What is it Going to Take to Really Put Some Meat on those Bones
By: Skyler King
Tags: Health, Asian Food, Food, Italian Food, Weight Gain

By: Skyler King

Photo by: Skyler King

Please stop telling me to eat a sandwich.

For all those out there trying to gain weight, including myself, we know it can be quite the challenge. You have to make serious changes to your diet and eating habits, things that can be hard to correct. While attempting to add more to your diet, you have to make sure you are not adding too much and sometimes, it can just be hard to eat more when you are simply not used to it.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 1.5% of the US population above the age of 20, is underweight.

Unfortunately, gaining weight isn’t as easy as eating a sandwich.

“Your body is going to look for homeostasis, it’s looking to be static. The body doesn’t like to be taken out of a certain weight,” said Dr. Charlotte Herzele, nutrition professor at The University of Texas at Austin.

Drastically changing your weight is not going to work because the body is not used to it, said Herzele.

“When you start adding an increment of calories, 100 or 200 calories or more a day to your diet, it’s slow. Your body can deal with that,” said Herzele.

The biggest problem people have with trying to gain weight is trying to do it all at once, so it’s important to not rush the process, said Herzele.

According to For Care Education and Research, some of the best protein sources to add to your diet is carbs, chicken and rice.

Here are some easy-to-make dishes including those proteins to start your weight gain journey.

Baked Spaghetti

Italian food, one of the most versatile cuisines. You can really let your imagination run wild with Italian food by using different pastas, sauces and meats. But sometimes you want something simple, and spaghetti is as simple as it gets.

Baked spaghetti is even more simple. This dish has 539 calories, with most of that coming from the carbs, proteins and fat. This is the perfectly simple dish for someone looking to up their calorie intake.

Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice

Rice, what can’t you do with rice? Used across the world in all types of cuisines, rice is a staple for many. Fried rice is popular within Asian cuisine filled with a variety of food sources making it the ideal meal to increase calorie intake.

This dish contains everything from carbs, to protein and a good portion of vegetables. It hits all the right spots for nutrition and especially taste with the teriyaki sauce adding a nice tangy flavor elevating the dish.

Any type of weight change can be a long and daunting process, and the reason for that could be psychological.

In a study from the University of Vermont in 1987, they monitored self reports of high school students trying to gain or lose weight and compared them against their actual weight change.

They found that negative self esteem was associated with the desire to gain or lose weight.

Maintaining a healthy diet and weight can be demanding when the root cause is a negative perception of self.

A key step to changing weight is to address any negative self esteem and make it positive to start your dietary changes with the right attitude.

Gaining weight is more than putting some meat on your bones. It’s about watching what you eat, not rushing and most importantly — loving yourself.

Photo by: Skyler King

Baked Spaghetti (from Tasty for 6 servings)

Ingredients:

Jar of tomato and basil sauce — 18oz

Water — 1cup

Fresh egg pasta — 1lb

Grated cheddar cheese — 1.75oz

Fresh basil — plating

Sugar ½ teaspoons (optional)

Meatballs

Lean ground beef (5–7% fat) — 1lb

Garlic powder — 2 teaspoons

Parsley — 2 teaspoons

Paprika — 2 teaspoons

Breadcrumbs — 2 tablespoons

Salt — ½ teaspoons (to taste)

Pepper ½ teaspoons (to taste)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the ingredients for the meatballs and massage it all together with your hands. Then take pieces of meat and roll it into individual balls. Set aside to make the pasta. Get an oven safe bowl or foil pan. Take your pasta and break it into small strips. No need to boil, the pasta will cook in the oven. Pour the sauce and water into the bowl/pan, add sugar (optional) and pasta. Place the meatballs on top of the pasta. Place pasta and meatballs into the oven and let cook for 18–20 minutes. Take out the dish and add cheddar cheese on top. Set the oven to broil at low and put the dish back in for 5–7 minutes. Taste the pasta to make sure it’s not too chewy, then when it is done, plate

Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice (from Tasty — 2 servings)

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast — 2

Teriyaki sauce — 1 teaspoon

Oil — 2 teaspoons

Diced onions — ¼ cup

Minced garlic — 1 teaspoon

Diced carrots — ¼ cup

Beaten eggs — 1

Cooked brown rice — 1/2 cup

Soy sauce — 1 teaspoon

Sesame oil — ½ teaspoon

Pepper, to taste

Steps: