Weight gainer protein supplements are expensive and often cause digestive issues. By taking the time to make your own, you can control the ingredients (which typically alleviates the digestive problems) and save a lot of money.
As it is, bulking is a costly process because of the high weekly grocery bill. Shakes are typically a part of any routine, no matter the end goal, so the opportunity to save on them should be taken advantage of.
The ingredients in the shake below are inexpensive and truly add something to it. Mass gainer supplements typically are just whey protein and 100+ grams of sugar. By selecting your own ingredients you can get more bang for your buck not only with cost, but also nutritional value.
The 6 ingredients in this weight gainer shake are outlined below along with cost per serving.
Whole Milk
Why use water as the base of your shake when you can get easy calories and protein from milk? Milk is often unfairly scrutinized by the anti-dairy community making tenuous at best links between dairy and health issues. The only reason to truly avoid milk is if you have a lactose intolerance, and even then there is an increasing supply of lactose-free options.
Along with adding extra calories and protein, milk will improve the taste and consistency of a shake. The cost is based on a 12 oz. serving, since the usual 8 likely wouldn’t suffice for a mass gainer shake with multiple ingredients.
Cost: $0.21
Protein Powder
There are levels of protein powders, but you really just need to hit a basic threshold to get the full benefits. Is a whey isolate technically higher quality than a whey concentrate? Yes. Will it make a noticeable difference in your physique? Highly doubtful. Because of this you can choose a reasonably priced protein and still experience the benefit.
Nowadays many proteins have an amino acid breakdown on the label. This will show you exactly how much of each amino acid there is per scoop. Leucine is the most important amino as it is the driver for protein synthesis (muscle growth). You want about 3g of leucine per serving.
For the purpose of this weight gainer shake we are using Dymatize whey, which is a quality brand with a good price. But you can use any type of whey so long as it meets the leucine threshold.
Cost: $0.87
Banana
Bananas are an inexpensive source of carbohydrates that taste good and blend easily in a shake; hard to beat that combo. When making a mass gainer, sometimes we look to just pack in as many calories as possible and ignore nutrition. Bananas are a great source of potassium with a decent array of vitamins and minerals. In addition they contain 3g of fiber, which is particularly important on a bulking diet where you’ll be consuming a greater bolus of food each day.
Bananas are only about 50 cents per pound, and I’ve even seen them as low at 19 cents in places like Target and Walmart. The price below is for one banana using the 50 cents per pound price tag.
Cost: $0.14
Peanut Butter
Nut butters are one of the best, calorie dense food sources for a bulk. Peanut butter is an inexpensive option, even if you choose the natural variety without hydrogenated oils. Those are typically only about 50 cents more than the conventional peanut butter depending on the brand.
Peanut butter is an easy way to add calories but you still want to be smart about it. You should always measure your food, especially a fat source like peanut butter. Eyeballing the serving size can easily turn 200 calories into 600. Bulking is about systematically adding calories to the diet; it isn’t just a free for all.
The cost below is based on one 32g serving.
Cost: $0.19
Creatine
From a supplement perspective, creatine monohydrate is one of the best things you can take when looking to add muscle. Creatine increases strength, workout performance, and muscle mass.
The ironic thing about this great supplement is that it’s cheap! This 120 serving container is under $20. At a serving per day, it would last 4 months. Add one serving to your shake, it’s flavorless and will blend up just fine.
Cost: $0.14
Granola
What’s a bulking diet without a little fun? Granola is a tasty, calorie dense addition to shakes, yogurt, cereal, etc.
Obviously granola won’t completely blend like powders or fruit would, but they add an interesting texture. It’s reasonably priced and an easy source of calories.
Cost: $0.41
Total Cost: $1.96
Total Calories: 850
Protein: 40g