Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Consume More Calories
• Part 2 of 3: Solve appetite problems
• Part 3 of 3: Improve Your Eating Habits
• Tips

It's very common to hear about different diets and weight loss strategies, but you might be curious about how to increase your calorie intake in a healthy way. This is especially important if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, bodybuilding, having an eating disorder, recovering from an illness, or caring for an underweight baby. As with losing weight, while gaining weight, you too must determine the number of calories you need to consume and take steps to achieve a healthy weight.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Consume More Calories

1. 1 Divide meals. Instead of eating two to three meals a day, try splitting them into 5-6 small meals. This will help increase your calorie intake and prevent overeating in one meal. In addition, you need to snack on high-calorie foods between meals. Good snack options include:
   • Nuts
   • Peanut butter with toast or cracker
   • Spreads like hummus or guacamole with crackers or toast
   • Cheese
   • Avocado
   • Fresh or dried fruit
2. 2 Drink high-calorie drinks. If you're too busy to snack or sit down and eat normally, try high-calorie drinks like protein shakes and smoothies. These should definitely be healthy drinks that contain nutrients, not just caffeine and sugar.
   • Try using coconut milk in your drinks. Coconut milk contains healthy fats that are high in calories. If you want to use a lower-calorie product, choose almond or hemp milk.
   • For extra calories and protein, make a more nutritious drink. Mix 1 liter of milk and 250 g of instant skimmed milk powder. Stir for 5 minutes and refrigerate. Use in the same way as regular milk.
3. 3 Choose foods that are high in calories and nutrients. Look for high-calorie foods that are also considered more nutritious. Many of these foods are good sources of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Include the following high-calorie foods in your diet:
   • Whole grains: whole wheat or coarse rye flour bread, bran cereal, granola, bran baked goods, wheat germ, and flaxseed
   • Fruits: bananas, pineapples, raisins and other dried fruits, fruit juices, avocados
   • Vegetables: peas, corn, potatoes, winter pumpkins (acorns, spaghetti, gray walnuts)
   • Dairy products: cheeses (especially hard cheeses such as cheddar), ice cream, yogurt, full-fat or “whole” milk, and dairy products such as cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese
   • Meat or vegetable protein: beef, pork, chicken, nut butters (such as peanut), beans, and seeds
4. 4 Add healthy fats to your diet. Make small changes to your diet. Do not use low-fat or low-calorie foods in your food. Add healthy fats (such as olive oil) to vegetables and other low-calorie meals. For example, steam broccoli and add some olive oil at the end.
5. 5 Avoid empty calories. Although many processed foods are high in calories, they are not very nutrient-dense, meaning a person consumes empty calories. This is especially true if the processed food contains a lot of added sugar. This means that the calories you consume must be nutrient-dense to keep your body healthy and strong, not empty calories that have no nutritional value. For example, avocados are high in both calories and nutrients (such as fiber, B vitamins, vitamin K, E, C, potassium, magnesium, and so on), while a bun is also high in calories but low in nutrients. substances other than refined carbohydrates and sugar.
   • Drinks can also contain a lot of empty calories. Carbonated drinks, alcohol, and milkshakes are high in calories but have little health benefits.
   • Instead of drinking soda or even diet drinks, drink milk, juices, and sports drinks to add calories and nutrients to your diet.

Part 2 of 3: Solve appetite problems

1. 1 Decide how many calories you need. If you can, work with a qualified dietitian to determine how many calories you need to consume each day. You can also use the online body mass index (BMI) calculator (http://calc.by/weight-and-calories/body-mass-index-calculator.html) and the daily calorie requirement calculator (http: //www.hudeika .ru / calc_day_rasx.html). These calculators will allow you to calculate your BMI and give you an idea of ​​how many calories you need to consume each day.
   • If your BMI is 18.5 or less, your weight is considered underweight. You will need to consume more calories than the recommended minimum if you want to achieve a healthy weight. You can, for example, increase the recommended calorie intake by 5-10%.
2. 2 Take appetite-stimulating medications during your cancer treatment. You may have a medical condition that deprives you of your appetite, causing you to have nutritional problems. Cachexia, for example, is a lack of appetite in cancer patients. Talk to your doctor if you are not hungry. He or she will be able to prescribe medication (such as progesterone) to improve your appetite.
3. 3 See a psychotherapist if you have anorexia. If you have been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, you may be afraid of gaining weight and have taken steps to lose weight in the past. You will need to talk to your doctor about how to safely gain weight. Most therapies focus on both family and individual therapy to help the person get better.
   • Some studies show that antidepressants can help treat anorexia and promote weight gain, but this is not fully understood.
4. 4 Recognize food sensitivities associated with autism. If you or your child have an autism spectrum disorder, you may notice an aversion to certain foods. You may want to eat only a limited amount of specific foods, or the drugs you are taking may suppress your appetite. Work with a dietitian to determine if you or your child are deficient in certain micronutrients. You can try a gluten-free or casein-free diet.
   • Pay attention to sensory problems while eating. For example, if your child doesn't want to eat slippery vegetables, try offering crispy or hard vegetables.
   • Don't force your autistic child to eat things they hate. For him, it can be as disgusting as eating raw meat or beetles.
5. 5 Eat Adequate Calories During Pregnancy. It may be difficult for you to consume enough healthy calories if you experience nausea or vomiting in the early stages of pregnancy. Unfortunately, not gaining enough weight will increase your risk of complications during pregnancy. To improve your appetite, eat small meals and avoid spicy, fatty foods. It may be beneficial for you to eat soft foods for a while, especially if you are sensitive to food odors. To cope with morning sickness, snack on the following foods:
   • Crackers or pretzels
   • Ginger tea, peppermint tea, or ginger ale
   • Soft foods such as mashed potatoes, toast, or chicken broth

Part 3 of 3: Improve Your Eating Habits

1. 1 Eat regularly. Plan to eat at the appointed time of the day. This will prevent you from skipping meals and will help you determine how many calories to include in each meal. Experiment with your schedule - determine if you want to eat large meals at a time, or split your meals into multiple meals.
   • Children love to follow a certain routine and know what to expect. Offer your young children snacks and meals at the same time every day. They will also be more likely to eat if you allow them to make their own food decisions.
   • For a child to accept a new product, a repeated offer will be required (15-20 times). Offer new food, but don't force your child to eat it.
2. 2 Focus on food. If you are constantly busy during the day, in a hurry and forget to eat, it may be difficult for you to eat healthy foods or consume enough calories. You definitely need to slow down, sit down and enjoy your food. Create a calm atmosphere where you can relax and look forward to your meal.
   • Avoid distractions. You should not, for example, watch TV or talk on the phone while eating.
3. 3 Make eating fun. Perhaps you are not very hungry because you are stuck in an established routine that you do not like.Do something to make eating fun and enjoyable so you are more likely to wait for that time of day. You can, for example, go on a picnic to change the scene. Or have a picnic right at home to add variety to your daily routine.
   • Your child can be encouraged to eat by verbal praise or rewards (such as pretty stickers) for eating well.
4. 4 Eat what you like. It's hard to eat healthy foods if you don't like what you eat. Try to include healthy foods and foods that you enjoy in your diet. This increases the likelihood that you still eat what you bought. For example, instead of buying a healthy meal of foods you don't really like and eating only a little, cook one of your favorite foods and use a healthy food as a side dish.
   • If your child does not want to eat a certain food, offer him something that he definitely likes. Never force a child to eat something he doesn't like. It is better to offer another similar nutritious product.

Tips

• If you have anorexia and are unable to increase your calorie intake on your own, you need to work with your doctor.
• Moderate exercise can stimulate appetite and help you gain healthy muscle mass.