Weight gain meal plan: 7 days to eat more without force-feeding
This weight gain meal plan is for people who find it hard to eat enough: it adds calories through richer versions of normal meals, drinks with calories, and snacks that are easy to eat, rather than giant portions.
The sample day below is weighed out with calories and macros. If you are underweight because of illness, appetite loss or an eating disorder, get medical support first.
Updated October 22, 2026
Sample day
2,950 kcal
Protein
167 g · 22%
Carbs
319 g · 43%
Fat
117 g · 35%
How to gain weight in a healthy way
- Add calories without adding much volume: olive oil, nut butters, avocado, cheese, whole milk and dried fruit are calorie-dense.
- Eat more often. Three meals and two or three snacks are easier than three huge plates when your appetite is small.
- Drink some of your calories. Milk, smoothies and milky coffees add energy without making you feel stuffed.
- Keep protein up and add strength training if you can, so more of the weight you gain is muscle.
Your 7-day weight gain meal plan
Day 1 is the sample day worked out below.
Day 1
- breakfast
- Porridge with whole milk, peanut butter and banana
- lunch
- Chicken and avocado sandwich on wholemeal bread with a glass of milk
- snack
- Trail mix of almonds and dates
- dinner
- Beef mince and bean chilli with rice and cheese
Day 2
- breakfast
- Eggs scrambled with cheese on buttered toast
- lunch
- Chicken pesto pasta
- snack
- Banana and peanut butter smoothie
- dinner
- Salmon with rice and avocado salsa
Day 3
- breakfast
- Granola with whole milk and fruit
- lunch
- Leftover salmon and rice
- snack
- Cheese and crackers
- dinner
- Lamb or chicken curry with rice and naan
Day 4
- breakfast
- Porridge with whole milk, honey and almonds
- lunch
- Tuna melt sandwich
- snack
- Greek yogurt with granola
- dinner
- Spaghetti bolognese with parmesan
Day 5
- breakfast
- Bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon
- lunch
- Leftover bolognese
- snack
- Dates and walnuts
- dinner
- Chicken thighs with roast potatoes in olive oil
Day 6
- breakfast
- Pancakes with yogurt, fruit and honey
- lunch
- Bean and cheese burrito
- snack
- Milkshake
- dinner
- Beef stew with mashed potato
Day 7
- breakfast
- Avocado and eggs on toast
- lunch
- Chickpea curry with rice
- snack
- Trail mix
- dinner
- Pizza with a side salad
A sample day with calories and macros
Day 1, weighed ingredient by ingredient. Rice, pasta, beans, lentils and meat are cooked weights.
Breakfast: Porridge with whole milk, peanut butter and banana
770 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolled oats, dry | 80 g | 303 | 10.5 | 54.2 | 5.2 |
| Whole milk | 300 g | 183 | 9.4 | 14.4 | 9.8 |
| Peanut butter | 30 g | 179 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 15.4 |
| Banana | 120 g | 107 | 1.3 | 27.4 | 0.4 |
Lunch: Chicken and avocado sandwich on wholemeal bread with a glass of milk
730 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-wheat bread | 100 g | 252 | 12.4 | 42.7 | 3.5 |
| Chicken breast, cooked | 120 g | 198 | 37.2 | 0.0 | 4.3 |
| Avocado | 70 g | 117 | 1.4 | 6.0 | 10.8 |
| Lettuce | 30 g | 5 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| Tomatoes | 50 g | 9 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 0.1 |
| Whole milk | 250 g | 153 | 7.9 | 12.0 | 8.1 |
Snack: Trail mix of almonds and dates
340 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almonds | 40 g | 232 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 20.0 |
| Dates | 40 g | 111 | 0.7 | 30.0 | 0.1 |
Dinner: Beef mince and bean chilli with rice and cheese
1100 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean minced beef (90%), cooked | 150 g | 345 | 42.7 | 0.0 | 18.1 |
| Kidney beans, cooked | 120 g | 152 | 10.4 | 27.4 | 0.6 |
| Canned crushed tomatoes | 150 g | 48 | 2.5 | 10.9 | 0.4 |
| Onion | 50 g | 20 | 0.6 | 4.7 | 0.1 |
| Vegetable oil | 10 g | 88 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.0 |
| White rice, cooked | 250 g | 325 | 6.7 | 70.4 | 0.7 |
| Cheddar | 30 g | 121 | 6.9 | 1.0 | 10.0 |
Day total: about 2,950 kcal, with 167 g protein, 319 g carbs and 117 g fat. To fit your own target, multiply every amount by your daily calories divided by 2,950; the macro calculator gives you that target.
Estimates from per-100 g values in USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy). Brands, recipes and cooking change the real numbers.
Calorie-dense foods worth adding
- Whole milk, Greek yogurt and cheese
- Nuts, nut butters and seeds
- Avocado, olive oil and oily fish
- Oats, granola, rice, pasta and bread
- Dried fruit such as dates, raisins and apricots
Things to watch
- Relying on sweets and fast food adds calories but little nutrition.
- Unexplained weight loss or a sudden drop in appetite needs a doctor's check.
- Large meals can be uncomfortable; spread food through the day instead.
How Meal Planner Pro handles it
- Choose Gain weight as your goal. Your calories are set about 15% above your maintenance calories, with protein at 1.6 g per kg and about 30% of calories from fat.
- Pick 4 or 5 meals a day in the quiz to spread the extra food across snacks.
- Every meal shows its calories and macros, so you can see you're on track.
Get your own weight gain week
Meal Planner Pro builds a 7-day plan from a short quiz, sized to your calorie target, with recipes and a grocery list.
Create My Meal PlanPlans from $8.99/week. No free plan or trial. See pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
It varies by person. Meal Planner Pro adds about 15% to your maintenance calories for its weight-gain goal; the TDEE calculator shows your maintenance number.
Small, frequent meals, calorie-rich drinks such as milk and smoothies, and energy-dense extras like nut butter, olive oil and cheese add calories without big portions.
It adds calories, but not much protein, fibre or micronutrients. Richer versions of nourishing meals are a better base, with treats as extras.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central records used
- Rolled oats, dry: Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry (FDC 173904)
- Whole milk: Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D (FDC 171265)
- Peanut butter: Peanut butter, smooth style, without salt (FDC 172470)
- Banana: Bananas, raw (FDC 173944)
- Whole-wheat bread: Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared (FDC 172688)
- Chicken breast, cooked: Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted (FDC 171477)
- Avocado: Avocados, raw, California (FDC 171706)
- Lettuce: Lettuce, green leaf, raw (FDC 169249)
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average (FDC 170457)
- Almonds: Nuts, almonds (FDC 170567)
- Dates: Dates, medjool (FDC 168191)
- Lean minced beef (90%), cooked: Beef, ground, 90% lean meat / 10% fat, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned (FDC 171794)
- Kidney beans, cooked: Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 175194)
- Canned crushed tomatoes: Tomatoes, crushed, canned (FDC 170501)
- Onion: Onions, raw (FDC 170000)
- Vegetable oil: Oil, corn and canola (FDC 169867)
- White rice, cooked: Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked (FDC 168878)
- Cheddar: Cheese, cheddar (FDC 173414)