HealthInfo Canterbury
Tips to gain weight
Ngā āwhinatanga e metimeti ake ai
Healthy eating guidelines promote low-fat and low-sugar food choices. But if you're underweight, or are losing weight without trying to, you may need to eat more fat and sugar. These are good sources of energy (calories) and can help you gain weight.
To look after your heart and brain, it's best to use healthy fats (canola, peanut, olive, rice bran, sunflower or soybean oil, and margarine) rather than unhealthy fats (butter, lard, dripping, coconut oil or palm oil).
If you have diabetes
It is important to keep good control of your blood glucose levels while you try to gain weight. Eating more regularly and having more fat will help you to stop losing weight. You should check with your GP, practice nurse or dietitian before you have more sugar or sugary foods.
Useful tips
Eat more regularly
When you're underweight, you may feel full before other people do. Every day try to have three small meals with a nutritious snack in between, rather than two or three large meals.
Choose nutrient-rich foods
Include protein-rich foods – such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, meat, fish, eggs or nuts – in each meal and snack. Choose full-fat milk and milk products, such as dark-blue-top (whole milk) and Greek yoghurt, rather than green-top milk (trim milk) and low-fat yoghurt.
Add more calories
Add oil, margarine, butter, avocado, cream, cheese, dressings, sauces, sugar or honey to meals and snacks.
Enrich your milk
Add 4 tablespoons of skim milk powder to 2 cups (500 ml) of milk and whisk well. Use this milk in drinks, on cereal and in cooking.
Choose nourishing drinks
Have milky drinks (milky coffee, hot chocolate, milkshakes or smoothies), soups or fruit juice instead of water, tea or coffee (which have few calories and no nutritional value). Your doctor or dietitian may suggest you use a powdered drink product such as Complan or Vitaplan between meals.
Watch when you drink
Try not to drink a lot just before your meal as this could reduce your appetite. Drink plenty at other times.
Regularly have dessert, rather just occasionally
Keep active
Physical activity, especially strength training, can help you gain weight by building up your muscles. Exercise may also help to make you hungry. so you eat more.
Meal and snack suggestions
Breakfast
- Porridge made with milk, plus added cream and sugar, followed by toast with margarine or butter and spreads such as peanut butter, jam or honey.
- Scrambled or poached eggs on toast, with grated cheese and bacon.
Light meal
- Thick milk-based soup and a sandwich filled with protein (meat, egg, cheese or canned fish) and salad, or cheese on toast.
- Baked beans on toast with grated cheese.
Main meal
- Meat, fish, chicken, eggs or vegetarian dish, with potato, rice or pasta, and vegetables or salad. Include added margarine or butter, grated cheese, dressings, gravies or sauces.
Dessert
- Custard, ice cream, instant puddings, mousses or yoghurt, with fruit and cream.
- Milk puddings such as creamy rice, sago or baked custards.
- Ready-made baked or sponge puddings with fruit plus cream or ice cream.
Snacks
- Crackers and cheese, hummus, cream cheese or dips.
- Scones, pikelets, English muffins, crumpets or toast, with margarine or butter, and spreads such as peanut butter, jam or honey.
- Dried fruit and nuts, with a little chocolate if you enjoy it.
- Sandwiches with protein fillings such as cheese, hummus, peanut butter, egg, cold meat or canned fish.
- Sweet muffins, cakes and pastries.
If you can't follow these tips or your weight hasn't improved within four weeks, contact your doctor or dietitian.
When you reach your target weight
- Slowly cut down the number of snacks and amount of sugar and sugary food that you eat.
- Change back to lower-fat options, such as trim milk and low-fat yoghurt, if you keep gaining weight.
On the next page: How to overcome a poor appetite
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed February 2022.
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Muffin images courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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