Diet to Gain Weight Healthily and Gain Muscle Mass

In the diet to gain weight you must consume more calories than the body spends. Some tips that can help you achieve this are to eat every 3 hours, without skipping any food; and add nutritious foods that have high caloric value such as chestnut, olive oil, peanuts and fruit smoothies.

However, it is important to remember that although the diet aims to gain weight, you should not increase the intake of processed foods rich in sugars and fats, since they increase body fat and the risk of problems such as high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. Ideally, increase the volume of the muscles with the help of a balanced diet and physical activity, since the body remains defined and healthy.

1. Eat 3 in 3 Hours

In the diet to gain weight, eating at least every 3 hours is very important to increase calorie consumption throughout the day and favor weight gain. In addition to this, a good balance of calories and proteins throughout the day favors the gain of muscle mass, since for each meal it is possible to maintain good levels of carbohydrates and proteins in the blood for recovery and growth muscular.

So who wants to increase muscle mass, you must be careful not to skip any meal of the day, so as not to harm the supply of nutrients to the body.

2. Include Protein in all Meals

Including proteins in all meals of the day makes the levels of amino acids in the blood remain constant throughout the day, favoring a good muscle recovery throughout the days of training.

Proteins are present in foods such as meats, chicken, fish, eggs, cheeses and yogurt, being very important to make snacks with efficient combinations such as a chicken and cheese sandwich with wheat bread or toast with cheese & yogurt.

3. Eat Good Fats

Foods that are sources of good fats such as nuts such as peanuts and almonds, avocado, coconut, olive oil and seeds, are excellent options to increase the calories in the diet with low food volume. In addition to this, these fats also help to gain muscle mass and do not stimulate the accumulation of fat in the body.

So some examples of how to use these foods are to add peanut butter in the bread or fruit smoothie, eat some nuts on the snack, add 1 tbsp of coconut in the yogurt and make avocado smoothies in the snack.


4. Eat at Least 3 Fruits Per Day

3 fruits per day eating &  increase the vitamins and minerals in the diet, which are essential for the proper functioning of the metabolism and to promote muscle mass gain.

Fruits can be consumed fresh or in the form of juices or smoothies, and can be added in snacks or as a dessert for lunch or dinner.

5. Drink at Least 2.5 L of Water per Day

Drinking enough water and staying well hydrated is essential to gain muscle mass, since hypertrophy, which is the increase in muscle cell size, only occurs if the cells are well hydrated to increase volume.

So it is important to be very attentive and count the consumption of water, remembering that pasteurized soft drinks and juices do not count as liquids for the body.

What you Should not Eat 

It is important that the weight gain is based on a varied and balanced diet, avoiding the intake of processed foods, rich in sugars or fats such as fried foods, snacks, sausages, bacon, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, sauces in general, sweets, thighs of chicken, soft drinks, pasteurized juices, cakes, cookies, fast foods, among others.

The consumption of this type of food can favor the increase of weight by the accumulation of fat in the organism and not by the increase of the muscular mass, something that in the long term could cause health problems.

Diet Menu to Gain Weight


The table below shows a 3-day example menu of a weight gain diet:

Day 1:

• Breakfast     1 glass of coffee with milk + cheese and egg integral sandwich
• Morning snack     1 fruit + 6 wholemeal cookies + 10 units of almonds
• Lunch dinner     Rice + beans + chicken strogonoff + salad + 1 orange
• Afternoon snack    1 crepe with chicken and cheese + 20 units of peanuts

Day 2:

• Breakfast     1 glass of cocoa milk + 1 large fajita with chicken and cheese
• Morning snack     1 slice of bread with peanut butter + 1 fruit
• Lunch dinner     Pasta with tuna with olives and corn + salad + olive oil + 1 tangerine
• Afternoon snack    Yogurt with granola + 3 toasts with cheese

Day 3:

• Breakfast     1 glass of juice + omelet with 2 eggs and chicken
• Morning snack     1 slice of bread with cheese + 5 nuts
• Lunch dinner     Sweet potato + beans + meatballs in tomato sauce + salad + 2 pineapple wheels
• Afternoon snack    avocado smoothie with 2 tbsp oatmeal

It is important to go to a nutritionist to develop an individualized nutritional plan, since the amounts vary according to age, sex, physical activity and medical history. In addition to this, if necessary the nutritionist may indicate the use of vitamins or a nutritional supplement, which can be based on protein or one that contributes more calories to the diet.

How long can you gain weight?

The average time it takes to gain muscle mass and gain weight is approximately 6 months, but in 3 months some changes can already be observed.