While most people want to prevent weight gain, there are some who want to put weight on. The key to gaining weight is to stick to a nutritious diet and eat more calories. Rather than eating high-sugar, high-fat foods to pack on the pounds, opt for energy-dense foods that are high in calories and nutrient-rich. That way, you'll achieve your goal of gaining weight in two weeks without sacrificing your health.
Step 1
Increase your caloric intake. One pound of body weight is equal to 3,500 calories. That means, to gain 2 pounds in two weeks, you need to increase your daily caloric intake by 500 calories.
Step 2
Eat more often. It's hard to take in enough calories when you limit yourself to three meals a day. Eat three to four meals a day, plus three to four substantial snacks.
Step 3
Snack often. Keep nuts, dried fruit, containers of yogurt and cottage cheese and protein-rich smoothie ingredients on hand.
Step 4
Increase portion size. At each meal, eat more than you normally would. Have an extra serving of lean chicken breast, another slice of whole-grain bread or an extra serving of your morning oatmeal.
Step 5
Choose nutritious, energy-dense foods. Energy-density is a measure of how may calories a food has per gram or other measurement. The more calories it has, the more energy dense it is. With 9 calories per gram, fat is the most energy-dense food. But not all fats are equal. Choose heart-healthy unsaturated fats such as olive and canola oil, rather than saturated fats such as butter. Nuts and nut butters and full-fat dairy are other energy-dense foods. To increase the energy-density of your meal, drizzle olive oil over lightly steamed green beans, blend cashews into a smoothie, dip apple slices in nut butter and drink a glass of whole milk with each meal.
