While other people have so much trouble losing weight, some have the opposite problem, gaining weight. This is particularly true for people who were born with a high metabolism, people who have an eating condition, and people who are sick. There are so many reasons a person might want to gain weight. A good example is that a person might want to build mass so they can convert it to muscles through strength training exercises. Another reason might be the person is underweight. Being underweight comes with different complications, and can be even more dangerous than being overweight. One is considered underweight if they have a body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5. For one to gain weight, they need to consume more calories than their body can burn. The extra calories are usually stored hence resulting in weight gain. There are so many different ways one can use to gain weight. Here we shall highlight different homemade protein shake for weight gain recipes.
The Best Homemade Protein Shakes
When it comes to the best homemade protein shakes for weight gain, the key is to use healthy ingredients that are highly nutritious yet packed with calories. Another important thing to note when making the DIY homemade protein shakes for weight gain is to make sure they contain all the macronutrients, which are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Proteins are vital in your weight gain journey. They are particularly important if working out to build muscles is part of your weight gain program. However, just like everything else in this world, too much intake of proteins might come with certain risks like kidney stones, constipation, increased risk of getting cancer, and even cardiovascular diseases. The goal is to only take the amount you need. A good way of determining a safe amount is by talking to an expert before you start chunking down on these homemade protein shakes for weight gain. Another way to know how much is enough protein is by using Harvard University’s recommendation of up to 2 grams of proteins for every kilogram of body weight.
Read More: 200 Grams Of Protein A Day Meal Plan: Is Going To Such Extremes Worth It?
Guidelines On How To Make A Protein Shake
Making a protein shake is very easy, as you will see from the guidelines. It is essential to know how to make a good protein shake. So, here is what you need and what you need to do:
A Blender
To make a protein shake, you will first need a blender (4). There is no way you can make a shake without a blender. There is a phrase that is always going around that says, “You can make anything into a shake if your blender is strong enough,” for this reason, it is good to go for a high-quality blender.
A Liquid Base
The second thing you’ll need is a liquid base (4). Since we are making a protein shake, the liquid base you choose should have a high protein content. Examples of liquid bases you can use are milk or milk alternatives with plant protein, among others.
A Protein Source
After you have your base, the next step is to add a protein source (4). They aren’t called protein shakes just for the sake of it. You can add hemp seeds, protein powder, full-fat yogurt, and so on.
Fruits, Vegetables, And Nutritious Carbohydrates
The next step is to add your fruits, vegetables, and nutritious carbohydrates (4). This will help provide all the other macros, other nutrients needed by the body, and maximize your intake of nutrients. Examples of foods you can add are; oats, cucumbers, celery, mangoes, dates, bananas, the various kinds of berries, etc.
Calorie-Rich Foods
Since you are taking these shakes to gain weight, you need to add calorie-rich foods such as avocados, yogurts, healthy oils, nut butters, and so on (4).
That is how you make a protein shake. It is important to make sure you don’t include foods that you are allergic to. However, you can always find a replacement for any food you are allergic to add to your protein shake.
How Often Should One Take Protein Shakes?
It all depends on your weight goals. If your goal is to lose weight, which is not the case here, you should replace meals with protein shakes. If your goal is to gain weight, protein shakes should be in addition to your regular meals (5). This helps increase your daily calorie intake as you are taking in the calories you normally take plus the calories from the protein shake. This helps make the weight gain journey easier. Remember, for one to gain weight, they need to take in more calories than their bodies burn. It is also important to check the amount of protein you take in as too much protein intake might come with complications, as highlighted earlier. Apart from accompanying protein shakes with meals, you can take them as snacks, which will also work as an advantage to your weight gain goal.
Best Homemade Protein Shakes For Weight Gain
Now that you know how to make your own protein shake and how often you should take them, here are examples of DIY homemade protein shakes for weight gain. It should be noted that some of these shakes contain protein powder, but if you are not a fan of it, you can replace it with other sources of the said macro.
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Dark Chocolate And Almond Butter Weight Gainer
This is a good place to start your weight gain process. This is because of its high-calorie count.
Ingredients (2):
- 16 ounces of whole milk
- 2 ounces of dark chocolate
- two tablespoons of almond butter
- 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
Chocolate, Strawberry, And Peanut Butter Smoothie
This is yet another high-calorie protein smoothie. It is very sweet, as you can already tell from the name.
Ingredients (1):
- 1 cup of full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons of protein powder
- ¼ cup of strawberries
- 2 teaspoons of peanut butter powder
- 1 teaspoon of raw cocoa powder
- 1 banana
Strawberry Avocado Smoothie
This is a good shake to use to start your day. It contains strawberries, avocados, and other components that give it a high-calorie count.
Ingredients (1):
- ¼ cup of milk
- ¾ cup of plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt
- 1 whole banana
- 1 ½ cup of frozen strawberries
- ¼ avocado
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
High-Protein Berry Tropical Shake
This is a very sweet shake yet it contains no added sugars, as all its flavor comes from the numerous fruits that have been used. It contains many vitamins, mineral salts, and antioxidants.
Ingredients (3):
- ½ cup fresh or unsweetened frozen strawberries
- ½ cup fresh or unsweetened frozen mango
- 0.5 cup fresh or unsweetened frozen pineapple
- ½ cup nonfat milk or almond milk
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons oat bran
- 2 pitted dried dates
Back To The Earth Protein Shake
This is a shake that you can drink right after working out. It contains beets, which helps the circulation of blood to the different muscles, nitrates, and antioxidants. It also contains chia seeds, which are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Ingredients (3):
- ⅓ cup fat-free Greek yogurt
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 carrot
- one beet or ¼ cup pickled beets
- 1 small frozen banana
- one tablespoon of chia seeds
- 1 slice fresh ginger or 1 tsp dried ginger
Banana Green Smoothie
This is a nice shake to add to your weight gain diet.
Ingredients (2):
- ½ large banana
- ½ cup plain, unsweetened nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup of baby spinach
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of almond butter
Caramel Cream And Coffee Weight Gainer Shake
You already know this is a sweet shake due to the presence of caramel cream.
Ingredients (2):
- 8 ounces of whole milk
- 4 ounces of heavy cream
- 4 ounces of brewed coffee
- 2 tablespoons of caramel toppings
- 2 scoops of caramel protein powder
Read More: Does Coffee Break A Fast: Science-Backed Take On Coffee And Its Effect On Fasting
Turmeric, Vanilla, and Mango Smoothie
This smoothie contains a lot of anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of turmeric and ginger. It is good for weight gain as it contains a lot of calories.
Ingredients (7):
- 1 cup of soy yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of protein powder
- ¼ cup mango
- 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ cup uncooked rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of ginger
Nutty Buddy Shake
This protein shake brings together various fruits, nuts, and milk together. It is a calorie-dense shake that will definitely help in your weight gain journey.
Ingredients (1):
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 ripe banana
- ¼ cup of mixed nuts
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- two scoops of whey protein powder
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
Choco Peanut Butter Banana Shake
This is yet another high-calorie protein shake that is made of natural components.
Ingredients (6):
- 1 banana
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 1 cup of chocolate milk or chocolate almond milk (It all depends on your preference.)
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
- 6 ounces of chobani fat-free Greek yogurt (You can choose the plain or vanilla flavor. It all depends on your preference.)
- 1 handful spinach
Peanut Butter And Bacon Weight Gainer Protein Shake
Who said you couldn’t add bacon to your weight gain protein shake? Bacon is known to make everything better and is also a good source of proteins.
Ingredients (2):
- 16 ounces of whole milk
- 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 2 strips of cooked bacon
- 2 scoops of peanut butter protein powder
Coffee Coconut Breakfast Shake
The fact that it contains coffee makes it an excellent protein shake to take in the morning and helps kickstart your day.
Ingredients (2):
- 2 ½ tablespoons of protein powder
- ¾ cup of whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of instant coffee powder
- 2 teaspoons of shredded coconut
- 2 dried figs
- 4 walnuts
- ¼ cup of uncooked rolled oats
Healthy Weight Gain Shake
It has that name because it will certainly help you with your weight gain journey. It is packed with natural nutrients and essential fats.
Ingredients (1):
- 2 cups of coconut milk from a can
- 2 bananas or seasonal mangoes
- 4 tablespoons of peanut butter or any other nut butter (It all depends on what you have or prefer.)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup raisins
- 4 cups of spinach
- 1 avocado
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
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Blueberry Banana Quinoa Protein Shake
This shake is packed with proteins, fiber, whole grains, and antioxidants. It is a high-calorie protein shake.
Ingredients (3):
- 1 large ripe banana
- 6 ounces of Chobani fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon of wheat germ
- 2 cups of frozen blueberries
- 1 cup of vanilla almond milk
Mint And Ice Cream Dessert Weight Gainer Protein Shake
If you are a fan of mint, this is the protein shake for you.
Ingredients (2):
- 8 ounces of whole milk
- 1 cup of vanilla or chocolate ice cream
- ¼ teaspoon of mint extract
- 2 scoops of mint protein powder
Sweet Cinnamon Protein Shake
This weight gain protein shake will help you gain weight while also possibly helping to control your blood sugar. It is a one-two deal with this shake.
Ingredients (1):
- 2 medium sliced bananas
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- one teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Nuts as garnish
- Shredded coconut as a garnish
Coco-Mocha Protein Shake
This is yet another shake that would help kickstart your day.
Ingredients (3):
- 1 cup of chilled low-acid, organic coffee
- 1 teaspoon of equal exchange baking cocoa
- ½ cup crushed ice
- 3 tablespoons of hemp protein powder
- ½ cup of organic coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste
Very Berry Protein Shake
Just like the name suggests, this protein shake is made of various berries. It is a low-calorie protein shake, but the good thing is there is no limit to the amount you can drink. Also, as long as you use it to accompany your meals, then you are good.
Ingredients (3):
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup of frozen berries (You can choose any berries you want.)
- A large handful of fresh or frozen spinach or kale (It all depends on your preference.)
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder
- A dash of turmeric
- A dash of cinnamon
Chocolate Mint Protein Shake
This is yet another protein shake for people who love mint.
Ingredients (3):
- 8-10 ounces of unsweetened almond milk
- 1 serving of chocolate protein powder
- A few drops of mint extract
- 1 tablespoon of cacao nibs
- ¼ avocado
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
- 1-2 handfuls frozen spinach or kale
Java Chip Protein Shake
It has coffee, which makes it a good protein shake to take in the morning. It helps give you the energy you need to carry out all your daily activities while still helping in your weight gain journey.
Ingredients (3):
- ½ cup of black coffee (You just make the coffee then let it cool to room temperature. If you are in a hurry, you can put the coffee in the fridge for faster cooling.)
- ½ cup of low-fat milk or unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk, or ½ cup of water (It all depends on your preference here.)
- 1 serving protein powder (You can choose either vanilla, chocolate, or mocha flavor.)
- ½ cup Greek vanilla yogurt
- 5 dark chocolate chips
- A few ice cubes
- Spices to taste (You can use spices like vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or peppermint extract.)
The Bottom Line
Highlighted are a few homemade protein shakes for weight gain. It is important to use the guidelines given in the article to make your protein shake, and since your goal is weight gain, go for high-calorie ingredients when making your protein shakes. You should not use the protein shakes as meal replacements but in addition to your meals. It is also essential to keep check of the amount of protein you take in. Remember to not add ingredients that you are allergic to when making your protein shakes.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- 10 Best Weight Gain Smoothies (n.d., healthkart.com)
- 10 Delicious Homemade Weight Gainer Shake Recipes With 800+ Calories (n.d., muscleandstrength.com)
- 22 High Protein Smoothie Recipes from Diet and Fitness Experts (2019, eatthis.com)
- How to Make Your Own Homemade Shakes to Gain Weight (2019, livestrong.com)
- Protein shakes for weight gain (2020, lloydspharmacy.com)
- Protein Shake Recipes (n.d., coachmag.co.uk)
- Weight Gainer Shakes: When to Use Them and Three Recipes (n.d., 8fit.com)
