein, and10.6 grammes of fibre.
