It is far more difficult to gain weight than to lose it. I'm sure underweight people will agree with me on this. The first indication of a healthy body is a healthy weight.  As a result, you should focus on your diet if you are underweight. 

1. - Low energy and stamina

1. - weak immunity

1. - Low self esteem                                                         

How will we know whether we are underweight? For this you need to calculate your BMI with the help of your height and weight. Check  BMI . You are underweight if your BMI falls below 18.5. In addition, some people want to gain muscle to look good.  It is also crucial for women who want to become pregnant to put on weight before conceiving, if they are underweight.

Weight loss can occur due to various factors, however some of the most common causes of weight loss are:

1.       Chronic fever like typhoid or dengue

2.       Liver disease like jaundice

3.       Diabetes

4.       Digestive disorders like chron’s disease, Celiec disease, IBS etc..

5.       Hyperthyroid

6.       Cancer

7.       Poor diet

8.       Stress

How to gain weight?

Having a healthy digestive system is the first step towards gaining weight.  If you have any digestive issues, such as bloating, constipation, gas, indigestion, or acidity, you can consult a dietitian. Apart from this if you are unable to eat or drink properly because of stress; you must address your stress first. In order to gain weight in a healthy way foods high in protein, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin C and flavonoids are essential.

Healthy diet for weight gain

1.       Early morning : You shouldn't consume tea right away after waking up. Our stomach is completely empty in the morning, so you must eat the healthiest food possible.  For example, you can have two bananas or overnight-soaked cashews and raisins after getting fresh.  You can have breakfast and tea later. Cashews and raisins are rich in protein, iron and magnesium.

2.       Breakfast: You should eat a high-protein breakfast, such as cheese sandwiches, paneer paratha, banana or mango shakes with protein powder and toned milk or green moong sprouts chaat.

3.       Lunch : Some of the high protein lunch options include Pulse Bowl, Missi Roti with Dal or Curd, or Besan Chilla with Sabzi and Green Chutney etc. Besan is rich in iron and zinc along with protein.

4.       Dinner : Keep your dinner light. You can have roti or rice with dal, chutney and cooked vegetables. Chutney & nimboo ka achaar helps to stimulate digestive enzymes and therefore must be included in plan.

5.       Mid meal snacks :  You have to consume two fruits daily.  You can eat citrus fruits like orange, kenow, guava, mausambi  etc., or dark coloured fruits like watermelon, pomegranate, papaya, black grapes, etc.  Citrus fruits are rich source of vitamin C where as dark coloured fruits are rich in flavonoids. In addition, you can also have roasted chickpeas, lassi, makhana, or sattu water as a mid-meal snack. All these are high protein options.

Food to avoid

You must remember not to consume too many refined carbohydrates, such as maida or products manufactured from it, processed and ultra processed food like chips, biscuits, cola drinks, sweets, or fried food and junk. 

Who cannot follow this plan?

If your age is less than 18 years or you are pregnant or if you have any health issues like low haemoglobin, diabetes, jaundice, cancer, celiec disease, IBS etc...  you should consult a dietician before following this plan.

Sample diet plan