19 Foods to Help You Gain Weight and Muscle Faster

While some are constantly trying to lose excessive fat, others find it tough to gain weight. Ironically enough, junk food won’t work for those who can’t gain weight. The solution is simple — eat food rich in healthy fats and protein, like milk, avocados, nuts or salmon. Eating the products on our list as a snack, garnish, or a main dish will help you gain weight. And if you combine them with regular exercise, they will help you to build muscle.

Bright Side prepared a list of the 19 best foods that are an alternative to boring chicken breasts and incredibly beneficial in helping you on your weight-gaining and muscle-building journey.

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Eggs are the best of the best in terms of healthy muscle-building foods and many athletes and bodybuilders will agree. Eggs combine high-quality proteins and healthy fats. Almost all the important and beneficial elements in eggs are in the yolk. If you are not egg intolerant, you don’t have to limit yourself and can eat 3 or more eggs per day if you want, because they are egg-ceptional! 🙂

12. Brown rice for loads of calories with little fat

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Brown rice is a whole grain, and it’s higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals than white rice. Just one serving of brown rice can provide you with carbs, calories, and very little fat. It is very easy to consume and, when combined with protein meals and vegetables, it helps you to gain weight and build muscle. Eat wisely: Consuming too much brown rice can be dangerous, due to its potential arsenic and phytic acid content. Arsenic might cause toxicity and phytic acid reduces the absorption of zinc and iron.

13. Beans as a muscle toning support

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Rich in protein and low in fat, beans are affordable and widely available. Cooked black, pinto, and kidney beans contain around 15 grams of protein per cup. Moreover, they are high in fiber, vitamin B, magnesium, and iron. Vitamin B supports muscle tone and promotes a healthy appetite. Beans might require some creativity when cooking them, but it’s surely worth it!

14. Chickpeas as a rich-in-protein garnish

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Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are a good source of carbs. If you’re having trouble gaining weight, you can replace rice with chickpeas: 164 grams of canned chickpeas has around 15 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of fiber. Even though the quality of protein in plants like this is lower than in animal sources, chickpeas alone or made into hummus are still a great addition to meat or fish.

15. Buckwheat for a muscle-building boost

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Buckwheat can be used instead of traditional flour, and it’s gained a lot of popularity due to its high vitamin and mineral content. Buckwheat is rich in protein, vitamin B, magnesium, and phosphorus. This unique food has the ability to boost the muscle-building power of other plant protein sources.

16. Lentils as a quick and easy meal for muscles

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Lentils are a secret weapon to gaining weight quickly. They are inexpensive, easy, and fast to cook. They can be added to other dishes like rice, soup, or salads. Just one cup of lentils has 17.9 grams of protein and 39.9 carbohydrates. There are 3 main varieties of lentils — brown, green, and red, each having slightly different flavors, so you can choose one that suits your taste. They will help to keep your blood sugar steady, enrich your body with long-lasting energy, and should be a staple in your diet.

17. Nuts and nut butter as an energy source

Nuts and nut butter are perfect for everyone who wants to gain weight. Nuts like almonds are filled with calories, protein, and healthy fats. Use them as a healthy snack or add them to your salads and other meals. As for nut butters, it’s better to choose 100% nut butter and add it to any snack you like, for example, sandwiches.

18. Dried fruits as a micronutrient-rich snack

Dried fruits like pineapples, cherries, or apples are healthy high-calorie snacks that contain micronutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. Despite popular opinion, fruits don’t lose their nutrients when dried, their fiber content actually helps retain vitamins. Add dried fruits to your protein shake or natural yogurt to make a great mix of healthy fats, protein, and other key nutrients. It’s better to use dried fruits as a healthy snack, instead of store-bought granola bars, since those are filled with sugar and preservatives.

19. Dark chocolate as a calorie boost

Though it might not seem tasty to some, high-quality dark chocolate is a great source of antioxidants that benefit our health. For weight-gainers, dark chocolate offers its high calories in small quantities. If don’t want to eat a bar, add unsweetened “natural” cocoa powder to your smoothie or yogurt for a different taste and to increase antioxidants.

Which food do you find to be the best to gain weight and build muscle? What else do you eat for this? Do you combine it with exercises? Share with us in the comments!

Please note: This article was updated in July 2022 to correct source material and factual inaccuracies.