How to Gain Weight As a 16 Year Old Boy

Whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables are an important component of any healthy diet, including diets intended to help you gain weight.

As teenagers grow and mature, their bodies go through many rapid changes. Feeling too skinny or lanky may be a source of anxiety about appearance for teenage boys. Being underweight can also have adverse health effects, such as a decreased immune system. If you're a teenage boy who wants to gain weight, it is important to do so in a healthy way to ensure that you're receiving the proper nutrients as your body grows. Eating healthy, calorie-dense foods often, in conjunction with a varied diet, is a good way to put on some pounds.

Instructions

1. Eat a varied diet of healthy foods, including whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables and lean meats. This might include whole grain pasta instead of pasta made with white flour, chicken in place of a hamburger and vegetable stir fry in place of fries or potato chips. Eating whole grains and vegetables ensures that your growing body is getting all of the nutrients that it needs. Teenage boys in particular need to eat extra iron and calcium, both of which can be found in foods such as lean meats and dairy, respectively.

2. Eat three full meals and three snacks per day. Eating healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks helps provide your body with more calories. Calories are a unit of measurement for energy. A teenage boy's metabolism is very fast -- working quickly to process foods into nutrients for the body. Eating often keeps your metabolism working at a steady pace and provides you with more calories. If you eat enough calories, your body will not be able to burn them all, which will lead to weight gain.

3. Drink juices and smoothies. Nutritionally-rich drinks provide your body with extra calories without filling you up. For people trying to gain weight, drinking fresh fruit juices, smoothies, and protein shakes are a healthy way of incorporating more calories into your diet.

4. Maximize on higher calorie foods. Some teenagers feel full more quickly than others. If large portions are too much, try eating smaller portions of calorie dense foods, such as nuts, granola, dried fruits and avocados.

5. Eat healthy fats, such as nuts, olives, cold-pressed oils and avocados. Fats are a necessary component of every diet. Healthy fats, as opposed to saturated fats found in processed and fried foods, help maintain a well-rounded diet.

Tips & Warnings

• Because growing boys have specific nutritional needs, it is important to speak with your pediatrician about any dietary changes to ensure you are getting the most out of your diet.

References

• WebMD: Healthy Ways to Gain Weight
• KidsHealth.org: Metabolism