5 Best Healthy Weight Gain Protein Shakes and Smoothies

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From older adults experiencing unintended weight loss to athletes looking to perform better at their sport, there are various reasons why weight gain could be beneficial.

Regardless of your reason for wanting to gain weight, consistently eating more calories than you need can be a challenge due to factors like a poor appetite or busy schedules.

Fortunately, shakes and smoothies are great for gaining weight because you can load them with protein and calories and they’re quick and easy to make.

Here are the 5 best weight gain protein shakes and smoothies that contain at least 20 grams of protein and 500 calories.

Ingredients for weight gain shakes and smoothies

There is no right or wrong way to make a weight gain shake or smoothie.

However, it’s best to emphasize calorie- and protein-rich foods to get the most benefit.

Here is a grocery list of the ingredients you will need to make these weight gain smoothies and shakes:

• frozen blueberries and strawberries
• avocado
• protein powder (strawberry and vanilla)
• half and half
• whole milk
• peanut butter
• banana
• quick oats
• Carnation Breakfast Essentials (vanilla and chocolate)
• orange juice
• mango junks
• Greek yogurt
• protein-fortified almond milk
• Nesquik powder
• maca root (optional)
• Ensure powder (alternative to Carnation Breakfast Essentials)

Of course, you can skip or swap out any ingredients to which you may be intolerant or allergic or just don’t like.

How to make weight gain shakes and smoothies

The process to make weight gain shakes and smoothies is quick and simple.

Simply combine all the ingredients in a blender with ice and blend until smooth.

Use the pulse function in the beginning and then switch to high until the consistency becomes smooth.

If quick oats are an ingredient, blend them into a fine powder first before adding the other ingredients to prevent a gritty texture.

It’s best to drink your smoothie or shake right after blending, but you can safely store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Settling of the ingredients shouldn’t occur with storage if you blend them well but it doesn’t hurt to give it a few swirls with a spatula or whisk before drinking.

1. Blueberry avocado smoothie

The blueberry avocado smoothie has a dominant blueberry flavor and a smooth texture, thanks to the avocado and half and half.

The vanilla whey protein and whole milk provide quality protein and contribute to the smoothy’s sweetness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (140 grams) of frozen blueberries
• 1/2 of an avocado
• 1 scoop (33 grams) of Optimum Nutrition vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) of half and half
• 1 cup (240 mL) of whole milk

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

This shake provides:

• Calories: 641
• Protein: 40 grams
• Carbs: 47 grams
• Fat: 35 grams

2. Peanut butter chocolate banana shake

With more than 700 calories, the peanut butter chocolate banana shake packs a calorie punch.

The quick oats and banana add healthy carbohydrates, while the peanut butter provides healthy fats while also smoothing out the texture.

The whole milk and Carnation Breakfast Essentials provide protein along with calcium, vitamin D, iron, and various B vitamins.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup (40 grams) of quick oats
• 2 tbsp (33 grams) of peanut butter
• 1 package of chocolate Carnation Breakfast Essentials
• 1 cup (240 mL) of whole milk

Directions: Blend the quick oats into a fine powder. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

This shake provides:

• Calories: 725
• Protein: 26 grams
• Carbs: 100 grams
• Fat: 28 grams

3. Orange vanilla twist smoothie

The mango and orange juice contribute fast-digesting carbohydrates and add to the smoothy’s zest.

The vanilla Greek yogurt provides protein — and along with the half and half — brings the smoothie a desirable creamy texture.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (70 grams) of frozen mango chunks
• 2/3 cup (170 grams) of vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 package of vanilla Carnation Breakfast Essentials
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) of half and half
• 1 cup (240 mL) of orange juice

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

This shake provides:

• Calories: 533
• Protein: 27 grams
• Carbs: 78 grams
• Fat: 15 grams

4. Strawberry banana smoothie

With nearly 40 grams of high-quality protein, this isn’t your typical strawberry banana smoothie.

The smoothie has a dominant strawberry flavor and the perfect hint of banana.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (140 grams) of frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop (33 grams) of NutraBio strawberry whey protein
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) of half and half
• 1 cup (240 mL) of whole milk

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

This shake provides:

• Calories: 592 calories
• Protein: 38 grams
• Carbs: 60 grams
• Fat: 24 grams

5. Almond buttercream shake

If you are a vegetarian or follow a plant-based diet, this almond buttercream shake is the one for you.

This shake contains no animal products but provides plenty of healthy plant-based protein, including quick oats, peanut butter, and protein-fortified almond milk.

The almond milk and maca root provide the shake with the perfect amount of nuttiness.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of an avocado
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup (40 grams) of quick oats
• 1 tbsp (3 grams) of maca root
• 2 tbsp (32 grams) of peanut butter
• 2 tbsp of chocolate Nesquik powder
• 1 cup (240 mL) of protein-fortified almond milk

Directions: Blend the quick oats into a fine powder. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

This shake provides:

• Calories: 695 calories
• Protein: 26 grams
• Carbs: 84 grams
• Fat: 34 grams

Tips for gaining weight

In addition to including weight gain protein shakes and smoothies in your diet, here are some tips to help you gain weight quickly and healthfully:

Eat more healthy sources of fat

Some of the best foods for weight gain are high in fat.

That’s because fat contains nine calories per gram — more than double that of carbs or protein.

As such, including more fat in your diet is an efficient way to increase your calorie intake and gain weight.

Aim to include more healthy sources of fat in your diet such as:

• whole milk
• full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese
• whole eggs
• oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and herring
• avocado
• nuts and seeds
• peanut butter or other nut butter
• olive or canola oil

Limit your intake of highly processed foods rich in fat like cakes, pastries, fried foods, sausages, and bacon.

Eat more frequently

Aim to eat at least three high-calorie meals separated by snacks.

There isn’t anything special about eating more often per se, but it makes it easier to eat enough calories throughout the day to gain weight.

For example, imagine trying to eat enough calories in just two or three meals to gain weight.

Not only would that be difficult but you probably wouldn’t feel the best either.

Now, imagine spreading those calories across 3 meals and 2 to 3 high-calorie snacks like high-calorie bars or Ensure — it becomes much easier to accomplish.

Make sure to start your day off with a high-protein breakfast and include plenty of high-calorie vegetables.

Lift weights

If you’re physically capable, lifting weights is vital when you want to gain weight healthfully.

Lifting weights helps reduce gains in fat mass and instead promotes gains in muscle mass.

Muscle mass is an important indicator of good health and becomes especially important with aging for reducing falls and fractures, the risk of chronic disease, and for increasing overall longevity (1, 2, 3).

Current guidelines recommend doing muscle-strengthening exercises that involve all major muscle groups — the arms, chest, core, shoulders, back, and legs — at least twice per week (4).

The bottom line

These weight gain protein shakes and smoothies — each with at least 20 grams of protein and 500 calories — are designed to help you pack on the pounds.

Adding more healthy sources of fat to your diet, eating more frequently, and regularly lifting weights are other tips to help you gain weight fast and healthfully.