The reasons for underweight are inadequate nutrition, long gaps between meals and physical activity without proper food habits. Are you underweight and want to gain weight?. If so, why not do it in a healthy way?. There are some people who eat a lot in order to gain weight, but they eventually end up gaining fat. If you gain more than a pound a week, you have chosen a wrong way. You must follow the healthy ways to gain weight, proper nutrition and exercise can help you achieve that.
Nutrition
The first and the best way to gain weight is through a healthy diet. Any diet which includes proteins, carbs and healthy fats in a correct amount can be termed as a balanced diet. A person who is underweight will not be able to eat properly in a single sitting, so he does not get the required nutrition and calories. You must plan your meals, so that you do not miss out on the calories.
Meals split up
You can eat three large meals or 5 to 6 small meals daily. I do understand that it is difficult for many people to have 6 meals a day, even I will not be able to split my meals into 6, because of my work nature. But for few people who feel full after having a small meal must try to follow 5-6 meals split up, that way they can meet their nutritional and calorie needs. Even I would recommend having small meals, nevertheless having 3 large meals can also help you, as long as you fill the gaps between the meals with some snacks.
Snacks
You do not have the freedom to eat whatever you want as a snack. You must not forget that it should be trans-fat and cholesterol free.
Nuts and seeds
These are rich in protein and calories which can give you the required energy and nutrition. Nuts like almonds, peanuts and pistachio and seeds like flax seeds and sunflowers seeds can be consumed. You must try to store some of these at your work place, since there are chances that you might feel lazy to move from your place to buy them.
Whole Products
If you wish to snack on something healthy, go for whole grain products like wheat bread or multi-grain bread instead of white bread. You can also overlook low fat dairy products and go for fat rich ones. If you want you can add some extra cheese to your sandwiches, there is no harm in it.
Fruit salads and Smoothies/Shakes
There is a misconception that only people who look to lose weight must have fruits as part of their diet. It is not true, everyone require vitamins, magnesium and the likes, so you can consider having fruits salad as a snack option. You can drink shakes and smoothies in between your meals, but make sure that you drink them 30 minutes before or after your regular meals. This is just for making sure that nothing disturbs your regular meals, this applies for the other snack options as well.
Protein
It can help you build muscles, this can increase your weight. So you can consider eating foods like eggs, lean meat and nuts which are rich in protein. They aid weight loss, but it can also help you in gaining weight when combined with exercises.
Exercises
The exercises can help you gain weight through muscle growth. You must start working out with a proper workout plan and pack on some muscles, since nutrition alone cannot help you gain weight. When you exercise you must understand that your body burns more calories to build muscles. In order to meet the calorie demands, a proper diet should be followed. It should be a high calorie diet with high nutrition.
These are the healthy options available for gaining weight. Never trust any short cuts or drugs to achieve what you want.