These 7 incredibly tasty hardgainer shake recipes are one of the best tools for you, if you are struggling with putting on mass. Below, I will give you exact reasons why you should implement them ASAP, if you are having problems gaining muscle.

WHY SHAKES:

Many skinny guys claim that they just can’t eat as much as I require them to do. If that is the case, you are in luck. See, food is consumed in three different forms: liquid, semi-liquid and solid. Studies has shown that liquid calories produce weakest appetite response and solid food produce strongest appetite response. You might notice that when you drink a glass orange juice. If you have real orange juice, there are usually 4 squeezed oranges in a single glass. Now imagine drinking that glass or eating 4 actual oranges. Of course, you would feel fuller after eating actual oranges. However, drinking it goes down like a breeze. Now, we are only going to be blending food, which makes it semi-solid. That mean that the response is not going to be as weak as in liquid food; however, it will be weaker than us only eating solid food.

1. Shakes save time

Many times, we are so busy, we only have few minutes to eat. I get amazed at some people who just say: “I forgot to eat today”. As a person who absolutely loves food, I do not understand how that could ever happen. However, it does. Shake is usually prepared in less than 3 minutes. You can make it in the morning and bring it to work/school. It is great to consume it on the go or during meetings/classes.

2. Shakes are cheap

Cost of described shakes average just above 1$; what is more, calories are around 700. Not only that, it is healthy due to variety of many different nutrients. Those shakes have a healthy ratio between protein, carbohydrates and fat. Remember, bulking shouldn’t be eating everything we can put our hands on. Bulking is a matter of eating healthy food, we just eat it in bigger amounts. Eating healthy (clean bulking) will allow us to put on leaner muscle mass without adding too much fat.

3. Delicious

Honestly, you should be lucky that your problem is gaining weight and not losing weight. We get luxury of being able to eat a lot. Being a hardgainer myself has forced me to become a better cook. Now, I love making different dishes and trying what taste the best. Below are my top 7 favorite shakes which I can guarantee that your taste buds will appreciate.

Tips to make a hardgainer shake

-add ice if you want more of a “milk-shake” kind of drink.
-You can play around with type of milk. I like unsweetened almond milk.
-wet the spoon when scooping peanut butter. Makes less of a mess.
-Protein powder is not necessary, just be aware that macronutrient calculations will not be the same.
-You can substitute pasteurized (safe to drink) egg whites instead of protein powder.
-If you want more fiber, add spinach. It does not ruin the taste.
-have fun, feel free to add or take away things based on your preference.

DISCLOSURE: For all of these shakes listed below, I am using unflavored NOW Sports Whey Protein. Since it is unflavored it is not messing with the taste and I found it adds a nice creamy texture. Found out what you should consider when buying your next protein supplement here.

(All the links to the protein powders are affiliate links. That means that this site gets a percentage of the sale if you decide to purchase it through the link.)

1. CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

-300ml of milk (10oz)
-4tbs peanut butter
– 2 scoops of unflavored NOW Whey Protein Isolate
-1/2cup oats (23g)
-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Calories: 861 Protein:70 Carbohydrates:79 Fat:32

2. STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE SHAKE

-8 frozen unsweetened strawberries
-4tbsp. Sour Cream (60g)
-300ml Milk (10oz)
-1tbsp. Honey
-150g Strawberry Greek Yogurt
-2 scoops of unflavored NOW Whey Protein Isolate

Calories:722 Protein:66 Carbohydrates:68 Fat:21

3. ALMOND SHAKE

–2 scoops of unflavored NOW Whey Protein Isolate
-1 tbsp. Unsweetened Almond Butter
-300ml Almond milk (10oz)
-1/2 cup oats (45g)

Calories:639 Protein:58 Carbohydrates:62 Fat:19

4. BANANA SHAKE

-1 banana
-1/2 cup oat (45g)
-2 scoopsunflavored NOW Whey Protein Isolate
-300ml milk (10oz)
-1tbsp. Honey

Calories:840 Protein:64 Carbohydrates:115 Fat:16

4. MIXED BERRY CHOCOLATE SHAKE

-300ml milk (10oz)
-1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
-150g Plain Greek yogurt
-2 scoops of unflavored NOW Whey Protein Isolate
-1/2 cup oat (45g)

Calories:777 Protein:74 Carbohydrates:84 Fat:16

5. AVOCADO SHAKE

-1/2 avocado
-1tbsp. honey
-20g oats (1/4 cup)
-1 banana
-300ml milk (10oz)
-2 scoop of unflavored NOW Whey Protein Isolate

Calories:806 Protein:59 Carbohydrates:95 Fat:25

6. PEANUT BUTTER CUP SHAKE

-2 scoops ofunflavored NOW Whey Protein Isolate
-2 tbsp. peanut butter
-1 cup plain Greek Yogurt (245g)
-300ml milk (10oz)

Calories:788 Protein67: Carbohydrates:38 Fat:45

Need help structuring your diet?

If you need help planning meals perfect for your body, check out of online coaching opportunities here!

Coach Ire will be able to help you to structure your workouts and diet for your own body type. Get an online coach to finally put some flesh on those bones.

Hardgainer shake: Summary

Let this post serve you as an inspiration to start making your own shakes. Not necessarily, do you have to follow exactly what I said. Use what you have in your kitchen and make the best out of it. Just make sure you count your calories correctly. If you are not sure how to do that, check my other blogpost here.

Most people tend to maintain weight. Their body is used to a certain number of calories per day, therefore they will eat around that. If you eat more than that, you feel too full. When eating below, we feel hungry. When we are weight training and trying to gain muscles, it is recommended to be around 500-750 kcal over your maintenance phase. Therefore, adding one of those shakes a day could be a great way for you to be in caloric surplus and get a body you always desired.