Meal ideas for weight gain on a budget

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liam220795
liam220795 Posts: 3
edited October 2014 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi everyone, I'm currently 5"4 and 122 pounds. I've recently started going to the gym again after a 6 week break because of a hand injury. I was wondering if anyone could give me a hand with cheap meal ideas for gaining weight?

Also if you could help me with any good workouts or workout tips such as sticking to compound exercises or something then that'd be a massive help as well!
Thanks :)

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  • Antix01
    Antix01 Posts: 2
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    Tuna, Heinz beans, Chicken, Pasta/Rice (I have rice because its tasty and more convinent for me), Milk, that sort of thing really.
  • justinbracken
    justinbracken Posts: 4
    edited October 2014
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    You didn't mention how much you want to weigh or your desired body fat percentage but if you just want to gain weight on a budget, eggs, white potatoes, hash browns, pasta, rice, whole milk, and peanut butter would do the trick. Also, peanut butter sandwiches are about as cheap as it gets, and you might be surprised how much protein they contain.

    And for your workouts I recommend squatting up to five times per week, doing at least one compound push and one compound pull *heavy* 2-3 times per week. This might sound like a lot but most people are light years away from over training. Realize that it takes a tremendous amount of effort to over train, and don't get caught up in the "only train each body part once per week" nonsense. Hit if often and hit it hard.
  • jeffreydmunoz
    jeffreydmunoz Posts: 5
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    DOLLAR TREE! I buy Jennie-O Turkey Burgers there with there Nature Own Honey Wheat Bread then their 40 oz bag of Pampa Long Grain Rice and their Eggs and big gallon of Water and sometimes their Soymilk.. All packed with CARBS and PROTEIN. The Jennie-O Turkey Burger alone packs 21 PROTEIN..the size of the patty itself is 1/3 lb. It has only has 220 sodium, NO sugar, and 22 TOTAL FAT..the calories also are 260!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Follow a solid lifting program like SL5x5 or Starting Strength...or there are numerous other programs out there from beginner to advanced. I personally prefer full body workouts to splits, but I'm also not trying to pack on muscle or body build or anything like that.

    As for food...beans (by them in bulk and cook them from scratch...dirt cheap and you can really pack in the calories), beans and rice (create a complete amino chain). Whole chickens or chicken parts, fattier cuts of pork and beef (cheaper and higher caloric density), eggs, pasta, full fat everything, nut butters,
  • Tilandra
    Tilandra Posts: 21
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    Look for what's on sale in your store right now... for me, here, it's chicken. 10lb bag of leg quarters, split it up into individual servings using freezer bags and freeze, or roast them all on a cookie sheet at once and freeze them cooked. Pull one out of the freezer each time you eat one so you have one thawed. Or simmer in a large stockpot and shred the meat. Package into servings and freeze. Makes great hot sandwiches or chicken salad once you pick out the bones and bits.

    You can apply the same principle to pork or beef if that's on sale.... just stock up, and divide. Use your freezer.
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
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    my husband drinks 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in (addition to other foods he may try to eat,) in order to gain weight. He gets 1600 calories that way. He's anorexic, and it's the only way he will accept calories.
  • yeyixiao
    yeyixiao Posts: 4
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    I'd say start building a strong foundation, so a 5x5 stronglifts is great! Personally I love Pasta! It's easy to make, it's cheap and has a lot of carbs with fiber and some protein!! It's great! Get some alfredo or tomato sauce and make some ground beef, ground turkey etc. Or you could get some chicken breast and cut them into little pieces to make the meal even cheaper.
  • Antix01
    Antix01 Posts: 2
    edited October 2014
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    Got some good ideas from this thread
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Buy decent cuts of meat when they are on sale. Beans/rice and cheese/pasta, when combined in the same meal, make complete proteins--you can get away with having smaller portions of meat used as flavoring rather than the key protein source.

    Nut butters, while not necessary inexpensive, are actually rather economical as they pack a lot of calories and protein into a small amount. I have a teenage boy I am trying to bulk up right now and PB&Js (on whole grain bread) are kind of the perfect food for that--protein, whole grain, and a bit of sugar in a portable package!
  • pgg001
    pgg001 Posts: 12
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    Chicken. Brown rice, beans, tuna, frozen mixed vege, eggs, cottage cheese, trim milk, simple flavoured whey protein (don't be duped into miracle powders).

    The key to cheap bulking is being prepared. And preparation in bulk.

    Get a bunch of snaplock containers (most important investment) and prepare a bunch of meals at the same time. 3-4 lunches and or dinners (or more).


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