This Avocado And Banana Smoothie For Weight Gain is a great way to start your day, as well as add a little extra to your diet. If you are looking for ways to gain weight and increase your calorie intake, this smoothie may be just what you need.
This avocado and banana smoothie is a great way to add healthy fats and protein to your diet, while providing you with a yummy and filling meal replacement. This smoothie can also be enjoyed as a snack or dessert, making it an excellent choice for weight loss
Avocado and Banana Smoothie Benefits
If you love a creamy smoothie, this one’s for you: avocado and banana combine for a thick and rich drink. Freeze your banana slices to make it more of an ice cream-style smoothie.
Casey Barber Headshot
Casey Barber
EatingWell.com, April 2021
Save
Pin
Print
More
Gallery
Avocado & Banana Smoothie
CREDIT: CASEY BARBER
Recipe Summary
Active:
10 mins
Total:
10 mins
Servings:
1
Nutrition Profile:
Dairy-Free
Egg Free
Gluten-Free
Soy-Free
Vegetarian
Nutrition Info
Ingredients
Ingredient Checklist
1 medium banana, sliced
½ avocado, pitted and sliced
2 teaspoons honey
5-6 ice cubes
.666 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut milk or almond milk
DirectionsInstructions Checklist
Step 1
Add banana, avocado, honey, ice cubes and coconut milk (or almond milk) to a blender. Blend on medium-low speed, using the tamper as necessary, until well combined.
Step 2
Increase speed to medium-high and blend until very smooth.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: about 2 1/4 cups
Per Serving: 338 calories; fat 18g; sodium 12mg; carbohydrates 48g; dietary fiber 11g; protein 3g; sugars 27g; niacin equivalents 3mg; saturated fat 5g; vitamin a iu 556IU; potassium 945mg.
Avocado and Banana Smoothie Calories
It’s a gorgeous green combo of avocado, banana, greens and a few other ingredients that will turn your breakfast into nutrient-packed satiating meal. And if you have leftovers, just pack them and serve in the afternoon to keep you full until dinner.
Pin
How To Make Avocado Banana Smoothie
Green smoothies aren’t the most appealing drinks but if you use my tips on how to make the avocado banana smoothie, the result will be a potion that will have great health benefits while also being absolutely delicious.
Pin
Keep things in balance – don’t exaggerate with banana or it will turn too sweet, not too much avocado or it will have a bland taste.
Spice-it up – adding nutrient-packed spices such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon or cardamom will add some taste depth and extra health benefits.
Load it with proteins – nut butters, beans, quinoa, protein powder or hemp will make your smoothie richer, more satiating and will create a great base for hormone production and tissue repair. Remember that our adult body requires about 1,5 grams protein per kg body weight for proper functional needs, so start building your protein reserves first thing in the morning.
Don’t skip the greens – any of your favorite greens (spinach, chard, kale) together with your algae of choice (chlorella or spirulina) will give your smoothie a great vibrant color, boost liver activity and the natural detoxification pathways.
Befriend with your gut – by adding fermented foods such as kefir or yogurt – vegan or dairy, or bee bread (fermented bee pollen).
How Does Avocado Banana Smoothie Taste Like
Pin
This avocado banana smoothie benefits come without compromising its taste.
It has a creamy, velvety texture, a spicy depth from the ginger and a bit of tartness from the kefir that perfectly balance the banana sweetness.
Is Avocado Banana Smoothie Good For Weight Loss?
I don’t recommend counting calories, but more likely have a varied diet with loads of nutrients to support your cell activity and natural detox. However, this morning drink is great if you’re watching your weight.
Don’t worry about the avocado banana smoothie calories, just keep in mind that it will keep you full until your next meal, it also works great as a snack, its nutrients boost metabolism and its healthy fats contribute to a balanced hormone production that will help lose weight the easy way.
Pin
Your body needs nutrients even if you’re on a weight loss diet, so start your day with this liquid combo of healthy ingredients that doesn’t burden your digestion, but actually improves it. It also helps the liver to eliminate toxins that stagnate in your body and fuels it with proteins to help you rebuild muscle after any workout.
If you enjoy chocolate avocado pudding, don’t miss this peanut butter avocado smoothie with dark chocolate! The idea of an avocado smoothie for weight gain may sound strange, but reserve judgment until you try it!
High calorie smoothies can be a great tool for gaining weight and eating well. Drinking your calories versus eating them may help prevent early satiety (i.e., fullness).
This strategy is basically the opposite of what I’d recommend for fat loss. The approach that is “healthiest” often depends on what you need!
Do you like free things?
Get new recipe ideas weekly, our 5-Day Air Fryer Quick Start Guide, and more totally FREE exclusive goodies!
First Name
First Name
Email
Email
We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
While I was creating this recipe, I was thinking about the groups of people who might want to put on weight. Most tend to think about weight loss when we talk about weight management. However, healthy weight gain and healthy weight maintenance are part of the picture too.
What’s cool about dietitians is that we work with you to create solutions to help you out, whatever your needs are. Some of us can benefit from high calorie drinks for weight gain. Others may have different goals and nutritional needs.
It would be so easy if we could just hand everyone the same meal plan and be set for the day. However, we all have different diet preferences, medical needs, budgets, and other factors that play into our food choices. Good nutrition advice is rarely one-size-fits-all!
Jump to:
What are the calories, net carbs, and protein?
One serving of this avocado smoothie for weight gain provides 688 calories, 65.9 grams net carbs, and 19.3 grams protein. This doesn’t include any smoothie toppings you choose to add, such as whipped cream and chopped nuts.
whipped cream and cherry topping
️ Who needs weight gain smoothies?
Here are a few of the groups who may benefit from high calorie smoothies for weight gain:
People undergoing medical treatments that cause nausea: As a cancer survivor, stopping unintending weight loss during treatments was what was most optimal. Chemotherapy can definitely make eating enough more difficult.
Individuals with certain medical conditions: There are a number of medical issues where a person may have trouble maintaining or gaining weight. Certain eating disorders, type 1 diabetes, hyperemesis gravidarum, certain GI disorders… always check in with your physician if you are struggling with unintentional weight loss. Sometimes just throwing some high-calorie snacks at the problem won’t cut it.
The bodybuilding and fitness community: Bodybuilders often have specific energy and macronutrient targets to help them build muscle and lose body fat. In some cases, high-calorie and high-protein smoothies are a good fit for their diet plan. (This avocado smoothie recipe is likely not high enough in protein for this group.)
Children and teens: Picky eating in younger children is extremely common and athletic teens have very high energy needs. Supporting healthy growth and development with healthy high-calorie snacks can be an important nutritional strategy for these groups. They may have difficulty eating enough to meet their energy needs with meals alone. It can be tough with certain picky eaters to ensure they are taking in enough calories without heavily relying on nutrient-poor foods.
The elderly: As we age, we’re more likely to lose lean body mass or develop chronic diseases that lead to underweight status. Poor dentition can make eating a balanced diet of solid foods more challenging.
Benefits
What are some of the nutrition benefits of this avocado smoothie for weight gain? Here you go:
Healthy fats: This smoothie is packed with healthy plant-based fats from the avocado and peanut butter. Fats pack a lot of calories into a small weight, helpful when making high calorie smoothies. Compared to protein and carbs which each offer 4 calories per gram, fats offer 9 calories per gram.
Protein: Milk and peanut butter are the main sources of protein here. Since protein tends to be a very filling macronutrient, I went lower on the protein (relative to calories) with this one. The idea is to prevent you from feeling full too early.
Fiber: It’s not lovely to talk about in a recipe post, but poor eating habits can sometimes lead to uncomfortable digestive experiences. This smoothie is packed with fiber that may help to alleviate these issues. It’s the fruits here (the dates and avocado) that are the main sources of fiber.
No Added Sugar: It can be quite easy to heavily rely on added sugar when trying to increase calories. This smoothie uses pureed dates for sweetness instead. The dates provide an assortment of essential vitamins and minerals, unlike table sugar (which provides calories but little else).
Potassium: While this smoothie provides a variety of essential nutrients, it’s especially rich in potassium. Potassium can help you to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It’s critical for healthy heart and kidney function.
Tastes good: When we’re trying to encourage someone to eat more, great taste becomes more important than ever. It doesn’t matter how many nutrients a food or recipe provides if no one is willing to eat it! This peanut butter avocado smoothie tastes like a decadent dessert.
avocado chocolate shake
Ingredients
There are a number of healthful, whole food options that can help if you are having trouble gaining weight. Here are some of the high-calorie foods I have used to make an avocado weight gain smoothie:
Avocado (250-350 calories per avocado)
Peanut Butter (180-200 calories per 2 tablespoons)
Medjool Date Paste (140 calories per 2 fresh dates)
Milk (Calories depend on fat content. I used 2% milk because it’s what I always have on hand. Use whole milk to increase the calories more.)
Cinnamon
Dark Cocoa Powder
high calorie smoothie ingredients weight gain smoothies
The cinnamon and cocoa powder aren’t used in large enough quantities to be considered high in calories. Dark cocoa powder was the magic ingredient that managed to cover up both the green color and the taste of avocado. My family approved, and I think you will too.
My intention here was to create a recipe for a high-calorie smoothie that tastes like a dessert. Since this high-calorie recipe is supposed to help if you’re having trouble eating enough, it must be amazingly delicious. If you want an even more dessert-like smoothie, consider adding some toppings:
Whipped cream
Crushed nuts
Cherry
crushed peanuts on high cal smoothie
Make the whipped cream in this Strawberry Shortcake recipe for a no added sugar whipped topping. It’s made with heavy cream (50 calories per tablespoon), so it will add a lot of calories to your smoothie.
As you can see, I wasn’t willing to compromise on the nutrition aspects of this healthy smoothie. I wanted it to be made with whole foods and no added sugar.
What you get is a very high calorie smoothie, with almost 700 calories per serving.
Equipment
The main thing you need to make this avocado smoothie for weight gain is a food processor or a high-powered blender. Basically, you need something strong enough to completely puree the dates and avocado.
A good knife is handy for chopping dates and avocado, as well as any nut toppings you use. I also like to have large-width straws (boba straws or the straws used for bubble tea). This smoothie is really too thick to drink using a regular straw.
How to Make High Calorie Smoothies
If you think you’re game for a chocolatey smoothie with peanut butter and avocado, let’s do this. Freeze those slightly overripe avocados and break out the food processor. We’ll be snacking in no time!
By the way, did you forget to freeze your avocados? No worries! Peeled and chopped avocados are now readily available in the freezer section of many major supermarkets. So convenient!
Start this smoothie recipe by setting a small pot of water to boil. While the water heats up, pit and chop the Medjool dates. Pour a small amount of boiling water over the dates and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Put the dates and water into your food processor and blend it into a smooth date paste. You may need to scrape down the sides of the processor with a spatula several times if the dates are sticking to the sides.
Add the frozen avocado, peanut butter, milk, cinnamon, and cocoa powder to the food processor with the date puree. Blend everything together until smooth.
Divide the smoothie into two tall glasses and top with whipped cream, chopped peanuts, and a maraschino cherry (if desired). Enjoy one of the best high-calorie peanut butter avocado weight gain smoothies around!
peanut butter avocado smoothie for weight gain
Note: As with many of my recipes, I made several versions of this avocado peanut butter smoothie before posting this recipe. An earlier version did not include the dark cocoa powder. The avocados turned the smoothie a pea-green color.
I liked the taste of this one. Unfortunately, my family really wasn’t having it. The unique color of the smoothie, along with the avocado taste, was not working for them. Still, I thought I’d mention it as an option for those who dislike chocolate.
no added sugar smoothie peanut butter avocado
You could also skip the cinnamon if you choose. (Personally, I love it in there!)
Other High Calorie Foods for Weight Gain
If you don’t like avocado and peanut butter, many other high-fat ingredients can help you to create a high-calorie smoothie. Here are a few ideas for high-fat foods to get you started:
Other nut and seed butters
Other nuts and seeds (such as chia seeds or hemp hearts)
Added fats such as coconut oil (added fats and oils are some of the highest calorie foods by volume)
Full-fat coconut milk
Heavy cream
6% Cottage cheese (Good Culture’s double cream cottage cheese might just be the best tasting cottage cheese ever IMVHO!)
I included a balance of macronutrients in this chocolate avocado smoothie recipe. Protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats are all represented here. The dates and milk are the main sources of carbs in this smoothie.
Some people find that sweetness helps with nausea or helps them to eat in general. (I always find this true for myself after a surgery.) If you don’t mind the added sugars, here are some sugary options for increasing calories in smoothies:
Ice cream
Fruit concentrates
Juice concentrates
Honey
Maple syrup
Most fruits and vegetables aren’t very high in calories (e.g., strawberries, kale, etc.). Banana, thickened applesauce or pear sauce, or potato flakes can add more body to a smoothie and more calories.
Here are a few more ideas for protein in a high calorie smoothie:
Protein powder
Dry milk powder
Peanut powder
Cottage cheese (also mentioned with the fats above)
Depending on the strength of your blender or food processor, you could also use add-ins such as quinoa flakes and oatmeal. Make sure to balance your dry ingredients with enough liquid to make it a drinkable consistency.
What are some of your favorite high-energy smoothie additions? You can let me know by leaving a comment below.
Other Smoothies for Weight Gain
Are you looking for weight gain shakes you can buy from a store? Check out Raw Generation’s Protein Smoothie Variety Pack.
These smoothies are in the same spirit as my homemade weight gain smoothie. They use a combination of nuts, plus dates and other fruits for smoothies with no sugar added. Please note that these are NOT complete meal replacement shakes; they’re meant to be snacks only.
The Raw Generation smoothies are entirely plant-based and at 200-400 calories per serving, relatively high calorie smoothies without protein powder. The Cacao Hemp flavor appears to be the best choice for protein, with 16 grams per 12-ounce bottle.
You could also make protein shakes for weight gain using protein powder. Whole Foods Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate is a good unsweetened protein powder that is NSF certified. (Unflavored, with 25 grams protein per 28.5 gram serving.)
Naked Pea is an unsweetened vegan protein powder made from yellow pea protein. (27 grams protein per 30 gram serving.) The nutrient values of this product have been verified by third party testing.
Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Both low calorie and high calorie recipes can be healthiest, depending on your goals. I hope I’ve shown you here how a smoothie with healthy ingredients can be a good choice for gaining weight.
When someone who is overweight tells me they primarily eat healthily, I believe them. It’s not too difficult to maintain a calorie excess by including a lot of the energy-dense healthy food choices. Focusing on these same foods can help someone who wants to gain weight.
One serving of this healthy smoothie has more calories than a decent-sized meal. It’s a super avocado smoothie recipe for weight gain.
To bump the calories up even more, garnish the smoothie with the optional peanuts and whipped cream. You can also swap the 2% milk for whole milk.
One more thing: this smoothie is super thick! I recommend serving it with either a spoon or extra-wide smoothie straws. I’ve linked to the straws I use in the equipment section above.