Are you planning to gain weight and bulk up? Weight gain is as difficult as losing weight. Both take time and effort to achieve the ultimate goal. In addition, both ways need exercise and a healthy diet.
When it comes to gaining weight, your exercise should be more on lifting heavy tools and eating carbs, fat, and protein. Protein is known for helping muscle repair and growth, which can help repair your muscles after long hours of working out.
In this article, we’ll share some of the high-protein recipes you should try for your weight gain journey.
1. Protein-Packed Pancakes
Start your day right with protein-packed pancakes. If you enjoy a sweet breakfast instead of savoury, pancakes can help you achieve your ideal amount of protein and other essential nutrients per day.
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
½ cup protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt
¼ cup water or milk
Butter or oil (for cooking)
Optional toppings: honey, berries, almonds, and banana slices
How to cook:
Using a blender, turn the oats into powder, which will serve as the flour. Once powderise, transfer in a bowl, and combine with the other dry ingredients (protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mash the bananas, and combine the other wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla extract, and milk or water.
After that, combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix until there are no lumps (except for the mashed bananas), and avoid overmixing.
Heat the pan, add butter or oil, and start making the pancakes.
Serve hot, and don’t forget to add some toppings for extra flavour, texture, and nutrients.
2. Chicken and Black Bean Bowl
Are you looking for a simple yet nutritious dish that can help you gain more energy for a busy day? Since you’re planning to gain weight, chicken breast and black beans can be your protein for the day.
Ingredients:
Base:
1 cup black beans
1 cup cooked quinoa or steamed rice
½ cup shredded chicken breast
¼ cup bell peppers
⅛ cup sliced avocados
¼ cup tomatoes
Optional toppings:
Corn
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped cilantro
Chopped lettuce
Dressing:
¼ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
Half lime juice
Salt and pepper (to taste)
How to make:
In a bowl, combine cooked quinoa or rice, black beans, shredded chicken breast, bell peppers, sliced avocados, and tomatoes.
Add some of the optional toppings, as desired.
In a small bowl, combine lime juice, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and salt and pepper.
Then, drizzle the dressing into the main bowl, and toss everything until well combined.
Serve immediately.
3. Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette)
You may be familiar with Tortilla Española if you’ve visited Spanish restaurants. It’s usually served as tapas or an afternoon snack. You can eat it by itself or as a sandwich (Bocadilla de Tortilla).
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 large potato (sliced into cubes)
¼ cup chopped white onion
⅛ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
How to cook:
In a bowl, beat the eggs and set aside.
Preheat the pan, and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, panfry the potatoes, and season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
After about 6 minutes, add the onions, and stir until both are slightly brown.
Then, add the eggs, and flip once you notice that the bottom is already cooked.
Serve with bread or as it is.
4. High-Protein Smoothie
Do you love smoothies? If you do, you might already have a lot of recipes to make every day. But if you’re looking for a simple yet high-protein smoothie, you should try the recipe below!
Ingredients:
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup milk of your choice
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup frozen berries
1 tbsp peanut butter
Honey (to taste)
How to make:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
When done, serve in a glass and top with more berries, if desired.
5. Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Are you looking for a high-protein snack that’s also easy to prepare? You should try making roasted chickpeas.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas (you can cook it yourself or use canned, but make sure to drain and rinse)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Fine salt (to taste)
Optional: curry powder, paprika, and other spices available
How to make:
Preheat the oven to 392°F
Put parchment paper on your baking tray, and spread the chickpeas. Make sure they’re all dry.
Drizzle the chickpeas with olive oil
Roast the chickpeas for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and season with salt and preferred spices.
You can serve it when cooled, or store it for up to two days.
Final Thoughts
When gaining weight, thinking of the right meals that have all the nutrients you need can be too much. If you’re going to try the recipes above, make sure to consume other meals within the day that can balance your diet.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aliana Baraquio is a web content writer who also loves cooking dishes from different countries. If you want to experience a Barcelona-style restaurant that serves high-quality food, and a modern, contemporary, fresh feel from the south of Europe, visit TAST Catala Spanish Restaurant.