Weight-gain food: Chocolate
Sorry to break the news, but chocolate goes on the list of foods that add pounds. In a study from 2015 published in the journal Obesity, postmenopausal women who indulged in one ounce of chocolate per day were more likely to be about two pounds heavier after three years. The good news? Those findings apply to milk chocolate. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, may be one of the foods that help you lose weight. It has compounds like flavonoids that boost heart health while—bonus!—preventing weight gain and memory decline. Just make sure to eat it in moderation of course.
Weight-gain food: Frozen meals
They’re known for being loaded with sodium, and a high-salt diet can seriously up your risk of weight gain, reports a study in Hypertension. In fact, for every gram of additional salt you eat per day, your risk of obesity rises by 26 percent. Salty foods may push you to consume more calories in sodas, for one thing, and it’s also commonly found in highly processed junk foods. But there’s more going on than that, the researchers say. Salt may also prompt your body to store fat, especially around your waistline. Other common salt bombs include canned soups, deli meats, and sandwiches.
Weight-gain food: Meat
Compared to those who ate the least amount of meat (less than one ounce per day), adults who ate the meatiest diets (18 ounces per day) were 27 percent more likely to be obese and 33 percent more likely to have excessive abdominal fat, according to research in the International Journal of Obesity. The biggest carnivores consumed about 700 more calories per day versus the plant-based eaters. Plants for the win! These five foods are just the start of the list of foods that can make you gain weight.