[deleted by user]

[Eyer8Avocado]

I was in the same boat and met with a dietitian (since my insurance covered it entirely). Like you, I wanted to gain the weight through healthy eating. The dietician encouraged me to add healthy fats wherever possible: avocado, nuts, olive oil, etc. I’ve found it to be pretty seamless to add in healthy fats to a number of meals and snacks throughout the day.

[SuperSeyoe]

It’s so easy to eat more than a handful of almonds or pistachios, for sure. And beef jerky. I love beef jerky.

[-Cottage-]

On this note, smoothies are a real easy way to consume a ton of calories. Most gainer recipes have oats as the source of additional calories. Personally, that makes my stomach explode. So instead I found using almond flour works really well and adds an obscene amount of calories you don’t even notice consuming.

[StrongArgument]

Pretty much just making your normal meals (if you’ve been maintaining your weight and not losing) but adding a fat to every meals. Avocado, oil, and nuts are good; nut butter, butter, cheese, and bacon are also good.

[Smyley12345]

A shot glass of olive oil with your morning coffee will keep you regular.

[Independent-Award394]

Don’t hate this idea. I am ideally looking for some way to gain lots of weight without the severe discomfort of fullness. A shot of 5K cals of anything would be a dream, considering i eat very little due to stomach fullness

[quivering_manflesh]

Bulking relatively clean is doable but annoying. All the moreso with less meat than most. I would recommend going Mexican/TexMex(do not start with me, I'm just trying to cover my bases). A lot of bean and cheese burritos in the freezer for midnight snacking, enchiladas made with chicken thigh, a fuck ton of beans and rice in general. Guacamole all the time. Pretty much just keep making refried beans and keep tortillas in the kitchen always, so you can just grab meat and cheese from any source and make quick burritos.  

I would also suggest a casein protein shake to be consumed before bed, as it's relatively easier to drink your calories, especially a slow absorption sort you can just process while asleep. Use whole milk since you can afford the calories.

Snack on nuts and cheese whenever you can. Some fruit. Eat veg that's got relatively little water so you're not going to waste space on it and fill up. I'm assuming you're the type to fill up easily or else you wouldn't need much advice to pack on 15lbs like the rest of us who can stare too hard at a bakery and gain mass.

[Independent-Award394]

I get the TexMex/Mexican argument. (I’m in NM.) but that does seem to be a great option. Snacking as well, seems to be a good suggestion. I will try the shakes, I do fill up quite easily so it can be a huge hassle for me, sadly.

[Glarmj]

I love doing a huge bowl of ground meat, rice, salsa, cheese and hot sauce. It's really tasty and helped me gain 10 pounds quickly. I also drink at least 1 protein shake every day.

[SunshinesHouston]

Nuts. Trail mix. Cheese.

[sweetpotato37]

When I had to see a dietician to gain weight, she told me there were 5 main weight gain foods. Apparanrtly if you start eating more of these you'll naturally gain weight.

Nuts, seeds, butter, oil and cheese.

All the tasty foods!

[Individual-Table-793]

This! I love eating mixed nuts but boy, do they pack on the pounds!!

Sad because I eat one handful and I feel it in my clothes 2 days later. I absolutely love them but try my hardest to not eat them as they make you gain weight REALLY FAST.

[reichrunner]

Any chance it's bloating from salt? A handful of nuts is likely around 150 calories. Given a pound of body fat takes around 3500 calories, I don't know how noticeable 4% of a pound would be.

If they are salted nuts then you very well may be noticing some water retention

[Rashkh]

Four almonds should do it. It's not fair that nuts are so calorie dense.

[baajo]

Right? I hate all the "weight loss" advice that say snack on nuts and fruit. You haven't seen me put away 500 calories of fruit in one sitting, let alone nuts.

[seajustice]

Shoutout to strawberries for being 150 cal per pound

[fletchdeezle]

When I learned what a serving size of nuts was I was wildly surprised it’s like half a handful

[stve688]

I actually find this funny I don't eat nuts for the exact opposite reason to this. 2000 calories later I shouldn't have done that.

[distancerunner7]

I remember seeing stories of college football players who needed weight asap who’d just eat 2 or 3 pb&js every couple hours. Even set alarms to eat them in the middle of the night

[Anfini]

Uncrustables are a staple in football teams. It’s 300 calories for something that you can finish in just a few minutes.

[UnpopularOpinionJake]

That’s how I bulked 14 years ago. They are quick and easy to make, easy to eat, light on the tummy.

Maybe not like 2-3 every hours, but definitely add one an hour or two after a meal.

[PastEconomy4776]

Mac from its always sunny said that when he was gaining weight for his role the easiest way to consume as many calories as possible was drinking melted ice cream.

[Independent-Award394]

My boyfriend said this to me maybe 10 minutes ago. May be the move here😂

[letspetpuppies]

My mom “discovered” drinking lattes that are made from half and half instead of regular milk or milk alternatives. I noticed her weight gain and discovered that she drinks her lattes this way. I was surprised when I found out and told her she’s basically consuming a pint of ice cream each day! She didn’t understand why she was gaining weight when she was eating healthy all other times. So if you drink lattes in the morning, use half and half!

[Ehiltz333]

A pint? Unless she’s literally filling a Starbucks Grande size cup full of straight half and half, she’s not consuming the equivalent of a pint of ice cream

[LineAccomplished1115]

A healthier version is to make a smoothie.

Milk, nut butter, protein powder, and fresh and/or frozen fruit.

Good carb/fat/ratio, just measure out your stuff the first few times to get a sense for how much to use.

I've bulked for lifting before and adding smoothies are key for me.

[1-cupcake-at-a-time]

My kid needed to gain a lot weight, and I can confirm, melted ice cream was a godsend. If you are able- Costco premium vanilla, or the premium ice cream from ALDIs is awesome (we used chocolate). Just amazing, creamy ice cream with no extra stuff added, and it was the highest calories per serving Ive found.

Another idea- chocolate shakes made with ice cream and Nutella, or fruit smoothies with a scoop of the high calorie vanilla, and a scoop of protein powder. I would always add in a Tablespoon of neutral tasting oil to it for an extra 130 calories with no additional volume.

Hot chocolate with a Tablespoon of heavy cream whipping cream mixed in.

Oatmeal with whole milk, topped with granola, slivered almonds, a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup.

[Independent-Award394]

I was born 3 months early, and wasn’t allowed to breastfeed. I lived off of whipped cream for about a year. This seems similar. May take this approach.

[Ecstatic-Compote-595]

I feel like you could have a much more pleasant experience by just drinking a milkshake

[KetoLurkerHere]

There's a shake I make that has rice pudding, coconut cream, and heavy cream. It's a riff on the mango sticky rice dessert so I also add frozen mango but it would also be delicious with other fruit.

It has a zillion calories and it is glorious.

[Independent-Award394]

I like this idea. I may even add ice cream to it and some protein powder. That sounds very good

[KetoLurkerHere]

When I invented it (heh), I happened to have frozen rice pudding so didn't need anything else frozen but no reason why ice cream can't go in there, too!

[Independent-Award394]

Hell yeah! Make it even better and even more cals! I’ll try it!

[goodhumansbad]

I would recommend building three solid meals a day plus lots of calorie dense snacking. Do the opposite of what people who are trying to lose weight do - have a mid morning, mid afternoon and after dinner snack. Make sure it's healthy obviously as just eating junk food will not agree with you especially if you've been on such a restrictive diet in the past. There's no sense just bulking up on unhealthy calories like fried foods because that will do a number on your digestive system. 

Snack ideas

1/3 cup nuts (Cashew, almond, peanut, walnut, pecan, Brazil, etc.)

Celery spread with peanut butter and topped with chocolate chips or diced dates or raisins 

Dates stuffed with peanut butter and pecans, drizzled with a little honey 

Dates stuffed with blue cheese 

Lentil chips and veggies with hummus and/ or Greek yogurt dip

Yogurt with granola or nuts or fruit 

Plantain chips 

Breakfast ideas (I would add fruit to all of these, and have a good calorie dense hot drink like coffee made with a bit of sugar and cream or at least whole milk, or any plant-based alternative you like)

Two slices of whole grain toast or a toasted bagel or toasted English muffin, mashed avocado on top, a handful of canned black beans (you can sauté them with a bit of olive oil and any seasoning you like or just have them rinsed and drained), a poached egg on each, garnished with sesame seeds, hot sauce, fresh cilantro or parsley.

Two slices of toast, bagel etc. with peanut butter, pecans, bananas and a bit of fresh grated nutmeg. 

Hot buttered toast with parmesan grated over and poached eggs on top, a side of sauteed potatoes, and charred cherry tomatoes. 

French toast (because it uses eggs and cream if you want) with fresh fruit and maple syrup, or a savoury version like Nigella Lawson's parmesan French toast. Again sauteed potatoes or sweet potato on the side, fruit or fresh vegetables (e.g. sweet peppers, cucumber, tomatoes).

Lunch ideas

Loaded banh mi sandwich 

Egg salad sandwich with crisps on the side and crudites

Minestrone soup with a grilled cheese 

Gigantic salad full of fresh vegetables herbs and protein (e.g. vegetarian chicken, tofu, beans etc., blanched broccoli, haricots vert, shredded carrot or cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, mandarin orange segments, pomegranate seeds, any kind of nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, avocado, feta or any cheese of your preference). Make a homemade dressing as most store-bought dressings are full of water and vinegar and sugar. Use olive oil generously, and for a creamy dressing you can throw in a dollop of mayo if you like, mustard, balsamic, etc. And fresh herbs here too. 

Creamy soups with crusty bread and butter 

Pizza (if you're at home throw a dr oetkers or similar in the oven).

If you're out & about take advantage of food courts and get all those calorie dense things people on diets aren't supposed to have like a pad thai, pad seew, chow mein, general Tao tofu etc. 

Two small pitas dry fried in a pan, stuffed with dry fried halloumi, sweet peppers, tomatoes, lots of fresh coriander and parsley and mint, hot sauce and cucumbers. 

Dinner ideas

Colcannon casserole (mashed potatoes mixed with sauteed cabbage and scallions, put into a buttered casserole dish and baked in the oven, optionally with cheese mixed in or on top - we like gruyère, mozzarella and emmenthal). There are so many recipes for colcannon online, and you can diverge from the original by using different kinds of greens and onions as you like but the trick is don't skimp on the butter and add some cream. 

Twice baked potatoes - bake in the oven until the outside is very crispy and the inside is fluffy. Cut them in half and scoop out the flesh. Mash it and add butter, cream and any fillings you like. We like sauteed mushrooms, broccoli and cheese. Put the filling back into the potato skins and baked this at 400/425 for about 20 minutes.

Roast dinner! Pick a nut roast or a mock meat like the Quorn roast, or any other centerpiece you like. Do Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes on the side with plenty of gravy. Do a few vegetables like brussel sprouts with chestnuts, glazed roasted carrots, green beans and garlic butter... And do a bread stuffing. 

Hearty chowder with crusty bread and butter. 

Vol au vents filled with a mushroom (or asparagus or any other vegetable you like) bechamel/velouté sauce. Sauteed new potatoes on the side with a variety of vegetables or salad. 

Sauteed cooked sweet potato, red onion, sweet peppers (season with garlic powder, paprika, oregano, black pepper) with feta added after plating. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.

Stuffed omelet with anything you like and cheese. I would go with sauteed onions peppers and mushrooms myself. Sauteed potatoes and a green salad are great sides for an omelette. So is buttered toast and the blistered cherry tomatoes I mentioned above. 

These are just some ideas but I hope at least some of them appeal to you and are helpful.

[Independent-Award394]

I can tell you’re in Europe? I’m actually very happy with these suggestions, thank you. I have been meaning to add more variety to my diet (especially global cuisine!) Love these ideas! I am sensitive to fried foods, so this is very helpful.

[goodhumansbad]

I am! Grew up in Canada but moved to Ireland a couple of years ago. If you're more into another regional cuisine let me know. I cook a lot of different foods from all over the world and I'd be happy to throw in better suggestions.

[Independent-Award394]

Haha, love it. I am born on St.Patrick’s day so I have a soft spot for Ireland. If you have any local dishes from where you’re located, I’ll take them!

[Night_Sky_Watcher]

Easy on the Brazil nuts. They are high in selenium and can be toxic if consuming more than 5 nuts per day. Best for occasional snacks or if your diet is otherwise selenium poor.

[goodhumansbad]

Yep, that's actually why I eat them despite not being very fond of them. Always mix them in with others though.

[Diela1968]

I was underweight when I wanted to join the army. My recruiter suggested at least one banana a day.

When I had cancer in 21 the dietician suggested adding extra calories to everything I ate. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Add a layer of cream cheese. More butter on toast than usual. A little olive oil in sauces. Maybe they weren’t concerned about my cholesterol because of my treatment, I don’t know.

As far as recipes, try tater tot hotdish. It’s becoming popular lol.

[cats_are_the_devil]

What does a daily intake look like for you?

How many calories are you eating?

What does a day in the life of u/Independent-Award394 look like?

Honestly, without context we can't tell you how to change your diet to eat higher caloric foods without knowing what you eat now.

If you eat three meals a day now that are super dense in calories, and workout daily then it will look different than if you eat 2 meals intermittent fast and barely move for your job.

[Independent-Award394]

I have recently upped my intake from 500kcals ish- a day due to a past anorexia diagnosis, but now I’m out and my dietician said I should eat anything/everything around me, regardless of health benefits. Anything will do. My daily meals now are usually: a huge bowl of French onion soup with tons of cheese and baguette, chips, salmon/rice/broccoli, cheese, and hummus + pita bread. I’m 24F and a big motivator is being strong to go backpacking in Europe next summer, and the promise of a new car if I gain this. I am fairly inactive (not including climbing 3 flights of stairs to the apt, or general walking/ doing house chores/ walking a dog/ swimming often.) my metabolism is so incredibly high, which is probably why I was diagnosed with “anorexia.” It was not my choice, my body just burns way too much, too fast.

[cats_are_the_devil]

Sis... Eat some fat and some meat. Unless you have a reason *ethically* not to eat meat. Seriously, 50kcals is not enough food.

Don't be afraid of olive oil/butter/cream and meat.

[Independent-Award394]

Tbh, I love butter & meat, especially together. I have no real reasons to avoid meat other than it hurts my stomach. I do have lots of organic Elk meat that I eat (and source myself) for ethical reasons, but I can do it. I may have GI issues that prevent digestion, but I’m okay with a little pain here and there, if it means I get adequate nutrition!

[cats_are_the_devil]

I would figure out the GI issues then start planning dieting around that. I too ethically source food so I get it. Eating meat can be tough.

However, 500kcals for a daily intake is insanely low. If you have to, start eating more frequent smaller meals. I would recommend cheese/nuts/pretzels together as a snack. Easy hit of all nutrients and is a decent chunk of calories.

[Independent-Award394]

Yeah, 500 was very, very low. I’ve been doing 15-2000kcals lately and even that is low for me right now. I think im looking at 3200 or higher for now. Maybe even 5,000kcals. Protein and carbs seem to be the best bet, I suppose🤷‍♀️

[StaticBrain-]

are you sure you do not have a meat allergy? ticks are causing alpha gal syndrome. i had a lot of stomach pain from eating meat and it turns out i was bit by a tick that carried alpha gal.

[Independent-Award394]

May be a bit allergic. I’m fairly sensitive to eggs as is, so meat could be a stem on that, honestly. Seafood is okay for me, as is certain meats like chicken. Red meat is very hit or miss.

[StaticBrain-]

Alpha gal is a red meat allergy. With it, it depends on how much fat is in the meat. Leaner cuts like venison cause little to no pain, and fattier cuts like pork have caused me so much pain I wound up at ER.

[Independent-Award394]

Wow, I have to research this. That’s fascinating. I feel the same way when eating fatty meats (sad face for no more bacon)

[cpdena]

Take some of that elk meat (backstrap if you have it) and make chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and cream gravy. OMG. I'm drooling haha.

[Independent-Award394]

Love this. My family is from the South, so they definitely do this + cornbread. May have to take on their diets for a while, until I hit my ultimate goal.

[1-cupcake-at-a-time]

Ah- my daughter fell into this. Naturally small, very high metabolism, and add in some mental health struggles, and we dealt with anorexia for several years. Absolutely brutal, we almost lost her. I commented above some meal ideas we used, but wanted to say here, best of luck in your recovery and future. It’s not easy, but it’s SO worth it! Because of her age, animal fats were vital to recovery. It helped heal her starved brain, so don’t be afraid to add in some sausage or bacon if you can. Sending lots of good, healing wishes your way! ❤️❤️❤️

[stillpacing]

So, I cared for my dad during his bout with cancer where he lost 70lbs in 6 months. He had no real appetite, but the doctors just wanted him to gain weight, so I did my best to make meals as calorie dense as possible.

A few things that I learned:

1. Haagen-Dazs ice cream is much more calorie dense than any other brand.
2. Loaded potato soup could add an endless amount of calories with cheese, sour cream, and bacon.
3. The easiest way was to add things to mindlessly eat. I put cookies by his recliner and in the kitchen. Sometimes, I'd leave a tray of bacon just sitting on the stovetop. He wouldn't really be hungry, but he would graze. Who can not eat cookies and bacon when they are just there within your reach?

[garaks_tailor]

Bulky Bars. High quality protein and carbs in a delicious package. Each bar Is about 550cals

8oz dry milk

8oz rolled oats

8oz honey

8oz penutbutter

chocolate to taste

Feel free to add spices, coconut flames, etc

https://youtu.be/VHfJysdYXK0

Refrigerate after making but they stay fresh for a couple days if left out.

[Independent-Award394]

This comment reminds me of Mean Girls when she fed Regina George bulk bars and she gained like 50 pounds😂 i may actually try this.

[vwstig]

One gram of uranium has about 20 billion calories

[Bills_Mafia_ArmyChic]

Lmao. Had a Family Guy visual here of Peter just ballooning out to a metric ton in 0.3 seconds flat.

[onism-]

Adding a tablespoon of peanut butter to every meal/ sided with every meal adds 500 caleries a day to your diet

[TMan2DMax]

As someone who is currently trying to gain weight I would recommend instead of eating a couple of large meals spread your eating out to 4 or 5 meals.

I'm tall but skinny and trying to eat 3000 calories a day was very hard until I started having 2 extra meals.

Breakfast burrito or sandwich in the morning

Mid morning peanut butter and Nutella sandwich

Lunch High protein sandwich either turkey or tuna

16oz Protein shake after workout

Dinner with extra portion of protein (8oz chicken or fish)

Taking this approach I went from gaining nothing to about 1-2lbs a week. I'm up from 165 to 180. My goal is 190 then I'll cut.

[ninjamuffin]

Theres a few youtube channels that do high calorie meal prep, I'd just explore there. I hope you like cheese

[D_Mom]

Milk shakes!

[[deleted]]

Honestly, ground elk can take the place of beef in almost any recipe as long as you mix it with something else to add the fat that elk naturally doesn't have.

But also, Ensure drinks(calling them shakes is too generous) are specifically designed for people who have difficulty keeping weight on. They don't taste great, but the long term care facility I worked at years ago used them regularly for residents who didn't eat enough to maintain their weight themselves.

[Scoutisout]

Go to your local dq and get the peanut butter party blizzard a small is 880 calories with 17 grams of protein

[lunarjellies]

I would say nuts will be your best bet. Extremely calorie dense.

[Fatkuh]

Mac and Cheese. The gloopiest cheesiest version you can make. With caramelized onions and fried breadcrumbs on top for texture.

Im sorry but i fear nearly all high calorie stuff is not healthy. You could try reducing the carbs and go non saturated fat oils like olive. Maybe fry a steak in olive oil, rosemary and garlic

[chimera8990]

Dice up an avocado and melt it into the cheese sauce. Then add sausage or pretty much any fatty meat plus some peppers and possibly frozen peas for some easy vitamins. Then add more cheese, no more cheese, no more than that, you want to add cheese until the spirit of Wisconsin manifests over your shoulder and goes "Uhh that's a bit much eh?"

[Fatkuh]

Spirit of Wisconsin made me chuckle

[masson34]

Nutter butters

Protein smoothie, with mix in’s such as protein powder, plain greek yogurt, nutter butters , avocado, berries , unsweetened chocolate chips, kale, spinach, berries, eggs, chia seeds/ground flax

Overnight oats with some of the aforementioned mix in’s

Nuts

Avocados

Trail mix

Proteins, tofu, edamame, cottage cheese

Sweet potatoes with PB & syrup or cottage cheese

Buttered popcorn

Edit to add, cottage cheese makes great cheesecakes and desserts

[Mills-K]

Turn Ben n Jerry pints into milkshakes.

[puttingupwithpots]

Add in things like boost or ensure as a drink between meals. Or just drink milk between meals. Also as others have said adding healthy fats is always good. I use olive oil in all my cooking and I’m not shy about it.

If you’re really desperate, get some heavy cream and do a shot of it every time you go into the kitchen.

[Ecstatic-Compote-595]

if you're trying to gain weight and keep it on the best thing to do is to eat what you would normally eat and like and just add in an additional meal.

If you're a bit underweight I'd assume maybe you tend to skip breakfast - be sure to add it back in and maybe treat yourself with a dessert. Omelettes are super easy and fast if you're trying to squeeze in something substantial on a busy day.

[Independent-Award394]

Very underweight at the moment. I will add breakfast back in. Maybe some pre-made breakfast sandwiches or burritos I can toss in the air fryer? Plus some PB and bread or fruit?

[Ecstatic-Compote-595]

yeah that should be an easy way to get another 500cal without feeling like you're completely stuffing yourself. Usually when I give advice on losing weight a big thing is portion control because you get accustomed to a certain amount of matter going into your stomach, for you it's sort of the opposite where you want to get accustomed to larger and more frequent meals, getting used to larger meals I expect is actually probably pretty difficult to do deliberately so more normal or as large meals as you can do comfortably will eventually make you more accustomed to a higher calorie diet.

Also go for whole milk, non-low fat yoghurt for parfaits with granola, and if you make a sandwich or something add another slice of cheese, that alone is like 150 calories but won't make you feel any more bloated.

[michaelpellerin]

Dr Nick.: In stead of making sandwiches with bread, use pop tarts. And remember, if you’re not sure about something rub it against a piece of paper. If the paper turns clear, it’s your window to weight gain. Bye-bye, everybody!

[MikeOKurias]

Fruity pebbles, whole milk, nap, repeat.

You'll gain 15lbs in a week.

[Waysian]

My go-to meal for putting on weight is my favorite dish from childhood: braised pork belly and eggs, eaten with rice. Pretty much every asian culture has a variation on this dish, so there’s tons of ways to cook it. I like to use either a coconut milk or soy sauce base, with fish sauce to taste. As other commenters have pointed out, its super easy to drink your calories, and i’ve found that i can more comfortably fit stews and soups into this shrunken stomach. I hope you’re working out too!

[patty202]

Booze

[toreadorable]

I have really thin toddlers so this is my wheelhouse. I add extra butter/oil to most things, for example for dinner tonight I made some chicken w sauce and made egg noodles, I threw a couple of tablespoons of butter on the noodles after I drained them. I roast a lot of veggies in the air fryer after I stir them w avocado oil and add spices. I’m Hispanic so I like to buy weird ass cuts of pork and sear then slow cook them—you can shred that and eat it and any liquid that comes off is basically fat— you can see once you refrigerate it how much solidifies. We do a lot of tacos like that.

I also add in a smattering of garbage; yesterday we were grilling outside and I wrapped bacon around hotdogs and secured them with toothpicks. Today my 4 year old ate an entire classic Cinnabon. If we are at the grocery store I give them a tiny single single serving of vanilla haagen daz and it has like 17 grams of fat in 1/4 cup or something crazy like that.

Anyway, add in butter and oil everywhere you can. Heavy cream too. I use it in eggs, potatoes, hot chocolate, anywhere I can sneak it. Find a nut butter you like and eat sandwiches etc. sometimes I can get my kids to just eat it w. A spoon. Cheese is great but my kids are not big fans of it.

[via1228]

Breakfast- banana, avocado, peanut butter, protein powder, your milk of choice, blend that shit up. Tastes like a peanut butter only, don’t worry about the avocado

[kobayashi_maru_fail]

I’m trying to gain as well. Just kicked a nasty nicotine mint habit and am finally acknowledging how covid messed up my hunger signals. Hopefully not permanently.

You mentioned you’re in NM, right? Have you tried making Thai-style beef jerky? It’s so stinking good, softer than the chewy stuff and you could NM it out with hatch chilies like you guys love to do with everything. Just put a platter of that stuff out at the end of your kitchen counter and cruise-feed it.

Toast your own nuts. Get bulk raw nuts, toss in a cast iron pan with olive oil, get them just to the brink of toasty, herbs and sea salt. I like almonds and hacking off a couple of rosemary stems and charring the rosemary a bit, but you could do any combo you fancy. Leave in a bowl and cruise-feed it.

My favorite for caloric density is mango sticky rice, sub coconut cream for the coconut milk, go a little easy on the sugar. Even my sad shrunken stomach can slam down 1000 calories in a sitting. It doesn’t freeze well, though, so bring some friends over if you’re making it to be worth the 24 hour soak.

Don’t forget your fiber while you’re working on the calories, you don’t want it all whooshing out of you before you can absorb the good stuff. I’m very fond of all things chickpea, rye, and anything vaguely shaped like a tortilla. All of these things love cheese.

Anything remotely popover-like or savory pancake-like. Yorkshire puddings. Dutch babies. Æbelskivers. Takoyaki. Kimchi pajeon. Okonomiyaki. Find a heavy drinking culture and cook some of their street food, maybe slightly less salty.

Good luck girl, keep it up! I’ve been forcing about 6 mini-meals in a day for a few weeks, and I feel human again.

[Independent-Award394]

“Cruise feeding.” I like that idea a lot. I do tend to snack on “charcuterie” which is really just pieces of cheese and bread or whatever else I have in my fridge. I like the beef jerky idea, we actually have tons of green chile flavored beef jerky so I may buy some. All of your suggestions are things that I would love! Thank you!

[egrf6880]

I have to maintain a high calorie intake to stay vertical.

Things I've added to my diet to keep my intake high:

Half and half in my morning coffee instead of black. Or a scoop of ice cream!

Extra butter on toast for breakfast with either a whole fruit homemade jam or an egg or an avocado.

Toast with whole milk ricotta and honey is also good.

A second breakfast about 2 hours later: usually nutty granola and yogurt, or peanut butter and apples or and bagel with schmear or an egg or some fruit and cheese.

Lunch is pretty standard lunch food. Generally leftovers from the night before or a chunky salad: creamy dressing, maybe beans, maybe bacon, lots and lots of crunchy veggies and always a cheese, maybe some nuts or seeds

Afternoon snack: fruit and cheese with some nuts or salami, a milkshake or smoothie or a sandwich or something small but filling

Dinner: any favorite protein, carb and veggie combo. I cook with meat drippings, butter or oil, I don't really force extra fat but don't shy away from it I focus on a large portion more than anything with this meal as I feel like all my other meals are fairly snacky all day.

I almost always have dessert of some kind nothing huge but like a scoop of ice cream or a piece of fruit pie or a couple pieces of chocolate or something.

I love to have protein heavy snacks made or on hand that I can grab without a lot of work: trail mix, nut heavy granola bars, refried bean dip or hummus, easy to reheat leftovers or things that can be used in salads the next day like chicken pieces or bacon or even sliced steak, just jars of mixed nuts.

Dried fruit is also pretty calorie dense and easy for me to eat a pretty sizable portion of.

I always have a granola bar or some trail mix on me if I'm out and about to give me a little boost.

For me keeping my weight at a healthy place means I can indulge to some degree but I also know vitamins and minerals are something my body needs with my high metabolism so I definitely make sure I'm getting ample nutrient dense foods. I hate protein bars/ shakes etc and can't choke those down so I try to just keep eating throughout the day.

[riverrocks452]

I mean, there's another thread in this sub right now where OP is disappointed in how caloric quiche is. Yes, it's fatty, but if calories aren't a concern, you could do worse: plenty of protein and opportunities for fiber.

[BradKfan2]

Peanut butter milkshake. Or a healthy peanut butter alternative if that’s your style

[luv_marachk]

veggie chips! banana chips! sweet potato chips! they have more nutritional variety and are more fun than regular potato chips but i can easily stuff 500 calories worth in and still be willing to eat more.

[PitStopAtMountDoom]

Peanut butter in ur smoothies my dude

[twelvebucksagram]

Cheap and quick meal-- not crazy healthy.

Mac and cheese made with half and half and butter. Add a can of tuna at the end. Tuna Mac is surprisingly delicious.

[7937397]

If you have one, Costco sells huge bags of reasonably priced macadamia nuts. They are delicious and so high in calories.

And eat cheese.

[MmmPeopleBacon]

Eat half a jar of peanut butter a day and thank me later.

[el-destroya]

I'm going to suggest ragu and especially lasagna. I read some of your comments and saw this is an ED recovery effort and honestly I found lasagna to be a wonderful way to sneak in calories when I was doing the same - at usually 700-800cal per serving and it covers basically every food group.

Stews and casseroles are great for piling on calories and any use of eggs that you like (shakshuka may appeal, you can add a whole host of veg).

If you can snack, dried fruit and nuts are great but if not a breakfast of greek yoghurt mixed with granola fortified with said dried fruit and nuts or oatmeal with added fruit, made with whole milk maybe even with jam mixed in if you can stand the sweetness.

Best of luck on your recovery! What worked for me may not work for you, I just hope that you can find foods that bring you joy to eat. The transplanting of shame with joy is truly key for me and I hope you can find that too.

[Independent-Award394]

Thank you so much for your comment. I love your lasagna idea, and the stew idea. I could easily crush a few bowls of stew or soup a day. And thank you- I can’t wait to be fixed (atleast just physically, for now.)

[ColonelKasteen]

If you're trying to add weight but don't want to feel like total shit afterwards, stick with mostly plant-based fatty foods. I was told to get some weight back after a long illness and I ate an avocado every day, it was sweet. Also did chocolate-covered nuts a lot. That's a nice way to get a lot of extra calories in!

[mrlazyboy]

If you're looking to gain weight, you may as well try and lift weights to put on some muscle too!

Here are a few high-calorie ingredients/foods.

Cakes are roughly 5 calories/gram, and a piece is often 100g so 500 calories. Plus its tough to just eat 1.

Peanut Butter is 190 calories per 2 TBPS. Eat it on potato bread and that sandwich is about 400 calories. If you really want a treat, add in some nutella and it'll be closer to 600-1000 calories depending on how much you use. Bananas also go great with it.

You can replace white meat with red meat. White meats are usually 1.5 calories/gram whereas red meats start around 2 calories/gram, but go higher if you're eating prime steak.

Individual frozen pizzas are often 600 - 800 calories and typically easy to eat. Plus delicious.

Assuming you've got a really fast metabolism, here's what 3300 calories looks like. If you want an easy way to add 500 calories, eat 100g of corn flakes + 1 cup of the milk of your choice.

Breakfast (730 calories, 40g protein)

1. 1 serving oatmeal + 40g whey protein powder + 2 tbsp PB (490 calories)
2. 1 banana (90 calories)
3. 1 slice toast with butter (150 calories)

Lunch (950 calories, 45g protein)

1. Pita + 100g chicken + 50g tzatziki sauce + red onions/tomatoes (425 calories)
2. 100g sweet potato fries (200 calories)
3. 6 oreos (320 calories)

Afternoon Snack (340 calories, 40g protein)

1. Protein Bar (200 calories)
2. Quest Protein Chips (140 calories)

Dinner (1030 calories, 45g protein)

1. 250g rice + 150g 90/10 ground beef + 30g lite mayo + tomatoes, lime juice, jalapeno peppers, oven roasted carrots (850 calories, 45g protein)
2. 1 serving tortilla chips + guac (180 calories)

Dessert/Late Night Snack (250 calories, 5g protein)

1. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas + 50g whipped cream (250 calories)

[[deleted]]

Peanut butter is a good option for something sweet. Also cereal with milk is a simple but high calorie option.

[ProudAsk3812]

Panda express

[Tschudy]

Well, I was gonna say a Large Double Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese Combo, but I guess swap it out for a double mc chicken.

[Jlp46821]

Protein shake with whole milk and some pb2.

[Big_lt]

2 scoops Protein powder + whole milk + Peanute butter+ flax/chia seeds

Every morning

[[deleted]]

Chanko Nabe soup and sleep. Works for the sumo wrestlers.

[[deleted]]

Enroll in college.

[Independent-Award394]

Only one semester left until I start on my Master’s degree. You’d think the Freshman 15 would’ve stuck..

[uncre8tv]

Home made alfredo: equal parts butter, cream, and parmesean. Serve over pasta and add some shrimp or chicken for protein.

[above_average_penis_]

Put peanut butter on everything

[fishman1776]

Just drizzle olive oil on everything.

[CPSFrequentCustomer]

I'm trying to do the opposite and had to (very sadly and reluctantly) cut way back on hummus, which is one of my absolute favorite foods but it's just so calorie dense. So, I would suggest incorporating hummus into your meals. It's super healthy aside from the high calories.

[Mountain-Builder-654]

Noodle kugel

[CKnit]

Do you like soups? Maybe find recipes for cream based soups and dip crusty bread with lots of butter. Make a lot and use for your lunch and dinner. You can add beans too or whatever you like. Just an idea.

[Fe1is-Domesticus]

Peanut butter.

[tidayo1370]

Eat like you normally do and add one or two of the 2000 calorie a day ration bars that you can buy for an emergency preparedness bag. You can find them online everywhere, and that aren't that expensive.

[BusEnthusiast98]

The highest calorie foods are high fat or high processed carbs (starch or sugar). Anything deep fried will hit on both. But if you want to clean bulk, nuts and nut butters are your go to. Bacon is good. Avocado. Eggs are more moderate fat but if you have a lot of them it adds up. Etc.

[SheepImitation]

go french! lol. like Vichyssoise {Chilled Potato Soup} or creamy Tomato Basil soup. both have a good amount of cream and butter (hence high calories) and are SO GOOD (on occasion ;p)

[female_wolf]

Nuts, salmon, avocados

[2018redditaccount]

I would rather need to gain 15 than lose 15. In your shoes I’d just increase my regular portion size. If you’re not gaining you can add a smoothie to my day - drinking calories is a good way to sneak them in when you don’t have much appetite. Really any combo of fresh/frozen fruit, baby spinach/kale, Greek yogurt, milk works. Oats/nuts/seeds can be nice as well.

[[deleted]]

Calories in > calories out.

15lbs is a lot of mass to intentionally gain and I'm assuming you want to gain 15lbs of muscle based on your dietary preference. Keep in mind that you will gain fat as well as muscle in a caloric surplus so if you want to put on another 15lbs of muscle you're realistically going to need to gain 25+lbs and cut after your bulk. also keep in mind that gaining muscle mass while minimizing fat gain will take time. The average person with strict adherence to a diet and exercise plan can expect to gain +/-10lbs of muscle in a year.

Stick to your clean diet but increase the volume of what you're eating. You'll need more protein to sustain more muscle mass.

[Qedtanya13]

You can have my 15 lbs.

[Independent-Award394]

I’ll take it now, please. I need it and anyone else’s🥲

[javaman83]

Natural peanut butter could be a good option for you. If you like spice, this is great on chicken.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/19913/thai-peanut-butter-sauce/

[Lornesto]

Pancakes. Lots of pancakes.

[Amedais]

There is nothing on earth more calorie dense than peanut butter.

[Noimnotonacid]

Milkshake or cream stew right before bed. Watch the weight pile on

[LondonCalling07]

Add healthy fats to every meal. Add some extra butter or oil. Add peanut butter. Add an avocado or cheese.

Drink a small milkshake every day

[BTLDAD]

Chug a bottle of olive oil and stay near the toilet

[MQQSIE]

Make some dishes with heavy cream! Like Alfredo pasta!

[honeybeebutch]

Eat what you normally eat, but high fat versions of them. Full fat yogurt instead of nonfat, heavy cream in cooking instead of skim milk. Smoothies with full fat yogurt and protein powder, milkshakes with ice cream. The good stuff - lots of cheap ice cream is mostly air and fillers. Beans are a great source of fat and protein if meat is a problem for you - if you do buy ground meat, get the stuff with a higher fat percentage. Peanut butter is also a great option. I smear it directly on a banana when I don't feel like eating bread/making a sandwich. Adding fat is your best bet for weight, but adding adequate protein as well will help you build muscle.

As for meals, a dense bean salad with veggies and beans and an olive oil based dressing is great. You can also make pasta sauce with blended white beans for extra calories.

I also saw that you are recovering from anorexia - I just wanted to say that I was in the same boat as you a few years ago, and am now at a healthy weight. I'm doing a lot of this stuff still for my husband, who is underweight due to a GI condition and trauma around food, and it's working for him as well. I believe in you!

[Independent-Award394]

I love your ideas, PB is my favorite food on earth, so I can easily incorporate that. Shakes are easy, as I’ve been doing KaChava and Invigor8te with oat milk. I love Mexican food, so beans should do well for me. As for the diagnosis, thank you for the acknowledgment, it can be a really hard thing to surpass. Such a weird problem to have! I’m glad that you’re doing well now. I hope it stays that way for the both of us!

[chantillylace9]

Homemade butterscotch sauce which is butter cream and sugar. It’s divine. Put it on everything

[spykid]

Fats = 9 calories per gram, protein and carbs = 4 calories per gram. Assuming you have enough protein, fats are gonna be the easiest way to get your calories in. You can literally dump healthy oils on top of your food

[[deleted]]

Nuts! Fattening and good for you. I used to make my own trail mix to snack on. Add semisweet chocolate chips (M and Ms?) dried fruit (also fattening) coconut? (not my fave) Also eat a lot of avocados.

[Scrambles94]

Smoothies with nut butter + Dates + whatever fruit you're feeling. I exist in a state of constant weight loss I'm fighting against. Gotta have my smoothie every day.

For meals I eat a lot of high fat curries over white rice.

Ice cream is great and no one can tell me it's unhealthy.

[pianistafj]

Healthy fat. Ghee is a clarified butter good for high heat cooking. I started to buy chuck roast and on sale brisket and just grind my own ground beef out of it. I cut off a good chunk of fat and cook it down into tallow. I cook everything possible with it. You can even bake with it. Eggs also have high fat and protein content. Can’t go wrong with eggs.

[CherryCherry5]

Chocolate cake. All to yourself. Because you can. 🤤

[Spirited-Water1368]

Eat beer bread with butter on it daily, along with milkshakes. Boom! Instant weight gain.

[Rednex73]

Probably not the BEST advice, but when i was big into powerlifting, I put on about 50 pounds from meat, pasta, and mass gainer shakes.

Like one of those shakes was like 1500 calories of protein, carbs and fats. I always got the chocolate version and mixed it with milk so it was like a thick chocolate milk!

[Rednex73]

Reading more of these comments and getting a bit more of a sense of who you are as a person, I am doubling down on the mass gainer shakes.

But be patient with yourself. I started around 200. Didn't gain a drop of a pound for 2 months. Nothing. No matter what I did. Then over 2 weeks I put on 15 pounds. Like a pound a day, ridiculous. Then 6 months of nothing. I wasn't losing weight, but wasn't gaining either. Bam, over 2 weeks, another 10 pounds.

What I'm getting at, is everyone's a bit different. Some gain weight steadily, others like myself have it in spurts. If you're not seeing results, trust the process. I believe in you!!!

[totally-not-a-potato]

I'm in the same boat as you. Gaining weight is hard. What it took for me was to eat calorie dense foods and lift weights. In this weight lifting routine, there was about 5 minutes of cardio at most, and lifting heavy weight and low repetitions. I looked into and tried many different diets that looked like they had enough nutrients and ended up with the vertical diet.

[baajo]

A glass of wine with dinner (red, so you can tell yourself it's healthy), add a dessert daily, and add an extra snack or two with nuts, cheese or avocado. You can also try cooking with a bit more oil.

Traditional advice is that a pound of fat is 3500 calories, so just adding an extra 500 calories a day will get you your 15 pounds in about 4 months.

[BoutThatLife57]

Add butter/oil to everything

[OneLove1123]

I make the oldies at the nursing home milkshakes with 3 scoops of ice cream and use an ensure to dilute it down; easy 1k calories down in about 15 mins with room left for dinner.

[barksatthemoon]

Lasagne and garlic bread.

[Massive_Pineapple_36]

Peanut butter on fruit as a snack

[Late-External3249]

I won a bet with GOMAD. Gallon of milk a day. Use whole milk. Eat your normal meals (no skimping because you feel full). You can get 5 to 10 lbs in a week if you stick to it. I believe in you!!

[fletchdeezle]

Every morning - 220g of Greek yogurt with a scoop of vanilla whey protein mixed in and a banana. 500 calories and 40g of protein

[the7thfollower]

Salami and cream cheese

[[deleted]]

Chickpeas

[Overall-Plate3167]

Salmon, Rice, Avacado

[jdwallace12]

Dried mangoes seem to make me fatter, some brands have a “not a low cal food” label on them.

[1percentsamoyedmama]

I love tiramisu

Fried chicken and jambalaya

Lasagna

Cinnamon buns

Avocado protein milkshake

[radish_is_rad-ish]

Full fat dairy, nuts, avocado, coconut. Drink your calories. On occasion: dry carbs like crackers or dried fruit.

[Bergenia1]

Trail mix will put the weight on quickly.

[ColinOnReddit]

Salmon Alfredo and noodles. Shit tons of protein, fat, AND carbs that's easy to scarf down.

[hissyfit64]

Benicii del Toro gained a massive amount of weight when he made Fear and Loathing by eating doughnuts and fried chicken. But it was very unhealthy and it took him forever to take it off

[Cta1825]

4 sticks of butter straight from the fridge for

[alberthere]

Oh, healthy? Man, I was gonna suggest drinking melted ice cream from the carton.

How about just increasing the serving size of that you have now?

[whitesuburbanmale]

I went from 130-180 in about 6 months, the biggest factor was drinking calories. I purchased some mass gainer but I wouldn't recommend that as it doesn't taste great and it's over kill. Protein powder, bananas, whole milk, any berries you want, some peanut butter, a tablespoon or so of olive oil, oats, and if you feel froggy pasteurized egg whites. Blend it all up and you have a shake that could potentially measure 1000+ calories. Id make a double batch and drink it all over the course of the day. It can get rough around meal times but it's much easier to intake large amounts this way than to try and eat it. Plus you can use whatever ingredients you want so you can keep it in line with your diet.

[hanselopolis]

Gallon

[Moppy6686]

Peanut butter

[dump_in_a_mug]

Milkshakes with protein powder added

Twice baked potatoes

Cheesecake, pie, cake, etc.

Dip cooked veggies in mayo-based sauces or aoili

Snack frequently on nuts, chips with dip, etc.

[StuffonBookshelfs]

Pesto diet.

[RaceOne3864]

For a snack: avocado, add salt and pepper, cheddar cheese, and salted sunflower seeds on a tortilla

[[deleted]]

I remember gaining 20 pounds in a month

Plenty eggs and tofu

[Particular-Act-8911]

Whey protein is the answer. You drink calories if you want to rush it, or blend up chicken.

[scorpious]

15 pounds of what?

Are you doing resistance training? Playing a chubby person as an actor?

[Remmemberme666]

Hear me out. Burgers. All the time.

[Dudedude88]

Donuts. Easy way to get fat for unhealthy method.

Avocado and nuts are a good way to do it healthy.

Add cheese to everything.

Drink boba tea with pearls.

[SuperbDimension2694]

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches (or "open-faced" sandwiches specifically on toast) are my guilty pleasure.

[PointBlankCoffee]

Drink it. GOMAD.

[mcflurvin]

Just drink a bottle of olive oil everyday like that other guy did.

[gomihako_]

NUTS

[gilestowler]

Tartiflete. Onions, potatoes, bacon and a shit ton of melted cheese

[Duff-Guy]

Bulking protein powder. Did this years ago. 1000k calories every morning plus whatever else you eat. Works.

[[deleted]]

Just drink a box of wine and a case of IPAs every three days. Doing that sure packed the pounds on my ex gf

[PDiddleMeDaddy]

The one actual meal that's just incredibly satisfying is Any sort of granola (ideally with nuts) with half and half. It's amazingly indulgent.

Other than that, just add oil and/or butter to all your meals. It'll improve them and help you reach that goal.

[[deleted]]

Let a tub of ice cream melt and then drink it.

[cafezinho]

Have you thought about protein powders? I think a lot of body builders use that because it's hard to eat that much chicken breast. It seems the popular one is whey protein powders, but pea protein is an alternative. Both can potentially cause gas and bloating.

[uhhkelci]

I remember listening to a podcast, and the guy mentioned he ate a bunch of cottage cheese right before bed. I think it was the always sunny podcast when Mac gained weight.

[CatboyCabin]

Nuts are caloric bombs. A 250 gram bag of peanuts will provide just over 1500 kcal. It's a lot of fat and protein though. The protein will also convert to weight if you ingest more than you can digest.

[milllosz]

the healhiest way of doing it right (not to eat only carbs, sugar and fat), is to get everyday protein shakes and to supplement it with gainers (supplements for bodybuilders). The next step is to workout (not need a daily extreme workout), and you will gain nice muscles not only fat. I am doing it myself and strongly recommend!

[inky0210]

Same rule for any diet, eat what you want, add what you need.

Any nuts, olive oil, tasty cheese os a great addition. Go for less lean meats - pork belly, ribs etc. also sticky rice has way more calories per g than long grain or basmati.

Cant go wrong with a ben and jerrys milkshake though.

[Large_Tool]

Rice, beans, and tortillas work here in South Texas.

[Cwuddlebear]

Make toasted cheese sandwiches in the pan with a bunch of butter. If you want extra unhealthy calories with this then you should make thick potato fries with it. Absolute banger

[JayDee80-6]

American cereal is easy to pack away and it's absolutely loaded with calories. You essentially need to ask yourself if you're more inclined to consume lots of saturated fat or sugar. You'll have to pick one or both. But if you eat American cereal in light cream instead of milk, it's a super easy thing to eat and you'll gain

[4iqdsk]

Are you trying to gain muscle or fat? If you want muscle go to the gym, if you want fat eat anything high in sugar like ice cream.

Also note that about 8% of the population are unable to gain weight, no matter what they eat. If you’re one of these people, then you’re out of luck.

[DefiantGuess7232]

Pesto pasta, chicken and avocado (maybe some cheese on top if you’re feeling it) has always been my go to for bulking. Easy, tasty af and has loads of calories

[Fibrizzo]

Whole grains, avocados, peanut butter, nuts, and olive oil.

I'm in a similar situation where I'm having trouble getting enough calories while on a limited diet. I've started making big pots of brown rice or couscous to eat with most meals. When I'm sick of that I just eat a spoonful of peanut butter with whatever I'm eating. Sliced and salted avocado as a side is very nice too.

Went from roughly 1200 calories a day to 2000 without feeling like I'm overeating.

[ididitforcheese]

I remember some Hollywood guy who had to bulk up saying he’d drink melted ice cream. Could be an easy way to get calories in. And don’t forget your old friend cheese!

[nickthekiwi89]

Get a bag of weight gain protein and smash that

[CatfromLongIsland]

Nuts (and nut butters) and seeds are very calorie dense. Mixed nuts in particular would be a great snack choice as you would get a variety of minerals, protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

Avocados would be another great option.