What juices make you gain weight? A Guide to Strategic Sipping

October 15, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2024 meta-analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics, there is an association between the consumption of 100% fruit juice and weight gain, particularly in children and in adults when calorie intake is not accounted for. For those looking to increase their calorie intake for healthy weight gain, understanding what juices make you gain weight is key, but it is important to focus on nutrient-dense options rather than empty calories.

Quick Summary

Certain high-calorie fruits and ingredients can be blended into smoothies to increase weight, but pure juice is often high in sugar and low in fiber. To gain weight healthily, combine nutrient-rich ingredients like avocados, bananas, and nut butters with protein sources in strategic liquid form.

Key Points

High-Calorie Fruits: Fruits like avocado, banana, and mango are calorie-dense options for weight gain smoothies.
Blend, Don't Juice: For healthier weight gain, blend whole fruits instead of juicing to retain beneficial fiber and control sugar spikes.
Boost with Extras: Add ingredients like nut butter, whole milk, Greek yogurt, or protein powder to increase the calorie, protein, and fat content of your drink.
Part of a Balanced Plan: For best results, incorporate high-calorie drinks as part of a balanced diet that includes regular meals and strength-training exercise.
Avoid Empty Calories: Be mindful of overly sugary, pre-packaged juices and opt for homemade blends to ensure you are getting quality, nutrient-rich calories.

The Calorie Equation: How Juices Promote Weight Gain

Healthy weight gain, like weight loss, relies on a basic principle: consuming more calories than your body expends daily. For some, meeting this calorie surplus through solid food alone can be challenging due to a small appetite or other dietary restrictions. High-calorie liquids, such as juices and smoothies, offer an efficient way to add extra calories without feeling overly full. However, the type of liquid calorie matters significantly. Whole fruit, when consumed in its entirety, provides fiber that promotes satiety and slows sugar absorption, while pure juice can lead to rapid blood sugar spikes and fat storage. Therefore, a strategic approach involves leveraging high-calorie liquid bases and fortifying them with nutrient-dense additions.

High-Calorie Ingredients for Your Blends

To effectively increase your calorie intake, focus on a blend of nutrient-dense fruits, healthy fats, and protein sources.

Fruits with high caloric density:

Avocado: Rich in healthy fats, avocados offer a substantial calorie boost and a creamy texture to smoothies. Half a medium avocado can provide around 130 calories.
Banana: A staple in weight-gain smoothies, bananas are high in carbs and calories. They provide a quick energy source and sweetness.
Mango: This fruit is a rich source of natural sugars and can significantly increase the calorie count and flavor of a juice or smoothie.
Dates and Dried Fruits: Concentrated in natural sugar and calories, dried fruits like dates are excellent for adding a high-calorie, natural sweetener to your blend.
Coconut Cream/Milk: Coconut products, especially coconut cream or milk, are dense in healthy fats and calories, making them ideal bases for weight-gain drinks.

Fortifying add-ins:

Whole Milk and Yogurt: Using whole milk or full-fat Greek yogurt as a base adds protein, calcium, and fat, making your drink more balanced and calorie-dense.
Nut Butters: A tablespoon or two of peanut, almond, or walnut butter can add almost 100-200 extra calories, plus healthy fats and protein.
Protein Powder: A scoop of whey or plant-based protein powder is a simple way to boost the protein content, which is crucial for muscle building.
Seeds: Adding a tablespoon of chia, hemp, or flax seeds provides healthy fats and fiber, which helps slow sugar absorption.

Juicing vs. Blending: Why Fiber Matters

When making your own high-calorie liquid, the debate between juicing and blending is critical for healthy weight gain. Juicing extracts only the liquid, discarding the fiber, while blending incorporates the entire fruit or vegetable. This distinction is vital for several reasons:

Fiber and Satiety: Fiber helps you feel full, which is typically undesirable when trying to gain weight. However, fiber also slows down the absorption of sugar, preventing unhealthy blood sugar spikes that can lead to insulin resistance over time.
Nutrient Profile: While juice provides vitamins and minerals, blending the whole fruit or vegetable retains more nutrients and the fiber, creating a more complete and healthier drink.
Calorie Density: Since juicing removes fiber, it creates a much more concentrated sugar and calorie load, which can be easily overconsumed. Blending, while still high-calorie, is more satiating, making it easier to manage total intake healthily.

For a sustainable and healthy approach, focusing on nutrient-dense smoothies that retain fiber is often the better strategy. They allow for a more gradual, balanced intake of calories and nutrients.

Comparison of High-Calorie Smoothie Components


Ingredient	Calories (per 100g)	Primary Macronutrient	Notes
Avocado	~160 kcal	Healthy Fats	Adds creamy texture and significant calories.
Banana	~89 kcal	Carbohydrates	Provides natural sweetness and is easy to blend.
Mango	~60 kcal	Carbohydrates/Sugar	High in natural sugars, good for energy boost.
Dates (dried)	~282 kcal	Sugar/Carbohydrates	Very high-calorie natural sweetener.
Whole Milk	~61 kcal	Protein/Fat	Excellent high-calorie liquid base.
Greek Yogurt (whole milk)	~97 kcal	Protein/Fat	Adds protein and probiotics.
Peanut Butter	~588 kcal	Protein/Fat	High in calories, adds protein and flavor.
Whey Protein Powder	~380 kcal (avg.)	Protein	Boosts protein content significantly.

Example High-Calorie Smoothie Recipes

1. The Classic Peanut Butter Banana Shake

Ingredients: 2 bananas, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup whole milk, a handful of ice cubes.
Instructions: Blend all ingredients until smooth. This rich, creamy shake offers a solid calorie and protein punch.

2. The Tropical Avocado Mango Smoothie

Ingredients: 1 ripe avocado, 1 cup of chopped mango, 1 cup of coconut milk, 1-2 tbsp of honey or dates.
Instructions: Blend until creamy. The healthy fats from the avocado combined with the natural sugars from the mango and coconut provide a delicious and effective weight-gain blend.

The Role of Juices in a Comprehensive Weight Gain Plan

Simply adding high-calorie drinks is not a complete weight gain strategy. For sustainable and healthy results, these drinks should complement a balanced diet and regular exercise, particularly strength training. Resistance exercise helps build muscle mass, ensuring the extra calories contribute to lean mass rather than just fat. Incorporate these nutrient-dense shakes as snacks between meals or as a post-workout recovery drink. It is also important to eat three solid, nutritious meals a day, focusing on larger portions and adding calorie-dense toppings like nuts, seeds, and grated cheese.

Conclusion: Strategic Sipping for Success

While pure juices offer a quick calorie and nutrient boost, they should be approached with caution due to their high sugar content and lack of fiber. A more effective and healthier strategy for those wondering what juices make you gain weight is to focus on nutrient-rich smoothies. By blending whole fruits like bananas and avocados with protein sources such as nut butters and whole milk, you can create a balanced, calorie-dense drink that supports healthy and sustainable weight gain. Remember to pair these beverages with a comprehensive diet and exercise plan for the best results, prioritizing overall nutrition and well-being over empty calories.

One-Time Offer: Free Weight Gain Meal Plan

Ready to put these smoothie recipes to the test? Learn more about creating a complete and healthy weight gain meal plan with expert guidance from the NHS. Healthy ways to gain weight - NHS

Frequently Asked Questions

Juicing extracts only the liquid, stripping away the fruit's fiber and leading to a concentrated sugar drink that can cause blood sugar spikes. Blending uses the whole fruit, preserving the fiber, which promotes more balanced nutrient absorption and healthier calorie intake for weight gain.

While 100% fruit juice contains calories and can contribute to weight gain, it's often high in sugar and lacks fiber, similar to soda. Overconsumption can lead to unhealthy fat gain rather than muscle mass. Opting for homemade, nutrient-dense smoothies is a healthier strategy.

To increase calorie density, add high-calorie ingredients such as nut butters (peanut, almond), whole milk, full-fat Greek yogurt, protein powder, or healthy fats like avocado or seeds.

Drinking high-calorie liquids between meals can prevent you from feeling too full to eat solid food at your next meal. They are also effective as a post-workout drink to aid muscle recovery and growth.

No. While high-calorie juices provide energy, gaining lean muscle mass requires sufficient protein intake and resistance training. Smoothies fortified with protein powder, nuts, and yogurt are more effective when combined with a proper exercise regimen.

For healthy fats, add avocado, nut butters, coconut milk or cream, and seeds like chia, hemp, or flax. These ingredients are calorie-dense and provide essential fatty acids.

Yes, especially in pure fruit juices which are very concentrated in sugar and lack fiber. Excess sugar can be converted to body fat. By making smoothies with whole fruits and fiber-rich add-ins, you can slow sugar absorption and promote healthier weight gain.