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Does Oatmeal make you gain weight?

Does Oatmeal make you gain weight?

Yes, having an oatmeal packed with an excellent source of carbs is a great choice to help you gain weight fast. From a 1 cup of cooked oatmeal, you’ll get about 130 calories, plus the calories in any whole milk or toppings you add.

If you are skinny and weak. Oatmeal is a healthy diet to incorporate into your daily diet.
And if you combine oatmeal with proper food, you can make it a healthy meal for weight gain. By adding extra fruits and nuts you can increase your calorie intake.

No doubt many people have been using oats in their breakfast for weight loss, but dieticians and experts have also confirmed eating oatmeal for weight gain. Let’s know how?

How eating oatmeal can gain your weight?

This is an obvious question that directly comes to my mind. Oatmeal: weight gain! How?

There is a fact that any single food cannot make you gain weight, to gain weight you need to consider the body requirements and then decide which food will fulfill your needs.

The three most important nutrients you need to know to build your weight. Calories, proteins, and carbs. Based on these calculate your calorie and protein intake.

To get the most out of this superfood, be a bit conscious about what really oats are composed of.

Oatmeal grain profile

Oats are a whole-grain food, scientifically known as Avena sativa. The nutrient profile of this grain is well balanced. Loaded with more fats, carbs, and proteins and the powerful fiber bet Glucan.

Half cup of dry Oats Macros contains:

60 grams of carbs
13 grams of protein
5 grams of fat
8 grams of fiber
303 calories

You can adjust your macro intake according to your height and weight.
Along with it, it also contains some important vitamins and minerals.

Manganese: 191% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 41% of the RDI
Magnesium: 34% of the RDI
Copper: 24% of the RDI
Iron: 20% of the RDI
Zinc: 20% of the RDI
Folate: 11% of the RDI
Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 39% of the RDI
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 10% of the RDI

This nutrient composition of oatmeal makes it the most nutrient-dense food you can eat.

  • Adding more proteins (egg whites) in your oatmeal is the best option to increase your kilos. Because proteins are amino acids that help build muscle mass.
  • Oatmeal is a heart-healthy diet. You increase your kilos without worrying about your heart health. Because oats are present with soluble fiber which reduces the LDL low-density Lipoprotein or the bad cholesterol.
  • Sprinkle different types of dried fruit (dates, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, raisins, cranberry) as toppings, as they all have a naturally high sugar content. This makes them great for gaining weight, especially since they’re convenient to eat and taste great.

Related: Do Oranges help you lose belly fat?

How much to eat to gain weight?

It’s always harmful to know half. Since you now know that oatmeal helps in weight gain, the information is incomplete without, how much quantity to consume?

With any weight gain, the goal is simply to increase lean mass taking care of not boosting excess fat. Because muscles mass is essential for body growth and fat is just the energy stored, and large amounts can do bad to the health.

As a simple rule for weight gain add more calories than your body burns.
Just providing yourself 1 cup of oats with 300 ml of whole milk including nuts and dried fruits, will help in adding extra calories, carbs, and proteins helping you gain weight fast.

When to consume oatmeal to gain weight?

Oats are high in fiber and provide long hours of energy. But if have a goal to gain weight, eat the meal in the breakfast.
The heavy proteins or added extra toppings morning may not properly digest and can cause harm if you eat in the night.

While you have an oatmeal breakfast, your body has enough time to digest the high fiber and calories.

You may also want to know: Does sleeping in the afternoon increase weight?

How to prepare oatmeal to gain weight?

  • Mix  around2 ¼ cups of water and 1cup of oats and soak overnight.
  • In the breakfast add whole milk around 300 ml.
  • Add any toppings, stir it and let it sit for a few minutes.
  • Now your oatmeal is ready to eat.


To add more taste to your oatmeal, try cinnamon, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice.


To the above oatmeal sprinkle in a handful of almonds on the top. Just a handful of almonds contains 170 calories, 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of healthy fats. Use it raw or as butter to your oatmeal.


Walnuts are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. A few nuts to your regular oatmeal helps in healthy weight gain. Like all nuts, these are loaded with proteins, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. Just 30 grams of walnuts contains 185 calories, 4.3 grams of proteins, 18 grams of fat making it energy-dense, high-calorie food.


Dried cranberries are is a good option to increase the carbs and fiber. Not daily but on alternative days you can add it as a topping to your oatmeal. It will the body in multiple ways by providing minerals like manganese for metabolism, vitamin c, copper, and other plant nutrients.


Banana is an excellent choice for weight gain. Rich source of carbs and calories one medium-sized banana contains
Calories: 105
Protein: 1 gram
Fat: 0.4 grams
Carbs: 27 grams
Fiber: 3 grams


Most of the experts have suggested apple as a weight-loss food. But Adding it to your oatmeal will not lose weight but it improves the taste with the consumption of vital nutrients.


Raisins are a relatively concentrated source of calories, that contribute the nutritional value.
If you add a serving of raisins on top of your oatmeal, you’ll almost hit a 250-calorie surplus goal, even without making any other changes to your diet.


As a basic rule for weight gain, get in more calories than your body burns out. Dates have an excellent calorie richness. 100 gram of dates contains:
Calories: 277
Carbs: 75 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Protein: 2 grams

If you want a sweet taste to your oatmeal, adding dates(natural sweetener) will improve taste and health. Also, the GI for Dates is quite low that its sweetness won’t spike the levels of blood sugar.

Chia seeds

The newest superfood for weight gain, chia seeds are an easy and nutritious addition to our oatmeal. An ounce or just 28 grams of these little seeds provides almost 137 calories. Chia seeds are a whole grain food and chia is basically the word for strength.

Note: You can also add 2 egg whites or a spoonful of peanut butter in your diet for more proteins.

Best Brand for Oatmeal

The two most popular and used brands for oatmeal.

Nature’s Path organic

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I won’t say this is the only best. Maybe your taste buds taste it differently. But, on the overall, the brand has quality and value. I have cooked almost all the types of oats from multiple brands and rests for these two only.

Quaker Oats

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Another brand that satisfied me is Quaker oats. Both are my favorite. When I look for something delicious, I switch between the two. There are many varieties and flavors available from granola oats, brown sugar etc. Change your diet and taste according to your mood.

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