What To Eat To Gain Weight And Muscle Mass
If you want to build muscle and gain weight, shakes are the best way to do it Is that right? Wait, someone else says that to gain weight, foods such as chicken and steak are best. No, that cant be it
When every lifter in the gym has their own secret recipes for weight gain, or wants to tell you about the best bulking meal ever, its hard to know what advice to listen to. Thats why we want to break down the essentials for any healthy meal plan to gain weight, so you can achieve your muscle-building goals.
Results will be different for different people, so its important to factor in your personal goal, calculate your individual calorie needs, follow a muscle-building program that uses progressive overload and compound exercises, and prioritize recovery and sleep. So before you crack on with your muscle-building meals, weve broken down everything you need to know about training to build muscle mass to get you on the right track.
Just like you go to the gym every day and monitor your form, you need to stay on top of your nutrition and monitor your outcomes.
Chris Hemsworth and his personal trainer Luke Zocchi have designed the definitive muscle-building program Centr Power, inspired by the training they used to prepare for the latest Thor movie. They have refined their process over the years, and this includes planning nutrition just as carefully as they plan workouts.
1
/4
Chris and his stuntman Bobby chow down on yet another meal to fill out the Thor costume.
Micronutrients For Weight Gain
Calories determine the quantity you need to gain weight, and macro balance dictates the quality of those calories, but basic nutrition is also key.
Micronutrients, aka vitamins and minerals, also support muscle growth and can help with better recovery. In addition, choosing more nutritious, high-quality fats, carbs and protein can reduce potential fat gain and support improved energy, appetite, and mood during the weight gain process.
Weight Gain Foods To Include In Your Diet Plan
- Carbonated drinks
A typical diet plan for weight gain recommends at least three big meals in a day with large portions. However, if you do not like eating at once, you can divide your diet plan for weight gain into five to six smaller meals.
There is no restriction in diet plans for weight gain. However, according to nutritionists, it is better to include healthy whole foods over processed and sugary foods in your weight gain diet.
Apart from a good diet plan for weight gain, other factors like exercise, sleep, active lifestyle., also play a significant role in shaping your body. Therefore, choose a diet plan that suits your body and fits your lifestyle. Remember, gaining or losing weight is a journey and requires constant motivation. So keep yourself motivated, eat healthily, exercise regularly, and live stress-free.
Recommended Reading: How To Mix Protein Powder Into Coffee
Healthy Foods To Eat More Of To Gain Weight
When it comes to gaining weight and building muscle, macronutrients matter. But it’s a myth that you have to go all-in on high-protein foods in order to gain muscle. While protein is vital for repairing the micro-tears that weight lifting and other exercises create in your muscles, carbohydrates and fats continue to serve important functions in your body as you bulk upâso don’t neglect them! Here are some foods to focus on for a balance of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and plenty of protein.
- Oily fish like salmon, tuna, herring and anchovies
- Meats like turkey, chicken and lean beef, pork and lamb
- Beans and legumes, including chickpeas, black beans, lentils, cannellini beans and hummus
- Nut butters and nuts like cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts and pecans
- Whole grains like whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and quinoa
- High-calorie fruits and vegetables like avocados, coconut, bananas, mangoes and dried fruit
- Full-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt and cheese
Pork Chops With Apple And Onion
Craving for some delicious food but dont want to add a lot of calories? Try a simple meal plan with a lot of proteins. Combine the lean protein from pork with the goodness of fiber from apples and you have a meal that will satisfy your hunger pangs and supply the protein necessary for muscle growth. This high protein diet is also effective in controlling blood sugar levels.
Don’t Miss: Best Protein Powder Plant Based
Sweet And Sticky Ground Beef And Broccoli
If you want a protein-rich diet, beef must be on your plate more often. While there are many ways to consume beef, this recipe is an easy way.
You may not like broccoli or ground beef, but when they come together in this recipe, they create a tasteful dish that you cannot say no to. The meal is very simple, and you need only a few ingredients to come up with a dish that easy to prepare, delicious to eat, and is perfect for your bodybuilding diet.
Dinner 7 Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Pepper
All it takes is a little thinking outside of the box, and your ground turkey suddenly turns into five completely different mealsthink burgers, chilis, meatballs, and stuffed veggies.
Stuffed peppers are excellent vessels for mixed veggies and ground turkey, and cut calories significantly when compared to pasta-centric or more starch-heavy entrees.
Try it: Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Pepper: 4 oz ground turkey , cup quinoa mixed with ¼ cup tomato sauce, shredded scallions, and 1 oz. light shredded cheese baked in bell pepper = 35g protein
Don’t Miss: Protein Per Day For Muscle Gain
Reasons To Gain Weight
Motives for gaining weight vary from person to person
. Its not uncommon for people to be underweight because of a medical condition.
If youre planning on gaining some weight, its best you try and identify the cause for your current weight, particularly if youve suddenly lost weight, as this could be linked to an underlying health condition, such as:1
- An overactive thyroid gland
- Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Coeliac disease, a condition that prevents the body from absorbing food properly
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa
- Body dysmorphic disorder
Being underweight can also lead to nutritional deficiencies, a weakened immune system, fragile bones and feeling tired.2
You can check if you’re underweight by calculating your Body Mass Index . If your BMI score is under 18.5, your weight may be too low.
What Foods Are Good For Weight Gain
There are a lot of different foods that provide greater calorie content that can be mixed and matched to create delicious meals and snacks. Although the foods listed below are all good recommendations for weight gain, some medical conditions may require you to limit particular foods. Always be sure to work with your healthcare team to make sure you are eating the best foods for you.
Overall, weight gain occurs with the more calories you consume. So a simple goal for gaining weight is effectively may be increasing either the amount of food consumed or the number of calories in each meal.
Dont Miss: The Best Protein Powder For Weight Loss
Also Check: Best Women’s Whey Protein
What Are Some General Concepts About How To Gain Weight
The main concept to gaining weight is that you have to eat more calories than the amount your body burns. Aim to eat 300 to 500 more calories per day if you want to gain weight slowly. Its better for your body to gain weight slowly than to put on weight quickly. Eating a surplus of 500 calories a day more than you burn results in a new pound of body mass per week. General rules include eating more often , eat more fat and eat more protein.
Can Whey Protein Increase Muscle Mass
Yes, whey protein is used by people worldwide for the exact purpose of muscle repair and growth.
To further discuss, we understand that whey protein is popularly known for both increased strength and muscle mass. Unlike strength gains, however, a gain of mass is measurable via a persons weight. As to the composition of the mass gains from protein intake, this is an area that deserves more thought.
A clear distinction exists between a persons volume and weight. Its not uncommon for two different people to weigh the same yet look wildly different this phenomenon we attribute to differences in body composition.
When we are interested in answering the question sitting at the top of this article, we are generally speaking towards a persons shape and volume, not necessarily their weight. When we receive emails around this topic, we typically steer the discussion focal point towards body composition. By honing in body composition, our natural shape is what it is and little to do with the magnitude of our weight.
There is a well-established relationship between muscle mass and protein consumption because muscle tissues stem from protein. As a critical component of strength training, protein intake represents one of the most studied
Protein in your diet promotes muscle growth and helps to maintain muscle mass. The more muscle mass a person has, the more calories they burn, maintaining healthy muscle function, which allows achieving fat loss
Read Also: Halo Top Protein Ice Cream
Don’t Miss: What Is The Most Protein Dense Food
Factor In Your Activity Level
Depending on how much you exercise, you’ll want to take your resting metabolic rate and multiply it by the following numbers to get a more accurate estimate of how many calories you burn on a daily basis.
- Lightly active : x 1.2
- Moderately active : x 1.4
- Very active : x 1.6
- Extra active : x 1.8
- Super active : x 1.9
For example:
1,800 calories/day x 1.2 = 2,160 calories/day
This is how many calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight if your activity level stays the same.
People Who Never Gain Weight Eat This One Food For Breakfast
Registered dietitians break down exactly what’s so great about this delicious, easy-to-access food.
Weve all heard the old adage about breakfast being the most important meal of the day. While its claim to the top spot on the meal hierarchy may be debatable, it is a fact that what you eat for breakfast can have a big impact on your weight and your health and fitness in general.
So it’s wise to give careful thought to the foods you choose for that first meal of the day. Thats especially true if you are trying to get in better shape or avoid gaining weight.
Here at Parade.com, we’re all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned.
Related: People Who Never Gain Weight Avoid This One Food, According to Nutritionists
Also Check: Can You Take Collagen And Whey Protein Together
Health Benefits Of High Protein Diet
Proteins are essential for our body. This is because the protein content in food is used for build muscles and to be a source of energy. But does that mean that all forms of protein are healthy? In this article, I have tried to discuss the health benefits of high protein diet Protein is essential for the proper functioning of our body. It rebuilds, repairs and regenerates every time we do a workout or take part in strenuous activity. The protein content of a food refers to its quantity and quality. When you consume high protein foods, your health improves in many ways.
Weve all been therewooed and wowed by the latest and greatest, must-try health trend that never lives up to the hype. Now, youre looking for something that really works, that isnt a waste of time , and is actually good for your mind and body.
Enter: A high-protein lifestyle.
Whether youre looking to build muscle, burn fat, or even just strengthen your bones, increasing your protein intake can make life and reaching your fitness goals a whole lot easier.
Lets talk about the benefits of a high-protein diet and what that lifestyle looks like.
Weight Gain Foods 101
Just as losing weight requires calorie control, weight gain is no different. In order to put on mass, you’ll need to eat more calories than you burn. However, the trick is to get the right amount of calories and macro ratios so that you end up gaining more muscle than body fat.
So, exactly how many calories do you need to build muscle?
It takes approximately 2,800 extra calories to produce one pound of lean mass – compared to the 3,500 calories it takes to add a pound of fat . This would equal about 400 additional calories per day.
However, this depends on individual factors, like how well trained you are, individual metabolism, and your starting body composition. Depending on the person 100 to 1,000 extra calories is sufficient to promote fast muscle gain or a 5 to 10% calorie increase overall.
It is also important to understand that increasing 2,800 calories alone isn’t guaranteed to only result in muscle some fat gain will always occur.
Recommended Reading: High Protein Snacks For Weight Loss
The Healthifyme Experts Take
Protein is a very complex nutrient that needs to be consumed with care and love.
True to its very makeup, the human body, from hair, nails, and skin, to the myriad of hormones, down to the cells of all organs, to those muscles that help us move, is the majority protein.
So, with the above knowledge, its essential to select the right proteins and prepare them in a healthy way to know how much and how often to consume them to achieve optimum health results.
Why Would Someone Need To Gain Weight
In todays culture, weight loss is a more popular topic than weight gain. It seems like so many people are looking for the next best diet or food to eat in order to lose weight. However, there are many individuals who would not benefit from weight. In fact they may need to gain weight to improve their health.
This blog will dive into who may need to focus more on weight gain versus weight loss. And how to effectively and sustainably implement weight gaining foods and strategies!
You May Like: Best Protein For Dogs With Allergies
What Foods Can More Easily Lead To Weight Gain
Weight gain occurs when you take in more calories than you burn, day in and day out.
Ultra-processed foods typically have more fat, sugar, and salt than less processed foods. This crave-worthy combination makes it easier to overeat and, therefore, to gain weight.
In a 2021 study, normal-weight adults who ate the most ultra-processed foods were 15% more likely to become overweight or obese than those who ate the least.
Less processed foods tend to be more filling and lower in calories. Some minimally processed foods could even help you lose weight.
Foods that contain a lot of fiber, water, and protein help you feel full faster and leave less space in the belly for additional calories.
How To Gain Weight In A Healthy Manner
As mentioned earlier, the main concept is to consume more calories than you use during your day. A rough estimate you can aim for is to take in 300 500 more calories than you need. Another general idea is to eat more meals each day, rather than increasing the size of your existing meals. Increasing the amounts of fats and protein in your diet is also almost a necessity when youre trying to gain weight. One thing you should not do is consume unhealthy fats and junk foods in an effort to put on weight. These kinds of foods will result in weight only on your tummy and can cause serious long term issues down the road like diabetes, obesity and heart issues. It is also a good idea to incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine, this can help build up your muscle mass.
Also Check: Sources Of Protein For Vegans
What Is A Healthy Amount Of Protein To Eat Every Day For Weight Loss
Remember: Everyones different, so theres really no one-size-fits-all prescription when it comes to a healthy amount of protein for you. Protein intake really depends on your size and activity level, but there are some numbers we can look at, explains , RD, who runs MPM Nutrition in New York.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is set at .8 grams of your body weight, but that is a minimum, not necessarily optimal, Meshlaum notes. TBH, your best bet is to try and get roughly 30 percent of your calories from protein. This rounds out to be about one gram of protein per pound of body weight, Meshlaum says.
Weight Gain Foods List: Here’s The Top 75 Foods To Eat To Gain Muscle
EMMIE SATRAZEMIS, RD, CSSD March 10, 2019
Looking for the best muscle building foods to include on a lean bulk diet ? To help make sure you are stacking your plate correctly, here are the top 75 foods for weight gain to add to your grocery list.
Use this food list withyour free Meal Prep Toolkit for Muscle Gain. Save time and money on your meal prep, while maximizing gains with this simple step by step guide.
Recommended Reading: High Protein And Fiber Breakfast
Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad
Summer is a great time to indulge in a salad or two. And this Summer, Strawberry Chicken Salad is as good as they come.
It has the perfect ratio of greens and protein. And it tastes pretty good.
The sweetness of the strawberries and strawberry marinade offsets the bitterness of the salad greens. Meanwhile, the goat cheese elevates this dish.
And the grilled chicken makes it pretty filling. The homemade dressing complements the salad beautifully.
Its creamy, tangy, and sweet. Its so refreshing you definitely wont miss the bottled stuff.
Per Serving: