When you’re trying to gain weight, smoothies can be the perfect way to increase your calorie intake without feeling too full. They are calorie-dense and delicious, and can be made using a range of ingredients. It is also easy to blend one up quicky in your Nutribullet or other blender.
Many weight gain smoothie recipes contain protein powder but this isn’t always necessary. You can make a calorie-dense smoothie that is full of nutrition without using protein supplements.
In this article, I’m going to run through how you can make a weight gain smoothie without using protein powder with a great recipe that you can follow. I’m also going to run through the key ingredients to include in your weight gain smoothies and customizations you can make to your recipes.
For more weight gain or high calorie smoothies, see the category page for high calorie smoothies. If you are looking for a recipe that does incorporate protien powder, thisweight gain shake is a good one.
Can You Still Get The Benefits of A Weight Gain Smoothie Without Protein Powder?
In short, yes. You can still gain a range of benefits by drinking a smoothie that doesn’t contain protein powder if you’re trying to gain weight.
You can add healthy ingredients to your protein shake that are packed full of calories and nutrients to help you increase your calorie intake and gain these health benefits. Depending on which ingredients you use, you can increase the amount of each macronutrient (carbs, proteins, and fats) in your smoothie.
For example, adding flaxseeds and chia seeds to your smoothie will increase the carbohydrate content. Including peanut butter in your recipe will increase the number of healthy fats and Greek yogurt will bump up the protein content.
Different ingredients can also be used adjust the taste and texture of your smoothie.
For example, adding rolled oats will make the smoothie thicker. Adding different fruits will sweeten the smoothie and change its overall taste.
How To Determine Your Macros For A Weight Gain Smoothie?
Tacking your calories and macronutrients can be beneficial when you are gaining weight. One of the best ways to determine the macronutrient split in your weight gain smoothie is to use an online macro calculator.
Macro calculators use your gender, height, weight, and goal (weight gain) to calculate the amount of each macronutrient that you should aim to consume based on these factors.
Once you have determined the amount of each macronutrient that you should be consuming each day, you can calculate the macronutrient content of your smoothie. You can do this using a nutrition app, such as Chronometer or MyFitnessPal.
On these apps, you can insert which ingredients and how much of each ingredient you have used in your weight gain smoothie. It will provide the total number of grams of carbs, protein, and fat that is in your smoothie based on this information.
Key Ingredients For Building Your Weight Gain Smoothie
The key ingredients to include in your weight gain smoothie are:
Rolled Oats
Chia Seeds
Flax Seeds
Full Fat Greek Yogurt
Nut Butter
Avocado
Banana
I’ve summed up the calorie and macronutrient content of each of these ingredients in the table below.
Ingredient
Calories and Macronutrients per cup
Rolled Oats
Calories – 266 kcals Carbohydrates – 59 grams
Protein – 9 grams
Fat – 2 grams
Chia Seeds
Calories – 690 kcals Carbohydrates – 60 grams
Protein – 24 grams
Fat – 44 grams
Flax Seeds
Calories – 774 kcals
Carbohydrates – 42 grams
Protein – 26 grams
Fat – 61 grams
Full Fat Greek Yogurt
Calories – 220 kcals Carbohydrates – 9 grams
Protein – 20 grams
Fat – 11 grams
Nut Butter
Calories – 152 kcals Carbohydrates – 4 grams
Protein – 6 grams
Fat – 12 grams
Avocado
Calories – 117 kcals Carbohydrates – 6 grams
Protein – 1.5 grams
Fat – 11 grams
Banana
Calories – 178 kcals Carbohydrates – 46 grams
Protein – 2 grams
Fat – 0.6 grams
Weight Gain Smoothie Without Protein Powder: The Recipe
Here is a great recipe for a delicious weight gain smoothie that is free of protein powder. Make this in your Nutribullet or other blender.
Ingredients
½ cup rolled oats
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 banana
½ cup strawberries
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp flax seeds
½ cup soy milk (or soy milk to the fill line of the Nutribullet)
Calories and Macros
Calories – 568 kcals
Carbs – 62 grams
Protein – 21 grams
Fat – 28 grams
Fiber – 19 grams
How To Make
Step 1: Place all of the ingredients into a blender.
Step 2: Blend the ingredients for 30-40 seconds until fully combined into a creamy, thick mixture.
Step 3: Pour into a glass and enjoy while fresh.
Step 4: If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight mason jar in the fridge for a maximum of 24 hours.
Customizations
Here are some customizations and variations that you can try with this smoothie.
Add 2 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt. This will add 58 calories and 5 grams of protein.
Include some raw vegetables, such as carrots, spinach, and broccoli to increase the micronutrient content
Add some cinnamon, ginger, or turmeric to enhance the flavor of your smoothie. These spices also have known anti-inflammatory properties.
Include half an avocado into the smoothie to add some healthy fats and increase the calories by around 120 calories.
Change the peanut butter to almond butter or cashew butter if you prefer!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an air-tight glass mason jar with a closable lid. Store the smoothie in the refrigerator for a maximum of 24 hours.
Make sure the container is filled up to the top to prevent air from being trapped in the mason jar. Air can cause the fresh ingredients in your smoothie to oxidize and the nutrients to degrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Is The Best Time Of Day To Drink A Weight Gain Smoothie?
There is no specific time that you should drink your weight gain smoothie. You can have it in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
