Protein/Weight gain shake recipe

[bignateyk]

For the last 4-5 years, I made my protein shakes high calorie by loading them with whey, whole milk, sugar, and other stuff.

I am 5'11 155lbs, so I am always looking for easy ways to get more calories in my diet, but lately I've decided I want to eat healthier.

My wife and I have decided to eliminate refined carbs and most dairy products from our diet (No way I can give up cheese). So far so good. It's been about 2 months, and all is well. I have more energy, my acne has improved significantly, and I feel healthier.

We took everything from our pantry that contained refined carbs, added sugar, HFCS, etc..., and donated it to the food shelter. All of our condiments are now organic with no added sugars, and our carbs are all whole sources. Brown rice pasta, whole wheat pasta, brown/wild rice, whole wheat flour, whole wheat white flour, beans are not canned anymore, etc...

We also decided to eliminate most dairy products. Mostly milk, because there isn't really a substitute for cheese and butter (not that we eat a ton of that stuff, but still, I can't give up my cheese)

So here is my new shake recipe (This is my breakfast).

1 banana
1/4c oats
1/2c oat bran
1/4c hemp protein powder
1/4c raw cocoa powder
8oz unsweetened hemp milk
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fish oil
2 tbs natural peanut butter

The result is ~1200 calories, 45g protein

Best of all it is loaded with all the essential amino acids, omega 3/6 oils, fiber, and other vitamins/minerals.

Estimated cost is about $4/shake.

Obviously it isn't going to taste as good as something made with milk and ice cream, but I'm always in a hurry in the morning and I just chug them anyways, so taste isn't a huge concern to me. My goal was to pack as many calories and good stuff as I could into one shake.

Thoughts? Suggestions on anything else to add?

Edit: The reason I came upon hemp milk/protein is because I am allergic to Soy and Almonds. The only other milk substitute is rice milk, which I have read is pretty unhealthy. That brought me to hemp, which appears to be incredibly healthy.

 

[MrMatt]

Fuck me that is expensive. How much is the hemp protein powder? My weight gaining shake is as follows:

12 oz. whole milk (you could use soy milk. I can't imagine hemp milk tasting good, or being cheap)
2 tbs evoo
1 tbs virgin coconut oil
2 tbs ground flax seed
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 eggs
1 scoop whey protein (substitute in whatever type of protein you want)

I take a couple caps of fish oil instead of putting it in the shake.

same amount of calories, you still get antioxidants, fiber, aminos, etc. and it costs slightly less than a dollar per shake....

edit: see your allergic to soy. You couldn't stomach just one cup of regular milk in the morning? Since you're still eating cheese and all...

 

[bignateyk]

Fuck me that is expensive. How much is the hemp protein powder? My weight gaining shake is as follows:

12 oz. whole milk (you could use soy milk. I can't imagine hemp milk tasting good, or being cheap)
2 tbs evoo
1 tbs virgin coconut oil
2 tbs ground flax seed
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 eggs
1 scoop whey protein (substitute in whatever type of protein you want)

I take a couple caps of fish oil instead of putting it in the shake.

same amount of calories, you still get antioxidants, fiber, aminos, etc. and it costs slightly less than a dollar per shake....

edit: see your allergic to soy. You couldn't stomach just one cup of regular milk in the morning? Since you're still eating cheese and all...

I don't eat very much cheese though. If I put milk (even skim) in my shakes, I start breaking out. The hemp milk really doesn't taste bad, and really isn't even noticeable when it is mixed with all the other stuff.

450 of your calories are coming from the milk and eggs. The idea of putting eggs in my shake kinda grosses me out. (Not sure why... I love eating raw cookie dough if my wife is making chocolate chip cookies)

edit:

Coconut oil is interesting though. Same calories as evoo, but mostly saturated fat. The research keeps going back and forth on whether or not it is healthy. I could add some of that though. Does it add a coconut flavor?

 

[Lamont Burns]

Whole milk
EVOO
Oats
Protein

I get my fruits elsewhere. Plus it's extremely cheap.

If you're 155 not sure you need a shake of 1200 calories, but perhaps it's necessary for you in terms of the rest of the day's meals.

 

[bignateyk]

My price estimate was based off of prices I found for everything on amazon, so it might be off a little. The cost for some of the stuff that I buy at my local store are probably lower, I just don't know what they are offhand.

The hemp milk though is like $1 for 8oz glass.

The hemp protein powder is about the same price as a high quality whey protein powder.

 

[Josh]

What are you eating for the rest of the day? And, DAMN that's a lot of calories for the rest of the day.

I'm at ~151 lbs right now. Trying to cut my body fat down to about 8-9% then going to slowly (hopefully) gain lean muscle mass until I get to my goal of about 157-160 lbs with 8-9% body fat. I might be taking a similar shake to yours soon enough

 

[kamper]

Fuck me that is expensive.

That doesn't seem to ridiculous when you consider that it's got to be close to half his daily calorie intake. Hells, I spend nearly that much on a latte in the morning. Granted, that's only once or twice a week...

 

[bignateyk]

What are you eating for the rest of the day? And, DAMN that's a lot of calories for the rest of the day.

I'm at ~151 lbs right now. Trying to cut my body fat down to about 8-9% then going to slowly (hopefully) gain lean muscle mass until I get to my goal of about 157-160 lbs with 8-9% body fat. I might be taking a similar shake to yours soon enough

I usually eat leftovers for lunch, and then we cook dinner (providing lunch for the following day).

Usually dinner consists of a some combination of a meat (chicken, fish, or pork), a starch (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, etc...), and veggies of some kind.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Hold up, you won't use whey protein? Sounds loony tunes to me.

 

[Josh]

I usually eat leftovers for lunch, and then we cook dinner (providing lunch for the following day).

Usually dinner consists of a some combination of a meat (chicken, fish, or pork), a starch (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, etc...), and veggies of some kind.

How much weight do you want to gain? Any goal in mind?

Also, do you workout at all?

 

[spamsk8r]

Ditch the hemp protein and milk and find some powdered egg protein instead. Egg protein is way more bioavailable than vegetable protein. Instead of milk I use a combination of water and heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk, if you want to avoid dairy altogether). Here's a typical shake:

2 scoops chocolate protein powder
some cocoa
1/4 cup coconut milk or heavy cream
1 banana
2 tbsp nut butter (I like sunflower)
splenda or stevia (to taste)
ice cubes
water

You could add more coconut or cream to add more calories, or even some evoo if you can stomach it.

 

[MrMatt]

Coconut oil is interesting though. Same calories as evoo, but mostly saturated fat. The research keeps going back and forth on whether or not it is healthy. I could add some of that though. Does it add a coconut flavor?

It IS healthy;

Coconut oil got a negative rap a few decades ago after some really crappy animal studies concluded it wasn't healthy. The dingdongs in lab coats used hydrogenated coconut oil that was purposefully altered to make it devoid of any essential fatty acids. [Slaps forehead.] Luckily, things are changing for coconut oil. The newest studies show it's quite healthful.

It has a ton of beneficial properties as well:

Coconut oil:
• Supports immune system
• Improves insulin sensitivity
• Acts as a healthful antibiotic
• Promotes gut health
• Has substantial antioxidant power
• Helps stimulate the metabolism by promoting thermogenesis

The best thing about coconut oil is that you can cook with it without ruining any of its healthful properties. I use it for everything from stir-frys to eggs and pancakes.

On a mass plan and think you have to eat junk food to take in enough calories? You don't. Spoon some sweet coconut oil into your shakes for a healthful "weight gainer."

You can find coconut oil at any health food store. Just look for the unrefined, virgin, or organic variety.

It definitely adds a coconut taste, which I love. It's solid at room temperature, but turns liquid around 74 degrees. It's pretty cheap too. I use Nutiva Extra Virgin. It's 40 bucks for 2 54 ounce tubs. 1 tub has around 100 tablespoons in it.

Nutiva also apparently makes hemp powder too

 

[MrMatt]

also; congrats on cleaning up your diet.

how many calories per day do you aim for? I was thinking 4 bucks/day was expensive, but if that's 1/2 your daily calories there's nothing wrong with that. It'd be a boatload for me because I am for about 4300 calories per day right now, so 4 on breakfast would be a ball buster.

 

[Malfeas]

I use whole powdered eggs as the protein source in my shakes. It tastes different, but you eventually get used to it and learn to love it. My shakes are pretty simple: Milk, 1/2 cup of frozen fruit, tablespoon of peanut butter, some oats, and two scoops of powdered eggs (I think about 70 grams). If I am out of fruit I use a tablespoon of honey.

 

[alkemyst]

after 4-5 years and still being only 155lbs, have you been checked out?

what weight did you start at?

 

[bactiman]

Fuck me that is expensive. How much is the hemp protein powder? My weight gaining shake is as follows:

12 oz. whole milk (you could use soy milk. I can't imagine hemp milk tasting good, or being cheap)
2 tbs evoo
1 tbs virgin coconut oil
2 tbs ground flax seed
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 eggs
1 scoop whey protein (substitute in whatever type of protein you want)

I take a couple caps of fish oil instead of putting it in the shake.

same amount of calories, you still get antioxidants, fiber, aminos, etc. and it costs slightly less than a dollar per shake....

edit: see your allergic to soy. You couldn't stomach just one cup of regular milk in the morning? Since you're still eating cheese and all...

Eating raw eggs isn't as healthy as one might think. Raw egg tend to have lower protein and biotin bio-availability than cooked eggs.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/128/10/1716#Results
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avidin

I have had very good results in weight gain with this. I would make a big shake in the morning and drink it throughout the day.

 

[bignateyk]

after 4-5 years and still being only 155lbs, have you been checked out?

what weight did you start at?

I started at 130, and worked my way up to 165. I injured my shoulder a couple years ago, and then ended up taking a year off lifting, during which time I lost about 10 pounds.

I'm just getting back into working out, so I usually lift 2-3x per week, and do cardio/core stuff the other days, and take the weekends off.

 

[Josh]

I started at 130, and worked my way up to 165. I injured my shoulder a couple years ago, and then ended up taking a year off lifting, during which time I lost about 10 pounds.

I'm just getting back into working out, so I usually lift 2-3x per week, and do cardio/core stuff the other days, and take the weekends off.

Can I ask you what your body fat % is? Or do you not really focus on that - more so on just gaining as much clean weight as possible, etc?

 

[bignateyk]

Can I ask you what your body fat % is? Or do you not really focus on that - more so on just gaining as much clean weight as possible, etc?

I don't know what my body fat % is, but I'm sure it's pretty low... I don't have much of any fat on me at all.

My goal is to get back up to 165-170lbs and keep it at that weight, and I want to do it the hard way without stuffing myself with refined carbs and lactose.

 

[MrMatt]

Eating raw eggs isn't as healthy as one might think. Raw egg tend to have lower protein and biotin bio-availability than cooked eggs.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/128/10/1716#Results
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avidin

I have had very good results in weight gain with this. I would make a big shake in the morning and drink it throughout the day.

There's something in the whites that reduces biotin availability....but yokes have the highest of concentration of biotin in natural foods if I recall, so even if it's inhibited you can still get some from them. I'm at work right now so I can't click those links, perhaps they cover this.

 

[Kipper]

There's something in the whites that reduces biotin availability....but yokes have the highest of concentration of biotin in natural foods if I recall, so even if it's inhibited you can still get some from them. I'm at work right now so I can't click those links, perhaps they cover this.

Avidin is the protein that binds biotin in eggs and inhibits absorption. Cooking eggs inactivates avidin and denatures the protein, thus unbinding the vitamin. Bioavailability is almost not worth discussing. I'd personally be more worried about salmonella poisoning from raw eggs.

I realize that raw eggs in a shake is sexy because of the "Rocky" thing but you can get more bang with other ingredients without the potential risk of diarrhea and food poisoning. Salmonella is endemic to poultry, so it matters little if your eggs are pasteurized, organic or factory-farmed, although your risk may be somewhat lower with organic.

 

[douglasb]

Hold up, you won't use whey protein? Sounds loony tunes to me.

Or casein? At 5'11" and only 155 lbs, you probably aren't getting enough protein. 45g equals about 180 calories, so the rest of that shake is apparently a TON of fats and carbs (about 1,000 calories worth). What does your lifting routine look like? I'm thinking you should be a lot closer to 200 lbs, if not slightly over, at that height. Something does not add up here...

 

[alkemyst]

At 5'9", 200lbs is a shit brick house. I am 5'11"....at 185lbs cut I am monster like. My legs are more ectomorphic though...if you are big in the legs too figure another 10-15lbs.

Really depends on the look you are going for...when I was only 175lbs cut I was still 'big' looking.

My buddy is 6'5", 285 with a light six pack. His best weight was 295 cut. In high school, we had a decent weight room and he'd move the whole stacks.

 

[alkemyst]

Avidin is the protein that binds biotin in eggs and inhibits absorption. Cooking eggs inactivates avidin and denatures the protein, thus unbinding the vitamin. Bioavailability is almost not worth discussing. I'd personally be more worried about salmonella poisoning from raw eggs.

I realize that raw eggs in a shake is sexy because of the "Rocky" thing but you can get more bang with other ingredients without the potential risk of diarrhea and food poisoning. Salmonella is endemic to poultry, so it matters little if your eggs are pasteurized, organic or factory-farmed, although your risk may be somewhat lower with organic.

Raw egg is big outside the US. I do agree though that the cheap tier eggs are not suited to this.

I have a born on date of 1971, some of the biggest mother fuckers I knew growing up downed raw eggs and whole milk. I don't know what changed in 30+ years, but these guys were fat-free and huge.

 

[jackanderson]

Hi,
Thanks for this healthy recipe it will beneficial for me .....