Category: Weight Gain Plans and Recipes

Our weight-gain section is for readers who need a controlled surplus, recovering from illness, underweight by BMI, or building muscle. Plans run from 2,000 to 4,000 kcal per day using whole foods, with vegetarian and shake-based options. Includes a 58-food weight-gain grocery list and a high-fiber breakfast bowl for readers who struggle with morning appetite.

Every plan targets a 300 to 500 kcal daily surplus above maintenance for steady, mostly-lean gain, protein at 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg body weight for readers training, carbs from oats, potatoes, rice, and fruit, fat from nuts, seeds, olive oil, and full-fat dairy. Nutrition data is calculated per meal against the Nutritionix database and USDA references. Cards flag fiber, saturated fat, added sugar, calcium, and iron.

Weight-gain plans are written or reviewed by a Registered Dietitian on our team, Brenda Peralta, Kerly Cordova, Marita Radloff, or Karolina Peterova, and medically reviewed by Franco Cuevas, MD. Recipes and high-calorie shakes are developed and tested by our Food Editor Damla Sengul in our Wayne, NJ kitchen. Corrections go to social@dietsmealplan.com.