Everyone’s got an opinion when you’re underweight. Eat more rice. Have another roti. Drink milk before bed. None of it really works, does it? You end up forcing food down out of obligation, not hunger and the scale doesn’t move an inch. It’s exhausting, honestly, especially when the entire internet seems obsessed with the opposite problem.
Here’s what actually works better than piling more food on your plate: high calorie drinks for weight gain. Not fizzy ones, not the sugary stuff from a shop, but ones you make yourself with real ingredients. A good shake can quietly do what three extra rotis can’t.
Why Drinks Actually Help With Weight Gain
Think about the last time someone told you to “just eat more.” Solid food fills you up. Fast. If your appetite’s small to begin with or your metabolism runs high, you hit a wall pretty quickly. Drinks don’t have that problem. A glass of the right shake slides down easily and still hands you 400, sometimes 600 calories without your stomach protesting.
There’s also the timing thing. Liquids move through your system faster than a full plate of food does, so you’re not lying there bloated an hour later regretting it. You can squeeze one in between meals, right after you train, whenever really and it won’t mess with your appetite for the next actual meal.
One warning, though. Not everything liquid and sweet counts as “healthy.” A milkshake made with ice cream and syrup will absolutely add calories, no argument there, but it’s mostly sugar and fat with nothing your muscles can use. You’ll pack on weight, sure, just not the kind most people are actually going for.
10 Drinks Worth Trying
1. Banana and Peanut Butter Milkshake
A classic and probably the easiest one to start with. Blend 1 cup (250ml) full-fat milk, 1 ripe banana, 1.5 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 teaspoon honey until smooth. No cooking, no waiting, just blend and drink. It takes about two minutes.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 480 kcal |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbs | 48 g |
| Sugar | 32 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
2. Dry Fruit and Date Shake
Ask any Pakistani grandmother about weight gain and this is probably the first thing she’ll say. Soak 4 dates, 6 almonds and 6 cashews overnight in water. In the morning, drain and blend everything with 1 cup (250ml) milk and a pinch of cardamom until smooth. The dates give natural sweetness, so no added sugar is needed and the nuts bring in healthy fats.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 380 kcal |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbs | 45 g |
| Sugar | 34 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
3. Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie
Good if you’re at the gym regularly. Blend 1 cup (250ml) milk, 1 banana, 1 scoop (about 25g) chocolate protein powder (or 2 tablespoons khoya for a desi twist) and 1 tablespoon peanut butter until thick and smooth. Works well within 30 to 45 minutes after a workout, when your body’s more receptive to absorbing protein.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 430 kcal |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Carbs | 40 g |
| Sugar | 26 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
4. Avocado Smoothie
Avocados don’t get enough credit in Pakistani kitchens. Blend half a ripe avocado (about 100g) with 1 cup (200ml) milk, 1 banana and 1 teaspoon honey. It comes out thick, almost pudding-like and is surprisingly gentle on the stomach even close to bedtime.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 400 kcal |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Carbs | 40 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
5. Mango Lassi (Full-Fat)
Your everyday lassi can double as a weight-gain drink with a few tweaks. Blend 0.5 cup full-fat yogurt, 0.25 cup whole milk, 1 cup chopped fresh mango and 1 teaspoon honey if needed. It’s a dessert that’s quietly doing you a favor and an easy sell for kids or elders who resist “weight gain shakes.”
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 350 kcal |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbs | 45 g |
| Sugar | 38 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
6. Oats and Milk Smoothie
Soak 3 tablespoons of oats in 1 cup (250ml) warm milk for ten minutes or cook them lightly on the stove. Once cooled, blend with 1 banana and 1 teaspoon honey or 1 tablespoon peanut butter. The oats bring slow-digesting carbs, so you get steady energy instead of a quick sugar spike and crash.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 420 kcal |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Carbs | 60 g |
| Sugar | 30 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
7. Green Weight-Gain Smoothie
Yes, it has spinach in it. No, you won’t taste it. Blend a handful of spinach with half an avocado, banana, milk and a scoop of protein powder, running the blender a little longer so nothing stringy sneaks through. Somehow the banana and avocado just take over completely.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 420 kcal |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Carbs | 38 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
8. Khoya and Almond Milkshake
A bit old-fashioned, but it’s stood the test of time. Blend 1 cup (200ml) milk with 2 tablespoons khoya, 8 soaked almonds and a touch of cardamom. Families have relied on this for generations to help picky kids and elderly relatives who can’t manage large meals.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 380 kcal |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Carbs | 28 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
9. Berry Greek Yogurt Shake
Blend 0.5 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt with 0.5 cup mixed berries, 1 teaspoon honey and a small splash (about 50ml) of milk. It’s lighter on calories than the rest of the list but higher in protein, making it a good mid-morning option between meals.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 280 kcal |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbs | 30 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
10. Homemade Mass Gainer Shake
Basically a store-bought mass gainer, minus the price and the ingredients you can’t pronounce. Milk, banana, two tablespoons of peanut butter, some oats, honey. Blend it a bit longer so it doesn’t turn gritty. This is the heaviest one on the list, so one glass a day usually does the job.
| Nutrient | Approx. per serving |
| Calories | 600 kcal |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Carbs | 65 g |
| Sugar | 35 g |
| Fat | 26 g |
How Many Should You Actually Have?
One or two a day. That’s it. Chugging five of these hoping to speed things up usually just backfires, either you feel sick of them within a week or your stomach starts rejecting the idea altogether.
Space them out, have one between meals, maybe another after training. Just don’t drink one right before you’re about to eat or you’ll end up eating less at the actual meal, which cancels out the whole point.
A Word of Caution
Not everyone should just jump into piling on calories. Sometimes being underweight points to an underlying issue of thyroid or digestive problems rather than simply “not eating enough,” so it’s worth getting checked first.
The Mayo Clinic recommends nutrient-dense foods and gradual calorie increases over sudden overeating and the National Institutes of Health notes that pairing extra calories with resistance training gets noticeably better results. If you’ve got a medical condition, are pregnant or are gaining or losing weight without trying to, talk to a dietitian first.
Pairing These Drinks With the Right Diet Plan
These drinks work best as part of a bigger plan, not just something random you add to your day. If you train or play sports, check out our guide on sports nutrition for athletes in Pakistan. And if you’d rather skip the guesswork and get something built for your body and routine, that’s what our weight gain nutrition services at DaebakDiet are for.
FAQs
1. How long before I see results?
Somewhere around 2 to 4 weeks if you’re consistent. This isn’t an overnight thing.
2. Can these replace an actual meal?
No. They’re meant to sit alongside your meals, adding calories, not standing in for real food.
3. I’m lactose intolerant, can I still make these?
Sure, swap regular milk for almond, soy or lactose-free versions. You’ll probably need a bit more peanut butter or oats to make up for the lower calories in plant milk.
4. Will I just end up bloated all the time?
Not if you keep it to one or two a day. If bloating does become an issue, cut back on the dairy-heavy ones for a while and stick to the plant-based options instead.
5. Do I need to work out for this to actually build muscle?
Yes, ideally. Extra calories alone just mean weight gain, they don’t decide whether that weight becomes muscle or fat. That part comes down to whether you’re lifting or training at all.
Conclusion
None of this is complicated. 10 drinks, ingredients you probably already have and a bit of patience. Pair it with real meals and some strength training and the scale will start moving eventually.
Disclaimer: This blog is only for general information purposes. Please consult a dietitian for customized meal plans — book a free consultation with our team at DaebakDiet.
