Food

How to Gain Weight Fast Using Healthy Nigerian Diet Plan

This life no just balance!

As some struggle to shed some couple of pounds, others aim at gaining some healthy weight.

People try to gain weight for some reasons, such as:

  • Ailment recovery
  • Smallish looks
  • Health issues
  • To build muscle or
  • Just want to gain weight

We all gain weight at different rates.

While some people will quickly gain weight after being on a weight gain diet for a month, others will be on it for a year before they see any visible difference.

Some people will add weight and quickly lose it as soon as they stop consuming the foods and snacks that made them gain weight, while others will find it more difficult to lose the weight.

In this article, you’ll know the steps you can take to put on weight within a short period healthily.

Moving forward…

Do you really need to gain more weight?

Before thinking of gaining weight, you need to know if it’s right for you.

Being naturally skinny does not mean that you are not healthy.

Know your Body Max Index (BMI) which should be a guide on how much weight you need to gain.

Body Mass Index is a measure of whether you’re a healthy weight for your height.

The formula is BMI = kg/m2, where kg is a person’s weight in kilogram and m2 is their height in meters squared.

A BMI of 25 or more is overweight, while a healthy range is 18.5 to 24.9.

Being underweight in medical terms is having a BMI below 18.5.

Individuals that desire to gain more weight are usually underweight.

Reasons You Might Be Underweight

These factors could contribute to ones difficultly in gaining weight:

  • Celiac disease
  • Depression
  • Diabetes
  • Eating Disorders
  • Gastrointestinal or Liver Problems
  • Genetic Factors
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Malnutrition
  • Mental Illness
  • Poor Metabolism

Please note that there’s a difference between being skinny and being underweight!

If you’re underweight, you’ll want to gain a balanced amount of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat rather than a lot of unhealthy belly fat.

Steps to Gaining Weight Fast in Nigeria

Here are the right steps to eat healthy and gain weight in Nigeria fast:

1. Know Your Calories

To gain weight, you need to understand how calories affect your weight.

First, estimate the number of calories you burn daily as well as calculate how much carbohydrate, fat and protein you need to maintain your current weight.

Aim for 300-500 calories per day above your maintenance level, or 700-1000 calories if you want to gain weight fast.

This means if you need 1800 calories per day to maintain your weight, you can add another 1000, making it 2800 calories per day.

2. Always Have Good Sleep

Get at least 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night.

This will help repair and build the muscles during your weight gain period.

3. Exercise

Through proper eating and training, you can gain weight quick healthily.

Lifting and weight training helps your body gain muscle weight, because they help to convert the fat into muscles.

4. Eating

One major factor that determines health and growth is what you eat.

To gain weight naturally, you need to often eat right and ensure you are consuming enough calories.

While increasing your fat intake might lead to weight gain, it can also lead to other unwanted ailments.

Food choices matter; you should target foods with healthy fat, and enough calories that would aid your weight gain desire.

That means you need to consume healthy carbohydrate, fat and protein in the right amount.

So…

Can Nigerian Foods Make You Gain Weight?

YES! Nigeria is a blessed country with tasty delicacies and snacks that are a significant boost if you wish to gain some weight.

The consumption of these foods should be strictly monitored, especially at night, as it can easily lead to belly fat, obesity, and other health issues.

You can also prepare a timetable on how to consume these Nigerian high-calorie foods to keep track of your weight gain routine.

Let’s look at some of these Nigerian foods that can help you gain weight fast.

Healthy Foods to Eat for Weight Gain in Nigeria

1. Beans and Rice

beans and rice to gain weight

Beans is a healthy food choice for those willing to put on a few pounds.

It contains the right nutrient to keep your body energized for activities.

With the substantial amount of carbohydrate and protein in beans, you will gain additional weight and a stronger muscle.

You can combine beans with many other Nigerian foods, including bread, chicken, beef, fish, boiled egg, rice, vegetables.

Beans and rice is a brilliant combination which adds some calories in your body.

Rice is rich in carbohydrates while beans give your body the protein it requires.

Hence, consuming beans and rice in the evening as dinner will give you a high-calorie, healthy diet and will aid in weight gain.

2. Nigerian Swallows

Nigerian swallow and soups to get body fat

One way to add weight fast is through eating starchy food or food high in carbohydrate the right way.

Swallows like akpu (fufu), amala, garri (eba), semovita, pounded yam and tuwo shinkafa are rich in nutrients and usually consumed along with Nigerian soups.

Pounded yam is very high in carbohydrates and contains lots of calories, which are essential for weight gain.

Tuwo can be eaten for dinner as it’s pretty light, but keeps you full through the night and also enhances a fitful night rest.

Semovita is packed with other minerals like magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, all balanced for efficient nutritional value.

Good swallow combination includes:

  • Afang Soup with Fufu
  • Amala and Ewedu
  • Banga Soup and Starch
  • Eba and Efo Riro
  • Semo with Egusi Soup

3. Fruits

fruits for gaining weight

Healthy Nigerian fruits such as banana and avocado can help you gain weight easily.

One medium banana contains about 100 calories.

That means if you eat 5 in a day, you’ll be gaining about 500 calories.

Avocados contain a lot of healthy fat and are calorically dense.

On average, a big avocado fruit contains over 250 calories, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to keep your body fit and healthy.

To use avocado for weight gain, you can use it as bread spread, add to your salads, add it to smoothies, dishes or just eat it as a fruit.

4. Smoothies and Milkshakes

Nigerian smoothies for weight gain

Smoothies and milkshakes are healthy, easy to prepare and a great way to get in more calories into your body.

Both have the power to help you gain weight and lose it, depending on the constituents.

There are various types of smoothies that you can easily prepare at home that will work well for you.

Different home-made smoothies:

  • Avocado Pear and Other Greens
  • Banana and Chocolate
  • Natural Yoghurt, Banana Apple Shake
  • Pineapple and Banana

Since you are looking to add body, avoid vegetables-only smoothies.

Stick to smoothies made with avocados, mangoes, banana, chocolate, peanut butter, frozen yoghurt and pineapple.

5. Milk

milk role in diet

Taking milk or adding it to your diet is a very healthy way to gain weight.

Milk contains a sizable number of proteins, carbs and fats, calcium, vitamins, and minerals, which is the reason behind its high effectiveness in weight gain and muscle building.

Some healthy milks you can get are the local fura da nunu, which is common in Northern Nigeria, as it contains healthy, natural fat directly gotten from the cow.

Pasteurized whole milk, full fat yoghurt and cheese are also great options for gaining weight.

A glass of milk taken before or after meal aids weight gain.

You can as well take one or two glasses for your pre-workout or post-workout.

If you are lactose intolerant, you can drink tiger nut milk.

Stay away from skimmed milk to prevent unhealthy weight gain.

6. Meat

meat and fat gain

You need to eat enough protein to gain weight the healthy way.

Meat is an excellent source of protein and is exactly what you need to gain weight successfully.

They are various types of healthy meat you can eat to gain weight: chicken, lean beef, lamb meat, suya, and even red meat.

One fried chicken thigh has nearly 400 calories and 22grams of fat.

Meat can be enjoyed either in the stew, soup, fried or boiled.

Add more meat to your diet, spice it up with vegetables, and cook it properly to make it healthy.

It’s also important to watch whatever meat you take and avoid taking any bite that comes your way.

7. Whole-Wheat Bread

whole wheat bread

Eating bread is a great way to gain weight easily in Nigeria, but some bread can be unhealthy hence why wheat bread is recommended; because it’s easy to digest, contains enough calories to gain a pound a day, and is made naturally from grain with little processing.

A combination of whole-grain bread and eggs (fried or boiled), meat or cheese will give you the needed effect.

8. Snacks

small chops snacks

Eating healthy snacks regularly will increase your caloric intake and is crucial if you want to put on weight.

Some healthy Nigerian snacks that can help you gain weight include:

  • Bean cake (Akara)
  • Boli and Groundnuts
  • Buns
  • Chin-chin
  • Egg rolls
  • Fish rolls
  • Homemade Sweet Potato Fries
  • Nuts (Groundnuts, Peanuts, Cashew Nuts, Tiger Nuts)
  • Okpa
  • Peanut butter
  • Plantain chips
  • Sausage rolls
  • Small chops

9. Eggs

boiled egg

One egg can contain up to 78 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of protein.

Egg is an excellent source of protein and has been proven to help in weight gain and muscle building.

It’s best eaten boiled and really great to be consumed during pregnancy.

If you’ve not been eating eggs before, then it is high time you incorporate them into your meal.

10. Tubers

yam egg sauce

Tubers are a group of foods that make up yams, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

They are very high in carbohydrates, essential nutrients, protein and keep the body energized to enable one perform strenuous activities.

The carbohydrates in pounded yams, cocoyam and yam porridges have a nutritional value and the dietary fiber also helps decrease bad cholesterol and regulates blood sugar levels.

Tubers are foods that will fill you up really fast, so it’s advisable to eat slowly to avoid feeling full too fast.

You can consume cooked yam or cooked potatoes alone or with vegetables and stew for more health benefits.

11. Peanut Butter

peanut butter for weight gain

A single tablespoon of peanut butter has about 100 calories.

Peanuts are packed with protein and fat and offer an ideal meal portion for people trying to gain weight naturally.

Peanut butter also contains vitamins like magnesium, folic acids, Vitamin B and Vitamin E.

Peanut butter can be homemade and is also readily available in supermarkets.

Apply peanut butter as bread spread to a whole wheat bread for a healthy breakfast and to boost up your calorie intake.

Conclusion

We often focus only on obesity, but being underweight also has its health risks.

Some health risks of being underweight include decreased immune function, osteoporosis, higher risk of complications from surgery, fertility issues, growth and developmental issues.

Gaining weight is easier than losing it.

Aside from other factors, gaining weight simply involves consuming more calories than your body actually needs.

The above foods are among the Nigerian foods that can make you fat.

However, remember that you ought to be keen on the number of calories you give your body.

Even though you want to put on weight, make sure you eat healthy foods and still lead a healthy lifestyle because weight gain drive could become deadly if not managed properly.

Therefore, regular checkups from your doctor are essential to determine if your body can handle the number of calories you consume daily.

Stay healthy and be safe.

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Saint Chinedu

My GOAL is to equip you with the right strategy and working information to improve your academic performance, financial situation, and health this month.

5 Comments

  1. This is the best article I came across along time I am underweight but this article seems assuring.

    Would try it out.

  2. Hi, can we chat on WhatsApp. I have some issues I want to discuss with you. Thanks a lot. 09155576324

  3. Hello can we chat privately on WhatsApp, I have some issues to discuss with you 08139994106 thanks a lot.

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