High-calorie smoothies are ideal for weight gain because they are easy to make, drink, and digest. They can be used as a meal replacement or added to supplement your current diet.
In this blog post, you will find how to make high calorie smoothies for weight gain and a list of 10 of my favorite (dietitian-approved) recipes.
How to make a high-calorie smoothie?
The best thing about smoothies is that you can throw whatever you want in a blend and whip it together. To make a high-calorie smoothie specifically, you must use ingredients high in calories.
High-calorie smoothies are typically a blend of carbohydrates like fruit or honey, proteins like whey protein or milk, and dietary fats like peanut butter and full-fat dairy.
To make a high-calorie smoothie, a significant amount of calories must come from dietary fat. Fat has the most calories per gram at nine calories per gram compared to carbohydrates and proteins which only have four calories per gram.
In addition to adding healthy fats, you can incorporate nutrient-dense carbohydrates like fruit, honey, and oats to increase the calorie and micronutrient content of your smoothie.
Lastly, adding in some extra protein can help you gain weight, specifically grain more muscle
Recipes for high-calorie smoothies
When I graduated high school I weighed 135 pounds at 5 foot 11 inches. I was a bean stock. That was until I started to increase my calories and hit the weights.
One of the easiest ways I found to consume more calories was to add smoothies between my meals. For example, I would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner like I normally do but between each meal, I would also have a high-calorie smoothie between each meal time.
Each of the following high-calorie smoothies has 500 or more calories as a protein source (whey protein) and includes dairy, fruit, and a mix of other ingredients. I have also include a link to the Cronometer recipe for a full nutrition breakdown.
Here are 10 recipes high-calorie smoothie recipes for weight gain.
Banana Mango Strawberry Smoothie (657 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 1 cup of frozen mango
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1 cup of full-fat milk
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tbsp of flax seed
Directions:
- To make this banana mango strawberry smoothie, combine the banana, frozen mangos, strawberries, milk, protein powder, honey, and flax seed to blend until smooth.
- If the smoothie is too thick, add more milk (or water) and continue to blend until the desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition
- 657 calories
- 14 grams fat
- 6 grams saturated fat
- 37 grams of protein
- 213 mg sodium
- 103 grams of carbohydrate
- 13 grams of fiber
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate smoothie (705 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 1 banana
- 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
- 1/2 scoop chocolate ice cream
Directions:
- To make a peanut butter banana chocolate smoothie, add chocolate ice cream, protein powder, banana, peanut butter, and whole milk to a blender and blend until smooth.
- If the consistency is too thick, then add more milk (or water) and continue to blend until you get the consistency you want.
Nutrition
- 705 calories
- 32 grams of fat
- 12 grams of saturated fat
- 394 mg sodium
- 43 grams of protein
- 66 grams of carbohydrates
- 6 grams of fiber
Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie (733 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of strawberry ice cream
- 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
Directions:
- To make the strawberry cheesecake smoothie, add strawberry ice cream, frozen strawberries, and vanilla protein powder to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more liquids if the smoothie is too thick.
Nutrition
- 733 calories
- 44 grams of fat
- 27 grams of saturated fat
- 281 mg sodium
- 37 grams of protein
- 48 grams of carbohydrates
- 2 grams of fiber
Green Smoothie (675 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1/2 cup of spinach
- 1 banana
- 1 avocado
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 tbsp flax seed oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup of ice
Directions:
- To make the high-calorie green smoothie, add the banana, spinach, protein powder, avocado, flax seed oil and milk a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition
- 675 calories
- 33 grams of fat
- 8 grams of saturated fat
- 236 mg sodium
- 35 grams of protein
- 65 grams of carbohydrates
- 8 grams of fiber
Strawberry Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie (525 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 1 banana
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup oatmeal
Directions:
- To make the strawberry peanut butter and banana smoothie, add the whole milk, peanut butter, banana, strawberries, protein powder, Greek yogurt, and oatmeal to a blender and blend until smooth.
- If you find the smoothie is too thick, you can add additional milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition
- 525 calories
- 19 grams of fat
- 3 grams of saturated fat
- 290 mg sodium
- 33 grams of protein
- 62 grams of carbohydrates
- 9 grams of fiber
The strawberry peanut butter and banana smoothie is my personal favorite. I honestly can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe during a weight gain phase.
I like this recipe so much, that I modified it to have fewer calories and more protein. For this recipe go to the strawberry banana protein smoothie recipe.
Mango Pineapple Smoothie (622 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mango
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 cup of full-fat milk
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil
- 1 cup of ice
Directions:
- To make the high-calorie mango pineapple smoothie add mango, pineapple, milk, vanilla protein powder, honey, flaxseed oil, and ice to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk if the smoothie is too thick.
Nutrition
- 622 calories
- 20 grams of fat
- 10 grams of saturated fat
- 294 mg sodium
- 40 grams of protein
- 75 grams of carbohydrates
- 8 grams of fiber
Raspberry Piña Colada Smoothie (726 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen raspberries
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 medium banana
- 1 cup of full-fat milk
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
- 1 cup of ice
Directions:
- To make the high-calorie raspberry pina colada smoothie, add frozen raspberries, pineapple, banana, milk, heavy whipping cream, vanilla protein powder, honey, shredded coconut, and ice to a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk if the smoothie is too thick.
Nutrition
- 726 calories
- 23 grams of fat
- 16 grams of saturated fat
- 211 mg sodium
- 37 grams of protein
- 102 grams of carbohydrates
- 15 grams of fiber
Berry Green Smoothie (542 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of mixed berries
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 1 cup of full-fat milk
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Directions:
To make the high-calorie berry green smoothie, add frozen mixed berries, milk, vanilla protein powder, vanilla ice cream, and honey to a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk if the smoothie is too thick.
Nutrition:
- 542 calories
- 16 grams of fat
- 9 grams of saturated fat
- 297 mg sodium
- 36 grams of protein
- 65 grams of carbohydrates
- 4 grams of fiber
Mango Peach Smoothie (622 Calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen mango
- 1 cup of frozen peach
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1/2 cup of whole Greek yogurt
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Directions:
- To make the high-calorie mango peach smoothie, add mangos, peaches, milk, Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, honey, and chia seed to a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk if the smoothie is too thick.
Nutrition
- 622 calories
- 20 grams of fat
- 10 grams of saturated fat
- 294 mg sodium
- 40 grams of protein
- 75 grams of carbohydrates
- 8 grams of fiber
Strawberry Blackberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie (797 calories)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1 cup of frozen blackberries
- 1 banana
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 1 cup of full-fat milk
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Directions:
- To make the high-calorie strawberry, blackberry, banana, peanut butter smoothie, add frozen strawberries, blackberries, banana, milk, peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, and honey to a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk if the smoothie is too thick.
Nutrition
- 797 calories
- 26 grams of fat
- 8 grams of saturated fat
- 350 mg sodium
- 43 grams of protein
- 109 grams of carbohydrates
- 17 grams of fiber
Tips for Making High-Calorie Smoothies for Weight Gain:
1. Use full-fat dairy products such as milk and cream to increase the calorie content of your smoothie.
2. Include healthy fats like nut butter and avocados to give your smoothie extra calories.
3. Add protein to your smoothie with protein powders or Greek yogurt.
4. Add sweeteners like honey or sugary syrups to make your smoothie taste better and increase its calorie content.
5. Put a healthy twist on your smoothies by adding nutrient-dense ingredients like chia seeds, flaxseeds, and oats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which smoothie is best for weight gain?
When trying to pack on extra pounds, the ideal smoothie would be one high in calories plus proteins, healthy fats, and other nutrients. Incorporating this type of shake into your daily regimen in addition to regular meals will increase your total caloric intake, ultimately leading you towards weight gain gradually over time.
What can I add to my smoothie to increase calories?
To maximize the number of calories in your smoothie, blend together high-fat ingredients such as whole milk, yogurt, and heavy cream. Incorporating those alongside your favorite fruits, vegetables and proteins will create a richly caloric concoction that packs a nutritious punch!
Are high-calorie smoothies good for weight gain?
If you want to add muscle and bulk up, then high-calorie smoothies may be your best bet! Not only are they easy to whip up in seconds, but these nutritious concoctions can help give you the necessary fuel to reach your weight gain goals.
How many high-calorie smoothies can I drink per day?
Enjoy up to three delicious, nutrient-rich smoothies daily and increase your caloric intake effortlessly. Add them to the traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a complete diet.
Conclusion
high-calorie smoothies can be a great way to get the nutrients and calories you need, whether young or old.
By including high-calorie ingredients such as Nutella, honey, heavy cream, bananas, dates, and fruit juices, you can make sure you are getting the energy you need to power through your day.
Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer
Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.