How Does Boost Nutrition Drink Help You Gain Weight?

If you're looking to gain weight, Boost drinks and other nutrition drinks can provide extra calories in an easily consumed beverage. Boost nutritional drinks also have the added benefit of vitamins and minerals.

A nutrition drink is a specially formulated beverage that provides various nutrients like carbohydrates, fats and protein. According to Harvard Health, nutrition drinks are useful for people struggling with low appetite, people who have trouble chewing solid food and people recovering from illness or a tough surgery. If you want to add a nutrition drink to your meal plan, check with your doctor to see whether it can interfere with medications you're taking.

Some people might use nutrition drinks to gain weight by increasing their daily calorie intake. Using a nutrition drink as a snack or mini-meal between meals can help you get in more calories. There are various brands available, including Boost drinks, Ensure and Glucerna.

Boost drinks are typically intended for a snack between meals, according to Boost.com. There are various Boost nutrition drinks, shakes, mixes and other products.

Boost Original Nutritional Drink provides 240 calories per serving in an 8-fluid-ounce bottle. Each serving provides 10 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, 41 grams of carbs (including 3 grams of fiber and 20 grams of sugars) and 26 different vitamins and minerals.

If you're eating 2,000 calories per day, one serving of Boost Original Nutritional Drink will provide you with 100 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C and vitamin E and 60 percent of vitamin D. There are four flavor options: "Rich chocolate," "Creamy Strawberry," "Very Vanilla" and "Peaches and Crème."

Two other popular Boost drinks are Boost High Protein and Boost Plus. Boost High Protein provides 240 calories in 8 fluid ounces. It contains 20 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbohydrates (0 grams of fiber and 15 grams of sugar) and 26 different vitamins and minerals.

Assuming you eat 2,000 calories per day, one serving of Boost High Protein will provide you with 100 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C and vitamin E and 60 percent of vitamin D. The three flavors available are "Rich Chocolate," "Creamy Strawberry" and "Very Vanilla."

Boost Plus provides 360 calories, 14 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbohydrate (including 3 grams of fiber and 24 grams of sugar) and 14 grams of protein in 8 fluid ounces. Assuming you eat 2,000 calories per day, one serving of Boost Plus will provide you with 100 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C and vitamin E and 60 percent of vitamin D. The available flavors are "Rich Chocolate," "Creamy Strawberry" and "Very Vanilla."

‌Read more:‌ Are Boost Nutritional Drinks Good for You?

Boost Plus contains more calories than other Boost products, so it might be the preferred choice if you're trying to gain weight. According to Boost, the product's calories and protein content "may help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight." Plus, the nutrition drink contains a number of essential vitamins and minerals.

If you're taking Boost Plus for weight gain, it should be just one part of a meal plan that includes balanced, nutritious meals. You can speak to your doctor or dietitian about your plans to gain weight and figure out how many calories you should eat per day.

Planning meals and snacks ahead of time will make it easier to stick to your meal plan, and Boost drinks can be a great option for consuming extra calories when you're on the go.

Another Boost product that might help with weight gain is a protein mix powder that you can use as part of a shake or another drink. If you mix one serving of Boost High Protein Drink Mix with 1 cup of 2-percent milk, the resulting shake provides 270 calories, 5 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein, 43 grams of carbs and 35 grams of sugars. It also contains 22 vitamins and minerals.

If you eat 2,000 calories per day, one serving of Boost High Protein Drink Mix will provide you with 140 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C. To increase the calorie count, you could mix the drink powder with whole milk. You could also use the protein drink mix to make a healthy smoothie with calorie-rich ingredients like natural nut butter, full-fat yogurt or coconut milk.

‌Read more:‌ Side Effects of Boost High Protein Drinks

The Mayo Clinic offers a number of helpful suggestions on how to safely put on weight. Your goal should be to steadily add weight over time, not to add pounds all at once.

• Eat several small meals rather than three large ones. Eating regularly throughout the day can help you consume more calories. Opt for small amounts of calorie-rich foods instead of large amounts of low-calorie foods. The Mayo Clinic recommends five to six small meals each day.

• Choose satisfying, calorie-rich snacks. Options include a handful of nuts, half an avocado, nut butter, cheese and dried fruit.

• Don't overdo it on sugar and fat. When you're trying to consume more calories, large quantities of sugar-laden treats and fatty foods like gelato and fried chicken might seem like a good idea. The occasional treat is no big deal, and the Cleveland Clinic recommends easy ways to make your favorite treats a tad more healthy. Just don't rely on high-calorie, processed foods to hit your daily calorie goal.

• Don't rely solely on nutrition drinks. For example, taking Boost Plus for weight gain is all well and good, but the drink shouldn't replace meals. Instead, it should supplement a healthy diet.

• Keep up with your exercise. It may seem counterintuitive, but it's important to exercise when you're trying to gain weight. You can focus on strength training and resistance work to increase your muscle mass.