Weight Gain Smoothies & Shakes: Healthy Homemade Recipes

Learn how to make high-calorie weight gain smoothies and shakes without protein powder. Weight gain smoothie recipes without protein powder are an easy and healthy way to take in lots of calories and nutrients.

How to make weight gain smoothies

Drinking high-calorie smoothies may aid in weight gain if that is your goal. You should still aim to prepare a healthy smoothie that is low in saturated fat. Use reduced- or low-fat milk and yogurt. Also add a high-calorie ingredient, such as peanut butter, to increase the total caloric content. Greek yogurt and oats are great sources of protein to add into your smoothie. Protein shakes and smoothies help you gain muscle.

Chocolate peanut butter smoothie – high calorie recipe without protein powder

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, frozen
• 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
• 1½ tbsp. peanut butter
• ¾ cup 1% milk
• 6 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt

For a chocolate peanut butter smoothie, blend together a frozen banana (in chunks), 2 tbsp. of chocolate syrup (or a chocolate-flavored powdered drink mix), 1½ tbsp. of creamy peanut butter, ¾ cup 1% milk and 6 oz. of low-fat vanilla yogurt.

If you drink the whole smoothie, you are taking in about 565 calories, 17 g fat (mostly unsaturated), 24 g protein and 80 g carbohydrates.

Avocado Weight Gain Smoothie Recipe

Another option is to make a smoothie using a high-calorie fruit, such as an avocado. Avocados make delicious creamy smoothies.

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, cubes
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla soy milk
• 6 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 to 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 cup ice

For a recipe that serves two blend one whole cubed avocado with one cup of low-fat vanilla soy-milk, 6 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt, 1 to 2 tbsp honey and one cup of ice. Blend until smooth.

One serving provides 340 calories (a relatively high caloric value for a small drink), 17 g fat (mostly unsaturated), 11.5 g protein and 38 g carbohydrates. Avocados are very high in dietary fiber so one serving also provides 7 g dietary fiber, roughly 27% of your recommended daily value!

How to make weight gain shakes

Milkshakes are generally made with milk, ice cream and perhaps flavored syrups such as chocolate syrup. These drinks are very high in total and saturated fat, however. You can use reduced- or low-fat ice cream, reduced- or low-fat milk and a chocolate-flavored powder (which is fat-free) such as Ovaltine.

Weight Gain Shake Recipe

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup of low-fat ice cream, chocolate or vanilla flavor
• ½ cup of 1% milk
• 4 tbsp. chocolate powder

A milkshake prepared with ¾ cup of reduced-fat chocolate or vanilla ice cream, ½ cup of 1% milk and 4 tbsp Ovaltine chocolate powder offers nearly 350 calories, 13 g fat, 9 g protein and 50 g carbohydrates. If you need more calories and protein, add a scoop of protein powder. One scoop of a French Vanilla protein powder (Designer Whey) provides an additional 100 calories, 2 g fat, 18 g protein and 3 g carbohydrates. You may need to adjust the other ingredients for your desired consistency.