Please help me put on some weight....

[roselle]

Please can I have your favourite recipes and ideas to help me put on some weight. Healthy and unhealthy would be good as would ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I am bored with my old recipes and getting nowhere

Recipes for what kind of food? Main meals, baking, snacks, meat, veg? What do you like to eat?

All of the above. I like pasta, lots of vegies, cakes etc, red and white meat and will give anything a go but i really need ideas on what i can eat throughout the day. Main meals with lots of calories in them and snack ideas thanks

snacks with peanut butter, avocado, cheese, nuts, butter, whole milk/yoghurt, hard boiled eggs...
will think some more later - am at work. And now hungry

Never had this problem myself roselle, but if you like pasta make sure you make lovely cream sauces using Sour Cream or Creme Fraich, just cook up a load of pasta, stir in creme fraiche and add salmon and dill or sausage and veggies - blardy lovely and gazillions of calories.

Snacks how about bread and cheese, oh, god I dunno, 'tis making me hungry.

Sorry have to give up or will go and raid the fridge.

Ok, here's my rather extensive list. I am veggie now so don't make a lot of this but I am sure some are quite high in calories. I don't have a list of baked things but I maybe I'll compile one.

Spaghetti Bolognese
Shepherds Pie
Burgers
Lasagna
Chili (with rice)
Frito Pie
Meatloaf
Meatballs

Sausage Casserole
Spicy sausage casserole with potato or celeriac mash
Spicy Sausage with Penne
Toad in the hole
Bangers & Mash

Moussaka
Lamb steaks w/ redcurrant glaze

Beef in Beer Casserole
Goulash
Steak Sarnies

Carbonara

Chicken Curry
Roast Chicken
Chicken Casserole
Chicken Pie
Fajitas
Kebabs
Chicken and dumplings
Thai Chicken Skewers
Peas & bacon with Pan-fried Chicken
Chicken. Bacon & Leek Pasta bake
Chicken salad wraps w/ wholemeal wraps & yoghurt. Chop salad into sticks
Spiced Chicken
Chicken goujons/ nuggets
Chicken Parmesan
chicken parcels wrapped in parma ham
Chicken Kiev

Tuna Pasta Bake
Tuna Palestine
Fish Pie
Creamy Salmon pasta with veg
Coley/ white fish with cherry tom, capers and black olive topping.
Kedgeree
Salmon with Leek & Courgettes
Salmon fillets baked in the oven with sweet potato chips
Seared Tuna
Grilled White Fish
Fishcakes
Fishfingers
Haddock w/ fennel butter

Prawn Curry
Thai Pasta with Shrimp (Spaghetti, ½ can coconut milk, curry powder)
linguine with prawns and garlic
Scampi

Omelet
Frittata
Egg & chips
Fried Egg Sarnies
Egg Mornay
Quiche

Veggie Bake
Grilled Portobellos w/ roast toms & ricotta on sourdough
Onion & Olive Pissaladiere (puff pastry)
Onion & Goat?s cheese tarts (puff)
Tomato & Tapenade Tarts
Sweet potato & chick pea curry
Baked spuds
Potato & Onion Tortilla
Spicy Roasted Veg
Veggie/ Allotment Pie
Chunky Veg Chili
Leek and Potato Gratin
Paneer, peas and potato curry
Cauli Cheese
Baked Figs with Stilton
Stuffed Peppers
Black bean, mushroom and quinoa stuffed peppers
Stewed Okra w/ tomatoes
Baba Ganoush
Aubergine Parmegiana
Aubergine & tomato gratin
Aubergine in cheese sauce
Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Chickpea Wraps
Perciatelli with Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant
Cheesey leeky bakey thingy
Ginger ROatsed Winter Veg
Roast veg in Phyllo cups

Black Bean Burgers
Mushroom veggie
Carrot Lentil

Pumpkin, Walnut & Blue Cheese Gnocchi
Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna
Roast pumpkin and mushroom lasagna
Goats Cheese and Pesto Cannelloni
Lentil Lasagna
Tortellini
Ravioli
Pesto
tagliatelle w/ Veg ribbons
Macaroni Cheese
Cannelloni
Whole-wheat spaghetti w/ fontina & Kale
Conciglie con broccoli
Pierogi
Orecchiette w/ cherry tomatoes and kalamata Tapenade
Sundried Tomato Pesto
Penne w/ mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and artichokes

Pea Risotto
Veg risttoto
Lemon zucchini rissoto
dirty rice
Rainbow Rice
Mushroom Stroganoff
Dahl & rice

Red Beans and Rice
Chermoula Chickpea burgers
Chick Pea Burgers
Chickpea and spinach Curry
Tuscan beans w/ tomatoes and sage
Adzuki Bean Stew
Parsley & butterbean stew
Black-eyed peas (w. rice)
Homemade baked beans
2 bean salad
3 bean salad
Chipotle, Corn and black bean stew
Black-eyed pea and quinoa croquettes with mushroom sauce

Crunchy Lentil Loaf
Cheese & Lentil Loaf
Lentil Stew
Lentil Shepherds Pie
Spiced Lentils
Lentil Chili
Lentil, cheese and carrot wedges

Quinoa tabbouleh
Quinoa w/ avocado and mango
Jeweled Quinoa
Lemon-scented quinoa (w/ tahini dressing)
Quinoa in coconut milk
Veg fried quinoa
Couscous with spicy chickpeas & veg
couscous w/ peas and mint
couscous w/ raisins and pine nuts, thyme and onion
Israeli couscous with veg

Pumpkin seed-encrusted Tofu w/ Baked Pumpkin & cranberry relish

Spinach, Goats Cheese & Pepper Quesadilla
Pizza
Cheese & onion pie
Leek & onion tart
Spanakopita
Veg Wraps
Pocket full of protein
Vegetable Tart
Toasties
Bruschetta w/ sundried tomatoes & mushrooms
Hummus, avocado and tomato wrap
Banana and Almond vutter pita pockets
CHeeseless pizza (tomato, olives, roasted red pepper, caramelized onions)
PHyllo pies w/ lemony artichoke & spinach

Cheese Quesadillas
Black bean & cheese quesadillas (use black bean dip)
Spinach and Mushroom quesadillas w/ blackbeans & salsa

Burritos
Mexican Lasagna (black beans, salsa, pasta)
Mexican Lasagna with tortillas (refried beans, sour cream, spicy veg)
Mexican Lasagna (Vegan)
Fajitas
3 bean chili

Potato wedges
Herb-roasted spuds
Cajun spuds
Gratin
Stir Fry
Parmesan Parsnips
asparagus w. capers & parsley
Sweet potato wedges w/ thyme
Spicy Sweet potatoes

Soup
Veg Soup
Barley & Veg sop
Tomato & Lentil
Onion
Winter squash (Roast pumpkin/ Butternut & onion)
Cream of watercress & stilton
Mushroom
Spicy Carrot
Pea and bacon soup
Borscht
Carrot and sweet potato
Pumpkin & Red Pepper
Tortellini Soup (w/ escarole/ spinach)
Tomato Veg soup
Split pea and ham
Corn Chowder
Carrot Bisque
Roasted butternut
Curried split pea
Potato and Asparagus
White Bean and Roasted Garlic
Black and White bean soup
Spicy sweet potato
strawberry soup w/ almond milk

Salads
Pasta w/ green beans & mushrooms
Potato
Greens w/ warm bacon & eggs
Nicoise
Beetroot & mint
Fried Halloumi & grape
Tomato, Bean & fried Basil
Watermelon & Feta
Anchovy & roasted pepper
Arugula & mushroom w/ pine nuts & red peppers
Greens w/ almonds, crystalised ginger and raspberries
Apple-fennal (w. soy mayonnaise)
Poppyseed coleslaw
artichoke and arugula
carrot salad

Nuts are high in fat and calories, too. And Avocadoes.

Cream cheese is good for making into pasta sauce.

Also, you probably do anyway but use whole milk in everything.

You could have porridge or pancakes in the morning, made with cream or full fat milk.

Here are some baked things:

Cookies

chocolate chip
white chocolate chip
white chocolate chip and raspberry
Oatmeal Raisin
gingersnaps
Gingerbread men
chewy ginger biscuits
Almon
Chocolate
Iced spice
peanut butter
Sugar cookies (roll out)

Flapjacks
Tiffin/ Polish cake

Scones

CHeesecake

Brownies
Prune Brownies

Banana bread
Chocolate banana bread
Date and chocolate cake
Chocolate Prune Cake
MamaG's white choc and blueberry cake
LDC (or orange)
Grapefruit cake
Pumpkin Bars
Banana Sour-cream
Apple Cake
Carrot Cake
Cherry-Almond cake
Courgette bread
Pear & ginger muffins
Gingerbread
cinnamon buns
Cream cheese Kringle

Stollen

Flourless chocolate cake
coca cola cake
Victoria Sponge
Madeira

Malt Loaf
Bara Brith
Tea bread

Crumble
Lemon Tart
Apple pie
Upside down cake
chocolate saucy pudding

Vegan:
choc chip cookies
Sugar cookies
Oatmeal cookies
oatmeal choc chip cookies
Banana coffee Cake
Chocolate orange cupcakes
Lemon Poppyseed muffins
apple crumb pie
ginger raisin bran muffins
Pumpkin muffins
ginger bars
Peanut butter filled chocolate cookies
Lemon cupcakes
Chocolate cake

I find putting on weight incredibly easy .

My top tips include wine (sure fire winner), lots of melted cheese, chicken parmigiana, chicken schnitzel with mushroom gravy, jacket potatoes with butter, avocado, chilli beef and soured cream , croissants stuffed with melted cheese and mushrooms, toasted banana bread with butter, thai green curry, beef massaman curry, laksa (ok, let's just summarise that into anything cooked with coconut milk).

Of course, if you want to do it healthily have lots of nuts and avocados - the good fats. Things like avocado and tomato on brown toast (I use avocado instead of butter), or peanut/freenut butter on wholemeal crumpets. You could also use wholemeal pasta but with creamy sauces, or jacket potatoes with cheesy sauces.

I'm sure you'll be able to do something without resorting to the doughnuts and deep fried food. Good luck, I know it can be very hard to gain weight.

Eat cheese and a cream cake after every meal

Roselle, why do you want to put on weight - have you been ill, do you have trouble eating, what's the problem?

I can help possibly but not sure what to suggest without more info iyswim

you guys are great! It's going to take me a year to get through those lists I did cook brownies and have curry chicken tonight (in oz) thanks supperbunny.
I don't have any medical problems just naturally very slim. I find it extremely hard to maintain my weight yet one busy day can mean I lose a kilo. My current weight is 45kg (sorry don't know what that is in pounds, maybe 95 - 100 but that is just a guess) and i am really uncomfortable. I am a very small frame so only need to put on 4-5kg but i just can't do it. My meals today were:

Breakfast 6.30am - oats, tea, grapes
9am - 2 plain biscuits, water, handful of blueberries and a couple of strawberries
11am - banana smootie (natural yoghurt, banana, milk), 5 crackers and cheese
lunch 1pm - 2 slices of toast with salmon, cottage cheese tomato and cheese, hot chocolate with all milk
4pm - grapes, water, 2 crackers with avocado
dinner 7pm - chicken curry (with veg and rice)
9pm - small chocolate bar, ice block
I may have a brownie before i go to bed now

This is a normal day is this a normal amount? I don't feel like i can trust my judgement. What does everyone else eat through the day? Am supposed to be going out this weekend but its warm here so i am going to look bad in whatever i wear and will no doubt get the comments.
Thanks again for your posts they're really helpful

My mum used to be very underweight and people always commented, "Oh, aren't you thin!" and she'd get really upset and point out that no-one would say to someone, "Ooo, aren't you fat?"

Anyway, I don't know what normal people eat but today I have had:

Coffee
Oatmeal made with oat and rye flakes, soy milk, ground almonds, cinnamon, raisins & an apple

Broccoli with pesto, peas, olives, capers
Piece of pumpkin cake

Glass of juice

Will have bagel and cream cheese or almond butter and honey for supper, I think and an orange as a snack and probably some more dried fruit.

that sounds yummy marlasinger.
Superbunny i think the same thing. The difference between being overweight and underweight is (while im sure overweight people get more discrimination in general) when you are overweight people talk about you behind your back. When you are underweight people will say whatever they want about your appearance right to your face. Things like "OMG you look terrible! Why don't you eat something!" and worse

arfishy i heard that wine was good so i have been having a glass at dinner time about 5 times a week. Usually white wine though, should it be red?

Oh roselle, poor you. How insensitive of people.

Hmm I don't think what I had yesterday would help you much as I am one of the many trying to shift some weight but what you ate sounds like a fairly average to low calorific day (if delicious). Um, can you swap your cottage cheese for Creamy Brie for instance and snack on nuts rather than grapes? The banana smoothie sounds splendid but make sure your yoghurt is one of those full and creamy ones rather than the skinny sort - also maybe add some honey.

Also how are your portion sizes? I know that I always eat too much (hence my previous rather curvy shape) so make sure you are eating enough. Have you been to the docs to get yourself checked out - Thyroid etc? Also prob worth going to see a dietitian who should be able to advise a healthy diet. IT does sound as if you are one of those people who can eat what they like tho and not gain an ounce. Do you have kids? Did it make a difference before/after pregnancy?

Instead of the wine go for a sticky Pina Colada a night or a pint of Guinness!

Lots of bread does it for me. Hi-carb foods generally. Wine, as mentioned. Oh and try not to exercise. Drive wherever possible, and spend lots of time in front of a screen.

Sleep-deprivation seems to help too

I think I eat a lot more than you and I maintain my skinny weight. I think you might need to adjust the carbs in your diet. It sounds perfectly healthy, but perhaps need more actual calories, bigger portions, or mixed with a bit more fatty stuff.

Bread, pasta and noodles are calorific, so is cheese/dairy stuff. Wine is calorific but you don't want to drink every night. 1-2 units per night (2 small glasses, 1 large glass) with a break of 3 nights at some point each week otherwise it could have negative effects on your liver (of course I adhere to that amount, honestly ) and beer is more calorific than wine as it has a higher sugar content (and more 'poisonous').

I would say i eat medium portion size. Looks to be the same size as the people around me usually but I don't really eat a huge plate of food at any time. I was 56kg full term and then went to 49kg after birth which i was very happy with but as you say SqueezyDiva sleep deprivation etc... i love your advise though!
I use full cream milk with full cream milk powder mixed in it. Yoghurt is full cream and I do use honey in the smoothie. Actually reading back what I had yesterday i can see where i could do better. I think i eat too much fruit! I love fruit especially now that it's warmer here and my favourites are coming into season. Should i double the amount of calories i am having? Don't want to be in the kitchen all day but would really like a result.

Ah, you're in Oz too? It's tricky in the summer isn't it? I tend to put most of my weight on in the winter and lose it in the summer. Caesar salads are fattening, also avocado salads, perhaps with some cheese would be good. Perhaps some more carbs? Cous Cous salads or toasted bread with some olive oil drizzled?

How active are you? It sounds like you have a very fast metabolism. I'm 5'9 and to maintain my weight at 60kg (my most ever slimmest and a size 6 - am currently slightly larger than this, see preferred food list) I barely ate. Literally a salad twice a day.

Re the wine, I think red is slightly better for you, but hard to drink in the sun. Beer is more calorific but I think maybe adding in cheese - like baked brie with some chips to scoop out the melted cheese and some cranberry would be better than more booze.

How about some jaffles? Like ham, cheese and avocado? Croissants also good with these fillings and very fattening.

Super-duper fattening is wedges with sweet chilli sauce and soured cream. Really staggeringly so, and they slip down so easily with a glass of wine.

Hi arfishy yes i am in Oz and i am a size 6, i hate it i just want to be an 8. I try not to do any excercise on purpose at the moment but i guess still get plenty running after kids. Thanks for your help, i have a child free day today and those wedges sound like a great idea i think ill have some for lunch

Hi Roselle, as Claudia said, have you had a check up with the GP to cancel out medical causes? Even if so, I think it would be worth getting some dietary advice from an expert. A very slim colleague of mine once got told at his medical that he was underweight but over fat - ie that fat was to big a proportion of his tiny frame. I'm not an expert, but you might need to watch the fat and cholesterol content of a high calorie diet?

TOO big (typo, not ignorance)