If you’re looking for Nigerian based foods to gain weight, you’ve come to the right place. One major factor that determines health and growth is what you eat. What you’re eating could either cause you to gain or lose weight.
If you are underweight and this might sound easy but it’s not as they are some staple foods that look filled with calories but you can’t necessarily gain weight with it or you gain weight in the wrong places. Although there are many fatty foods lying around that can help you gain weight but they have been proven to be unhealthy and can lead to obesity or could become hazardous to one’s health.
When trying to gain weight, it’s important to do it the healthy way, if you are trying to gain weight and wonder about what Nigerian food can help you gain weight, we have gathered some of the best Nigerian foods with high carbs.
We have outlined some factors you might wonder about before gaining weight.
Can I Gain Weight Without Getting Fat?
Gaining weight does not necessarily mean you have to become fat, you have to burn more calories than you consume though to avoid this if you are underweight and needs to gain weight, all that is needed is for your lean muscles to grow and there are exercises for building muscles and stick to eating high calories foods the healthy way. The trick is to burn more calories than you consume.
Can Nigerian Food Make You Gain Weight?
Definitely, there are so many Nigerian foods with high calories but to stay on safe sides of health, it’s important to eat less of the ones with bad fats and high sugar and more of the healthy fats and less sugar. It is also advised to have a timetable for how you consume high-calorie foods so as to keep track of your weight gain routine.
Can Nigerian Foods For Weight Gain Be Eaten At Dinner?
Gaining weight sounds good but to avoid having a bloated tummy with it, you might want to avoid the heavy meals at dinner and most of the Nigerian foods for weight gain are heavy but you can eat a very little amount of it, Some Nigerian meals like rice, semo, tuwo, and other light meals can be eaten for dinner but the heavy options should be taken in small amount to avoiding tummy fat.
What to Eat to Gain Weight in Nigeria
What we’ve done here is that we have compiled some healthy-ish high-calorie foods that are native to Nigeria in one place so if you’re trying to add to your body size, these meals for gaining weight are the way to go.
Whilst you may think it’s a good idea, the consumption of these foods should be strictly monitored at night as it can easily lead to tummy fat, obesity, and unnecessary health issues. Also before making decisions like these, it’s important to consult your doctor for professional advice.
1. Porridge Beans
Porridge beans can help you gain weight just as it can help you lose weight, it contains soluble and insoluble fiber hence why it can keep you full for a very long time, it contains the right nutrient to keep your body energized for activities, it is high in healthy calorie to aid you to gain weight. Porridge beans is a Nigeria meal that can’t be ignored especially the western part of Nigeria.
2. Smoothies And Milkshakes
Gaining weight quickly in Nigeria can easily be done with smoothies and milkshakes, both are delicious which means you would want more and the higher you consume the more calories you would get and eventually gain some weight. A milkshake can easily make you fat so it’s advised to keep a regular track of the pound acquired from it in a day.
PS: Smoothies have the power to help you gain weight as well as lose it depends on the constituents, check out our 7-day smoothie weight loss diet plan for more deets.
3. Snacks
There are lot’s of Nigerian snacks you can rely on to help you gain weight and the healthy ones are still plantain chips, bean cake or chin-chin, however, you have to be more careful with snacks as you can easily get fat with it. Regular snacking on healthy snack will help you gain a pound or two but try to keep track of your daily calories required.
4. Tuwo Shinkafa
Tuwo shinkafa is another high-calorie food in Nigeria but most common in the northern part of Nigeria, can be really stressful to make if you are not used to it but makes a very delicious meal, highly nutritious too if eating with its stew. Tuwo can be a taken for dinner as it’s pretty light but keeps you full through the night and also enhances a fitful night rest.
5. Milk
A glass cup of milk 2 or 4 times a day will have you spinning down the weight gain cycle fast, milk is a good source of calcium and it strengthens and restore muscle bones, some healthy milk you can try are fura de nunu which is common among the Nothern Nigerians, it’s more proteinous and naturally gotten from the cow and you might want to stay away from skimmed milk to prevent unhealthy weight gain.
6. Rice
Rice is a lot’s of Nigerians favorite and it can help you gain weight fast and also keep a track of it if you eat it the right way, which means in moderation, calories contained in rice is pretty high due to the amount of starch it contains. Rice can also be enjoyed in different ways which make it more easier to incorporate into your weight gain plan. Rice can also be eaten with beans to make it a healthier way of gaining weight.
7. Meat
Meat is widely believed to cause you to gain weight and as it’s an excellent source of protein, then it’s classified to be healthy, meat can be enjoyed either in the stew, soup, fried or boiled. Some of the healthier meats include lamb, veal, chicken, and lean beef.
8. Avocado
They are loads of healthy fruits you can eat to gain weight with but avocado contains the most calories and you can consume close to 4 of it in a day without any health issues, eating with bread is also believed to help gain weight. Avocado is packed full with other essential nutrient and antioxidants to keep your body fit and healthy. Other Nigerian fruits with high calories include mango, banana or cucumber.
9. Cocoyam/Potatos
Another well-versed way to gain weight in Nigerian is foods that are high in carbohydrate like yam, potatoes, and cocoyam, they are nutritious and also keep the body energized to enable you to perform strenuous activities, tubers are foods that will fill you up really fast so it’s advised to eat slowly to avoid feeling full too fast, this can be eaten alone or with vegetables and stew for more health benefits.
10. Whole Wheat Bread
Bread generally is a way to gain weight in Nigeria but some bread can be unhealthy hence why we recommended wheat bread, it contains enough calories to gain a pound a day and is made naturally from grain without much processing.
11. Yam And Eggs
Eggs are often neglected as too small to give many benefits but two eggs in a day are enough to help you gain weight, eggs have been proven to repair hip reflex and also help you can weight especially if you plan to exercise and still gain some weight. The egg is an excellent source of protein and it’s best eating boiled and if planning to fry, make use of healthier oils like olive oil and coconut oil.
12. Semo With Egusi Soup
Semo is one of the best Nigerian swallows you can’t refuse and added with egusi soup makes it more delicious and semo contains high carb with a calorie of 175 per cup, egusi provides nourishment and protein to the body. Other ways you can gain weight with semo is drinking it, drinking semo provides almost enough calorie to help you gain a pound.
13. Banga Soup And Starch
Another Nigeria swallow with calories, The eastern part of Nigeria are fond of this and even claim it gives them the strength to go about their daily activities, other swallows can be enjoyed with Banga soup but the most likely combination is starch. Stach is pretty high in calorie so it’s advised not to make it a daily meal.
14. Afang Soup With Fufu
Another eastern Nigeria delicacies you would love not just for its high calorie but the delicious taste and often used as a Christmas meal and it can keep you full for a very long time. Fufu contains lots of calories too so you might want to limit the consumption to twice a week.
15. Garri
This list would not be complete without mentioning garri, it can pass as drinkable and can also be made with how water to tun in into garri, but whichever way you plan to take it, you would be gaining extra pound with each consumption, garri is prepared from cassava tubers that have been fermented and also a household food in almost all Nigerian homes. It can be enjoyed with a different kind of soup.
It is important to also keep a track of how much calories you need and how much you consume in a day in order to put a limit to the amount of weight you gain and avoid becoming fat. Nigerian foods can help you gain some muscles but it can also lead to getting fat so it’s important to keep an eye on how much you consume.
