10 Healthy Ways to Put On Weight

3. Eat more often

For most healthy adults, three meals a day about five hours apart is the ideal meal schedule, Miner says. If you want to gain weight, though, you need to supersize it. Instead of just your typical three squares, add a hearty snack three hours after breakfast and lunch and another one before bed.

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Snack break

No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls 

• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, store-bought or homemade 
• 1½ cups oats, old fashioned  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped or powdered nuts (any type)  
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut  
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins 
• 1 TB vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp flax or chia seeds 

Combine the ingredients, adjusting the amount of peanut butter to ensure a firm texture that is not too sticky. Smooth peanut butter provides more calories than chunky peanut butter because the body is more efficient in digesting smooth peanut butter. Roll into tablespoon-size balls and place on parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate.  —Alison Miner

4. Pump up the protein

To gain more muscle than fat, you need protein — and plenty of it. “As we get older, our body needs to take in a little bit more protein to stimulate muscle growth and for muscle maintenance,” Parrella says.

It’s also necessary for strength training, Creel says. “You want to make sure that you’ve got the resources to put on the weight as muscle,” he says.

The general recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (about 3.6 grams per 10 pounds). But “we’re finding that it’s better to get more like 1.2 or 1.3 grams per kilogram in someone who is trying to gain weight,” Creel says.

People absorb protein less effectively as they age, so it’s important to spread your intake throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is to consume 25 to 50 grams of protein, three or four times a day, or every time you eat. “Otherwise, you can’t absorb enough protein at a time to maintain your muscle mass,” Parrella says.

In addition to animal protein like chicken, beef and fish, consider soy products like tofu and edamame. You can also get quality protein from dairy products and nuts and by combining legumes with grains — amaranth and quinoa are particularly high in protein. And mix whey protein powder with smoothies, or drink packaged whey protein shakes.

5. Load up at breakfast

People tend to be hungry when they wake up in the morning, so use this to your advantage and eat a full breakfast.

“That’s when you really want to deliver the calories,” says Miner. “Eating more calories when you’re hungry is really the key.” Appetite wanes in the evening, so you can eat less then.

6. Increase calories — and fat

Even if they know they should gain weight, many people are afraid to add fat to their diets, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, dietitian and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table. “Fats like almonds, avocado, nut butters, and olive and avocado oils are great ways to get healthy fat in your diet, get concentrated calories, but not have a negative impact on your health.”

Miner suggests cooking rice and oatmeal with milk, even evaporated milk, to add calories. And use coconut milk as a base in stews and curries.

Feel free to enjoy whole-fat yogurt. “The latest evidence on the full-fat yogurt and even cheese, believe it or not, is that they do not increase blood cholesterol levels,” Miner says.

7. Eat energy-dense meals

“A meal with a salad, a main dish and different sides is a lot of food to eat for someone who may not be used to eating that much,” Taub-Dix says. “And a big salad before a meal could be too filling. You want to make the meal more concentrated. The goal is less volume of food.” 

One-dish meals that combine vegetables, legumes, and chicken or fish (think: stews and soups) are a good option, Taub-Dix says. If you really want a salad, make it count: Include beans, nuts, avocados and dressing made with healthy oils like olive oil — nothing fat-free.

8. Don’t plump up too fast

Just as people should lose weight gradually, making behavioral changes that will stick, you should take a measured approach to weight gain.

“Adding 300 to 500 calories a day is a good place to start,” Creel says. That should allow you to gain about a half pound to a pound a week. 

9. Drink your calories 

Downing a lot of high-calorie beverages is one of the ways that people gain weight, so it’s the natural strategy for adding heft to your frame, Creel says. Instead of plain water, drink milk or 100 percent juice, he says.

Smoothies are the perfect choice. “The reason we use them for weight gain is because the body doesn’t have to do anything to break it down,” Miner says. “So all the calories that you’re taking in will be absorbed.”

You can even add whole or ground nuts to the mix. “The body is not efficient in breaking nuts down,” Miner says. “If I were to give someone a half cup of nuts to eat, they might only absorb a half to three-quarters of the calories as if they were blended into a drink.” 

Start with an instant breakfast drink or protein powder and add nuts and whole milk or almond milk. Then experiment with Greek yogurt, 100 percent juices, fruit and nut butters.

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Smoothie Time

High-Calorie/High-Protein Smoothie 

• 1 cup of whole cow’s milk or whole milk yogurt (substitute coconut milk, if vegan) 
• 1/3 cup of finely chopped walnuts 
• 1 banana or 1 cup of blueberries or strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach or ½ cup shredded carrots 
• 1/3 cup of orange or apple juice 
• 1 TB chia or flax seeds 
• 2 TB whey protein powder (substitute pea protein powder, if vegan) 

Put ingredients in a blender, adjusting the amount of each ingredient to suit your taste. Blend on high for 1½ minutes. Drink between meals or as a meal substitute.  —Alison Miner

10. Stimulate your appetite

“It’s really hard to force yourself to eat when you’re not hungry,” says Miner. And older people tend to have a lower appetite to start with.

Solution? If a prescribed medication is wrecking your appetite, ask your doctor if there’s a substitute and troubleshoot other medical issues that might be robbing your appetite. You can also ask a doctor about medications that increase hunger, such as megestrol acetate, oxandrolone or dronabinol.

Food should also seem more appealing after exercise, Creel says. In addition to resistance training, try some light cardio in the pool, he advises.   

“There’s evidence that swimming, especially in cold water, may stimulate appetite more than exercise on dry land, as your body has to generate more heat,” he says. “It’s also a great activity for older adults who might have some limitations as well.”