If you were trying to gain weight

[Leeds2]

and, at the same time, eat healthily, what foods would you recommend? Can only think of bananas and avocado.

[dontcallnotdating]

Unsalted nuts and seeds? Lots of snacking.

[BitchPeas]

Porridge made with full fat milk.

Pasta with a homemade tomato and veg sauce and grated cheese

Smoothies made with full fat natural
Yogurt, berries, banana and oranges.

Peanut butter on whole grain bread.

[Enormouse]

I struggle to maintain my weight, I'm quite active and if I don't eat properly I start losing it. I eat a lot of natural yoghurt and avocados and try and have a protein with every meal. (Though I am allergic to eggs and nuts so that rules out some things that would be good choices). All my dairy is full fat too.

Typical day
Breakfast - porridge made with full fat milk/ bagel with ham or smoked salmon and cream cheese/ avocado and cherry tomatoes on wholemeal toast
Lunch - homemade soup (natural yoghurt stirred through) with toast/ paninis/baked potatoes with cheese and beans/sardines in tomato sauce on toast
Dinner - Bolognese with salad/fish pie with veg/ stew etc.

I lurk on the eatbetterers thread and they have some great ideas.

[Jackieharris]

Not bananas!

Cheese (cream/sour/cheddar/soft)
Use full fat milk, real butter, double cream in sauces
Use full fat Mayo - use as a dip
Have an almond croissant or blueberry muffin for breakfast
Yes to nuts
Fry foods in lots of oil rather than grilling or baking
Use cream rather than tomato based sauces
Eat full fat yoghurts
Pizza
Oily fish including smoked salmon
For sandwiches go for fillings like egg mayo
Coleslaw
Potato salad
Muesli has a lot more calories than conventional cereals
Tahini
Omelettes with extra egg yolks
Add butter/egg/cream to mashed potato
Quiche
Pure fruit juice
Eat seeded/malted/granary bread rather than white

[Leeds2]

Thanks for the ideas. Will try and see if these are acceptable!!

[cdtaylornats]

Beer - real ale is a natural live product.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Eat more frequently and choose energy dense foods.....

• Fats. All vegetable oils, nuts and nut butters, avocados, seeds, .... also full fat dairy butter and milk which is not unhealthy as part of a balanced diet
• High energy protein. Eggs, red meat, oily fish.
• Starches. Wholegrain foods (which include the wheatgerm) & pulses (including hummus) but avoid too many bulky high fibre foods as they are too filling for not enough calories.
• Sugars. Fruit juices, honey, bananas, dried fruit.

Aim to eat every 2 hours and consider snacking on liquid versions of the above as they can be less filing. You need to aim for around 2500-3000 calories per day, every day, week in, week out, and it's very important to match the extra calorie intake with resistance exercises to convert the extra energy to muscle. No cardiovascular exercises which burn energy.

[MrsShrek3]

Full fat milk may or may not be considered healthy, but it's my best tip, along with what the others have already said about nuts and snacking between meals whenever there is the chance. There is also a balance to be had if there's a lot of exercise going on which means more of a balancing act. OP you presumably know the background to why weight needs to be put on, some of us are lifelong lightweights and just very active but it goes without saying that any other kind of weight loss needs checking out by a gp :-) if you're in the former category then it's a permanent challenge to keep it on, and very little chance of actually making a decent gain.

[DurhamDurham]

I'd eat lots of protein and natural high fat foods such as avocado, cream, nuts, full fat yogurts, cheese and milk.

I would steer clear of filling up on carbs as I think that would be unhealthy, it might be tempting to get the calories in by eating crap but it wouldn't do you any good long term.

I lost a lot of weight years ago and had to put weight on, the doctor advised eating high calorie natural foods. It wasn't easy but I got there in the end.