Foolproof Formula for Weight Gain Shakes!

“Foolproof Formula for Weight Gain Shakes!” was written by Beverly Garden, RDN, LDN & edited/reviewed by Aly Bouzek, MS, RDN. 

Unintentional weight loss is usually defined as a weight loss of 5% or more in a 6-12-month period.  For example, a 5% weight loss in a 150 pound person is about 7.5 pounds.  

This article is intended for older adults or their caregivers who are looking for a fun, delicious, and innovative shake to aid in weight gain or to prevent unintended weight loss.  

Our foolproof formula for weight gain shakes will guarantee a delicious treat that contains optimal calories to promote a healthy weight.

Who Needs Weight Gain Shakes?

Our weight gain shakes are helpful for anyone who needs to consume more calories for any of the following reasons:

• To gain weight: people who are underweight or who have lost weight and need to gain it back
• To maintain weight: people who are having trouble getting in enough calories to stay at a weight that is healthy for them
• High calorie needs: there are many reasons or conditions that might cause higher-than-normal calorie needs.  Some examples include:
  • Cancer
  • Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
  • Recent surgery or wounds (tissue repair and healing require a lot of calories)
  • Eating disorders
  • High metabolism (burn calories faster than normal)
  • Very active people those who burn a lot of calories from exercise, at their job, or are very physically active

Do Elderly Need Weight Gain Shakes?

All of the above indications for weight gain shakes also apply to the elderly. However, the elderly are at a higher risk for unintended weight loss than younger people.

Some reasons for weight loss that I have observed in my work with the elderly population (and that is supported by research) include: 

• Loss of appetite 
• Chewing or swallowing problems
• Physical limitations making it difficult to shop and/or prepare meals
• Depression (can cause loss of appetite)
• Loneliness/social isolation: people tend to eat less when they are eating alone.
• Physical or medical problems: dementia, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal problems
• Early satiety at meals (getting full quickly)
• Medications. Some medications can cause weight loss because they:
  • Affect sense of taste and smell
  • Cause dry mouth which makes it difficult or uncomfortable to eat
  • Cause nausea and vomiting

Personal Experience [20+ years as a geriatric dietitian]

One fact that I have learned from working with the geriatric population for over 20 years is this: unintended weight loss in the elderly is never good! Yes, this includes people who are overweight or obese before unintended weight loss occurs!

Older adults who have significant unintentional weight loss have a higher rate of illness and death.

From my observations, unintended weight loss is often the first sign that an older individual is not meeting his/her baseline nutritional needs.  

Furthermore, when older adults lose weight, they almost always lose muscle too, causing them to be weaker and unable to get around as easily.  It also puts them at a higher risk for fractures and falls. All of which can lead to loss of independence. 

So, these factors indicate that unintentional weight loss in the elderly should be prevented, if possible.  Or, if unable to be prevented, then efforts to promote weight regain should occur as soon as possible.  Our foolproof formula for weight gain shakes just might be the answer!

Please note: significant unintentional weight loss is often a red flag that there is another medical problem present hat needs attention (i.e. a urinary tract infection or dental problems). It is recommended that those with significant unintentional weight loss be evaluated by a physician or qualified healthcare professional.

What Makes Our Foolproof Formula for Weight Gain Shakes Unique?

Well, our formula creates shakes that:

• Are easy to prepare and can be prepared in only a few minutes.
• Are made from common ingredients that are often stocked in your own kitchen or are easily found at the grocery store.
• Contain AT LEAST 600 calories. However, most contain much more! In fact, when trialing different shake flavors using our formula, the average was around 765 calories! 
• Are low volume. Most prepared shakes are only around 10–12 ounces. This is important because elderly people often get full quickly. So, more calories are delivered in less volume!
• Can be consumed right away or saved for later.   
• Have endless flavor possibilities. Mixing and matching various ingredients can produce literally hundreds of flavor combinations!
• Are absolutely delicious! My family can attest to this. They have enjoyed being taste-testers as I experimented with various shake flavors! The recipes for our top 5 flavors are later in this article (or jump ahead here).

What Equipment Do I Need to Make These Weight Gain Shakes?

  You only need basic equipment and utensils to make our shakes:  

• A basic blender 
• Shake ingredients
• Spatula
• Measuring spoons and measuring cups

That’s it!

What Is the Foolproof Formula for Weight Gain Shakes?

To make weight gain shakes that are guaranteed to contain between 600 and 900 calories, choose one ingredient from each category below. Then blend! Alternatively, some ingredients can be added on top instead of blending in, if preferred. It’s that simple!

Remember, the ingredient amounts listed below are minimum amounts.

Creamy Base: 1/2 cup minimum, unless otherwise specified

• Ice cream: any flavor 
• Sherbet: any flavor 
• Pudding made with whole milk: any flavor
• Whole milk yogurt (Greek or regular). Use vanilla or another flavor besides plain (¾ cup) 

High Calorie Liquid: ⅓ -½  cup minimum and as specified below

• Half and Half (½ cup)
• Flavored milk (chocolate, strawberry, etc.) (½ cup)
• Heavy cream (⅓ cup)
• Canned coconut milk (⅓ cup)
• Commercial nutritional supplement, any flavor (½ cup)

Nut Butter or Cream Cheese: 2 Tablespoons minimum, unless otherwise specified

• Nut butter: peanut, almond, cashew, macadamia nut  
• Sunflower seed butter
• Chocolate-flavored hazelnut spread
• Cream cheese (4 Tbsp)

Sweetening/Flavoring Agent: 2 Tablespoons minimum, unless otherwise specified

• Honey
• Brown sugar
• Corn syrup
• Jam or jelly
• Flavored syrup.  Ex: chocolate, hot fudge, caramel, butterscotch strawberry, maple/pancake
• Marshmallow fluff (3-4 Tbsp)
• Juice concentrate (3 Tbsp)

Additional Flavoring/Texture Agent: Choose one or more. Use serving size specified for each

• Flaxseed (2 Tbsp)
• Chia seed (1 Tbsp)
• Oats or granola (2 Tbsp.)
• Chocolate chips (1 Tbsp)
• Chopped nuts (1-2 Tbsp)
• Coconut, sweetened, dried (2 Tbsp)
• Fruit: canned, fresh, frozen 
• Pumpkin puree (½ cup) 
• Banana (½ banana)
• Fruit pie filling (⅓ cup)
• Graham Cracker (1 whole sheet), vanilla wafers (5), or sandwich cookies (1-2)
• Whipped cream (2-3 Tbsp)

Optional Ingredients

Optional Ingredients: Add any of the following in desired amount to taste, if desired.

• Flavoring extracts:  Ex: vanilla, coconut, butter pecan, orange
• Cocoa powder
• Spices such as cinnamon, ginger pumpkin pie spice
• Additional ingredients from the “Additional Flavoring/Texture Agent” list above, as desired.

How Do I Choose Ingredients for My Weight Gain Shakes?

You may be wondering how to know which ingredients to use.

My first suggestion is to dream up a flavor that sounds yummy.

Then, choose the ingredients that create that flavor!  

There is no right or wrong way to make weight gain shakes!

Experimentation might be needed until you have created the perfect masterpiece. Below are a few insights to help you select ingredients for your shakes.

Creamy Base

• If you are looking for a more neutral flavor that won’t compete with others, choose vanilla ice cream or vanilla whole milk pudding. 
• Or, you can choose flavored pudding or ice cream, for example chocolate, to enhance or compliment the shake’s flavor.
• Sherbet has a distinct flavor (ex: use orange sherbet if making an orange creamsicle-flavored shake).
• Yogurt will offer a more tart flavor, and may taste better in fruit-flavored shakes.

High Calorie Liquid

• Half and Half may be the most versatile high calorie liquid and is my personal favorite.
• Heavy cream will create a very rich, creamy shake.
• Coconut milk or flavored milk should only be used when you want that specific flavor in your shake.
• To ensure adequate calories, make sure any coconut milk used is the canned variety – not the kind found in a carton in the dairy section.  

Nut Butter or Cream Cheese

• Peanut butter will provide a stronger “nutty” flavor 
• Cashew, macadamia, and sunflower seed butter will provide a milder flavor and may work better if a more distinct “nutty” flavor is not desired.
• Cream cheese will provide a more neutral flavor and will work better with fruit-flavored shakes or shakes where a “nutty” flavor is not wanted.
• If you want to optimize protein, the nut butters/sunflower seed butters will provide more protein than the cream cheese (~ 8 grams of protein vs 2 grams of protein per 2 Tbsp).

Sweetening Agent

• Choose the option that will provide the flavor desired in your shake.
• Corn syrup, honey, or brown sugar are great neutral-tasting sweetening agents

Additional Flavoring/Texture Agents

• Choose one or more additives that will enhance or complete the flavor of your creation!
• Ground flaxseeds and chia seeds will create a mild flavor, while adding fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Whipping cream or heavy cream is a great option if the flavor of the shake is already made and you want a creamy finishing touch.

Optional Ingredients

• Spices, flavoring extracts, and cocoa powder do not contribute calories to shakes, but will help to finish off the desired flavor.
• Another “Additional Flavoring/Texture Agent” can be used to round off or accent the shake and will add additional calories.

Five Delicious Weight Gain Shakes Using Our Foolproof Formula

My family and I experimented with many different ingredients and shake flavors, and below are the winners! Pumpkin Pecan Praline is my personal favorite!

INGREDIENTS	Strawberry Cheesecake	Pumpkin Pecan Praline	Banana Nut ‘N Honey	Piña Colada	S’mores
Creamy Base	Ice cream, vanilla ¾ cup	Ice cream, vanilla ¾ cup	Ice cream, vanilla ½ cup	Whole milk Greek yogurt, vanilla ½ cup	Ice cream, chocolate ½ cup
High Calorie Liquid	Half & Half ½ cup	Heavy cream ½ cup	Half & Half ½ cup	Canned coconut milk ½ cup	Half & Half ½ cup
Nut Butter/CreamCheese	Cream cheese 4 Tbsp	Almond butter 2 Tbsp	Peanut butter 2 Tbsp	Cream cheese 3 Tbsp	Chocolate flavored hazelnut spread 2 Tbsp
Sweetening/Flavoring Agent	Strawberry jam 3 Tbsp	Caramel syrup 3 Tbsp	Honey 2 Tbsp	Honey 2 Tbsp	Marshmallow fluff 3 Tbsp
Additional Flavoring/Texture Agent	Graham Cracker 1 full sheet (half blended in and half crumbled on top)	Pumpkin puree ½ cup & Chopped pecans 1 Tbsp	Banana ½ banana	Banana ⅓ banana & Pineapple ¼ cup	Graham cracker 1 full sheet (half blended in & half crumbled on top)
Optional Ingredients(Not included in calorie amounts listed below)	Dollop of whipped cream on top	Dash of pumpkin pie spiceblended in	Granola sprinkled on top	Dollop of whipped cream on top	Whipped cream & mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top
Calories	794	957	669	714	701

Calorie counts (above) were obtained from FoodData Central. Note that brand and flavor will affect calorie totals.

Other Important Notes About Weight Gain Shakes

Our weight gain shakes are high calorie, but contain moderate protein. Most of these shakes will contain around 15 grams of protein.

Although our shakes do contain added sugar, they are not necessarily off-limits for an individual with diabetes. In this situation, I suggest dividing the shakes into 3 separate servings to consume throughout the day.  

This prevents a large amount of carbohydrates from being consumed all at once. Each of the three “mini shakes” will contain approximately 25-30 grams carbohydrates, or about 2 carbohydrate servings. 

Looking for some tips? Check out our article on Tips for Making the Best Homemade Weight Gain Shakes!

As always, consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian for further guidance on fitting these weight gain shakes into your meal plan.

Conclusion

These weight gain shakes are a great solution to promote weight gain or to help with weight maintenance for older adults. They are delicious, simple to make, and provide maximum calories in a minimum amount of volume.

The sky is the limit when creating delicious weight gain shakes! Happy blending!