How to fatten up OH on a budget?!

katebl

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice - may not be in the right place (wasn't sure if it would be here or Oldstyle?) but can anyone give any suggestions as to what my OH can do to fatten up? He's about a stone underweight and no matter what he eats he doen't put on any weight. He has a manual job so burns off a lot every day and plays golf once a week, and I'm struggling to think what he could do to build himself up. He's tried those milkshake powders from Holland & Barrett but got bored of those so I guess I need to start batch cooking stuff for him to microwave at work - but I don't eat red meat so am at a loss as to where to start? Also don't have a huge freezer and try to stick to £50 p/w for shopping...

Any thoughts appreciated!

brians_daughter

pasta, brown bread are a 'healthy' start, and cheap! Thinsg like Tuna pasta with mayo and the likes.

Is he fit and healthy? Has he spoken to his GP, over active thyroid etc maybe a possibility - but probably not if hes always been this way. I would research and see GP, practice nurse. Try these as a starting point maybe?

http://nutrition.about.com/od/tryingtogainweight/a/gainehalthyweig.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatments/healthy_living/your_weight/whatis_gain.shtml

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2302.aspx?categoryID=51&SubCategoryID=165

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/diet_and_weight.html

HTH!

Bufger

My friend was in a similar position and the doc told him to eat loads of pork pies! he ate 2 big ones a day and now he's a right FB. The doc probably should have told him when to stop too.

Failing that send him round my mums house. She never had much money and managed to make me and my brother big lads. :rotfl:

maggied_2

Hi Kate

What sort of food does he like?

One pot things are quite easy to bulk up cheaply with beans, chickpeas, lentils etc - excellent low fat sources of protein).

Bulk meals out with pasta (I use wholemeal but each to their own), rice, sweet potatoes.

Increasing portion size is an easy way of upping calories.

Does he eat breakfast? Good way of getting in extra calories - porridge with scrambled eggs on toast?

You can cook meals that can stay in the fridge for a couple of days such as:

Sausage casserole padded out with beans and served with big pile of mash
Curries with chickpeas and sweet potatoes / veg served with rice
Chicken portions and rice (cook off onions, garlic, bacon if you've got it, chuck in uncooked rice, brown chicken portions (nice and cheap) separately, throw all into casserole dish with stock / wine plus anything you've got lying round - beans, veg, some lemon zest is lovely, cook for 50 mins - very filling and cheap.

Do you not eat red meat because of taste or morals? Only asking because mince makes lots of cheap filling meals (chilli - pad out with beans), cottage pie (ditto, plus lots of mash) lasagne etc.

My OH also has a manual job and eats like a horse - we're on a real saving drive at the mo so have had the same problem! Cooking from scratch and cooking one pot things that he takes to work the next day for lunch has saved a fortune.

Hope there's some ideas - if you say what he likes I'll have more of a think for you.:D

maggied_2

OK the pork pies would probably have the desired effect - having once worked in a place that made them I can assure they're not the healthiest way to gain weight

I couldn't look at one for about 10 years after that!!

heretolearn_2

Ice cream for pud every evening!

Eric_Pisch

go for energy dense foods, fats, oils cheese etc

if you want to be healthy as well nuts (dry roasted un salted) are probably a good choice, 500-700cals per 100g and loaded with healthy oils

katebl

Thanks everyone, I will read through again later as I'm at work at the mo!

brians daughter - he seems to have always been like that - he is the only skinny one in his family though so perhaps could be worth looking into - will check the links out, thanks!

Bufger - he doesn't eat pork pies sadly - perhaps for the reasons Maggied would give lol! Thanks though!

Maggied - those ideas are a great start - he eats chilli, spag bol, anything with mince really, but I don't so not sure what else it could be used with! I have turkey spag bol instead haha. Anything else you can suggest would be brilliant thanks

Heretolearn - I like that idea but would be tempted to join in myself - it's hard trying to cut down what I eat while he eats like a starving horse!

katebl

Eric Pisch - thanks very much, nuts are a good idea, he does already love the salt & vinegar nuts but they don't seem very healthy!

Eric_Pisch

katebl wrote: »

Eric Pisch - thanks very much, nuts are a good idea, he does already love the salt & vinegar nuts but they don't seem very healthy!

nuts are great, they lower cholesterol, especially if you mix up the types but you need to avoid the ones fried in oil and with salt on if you can

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/if_you_are_nuts_about_health_try_the_top_6_healthiest_nuts.htm

euronorris

Protein is the way to go.

I would avoid foods high in fat as a) they're bad for your health and b) his body is obviously metabolising fat very well anyway.

Some of the suggestions above are perfect. Chicken based meals, pasta, nuts (not fried in oil or dropped in salt - try roasted monkey nuts) etc.

Also, has your brother tried some muscle based exercises to build up his muscle mass also? ie, exercises that focus on strength rather than stamina. He will obviously need to eat more on the days he exercises.

Other than that, it's just a waiting game. I've known a few people with this problem, including my brothers, and you have to be prepared for the fact that it will take longer for them to put on weight, but it will happen eventually. But, patience will be required.