What are the best foods for gaining weight and muscle?

The biggest misconception about gaining weight is that you need to eat everything in sight. If you follow this myth, you'll definitely gain weight, but it might not be the kind of weight you had in mind. Gaining any kind of weight is as simple as eating anything you see. If you want to be fat, overweight and unhealthy, eat fries, hamburgers, pizza and candy for every meal. You'll pack on those pounds really quick. If you're looking for weight that looks a bit better and will make you healthier (muscle) you need to have a clean diet. You still need to eat a lot of food, but you need to eat healthy food that will give your body the right kind of fuel to build and repair new and damaged tissue. To build muscle, you need an ample supply of carbohydrates, protein and yes, even fat. Carbs should account for 50-60% of your overall daily caloric intake. This is where your body gets most of the energy it needs to exercise and do daily tasks. Carbs aren't all equal so you should fill your diet with the healthy kind. Sugars account for most simple carbs. These carbs are digested quickly and can therefore lead to excessive fat storage. Complex carbs are digested a lot slower giving you a steady flow of energy that won't give you a sudden burst followed by a crash. Foods high in complex carbs are: vegetables, 100% whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, oats and beans. You should stay away from foods that are very high in sugar with the exception of your post workout meal. Because fat from food is the same word that describes something that is undesirable on the body, a lot of people stay away from fat thinking it will make them fat. Eating fat has very little to do with getting fat. Your body needs some fat (about 30% of your daily intake) to function properly. Fat can also be split up into good and bad sources. The bad kind comes from animal sources and is called saturated fat. Sources include milk, cheese and meat. Good fats come from plant sources and are called unsaturated fats. Sources include oils, nuts, fish and some vegetables. You should try and get most of your fat from unsaturated sources. A bit of saturated fat won't hurt you. Protein is also very important if you're trying to build muscle. Protein is used by your body as a building material to repair muscles which makes them bigger and stronger after a workout. Some sources of protein are found with high amount of saturated fat so try and stay away from those. Good sources include chicken, turkey, fish, low fat dairy, some cuts of beef, legumes, nuts and protein supplements. For more information on putting on good weight, visit the Guide to Gaining Muscle. You can also check out what others are eating to bulk up at the nutrition forums.

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