Keeping some healthy staple weight gain foods in your kitchen is really important .

For instance, having basic items available in your fridge, pantry, freezer, fruit bowl etc. can help avoid any of these situations:

• I’ll start with weight gain foods on the weekend because I haven’t done any shopping this week.
• There’s nothing to eat and a KFC boxed meal will give me over 1000 calories in one hit. “Just this one time.” (You know and I know it’s not going to be a one-off).
• I’m so tired / I can’t be bothered/ I’m not in the mood to spend 30 minutes + to cook something.

So this is a loose list of what weight gain foods to keep at home. This will depend of course on personal choice.

I’ve also offered some alternative options for people who have intolerances, are vegetarian or vegan etc

The Kitchen Staples

1.Milk

This is one of the basic items to have in a kitchen. It is generally cheap and easily available. For our weight gain purposes, we’re talking full cream milk.

Milk contains calcium, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. It is also a complete source of protein.

Fact: Complete proteins are foods containing sufficient amounts of the 9 nine essential amino acids. Quite a few animal products are complete proteins.

Milk is delicious and so versatile. 

Nothing beats a cold glass of milk on a hot day, or warm milk with honey before bed on a cold night. You can use milk in porridge, beverages, main meals, soups, desserts, smoothies etc.

I love cow’s milk but there are so many varieties out there now, it kind of blows the mind.

I’ve seen soy, almond, goat, coconut, macadamia nut, oat, camel and rice milks. There are probably more out there.

Some of the plant based ones would be suitable for folks avoiding animal products or those intolerant to cow’s milk. But do some research on nutritional values and calories. Almond milk for instance is quite low in protein.

2.Eggs

Eggs are a nutritious powerhouse food staple.

Again they are easily available, affordable and can be enjoyed in a number of ways including as a meal, snack, in desserts etc. 

Both the white and yolk contain nutrients including vitamins & minerals, omega 3 fats, protein, antioxidants and iron among others.

Simple ways with eggs include the usual boiled, fried, scrambled, omelettes and so on. But also enjoy them in frittatas, quesadillas, salads, casseroles, mashed potatoes, soups, tortillas etc.

And that by the way, is just the savoury stuff. You know how crazy you can get using eggs in making healthy desserts.

3.Nuts

Nuts are high in fat, however is this mostly unsaturated fats (omega 3 and 6 fatty acids). They also contain fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein. Studies suggest that nuts are good protection for heart health.

Some types of nuts can be expensive or not easy to find depending on where you live. Peanuts tend to be the cheapest, so don’t feel you need to go out looking for macadamias, almonds or cashews, which cost more.

The other option is to buy nut butter like peanut butter. The trick is to find one with a minimum of ingredients, e.g. just peanuts (and maybe salt).

You can spread nut butters on bread, added to smoothies, in porridge, on fruits (bananas, pears, apples etc.), on chicken (Hello Satay), on popcorn, and other options.

4.Avocados

Avocados are a brilliant weight gain food. They are delicious fruits with a creamy texture and high in fats. But these are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are good fats. Fats are necessary for energy, cell growth and absorption.

Avocados also have vitamins, fibre and antioxidants. An average sized avocado has about 250-300 calories though it can be higher, depending on its size.

Avocados can be enjoyed in savoury or sweet recipes.

Try spreading avocado with some salt and pepper on bread/toast as a substitute to your usual breakfast spread, or as a snack. It’s also a great fruit to use for drinking your calories.

Just be aware that depending on the season and where you live, avocados can sometimes be expensive.

5.Yoghurt

Yoghurt is fermented milk with impressive health benefits, and is useful in healthy weight gain.

As a dairy product, it packs calcium, protein, healthy fats, some vitamins and minerals. But, yoghurt is also rich in probiotics which may help digestion, improve the immune system and keep good levels of gut bacteria.

Plain or Greek yoghurt are the best types to have in your fridge. Flavoured yoghurts can contain very high levels of sugar and other additives.

Check to make sure the yoghurt ingredients include yoghurt cultures such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus, or Lactobacillus acidophilus.

You can enjoy yoghurt on its own, as a snack with fruits, honey or maple syrup, as a dessert, marinade, in smoothies, dips etc.

There are now quite a few plant based yoghurts in the market for those who don’t consume dairy such as coconut yoghurt.

6.Bread

Bread is a staple food in many parts of the world.

It often gets a bad rap as unhealthy and this can be the case when buying poor quality, highly refined white processed breads (which are often very cheap).

There are breads that are healthy such as those made of whole grains and seeds. In fact, some studies suggest whole grains can be effective in fighting cancer.

Also, wholemeal bread is a great source of dietary fibre, some vitamins and minerals, resistant starch, and it adds bulk to meals.  For our purposes, it is a good source of calories.

As a kitchen staple for healthy weight gain, bread can be paired up with a few of the mentioned staples including nut butters, avocado and eggs.

7.Cheese

This is another delicious source of dairy. Cheese is a good source of calcium, protein, fat, vitamin A and B12, and some minerals.  Remember though, there are natural cheeses and processed ones.

Natural cheeses are made of few, simple ingredients like milk, salts and enzymes. They also tend not to last as long as processed cheese, which is full of preservatives.

Also different cheeses have varying amounts of calories and salt.

As with any food, moderation is the key. Too much cheese can affect your health like blood pressure due to the high sodium found in many types.

This article discusses the better options of cheeses.

Healthier choices include cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, goat’s cheese (for probiotics), and Swiss cheese among others.

Like with bread, avoid the highly processed types such as supermarket variety packaged cheese slices, soft cheeses like the Laughing Cow brand, camembert and brie

You can enjoy cheese on bread, in salads, or over vegetables among other ways.

There are non-dairy cheeses now made from ingredients like soy and nuts which is good news for vegans and those with dairy intolerance. But these don’t tend to come cheap, well at least not in Australia.

Other Kitchen Staple Alternatives:

For those folks who can’t eat nuts, eggs or dairy products, other low cost, easy-to-find healthy staples include oats, legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils etc.) and dried fruit. An added benefit is they are long lasting staples and will keep for a while if stored well.

If avocados are costly where you live, bananas can be used instead for sweet options, such as in smoothies, shakes or with yoghurt.

I like to mix and match these kitchen staples for variety, different flavours, and also to enjoy them in moderation. Keeping these foods at home has saved me many times from ordering junk food or procrastinating on my weight gain goals.

Have fun experimenting with these easy, weight gain foods for meals or snacks in next to no time. These 7 kitchen staples can really help with your journey to healthy weight gain.