Overview
Building muscles and gaining weight is not a simple task. You cannot just eat extra and think that you’ll be able to gain weight. You need to get extra clean calories to ensure you gain weight but not extra fat in your body. For a lot of people with fast metabolism, gaining weight is a huge challenge. If you are also one of those people, then following a weight gain diet would be beneficial for you.
If you think that being overweight is a big issue, then you need to rethink. Being underweight is also a real struggle and comes with its own share of problems like – fatigue, low immunity, pale skin, brittle hair and nails etc. It is imperative to consult a dietician to know the right diet plan for you, whether it is for gaining weight or maintaining a certain weight.
There is no shortcut to gaining weight. You need to maintain a healthy and weight gain diet chart, include premium quality fitness supplements like – whey protein, creatine, or mass gainer supplement, drink enough water, and do daily workouts. To maintain your weight after gaining it, you should have at least 0.8 g/ kg protein per body weight.
What Is A Healthy Weight Range?
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) determines your healthy body weight range. BMI falls under these categories:
- Below 18.5 - underweight
- 18.5 – 24.9 - healthy or normal
- 25 – 29.9 - overweight
- Above 30 - obese
An Ideal Weight Gain Diet For You
Here’s a sample diet plan that will provide 3000 calories a day. You can alter this weight gain diet based on your age, gender, health conditions etc after consulting your dietician for a weight gain veg diet plan.
The simplest way to consume more calories is to increase the number of meals and include healthy foods that will help you build muscle mass without adding any extra fat or flab to your body. Hence, your ideal weight gain diet includes the following:
-
Early morning
Start your day with a glass of milk and 2 boiled eggs or bananas, and 6-7 soaked almonds. -
Breakfast
2 paneer or vegetable stuffed parathas with 1 cup yogurt. You can also have 2 masala dosas with sambhar and chutney, or two moong dal chillas. If you like to eat eggs for breakfast, have an omelet made up of 2 eggs with two whole-grain bread slices. -
Mid- morning
3-4 pieces of dry fruit or groundnut chikki, a handful of roasted almonds, with one glass lassi. -
Lunch
1 cup salad or 1 cup chicken soup, 2 medium chapatis with 2 cups vegetables of choice, chicken breast or fish, 1 cup dal, 1 cup curd. (1 cup rice is optional). -
Mid-evening
1 coconut water with a handful of nuts or 3-4 pieces groundnut chikki. -
Evening
1 cup tea or coffee, 2–3 whole wheat biscuits or 1 cup nachni chips. You can also have 1 cup roasted makhanas or 1 cup poha. -
Dinner
1 bowl of chicken or vegetable soup. 2 medium chapatis with 2 cup vegetables/ chicken breast/ tofu/ fish/ paneer, 1 cup dal, 1 cup rice, and 1 cup salad. -
Late night
1 glass of milk with organic turmeric and 2 bananas.
You can follow the above given diet chart for weight gain, stay consistent and appreciate yourself for better results.
Weight Gain Foods To Incorporate In Your Diet
Weight gain is no joke, you have to stay patient and dedicated to achieve effective results. These are some foods that you can include in your daily diet if you want to gain weight:
- Animal protein
- Dark leafy vegetables
- Avocados
- Whole grains
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthy carbohydrate
- Legumes
- Full-fat dairy products
- Nut butters
It would be best if you consult a dietician to know which foods or weight gain diet plan will work best for you and which ones to avoid in case you have certain food allergies, dietary restrictions, or health conditions.
Week Wise Weight Gain Diet Plan
Here's a one week diet plan for weight gain and following this 10 kg weight gain diet chart, you will be able to put on the extra pounds you desire
Monday
- Breakfast: 2 vegetable stuffed parathas, 1 cup curd, handful of nuts
- Mid-morning: 1 glass lassi or mango shake
- Lunch: 1 cup dal/ chicken curry, 1 cup seasonal vegetable, 2 chapatis, ½ cup rice, 1 cup salad
- Evening: 1 glass fresh fruit juice, 2 whole-grain toasts
- Dinner: 1 cup vegetable, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
Tuesday
- Breakfast: 2 moong dal chilla (paneer stuffing optional), 1 cup curd, handful of nuts
- Mid-morning: Fruit smoothie
- Lunch: 1 cup dal, 2 chapatis, ½ cup rice, 1 cup curd, 1 cup salad
- Evening: 1 bowl tomato soup, 1 cup aloo chat
- Dinner: 1 cup seasonal vegetable, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
Wednesday
- Breakfast: 1 cup bread upma, 1 cup milk, handful of nut
- Mid-morning: 2 bananas
- Lunch: 1 cup lentils, 1 cup vegetables, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
- Evening: 1 cup upma, 1 glass vegetable juice
- Dinner: 1 cup vegetable, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
Thursday
- Breakfast: 2 cucumber potato sandwiches, 1 cup orange juice, handful of nuts
- Mid-morning: 1 cup sweet potato chaat, 1 glass buttermilk
- Lunch: 1 cup lentils/ chicken or fish curry, 2 cups rice, 1 cup salad
- Evening: Milk smoothie, 2 bananas
- Dinner: 1 cup seasonal vegetable, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
Friday
- Breakfast: 1 cup vegetable poha, 1 cup curd, handful of nut
- Mid-morning: 1 glass fresh fruit juice
- Lunch: 1 cup dal, 1 cup vegetable, 2 chapatis, ½ cup rice, 1 cup salad
- Evening: 2 besan chilla, 1 cup sprouts salad
- Dinner: 1 cup vegetable/ chicken curry, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
Saturday
- Breakfast: 2 sooji cheela, 1 glass strawberry shake, handful of nuts
- Mid-morning: 1 glass coconut water, 1 cup fruit
- Lunch: 1 cup dal, 1 cup vegetable/ tofu/ paneer curry, ½ cup rice, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
- Evening: 1 cup fruit salad, 4 -5 vegetable cutlets
- Dinner: 2 chapatis, 1 cup vegetable/ chicken/ fish curry, 1 cup salad
Sunday
- Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 whole-grain bread slices, 1 cup milk, handful of nut
- Mid-morning: 1 glass banana smoothie
- Lunch: 1 cup dal, 1 cup vegetable curry, 2 chapatis, ½ cup rice, 1 cup salad
- Evening: 1 glass strawberry smoothie, 1 cup vegetable poha
- Dinner: 1 cup chicken curry, 2 chapatis, 1 cup salad
Do’s & Don’ts For Weight Gain
Along with following a proper weight gain diet, it is essential to consider some precautions while following an Indian diet plan for weight gain.
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to consider while following a weight gain diet plan for male or female.
- Get proper sleep and rest
- Eat often and increase your calorie intake
- Drink milk and include eggs in your diet
- Do the right kind of workouts to gain muscle mass
- Eat protein first and vegetables last in your meals
- Include creatine supplements in your routine
- Reduce stress from your life
- Don’t include carbonated drinks, alcohol, packages foods in your diet
Conclusion
Apart from following a healthy diet plan for weight gain, you can also ask your dietician to recommend a mass gainer or weight gainer supplement. These supplements have the right balance of carbohydrates and protein and provide extra calories needed to gain weight without adding extra fat. You can also consider checking out the range of GNC mass gainer supplements online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How can you gain weight naturally with a weight-gain diet?
There are many ways to gain weight naturally, such as following a proper weight gain diet, including consuming 300-500 extra calories daily, high-calorie milkshakes, smaller meals often, and staying consistent throughout.
2. What foods make a perfect weight gain diet chart?
A proper weight gain diet chart must include healthy fats, carbohydrates, and calorie-rich and protein-rich food items like fish, whole grains, eggs, dairy products, lean meat, nuts, and seeds.
3. How can I gain weight and still be healthy?
To gain weight healthily, you should consume nutrient-rich foods like complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Consume a well-balanced meal, follow strength training, and closely check your calorie intake.
4. Can I gain weight without fat?
You can gain weight without accumulating excess fat with the correct approach. Focus on a well-balanced diet, lifestyle changes, and strength training to achieve a healthy body weight.
