3 Delicious High Calorie Shakes

High calorie shakes are a great way to stop unintended weight loss. And to gain weight.

Are you trying to help older adults maintain their highest level of function and health in their final years? Need of a resource to stop weight loss in older adults?

Looking for some good high calorie recipes? Maybe you’ve found some resources, but are tired of boring, black and white handouts??

This article will provide you with 3 delicious high calorie shake recipes.

If you love these recipes and want even more, check out our High Calorie SHAKES e-cookbook!

Let’s Talk About Unintended Weight Loss

It’s a big deal. It robs older adults of their independence. It impacts their quality of life and increases the risk of death and disability.

You see, when an older adult loses weight unintentionally, they are losing muscle. And we need muscle to get dressed, walk, bathe, cook… have independence!

This is a big deal because older adults tend to have less muscle to start with. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle with age.

If you have two people, a young adult and an older adult, even if they are the same size… the older adult is going to have less muscle than the younger adult.

The bottom line is that unintended weight loss leads to muscle loss which then leads to:

• Loss of independence
• Increased fall risk
• Risk of early death

Unintended weight loss is a big deal. Weight loss in elderly must be stopped.

Older adults deserve to thrive in their final years. They need muscle to do this.

Why High Calorie?

Hold up. High calorie? Aren’t a ton of calories (and lots of fat) bad for you??

For some people, using high calorie recipes can be a huge shift.

We are so used to focusing on “healthy foods” high in vitamins and minerals. As a dietitian I can attest to the trans-formative power of food.

However, when an older adult is unintentionally losing weight, they are losing muscle (read= losing independence). They are becoming malnourished. This increases their risk of hospitalization, falls and even early death. 

Providing high calorie foods can stop weight loss. And foods high in fat have the most calories per volume than any other nutrient.

This is a good thing- it means they can eat a less food and get more calories!

When unintended weight loss occurs, stopping it becomes the priority.

Think about it, we eat healthy foods to prevent the long-term complications of disease and illness… but if an older adult loses weight and muscle, if they fall, are hospitalized, or if they die as a result… what was the point?

When facing malnutrition and the risk of losing muscle and even death, calories and stopping weight loss takes priority over eating “nutritious foods”.

Now keep in mind, the goal isn’t to stay on a high calorie diet forever.

The goal is just to stop the weight loss. And to promote weight gain as needed. But there will be cases where people are on a high calorie diet for an extended period of time.

You can learn more about high calorie foods in our article on Stopping Unintended Weight Loss in Older Adults.

Why High Calorie Shakes?

Adding high calorie foods into the diet of an older adult is KEY to stopping unintended weight loss. But it takes intention and planning.

Many older adults experiencing weight loss have poor appetite and a hard time “simply” eating more food.

The solution? High calorie shakes! These can easily be sipped on in-between meals to maximize calories.

The bottom line is that high calorie shakes work!!

I have been working with older adults for over 11 years. I’ve found that even when my clients can’t take another bite of food, they can still sip on a drink or shake.

3 Delicious High Calorie Shake Recipes

Let’s get to it! Here are our 3 delicious high calorie shake recipes.

These recipes are designed to make a thinner shake. This way it is easier to drink. And so it can be consumed faster.

If you want a thicker shake, simply decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe.

Cherry Pie Shake

Who doesn’t love pie?! And why not make a delicious pie shake. Yum.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 c. whole milk
• 1 c. canned cherry pie filling
• 1 c. vanilla ice-cream
• 4 vanilla wafer cookies
• Extra pie filling, if desired

DIRECTIONS

• Add milk, pie filling, ice-cream, and cookies into a blender.
• Blend ingredients until smooth.
• Pour into a glass and garnish with extra pie filling, if desired.

CALORIE COUNT

• This shake provides 625 calories.

Chocolate Mint Shake

Chocolate mint is classic ice-cream flavor make a great high calorie shake.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1/2 c. whipping cream
• 1 1/2 c. mint chocolate chip ice-cream
• Shaved chocolate, if desired

DIRECTIONS

• Add milk, whipping cream, and ice-cream into a blender.
• Blend ingredients until smooth.
• Pour into a glass and garnish with shaved chocolate, if desired.

CALORIE COUNT

• This shake provides 850 calories.

Coconut Cream Shake

Coconut is an excellent high calorie food. It is tropical, creamy, and loaded with calories. This shake uses coconut cream and coconut extract to make a tasty high calorie shake.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 c. whole milk
• 1/3 c. canned coconut cream
• 1 c. vanilla ice-cream
• 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
• shredded coconut, if desired

DIRECTIONS

• Add milk, coconut cream, ice-cream, and coconut extract into a blender.
• Blend ingredients until smooth.
• Pour into a glass and garnish with shredded coconut, if desired

CALORIE COUNT

• This shake provides 500 calories.

Bonus High Calorie Shake

For a bonus high calorie shake recipe, be sure to check out our article:

The Best Shake for Gaining Weight

This recipe contains a whopping 1,200 calories. And it is delicious!

High Calorie SHAKES e-Cookbook

If these recipes sound delicious, be sure to check out our High Calorie SHAKES e-Cookbook.

Why this e-Cookbook? Because there is NOTHING else like it!!

When you or I want a recipe, we can find amazing recipes online or in cookbooks with beautiful pictures.

But for older adults who need more calories?  They typically get a boring black-and-white handout. No pictures (OK, maybe some clip art).

But who wants to look at that? Does that make them excited to eat more?

This e-cookbook will make them excited to stop their weight loss. Who doesn’t enjoy a tasty treat??

High Calorie SHAKES is an e-cookbook… but it’s more than just recipes. It has information and tips to stop weight loss. Check out the features!

High Calorie SHAKES Features:

• Full color PDF e-Cookbook
• Clear, easy to understand information
• 25 delicious and creative recipes
• Simple recipes with calorie & protein facts
• Detailed information on high calorie foods
• Top secret tips on maximizing intake
• Individual tips with each recipe
• 1.82 MB PDF download
• Inspiration to create even more shakes

The shakes in this cookbook fit in a 20 oz. container and are designed to be a “thinner” shake to make it easier (and faster) for an older adult to drink. Tips are included if they prefer a thicker shake.

High Calorie SHAKES Recipes

This cookbook contains classic shake recipes like Chocolate and Banana.

But it also has fun and creative recipes like Avocado and Peanut Butter Jelly.

Here is the full list of recipes in this e-Cookbook!

The Classic Series:

• Vanilla Bean
• Chocolate Shake
• Strawberry Shake
•  Caramel Shake
• Banana Blast
• Butterscotch Shake
• Coffee Shake
• Malted Magic

The Nutty Series:

• Peanut Butter Bliss
• Maple Nut
• Peanut Butter Cup
• Almond Butter
• Peanut Butter Banana
• Hazelnut Chocolate
• Peanut Butter & Jelly

The Party Series:

• Avocado Shake
• Pina Colada
• Chocolate Mint
• Chocolate Banana
• Coconut Cream
• Cinnamon Roll

The Pie Series:

• Apple Pie
• Cherry Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Blueberry Pie

These recipes work! I know, because I gained a lot of weight making them. 😉 But they are also delicious!

My personal favorites are Banana, Pumpkin Pie, and Avocado.

Is This e-Cookbook JUST for Older Adults?

No! This resource can be used for any client or population that needs a boost of extra calories.

My target audience just happens to be seniors! Please note this cookbook is written towards caregivers and references older adults. But anyone would love these recipes (my 4-year-old and 9-year-old sure did!).

Just keep in mind these recipes are created with the intent to stop unintended weight loss, prevent muscle loss, and save lives. These recipes are all about calories and taste.

If you are needing to gain weight and are looking for “healthier” recipes that you can follow for a long term basis, check out our article on High Calorie Smoothies for Weight Gain.

Grab a Copy Today!

Whether you are a healthcare provider, caregiver, child, or friend of an older adult… grab your copy today so you can stop weight loss now or so you can be prepared if unintended weight loss starts.

I created this e-cookbook for you. I created this with a vision of stopping unintended weight loss in older adults. With the intention to help older adults thrive in their final years. And I am so excited about this resource.

These are the recipes that will stop weight loss and preserve independence in older adults!

Purchase the High Calorie SHAKES e-Cookbook HERE.

Grab Our High Calorie Shakes Freebie

I’ve created a FREE one-page handout that includes a basic 4 step instruction to making a high calorie shake.

It also includes a delicious recipe referenced above which provides a whopping 1,200 calories and boy is it tasty!

You can snag your copy HERE.

And be sure to bookmark our sister website High Calorie Recipes.

Enjoy and best of luck to you!