People may envy you when you say you want to put on weight. But weight gain may be harder than it seems, especially when you are trying to gain those pounds in a healthy way.

Here are some tips on how to gain weight in a healthy way -

Your meals need to be complete and balanced. At each meal ensure that you are getting nutrition from all the food groups. For snacks, you need nutrients from at least 3 food groups. The more food groups you eat from, the more nutrition you will get. Instead of just snacking on a banana, have chopped banana over yoghurt sprinkled with chopped nuts. You could also have a healthy brown bread sandwich with boiled egg whites or low fat cheese and sliced vegetables.

Eat healthy. Putting on weight does not mean you have the liberty to eat high calorie food which has no nutritional value. Snacking on high calorie junk food like samosas, deep fried snacks, fries, and pastries is not a healthy way of gaining weight. What you will gain is unhealthy fat and empty calories. Instead eat energy dense foods that are nutrient rich such as nuts, dry fruits, avocado, healthy smoothies (rather than sugar laden milkshakes or soft drinks), peanut butter etc.

Eat every 4 hours, as your body needs a constant supply of energy. These ‘mini-meals' keep your metabolism active and automatically increase your caloric intake.

Skipping meals isn't an option as the main source of energy comes from carbohydrates. In the absence of carbohydrate, the body uses muscle for its energy needs.

High protein meals along with whole grains help build muscle.

Have a small snack before sleeping. This helps aid the healing, repair and tissue regeneration that takes place while we sleep.

Exercise! Working out isn't only for those who want to lose weight. The right exercise helps you gain weight by increasing muscle mass. Avoid exercises like aerobics, instead focus on weight training. A healthy diet along with exercise will help in gaining weight the right way.