Curious about how to gain weight in a healthy and sustainable way? There are certain foods that contain high calories are super healthy and if you have been looking for healthy ways to get more calories to build up those muscles or afraid of excessively gaining weight, then here are some tips on how to add calories to your plate in a way that will help you see the results you’re looking for.
Why you need more calories
The human body is a high-performance machine that is fueled by high-quality nutrition. Your body needs calories to perform basic processes of breathing or talking to an intense HIIT workout. Yes, our body needs adequate calories from nutrient-rich foods that will help us to perform at a high level, mentally and physically.
Calories give us the energy we need to function properly. Although keeping track and reduction of calories may help you when you want to lose or maintain weight, you also need to make sure that you are getting an adequate amount of calories from the foods you eat each day.
If your calorie intake is too low, your body will lack all the nutrients it needs. Also, your body’s natural response to a decrease in food is to slow down the body’s metabolism so that your body can conserve energy. Thus, you need to know these healthy ways to gain more calories and give your body the adequate nutrients.
Healthy ways to get more calories
Healthy Ways to Get More Calories
The healthy ways to gain more calories basically eating the right food, which are healthy, and contains the essential nutrients your body needs. Here are some key tips.
1. Eating foods with high-calorie content
High-calorie foods like proteins can go a long way in boosting your calorie intake. Eating nutrient-based meals like;
Fruits: avocados, bananas, fruit juices, pineapples
Vegetables: Peas, corn, potatoes, winter squash (acorn, spa butternut).
Dairy: Cheeses (especially hard cheeses like cheddar), ice cream, yogurt, and full-fat or “whole” milk and milk products, like ice cream. The calories the dairy products are usually high.
Meat/Plant proteins: Beef, pork, chicken, nut butter like peanut butter, beans, and seeds.
You should try to eat more calories than your body burns to gain more calories.
You can aim for 300 to 500 calories per day if you want to gain weight or 700 to 1,000 calories if you want to gain weight fast.
2. Eating regularly and more frequently
Instead of eating just three square meals a day, you can increase your intake to five.you can eat small portions just enough to fill your belly and leave you hungry in the next 4 hours. For instance, if you eat three slices of bread a day, you could eat like five now. This is like a smart way of boosting your calorie intake and not having a protruding belly.
3. Drink high-calorie beverages
This also serves as an alternative if you have a hard time eating more meals. Protein shakes and smoothies contain high calories and work efficiently. Using coconut oil too for your veggies is also recommended. Oils like olive oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and canola oil, which are higher in heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats and lower in saturated fat, are also useful.
4. Avoid low-calorie foods
This is really simple if you are opting to gain more calories, why then engage in foods with low-calorie content. There are foods with high-calorie content but are harmful to the body, such as processed foods and alcoholic beverages. This means the calories you consume should be nutritious (nutrient-dense) to help your body stay healthy and strong, instead of empty calories, which provide no nutritional benefits.
5. Eat healthy snacks
Snacks are a great way to gain more calories, but eating healthy snacks among the healthy ways to get more calories. Most snacks are unhealthy and fast foods can be low in nutrients. Some healthy snacks you can take if you want to gain more calories include: Apples and peanut butter, kale chips, almonds, dark chocolate, and egg rolls.
Bottom Line
Your body needs calories for energy to perform daily activities at an optimal level. However, you need to know the healthy ways to get more calories. And that is by taking in high nutritent foods with much calories.
