Menu to gain weight and gain muscle mass

In the diet to put on weight you should consume more calories than you spend, being recommended to eat every 3 hours, avoiding skipping meals, and adding healthy, nutritious and caloric foods to the diet, such as olive oil, fruit smoothie, oats, avocado and nuts.

However, it is important to remember that even in diets with the objective of gaining weight, one should not increase the intake of processed foods rich in sugar and fats, such as coxinha, hamburger, french fries and soda. These foods are rich in sugar and saturated fats, which favor the increase in body fat and the risk of suffering heart problems due to increased cholesterol and triglycerides.

Diet menu to put on weight

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

Meal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	1 cup of coffee with milk + whole sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cheese and egg + 1 medium apple	1 cup of cocoa milk + 1 tapioca with chicken and cheese + 1 tangerine	1 glass of juice + omelet with 2 eggs and chicken
Morning snack	6 whole cookies with peanut butter + 1 handful of almonds	Whole sandwich with two tablespoons of avocado and egg + 1 banana	Oatmeal with fruit + 1 handful of dried fruit
Lunch dinner	Chicken stroganoff with rice and black beans + coleslaw with carrots seasoned with yogurt dressing with cilantro + 1 orange	Pasta with tuna, olives, corn and cherry tomatoes + raw lettuce salad with carrots seasoned with 1 teaspoon of olive oil + 1 slice of melon	Meatballs with tomato sauce, mashed potatoes and broccoli au gratin with cheese and seasoned with olive oil
Afternoon snack	1 tapioca with chicken and cheese + 1 pear	Yogurt with granola + 3 toasts with cheese	Avocado smoothie with papaya + 2 tablespoons of oats + 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (smoothie)

It is important to go to the nutritionist so that you can pass an individualized diet plan, as the amount of food varies according to age, sex, physical activity and criminal record. In addition, if necessary, the nutritionist can recommend the use of vitamins or nutritional supplements. Know some supplements to gain muscle mass.

Here are 6 tips for getting healthy:

1. Eat every 3 hours

Eating every 3 hours is important to increase calorie consumption throughout the day and favor weight gain, since it is recommended to eat more calories than the body uses. In addition, a good daily balance of calories from carbohydrates, proteins and fats must be maintained, as this favors the gain of muscle mass.

For this reason, it is important not to skip meals to avoid damaging the supply of nutrients to the body and to maintain adequate levels of glucose and amino acids in the blood, which favors muscle recovery and growth.

2. Include protein in every meal

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

Proteins are present in foods such as meats, chicken, fish, eggs, cheeses and yogurts, making snacks with efficient combinations like chicken and cheese sandwich with whole grain bread or toast with cheese and yogurt.

3. Consume good fats

Food sources of good fats such as nuts, peanuts, avocado, coconut, olive oil and seeds are great options to increase the calories of the diet with little volume of food. In addition, these fats also help in gaining muscle mass and do not stimulate fat gain in the body.

So, some examples of how to use these foods are adding peanut butter to bread or fruit smoothie, eating some nuts for snacks, adding 1 tablespoon of coconut in yogurt and making avocado vitamins for snack.

4. Eat at least 3 fruits a day

Consuming at least 3 fruits a day and adding a salad of vegetables for lunch and dinner helps to increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in the diet, which are essential for the proper functioning of metabolism and muscle mass gain.

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

5. Drink at least 2.5 L of water per day

Drinking plenty of water and staying well hydrated is essential for gaining muscle mass, because hypertrophy, which is the increase in the size of muscle cells, only happens if the cells have enough water to increase in volume.

Thus, it is important to be aware and account for daily water consumption, remembering that artificial soft drinks and juice do not count as liquids for the body. In addition, it is important that water consumption be made between meals, as if it is done together with food, there may be changes in the digestive process.

6. Perform physical activity

To ensure that the extra calories turn into muscle and not fat, it is important to perform physical activity 3 to 5 times a week, especially weight training and non-aerobic exercises. The ideal is to consult a physical education professional so that a training plan suitable to the needs and goals is indicated.

To find out how much you need to put on weight, see what your ideal weight is using the following calculator:

This calculator helps to find out how many pounds you need to put on weight, but it is not suitable for children, pregnant women, the elderly and athletes, as it does not differentiate the amount of muscles and fat present in the body.

What not to eat

It is important that weight gain happens due to a varied and balanced diet, avoiding the consumption of processed foods rich in sugar or saturated fats. Some of these foods are snacks, sausages, bacon, mayonnaise, sauces, sweets, soft drinks, juices, cookies, cakes, fast food, frying, among others.

The consumption of these types of foods can favor weight gain due to the accumulation of fat in the body and not as a result of the increase in muscle mass, which in the long run can bring several health complications.

How long can you gain weight?

The average time it takes to gain muscle and gain weight is approximately 6 months, however in 3 months you can already see some changes. However, this varies from person to person, as it depends on the diet and whether the person performs physical activity that favors muscle growth. Find out how long you can gain muscle mass.

See more strategies to increase lean mass by watching the following video:

The ideal is for weight gain to happen due to the increase in muscle mass, which can be obtained through a balanced diet and regular physical activity, keeping the body defined and healthy. Check out 8 tips to gain muscle mass.