How many calories do you need to gain weight? To resolve this question, you need to do the following:
Step 1. Calculate BMR
First, you need to determine how many calories you need to take in each day. The BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the minimum amount of calories needed for these functions at rest.
There are many ways for you to measure your BMR and estimate the number of calories you need to consume each day. But the simplest, you can use Hellobacsi’s BMR Measurement Tool.
Step 2: Factor in your activity level
Next, you need to estimate how many calories you burn daily. Here are some basic conversions:
- Light activity (light exercise 1 to 3 days/week): x 1.2 times
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days/week): x 1.4 times
- Very active (6 to 7 days/week exercise): x 1.6 times
- High activity (intense exercise 6 to 7 days/week): x 1.8 times
- Super active (extremely hard exercise 6 to 7 days/week and a physical job): x 1.9 times
Thus, the convention of calories you need to maintain your current weight based on your physical activity will be calculated:
1,800 calories/day x 1.2 (moderate activity) = 2,160 calories/day
Step 3: Add more calories to gain weight
To gain weight, you can aim to take in 5 to 10% more calories. The calculation is as follows:
- For 5% more calories: 2,160 calories/day x 0.05 = 2,268 calories/day
- For 10% more calories: 2,160 calories/day x 0.1 = 2,376 calories/day
>> Invite you to read more: Nutrition pyramid for thin people: effective weight gain diet
Sample weight gain menu for skinny people

After you have determined how many calories you need to add each day through your diet. Here is a sample menu to help you gain weight.
Day 1: Suggested menu for thin people who are difficult to absorb
- Breakfast: Egg bread. This dish contains 836 calories. Including 36g protein, 78g carbs, 43g fat.
- 3 fried eggs
- 3 slices of wholemeal bread toasted with butter
- 1 cup nut milk
- Breakfast Snack: 1 banana with 105 calories contains 1g protein, 27g carbs.
- Lunch: Chicken salad, bacon & avocado. This dish contains 776 calories. Including 53g protein, 21g carbs, 55g fat. Ingredients for weight gain lunch include:
- 100g pan-fried chicken breast and 2 pieces of grilled pork belly
- 1 avocado, 80g coleslaw, 50g tomato, 50g cucumber
- Sauce: 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, seasoning.
- Snack: 25g nuts, or seeds
- Dinner: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and vegetable soup. This dish contains 881 calories. Which contains 78g protein, 88g carbs, 22g fat. Ingredients for weight gain dinner include:
- 3 pieces of burgers
- 200g mashed potatoes
- 80g peas, 2 carrots, 500ml chicken broth.
>> Invite you to read more: How to make 5 types of weight gain milk for skinny people at home
Day 2: Suggested menu for skinny people who are difficult to absorb
- Breakfast: Banana, honey & oatmeal. This dish contains 843 calories. Including 28g protein, 117g carbs, 27g fat. Ingredients for weight gain breakfast for skinny people include:
- 65g oats, 300ml whole milk
- 1 banana, 25g nuts, 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 cup pure orange juice.
- Snack: 119 calories with 2 granola bars
- Lunch: Salmon Pittas & Salad. This weight gain lunch contains 1000 calories. Which contains 52g protein, 92g carbs, 44g fat. Raw materials include:
- 200g pan-fried salmon
- 2 whole pitta bread
- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- Optional salad and 1 apple.
- Snack: 193 calories with wholemeal bread and 1 mashed banana
- Dinner: Pan-fried cod fillet, mashed sweet potato and mixed salad. This weight gain dinner will contain 599 calories. Which contains 34g protein, 53g carbs, 29g fat. Ingredients for dinner include:
- 150g large cod fillet
- 300g steamed sweet potato
- Tuna salad with grape seaweed mixed with roasted sesame sauce. For more variety, you can add tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, avocados to your salad.
- Dessert: Greek yogurt and fruit.
Day 3: Suggested menu for thin people who are difficult to absorb

- Breakfast: Toast, eggs, grilled meat, mushrooms and tomatoes. This dish contains 960 calories. Which contains 49g protein, 67g carbs, 55g fat. Ingredients for weight gain breakfast for skinny people:
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, 2 slices of whole-wheat toast, mashed avocado
- 2 pieces of grilled pork belly
- Mushrooms and tomatoes sauteed with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil
- Glass of mixed juice
- Snack 1: Whole wheat bread, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and 1 banana. This snack will contain 305 calories.
- Lunch: Brown rice and grilled chicken thighs. This weight gain lunch will contain 636 calories. Materials include:
- 4 grilled chicken thighs
- 150g brown rice
- Mediterranean vegetables sauteed in canola oil. Includes: zucchini, red onion, bell pepper, eggplant.
- Snack: Oatmeal porridge, plain yogurt and honey.
- Dinner: Beef steak, grilled potatoes and mixed vegetables. This weight gain dinner will contain 1095 calories. Which contains 55g protein, 120g carbs, 37g fat. You need to prepare:
- 200g roast beef
- 300g baked potato
- Mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, radishes, sweet corn)
- Snack: 30g dark chocolate
>> Maybe you’re interested: How to gain weight fast for men: How to make you look more muscular?
Note when building menus for skinny people

If you’re trying to gain weight with high-calorie foods full of saturated fat and sugar , such as chocolate, cakes, and bottled beverages, the results may not be what you expect. Here are some notes when building a healthy menu for skinny people.
Increasing sugar consumption is not the right way to gain weight. Consuming too much sugar will increase cravings and make you overeat. However, eating a lot of sugar can lead to a decrease in insulin in the body.
Foods high in saturated fat such as fried foods, fast foods, fatty meats, animal organs are not good for healthy weight gain. These foods can increase body fat instead of lean body mass. This can increase your risk of developing high blood cholesterol.
Whether it is a weight gain menu for thin people or a weight loss menu, it is still best to limit the foods and drinks that are high in fat , salt and sugar .
- Weight gain diet alone is not enough
In addition to the menu for thin people who are difficult to absorb, you should combine more physical activities to gain weight. Exercise, especially strength training, can help you gain weight by building your muscles. Exercise can also stimulate your appetite.
Hopefully the principles of building a weight gain menu for thin people will be useful and effective for you. Menu suggestions for thin people who are difficult to absorb will be the inspiration for you to gain weight healthily and sustainably. Good luck!