Gaining weight healthfully can be just as much of a challenge as dropping pounds and keeping them off over time. Paradoxically, following a high-protein diet can help with weight gain just as it can aid weight loss, but you need to choose higher-calorie items and eat more frequently. If soy protein is not an option for you, one way to sneak in between-meal calories is to drink shakes made with whey or plant-based protein powders.
Purpose
According to Maria Adams, R.D., of USC University Hospital, following a high-calorie and high-protein diet can help you successfully gain weight, enjoy more energy, heal from illness or infection and recover from surgery. However, if you have a soy intolerance or soy allergy, you can't look to soy protein powder to boost your daily protein intake. Fortunately, there are a variety of alternatives available, all of which offer hefty amounts of protein as well as low fat and sugar counts.
Whey Protein Powder
Whey protein powder is the most popular type of protein powder on the market, and you can find it for sale in many large grocery stores as well as in specialty markets and health food stores. According to the Whey Protein Institute, the powder is derived from cow's milk and is a byproduct of the cheese-making process; after curds are separated from whey, the whey is dehydrated and sold as powder. Whey protein powder is often flavored with artificial sweeteners or added ingredients. One 30 g scoop contains about 110 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g sugar and 23 g protein.
Plant-Based Alternatives
If you follow a vegan diet or cannot eat dairy-based products, you'll want to seek a plant-based alternative to soy protein powder. Options include soy, rice or hemp powder. The hemp product is derived from ground hemp seeds and contains the most calories at about 135, and 15 g protein per 30-g scoop. Brown rice protein powder contains around the same amount of protein in a similar serving size but has only about 110 calories. Pea protein powder, derived from golden or yellow pea kernels, contains the most protein, at 28 g and 130 calories per 30 g scoop.
Considerations
Protein powder is simply an isolated protein product, and the way you use it will help determine whether you are able to gain weight. To do so, you must increase your daily calorie intake and build up a calorie excess by eating more calories than you burn. Thus, it can help to add ingredients other than water or milk to soy-free protein shakes. Consider calorie-dense options such as nut butter, wheat germ, low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk and bananas. Before you begin any weight gain plan, get approval from your doctor.
References
- USC University Hospital; High-Calorie, High-Protein Diet; Maria Adams, MS, MPH, RD; 2011
- Whey Protein Institute; Whey Protein FAQs; 2008
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Whey Protein Powder
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Hemp Protein Powder
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Brown Rice Protein Powder
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Pea Protein Powder
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