Sample 3500 Calorie Meal Plan To Gain Weight

There are dozens of diets to help you improve your health and manage your weight out there. It is not difficult to learn basic information about them. However, if you want to learn in-depth to implement an effective diet plan, you need practical sharing from experienced people.

The 3500 calorie meal plan is one of the most popular diets. Although the number of calories loaded into the body in a day is very large. But you will get good results if you know how to arrange it perfectly. So, how is the 3500 calorie meal plan? How to start it? What benefits will you get in return? Let’s answer your questions in this article through our sharing!

Overview about 3500 calories meal

The 3500 calorie meal plan is a diet plan that helps you control your calorie intake in a day to 3500 calories. This diet has almost no strict limits on the foods you eat. You just need to focus on getting the right amount of calories required.

This diet can bring many benefits to participants. We will analyze it in more detail below!

Weight Gain

Besides those who wish to lose weight, skinny people will want to gain weight. When you lose weight, your calorie intake is also reduced. In contrast to a diet with many calories, like 3500 calories, it will help you gain weight effectively.

A large number of calories loaded into the body will ensure an abundant energy reserve, even if it is excess. These excess energies will form additional cells for the body, thereby helping you to gain weight.

Increase Food Intake

Increasing your calorie intake means you have to eat more. You can load your body with many different foods with many different nutrients in a day.

However, before you start this diet, you need to consult your doctor or experts. Suddenly consuming a lot of food in a short time can cause you to have an eating disorder. It is a dangerous disease that can affect your health, so you must seek professional advice.

Increase Nutritional Support

With a 3500 calorie diet plan, you will get more different nutrients into your body. The nutritional profile may also be higher than on calorie-restricted diets.

If you are skinny or malnourished, you may consider using this diet. It helps to improve your body’s nutrition over time.

Vigorous Aerobic Activity

3500 calories is not a small amount; you also need corresponding physical activities when participating in this diet. Regular physical activity will help you expend less energy, avoiding excess calories that lead to obesity.

On the other hand, when you are a physically active person regularly, a 3500 calorie plan will add enough calories you need to burn. It helps you to reduce fatigue during exercise.

How to follow a 3500 calorie meal plan every day?

If you’re one of those people, who are advised to follow the 3500 calorie meal plan, you should find a way to get started. Getting started isn’t easy, especially with a 3500-calorie day, which can be a bit too much for you. Therefore, you need to have a master plan with specific nutritional dishes. Here we will share with you how to follow this diet effectively.

Eating More Frequently

Eating more often is a job you should get used to to be able to get enough 3500 calories in a day. In addition to the day’s main meal, you can add some snacks in the middle of the day. Breaking down your meals into small meals will make it easier to achieve your desired goals.

If you are anorexic, eating a lot in a day will be very difficult. You can talk to your doctor to get their advice. Food experts will have useful tips to help you improve your meal plan.

Eating Foods To Help You Gain Weight Quickly

To gain weight or gain muscle quickly, you should prepare foods that help you gain weight quickly for your daily meal. The nutrients in those foods help you get the calories you need as well as the energy your body needs to grow. Some foods to help you gain healthy weight:

• Milk

For those trying to gain muscle, milk protein provides both casein and whey protein. Moreover, milk can help you add muscle when combined with weightlifting. Additionally, milk, or whey and casein combined, can lead to greater mass gains than other protein sources.

• Rice

One hundred fifty-eight grams of cooked white rice provides 204 calories, 44 grams of carbs and very little fat. Rice is also quite high in calories, which means you can easily absorb a large amount of carbs and calories from one serving, helping you to eat more food.

• Nuts and nut butter

Nuts and nut kinds of butter – perfect if you’re trying to gain weight. Because the nutritional composition of nuts is very high in calories, just two handfuls a day with a meal or as a snack can quickly add hundreds of calories.

• Red meats

Red meats are perhaps considered one of the best muscle-building foods while also weight gainers. Red meat provides the best natural creatine in the diet, possibly adding some of the best muscle building compounds.

• Salmon

Like red meat, salmon fish is also an excellent source of protein and important healthy fats. Of all the nutrients that salmon fish provide, omega-3 fatty acids are among the most important and best known. This fatty acid has many benefits for your health and helps fight disease.

• Whole grains are good for health

Healthy grains can provide great carbs, calories, and nutrients for your body.

While you should avoid processed, high-sugar cereals, healthier forms of grains, such as Oatmeal cooked with whole milk, are a great carb source to add to your diet.

Taking Smoothies

Smoothies are one of the foods rich in energy and protein that help the body grow healthy. Fruit smoothies can be combined with many different foods. It’s not difficult to make a smoothie. This dish is simple to make and takes no time, but it makes it easier to hit 3,500 calories.

Some types of smoothies have a very good weight gain effect. Experts recommend that you can use more protein or some other substance. It’s like a comfortable and healthy energy supplement!

Developing A Meal Plan

To make sure you can meet your 3500 calorie daily requirement, you need to develop a detailed meal plan. Eating healthy, on time combined with nutritious foods will help you achieve your goals sooner.

A healthy eating plan will help you avoid overeating calories and taking unnecessary risks.

To build a scientific and perfect plan, you can go to experts to receive advice. On the surface, this diet plan resembles many other diet plans. However, the truth is not so simple. Dividing a large number of calories into a reasonable meal is a challenge for inexperienced people.

Sample 7-day menu for 3500 calorie meal plan

If you are still hesitant to build an effective 3500 calorie diet gain weight plan yourself, you can refer to the sample plan below. This sample will give you the most realistic view of a perfect 3500 calorie plan. You can change the dishes with similar calorie foods and build a plan for the following days.

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Breakfast	685 calories Plain yogurt 1 Apple	500 calories 1 Scrambled egg 1 pear	435 calories 1 Higher-calorie breakfast cereal	685 calories Plain yogurt 1 Apple	500 calories 1 Scrambled egg 1 pear	435 calories 1 Higher-calorie breakfast cereal	500 calories 1 Scrambled egg 1 pear
AM snack	80 calories 1 cup of Strawberries	435 calories 1 Higher-calorie breakfast cereal	235 calories Lowfat Greek yogurt 1 cup of Strawberries	175 calories Large granola bar	235 calories Lowfat Greek yogurt 1 cup of Strawberries	175 calories Large granola bar	155 calories Lowfat Greek yogurt
Lunch	1290 calories 1 Italian baked tilapia 1 Brown rice 1 Sauteed garlic & herb tomatoes	1250 calories 1 Easy garlic chicken 1 Broccoli	1250 calories 1 Pan seared breaded tilapia 1 Simple sauteed spinach	1200 calories 1 Baked chicken thighs 1 Buttered sugar snap peas	1290 calories 1 Italian baked tilapia 1 Brown rice 1 Sauteed garlic & herb tomatoes	1250 calories 1 Pan seared breaded tilapia 1 Simple sauteed spinach	1165 calories 1 Broiled tilapia 1 Brown rice
PM snack	175 calories Large granola bar	80 calories 1 cup of Strawberries	175 calories Large granola bar	155 calories Lowfat Greek yogurt	80 calories 1 cup of Strawberries	155 calories Lowfat Greek yogurt	435 calories 1 Higher-calorie breakfast cereal
Dinner	1170 calories Chicken-broccoli-quinoa bowl	1200 calories 1 Baked chicken thighs 1 Buttered sugar snap peas	1165 calories 1 Broiled tilapia 1 Brown rice	1250 calories 1 Easy garlic chicken 1 Broccoli	1165 calories 1 Broiled tilapia 1 Brown rice	1250 calories 1 Easy garlic chicken 1 Broccoli	1200 calories 1 Baked chicken thighs 1 Buttered sugar snap peas
Snack	155 calories Lowfat Greek yogurt	105 calories 1 Apple	185 calories 1 glass of milk	80 calories 1 cup of Strawberries	185 calories1 glass of milk	185 calories 1 Apple 1 cup of Strawberries	80 calories 1 cup of Strawberries
Total	3555 calories	3570 calories	3445 calories	3545 calories	3455 calories	3450 calories	3535 calories

Recipes in the 3500 meal diet plan:

Chicken broccoli quinoa bowl

Chicken broccoli quinoa bowl

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast
• 284g frozen broccoli
• 4.9 oz (139g) flavored quinoa
• 3g table salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Total time: 35 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 1170 calories, 124p, 92c, 27f

Instructions

• Prepare the quinoa and broccoli according to the instructions on the package. When it’s done cooking, set it aside.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper to marinate for about 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, remove it and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
• Put the chicken, cooked quinoa, and broccoli in a bowl and serve immediately!

Italian baked tilapia

Ingredients

• 58g chopped onion
• 560g live tilapia
• 337g canned mashed tomatoes
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 50 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 705 calories, 119p, 25c, 11f

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
• Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat.
• Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 8 minutes until soft and browned.
• Add half of the tomatoes, and herbs to the pan and continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Put the fish in the pan with the cooking mixture, and cover the rest of the tomatoes on top. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, checking often to make sure the fish isn’t overcooked!
• Serve immediately!

Sauteed garlic and herb tomatoes

Ingredients

• 149g cherry tomatoes
• Minced garlic
• Olive oil
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Italian seasoning

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Total time: 15 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 125 calories, 1p, 5c, 10f

Instructions

• Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and saute for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and the rest of the seasonings and cook over low heat for about 7 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Stir occasionally to let everything infuse.
• Serve immediately!

Brown rice

Ingredients

• 127g brown rice
• Drinking water
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 3 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 43 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 460 calories, 10p, 93c, 4f

Instructions

• Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water.
• Bring water to a boil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid, when the water boils, add the rice, stir well, bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
• Pour the rice into a sieve to filter the water for 10 seconds, let the rice drain.
• Put the rice in the old pot, turn off the heat and incubate for 10 minutes.
• Use a fork to whisk the rice to a plate and serve!

Pan seared breaded tilapia

Ingredients

• 504g fresh tilapia
• All-purpose flour
• Melted butter
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Total time: 30 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 900 calories, 107p, 35c, 37f

Instructions

• Rinse the tilapia and fillet in cold water then pat dry with a clean towel. Season with salt and pepper on both sides of the fillet.
• Place the flour in a shallow dish, gently pressing the fillet over the dough so that the batter coats the entire fish.
• Heat olive oil in a pan over high heat. Fry the tilapia on each side for about 4 minutes until golden brown.
• Drizzle melted butter over the tilapia before removing from the pan. Serve immediately!

Simple sauteed spinach

Ingredients

• 420g fresh spinach, washed and sliced
• Diced garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Total time: 15 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 350 calories, 13p, 8c, 25f

Instructions

• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, when oil is hot, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
• Put the spinach in and stir-fry quickly, when the spinach is wilted, add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve on a serving plate.

Baked chicken thighs

Ingredients

• 6 boneless chicken thighs, with skin
• Musk
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 770 calories, 77p, 1c, 51f

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix the seasonings together in a container, place the chicken thighs in the container, close the lid and shake well.
• Use cooking spray to spray the surface of the baking tray. Place chicken thighs on a baking tray, leaving a gap between each thigh.
• Place the baking tray and chicken thighs in the oven for 1 hour, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the baking tray and flip the chicken thighs to brown evenly and crispy.
• When the chicken is cooked, take it out and sprinkle it with thyme and serve.

Buttered sugar snap peas

Ingredients

• 384g Frozen Sugar Peas
• 36g butter
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 20 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 430 calories, 11p, 16c, 30f

Instructions

• Prepare the sugar-soaked peas according to the instructions on the package and pour into a bowl.
• Add butter on top, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scrambled eggs

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs
• 30ml Whole milk
• Butter
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 3 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 18 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 330 calories, 23p, 3c, 25f

Instructions

• Place eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until all combined.
• Melt butter in a non-stick pan over high heat, when the butter is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan, stirring constantly until the eggs thicken.
• Once the eggs are cooked, pour onto a plate and serve!

Higher-calories breakfast cereal

Ingredients

• 84g Higher-calorie breakfast cereal
• 210 ml whole milk

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 5 minutes
• Total time: 10 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 435 calories, 13p, 65c, 8f

Instructions

• Place Higher-calories breakfast cereal in a bowl, then add milk, mix well and serve.

Broiled tilapia

Ingredients

• 597g fresh tilapia
• Lemonade
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 905 calories, 120p, 2c, 46f

Instructions

• Boil water in a steamer. Cover the steamer tray with aluminum foil.
• Drizzle olive oil over tilapia fillets, drizzle lemon juice on top. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Arrange fillets on a tray, spaced 1 inch apart. Put in the steamer for about 5 minutes until the fish is cooked.
• Serve immediately!

Easy garlic chicken

Ingredients

• 16 oz skinless chicken breast
• Breadcrumbs
• Butter
• Crushed garlic
• Salt
• Black pepper

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 1135 calories, 117p, 77c, 38f

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, when the butter is hot, add the crushed garlic and fry until fragrant, then remove from the heat.
• Dip the chicken pieces in the butter and garlic sauce, let the water drain, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Make sure the breadcrumbs completely cover the chicken.
• Place the chicken in the baking tray, mix the leftover bread crumbs with the butter and garlic sauce and drizzle over the chicken tray. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the outside is golden brown.
• Serve immediately!

Broccoli

Ingredients

• Frozen Broccoli

Recipe notes

• Prep time: 3 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Total time: 13 minutes
• Nutrition fact: 115 calories, 11p, 8c, 0f

Instructions

• Follow the instructions on the package.

Conclusion

If you are looking to gain weight or gain muscle, the 3500 calorie meal plan is the perfect choice for you. Although building a meal plan and eating a lot in a day is not easy, you can still complete it with more knowledge.

Before participating in this diet you can get used to eating a lot and eating often. Some advice from doctors and experts will help you make this plan safer and more effective. Hopefully, the knowledge that we have just shared below can be beneficial for you. Thanks for reading!