5 Easy Ways to Gain Weight in a Healthy Way

While most people think losing weight is harder than gaining it, that's not quite the case. When asked what someone who wants to gain weight should do, the first thing that probably comes to mind is eating unlimited amounts of high-calorie, high-fat foods. Yes, this way of eating can genuinely help with weight gain — but unfortunately, it's not the healthiest approach. Whether your goal is to gain or lose weight, what matters in both cases is protecting your health in the best way possible. Your body uses the nutrients it gets from food to build new cells. However, foods that are high in empty calories and lacking in nutrients cannot meet these needs.

You can think of your body like a house you need to build. The higher the quality of your materials, the more durable your house will be. Here are 5 ways to gain weight in a healthy way:

Be careful not to go more than 4 hours without eating

You can think of your body like a machine that never stops running. Your heart is constantly pumping blood, your circulation is going non-stop, your brain and muscles are continuously working. Of course, your body needs energy to keep all of this going in a healthy and sustained way. Whenever you skip a meal during the day, you're depriving yourself of the fuel you need, and this causes your body to seek out new energy sources — such as your muscles! To protect your body from losing important tissue, you should make an effort to eat something every 2–5 hours. If you want to increase your muscle mass, the timing of your meals matters greatly. Create a nutrition journal to stay on schedule and track what you consume, keeping a regular record. This way, you can see what you're eating and solve problems much more quickly when something goes wrong.
Make an effort to eat several types of food in a single meal

Try to include at least 3 different food types in your meals. For example, instead of eating just a banana, have 1 slice of whole-grain bread topped with 1 tablespoon of almond/peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of crushed hazelnuts or almonds, and banana slices, along with 1 glass of whole milk. Having a variety of foods in your meals helps your body function much more effectively.
Make use of healthy and nutritious foods

The golden key to gaining weight without eating large quantities is consuming highly nutritious foods in small portions. Dried fruits are one of the best examples of this. When dried fruits lose their water content, their portion size decreases by about 75%. For example, 1 water glass (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) of fresh grapes, once dried, equals just 1/4 of a water glass. However, when buying dried fruit, be sure to choose varieties with no added sugar or preservatives. You can mix a few tablespoons of oats, some grated dark chocolate, finely chopped dried fruit, and almond butter in a bowl, then roll them into small balls to enjoy as a snack.
If you don't want a full meal, try a drink alternative

Because of their liquid form, drinks don't make you feel as full as solid foods. So if you're trying to gain weight, you can take advantage of drinks to avoid bloating and the feeling of being overly stuffed. When preparing your drink, be sure to use fresh fruit juices, milk, or yogurt. You can increase its nutritional value by adding oats, peanut or almond butter, protein powder, hazelnuts, almonds, or other nuts. The easiest way to consume all of these ingredients together is to blend them all in a blender.
Make an effort to eat something before bed

While we sleep, our bodies repair and renew themselves. When you eat something healthy before bed, you help your body build muscle and lean tissue. For example, you can treat yourself to a bowl of whole-grain pasta with vegetables. To boost the nutritional value of your meal, you can add lean protein sources such as chicken or turkey breast, lor cheese (Turkish curd cheese, similar to ricotta), or green lentils.