Should You Buy a Mass Gainer or Make Your Own?
Let me be direct, I am not a fan of almost all commercial mass gainer supplements. In fact, as a certified sports nutritionist, I refused to sell them when I worked for a large supplement company. It drove my bosses crazy, but I believe the vast majority of them are overpriced tubs of sugar and fillers.
I would walk into a store, and when the owner wanted to buy my company’s mass gainer, I’d talk them out of it. This often meant a smaller sale and less commission for me, but it built something far more valuable: trust.
In my experience, building a reputation on honest advice is the only way to operate. This guide will break down why making your own weight gainer is almost always the superior choice for your health, wallet, and results.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- Control Your Ingredients: Homemade mass gainers allow you to use whole foods like oats, fruits, and healthy fats, avoiding the sugars and fillers common in commercial products.
- Save Money: Buying ingredients in bulk is significantly more cost-effective than purchasing pre-made gainer tubs. A homemade shake can cost 40% less than its commercial counterpart.
- Better Digestion: Many users on forums like Reddit report that commercial gainers cause bloating and digestive distress, while whole-food shakes are easier on the stomach.
- Superior Nutrition: You can tailor the macronutrient profile of a homemade shake to your specific needs, ensuring you’re gaining lean muscle, not just unwanted body fat.
Why Purchase or Make a Mass Gainer?
So, why would you even consider a mass gainer? The primary reason is for the “hard-gainer.” This is the person who feels like they can eat constantly and never see the scale budge. As someone who was once that skinny kid, I understand the frustration.
These individuals typically have a very high metabolism and need a significant calorie surplus to build muscle. To gain quality size, you need to consume more calories than you burn. Studies suggest a surplus of 250-500 calories per day is a good starting point for muscle gain without adding excessive body fat. For a true hard-gainer, this number might need to be even higher.
Trying to eat an extra 1,000+ calories from solid food can be incredibly difficult due to the sheer volume. This is where a liquid meal like a weight gainer shake becomes a practical tool. It’s simply easier to drink your calories than to force down another large meal.
Related Article: Here is Why I Say Mass Gainers Are Junk
Another group that uses gainers are those who want to put on size quickly and use it as a convenient shortcut instead of planning more meals. While I always advocate for a food-first approach, the convenience is undeniable.
A less common, but important, use is for individuals who are malnourished. In certain clinical situations, doctors may recommend a high-calorie supplement to help patients who are ill or unable to consume enough nutrients to maintain their health.
Which Has a Better Profile and Ingredient List?
This is where the difference becomes crystal clear. When you make your own mass gainer, you have total control over the quality of the ingredients. The homemade version should always be nutritionally superior.
Most commercial mass gainers are loaded with cheap fillers. Their primary carbohydrate source is often maltodextrin, a highly processed powder. While technically a complex carb, some sources claim it has a glycemic index higher than table sugar, which can lead to unwanted fat gain. You’ll also find a long list of artificial ingredients and sugars.
Let’s look at a popular product, Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass. A single serving packs 1,250 calories, 50 grams of protein, and a staggering 252 grams of carbohydrates, with 20 grams of that being sugar. While it gets the calorie job done, the ingredient quality is not what I’d recommend for building quality lean muscle.
| Feature | Commercial Mass Gainer (Example: Serious Mass) | Homemade Mass Gainer (Example Recipe) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Carb Source | Maltodextrin | Rolled Oats, Banana |
| Protein Source | Whey Concentrate, Casein, Egg Albumen | Whey Concentrate, Greek Yogurt, Milk |
| Fat Source | Medium Chain Triglycerides | Natural Peanut Butter, Almond Butter |
| Sugars | 20g+ (often from processed sources) | Natural sugars from fruit and milk |
| Fillers/Artificial Ingredients | Often contains artificial flavors and sweeteners | None |
By making your own, you can use high-quality, whole-food ingredients. For instance, you can swap maltodextrin for rolled oats, which provide fiber and slow-digesting carbs. You can add healthy fats from natural peanut butter or almond butter, and get natural sweetness and micronutrients from fruits like bananas and berries.
What’s the Cost?
Beyond nutrition, the cost difference is a huge factor. Pre-made mass gainers are not cheap. The product I mentioned earlier can cost over $3.40 per serving. If you use it daily, that adds up to over $100 per month just for one supplement.
A month’s supply of raw ingredients like oats, whey protein, and nut butter often costs significantly less than a single tub of a commercial mass gainer. By making the switch, you can save a substantial amount of money over time.
Let’s do a quick cost breakdown based on current prices in 2026:
- Whey Protein: You can buy a basic whey protein concentrate for around $0.70 – $0.80 per 25g serving. To get 50g of protein, you’re looking at about $1.50.
- Rolled Oats: A large container of store-brand rolled oats can cost as little as $0.06 per ounce. A serving for your shake might cost you around $0.20.
- Peanut Butter: A large jar of natural peanut butter from a store like Costco can bring the cost down to about $0.10 per ounce. Two tablespoons would be roughly $0.10.
Even after adding the cost of milk and a banana, your homemade, nutritionally superior shake costs far less than the $3.44 commercial version. You get a cleaner product, and it will taste much better too.
Buy or Make Your Own Mass Gainer?
Ultimately, the decision is yours. I can’t know your exact situation, but I can give you my professional recommendation.
I would strongly encourage you to make your own mass gainer. You gain complete control over the ingredients, you improve the nutritional quality, and you save a significant amount of money. From my own bodybuilding journey and from coaching others, I’ve found that a homemade approach leads to less unwanted body fat gain compared to using pre-made powders.
However, I understand that some people prioritize convenience above all else. If you have a busy schedule and simply need to get calories in quickly, a pre-made gainer is an option. Just be aware of what you’re consuming. Look for brands with cleaner ingredient lists, like Naked Mass or Transparent Labs Mass Gainer, which use more whole-food-based carbohydrate sources instead of just maltodextrin.
For me, I can’t support products that I feel are mostly overpriced fillers in a tub. I’d rather you spend your hard-earned money on real food or quality base ingredients to create a truly effective and healthy weight gainer shake.
FAQs
What are the main side effects of commercial mass gainers?
The most common side effects reported by users are digestive issues like bloating, gas, and stomach cramps. This is often due to the high sugar content and ingredients like maltodextrin. Some people also report gaining more body fat than lean muscle.
How many calories should a homemade mass gainer have?
This depends entirely on your needs. A good starting point is 500-750 calories. You can easily adjust this by increasing or decreasing the amount of oats, nut butter, or adding other high-calorie ingredients like avocado or full-fat Greek yogurt.
What’s the best protein to use in a homemade gainer?
A simple whey protein concentrate is a cost-effective and excellent choice. It provides a complete amino acid profile to support muscle growth. You don’t need to spend extra on more expensive isolates or hydrolysates for this purpose.
Can I drink a mass gainer shake every day?
Yes, if it fits within your daily calorie and macronutrient goals. A homemade shake made with whole foods is perfectly healthy for daily consumption. If using a commercial gainer, be mindful of the high sugar intake over the long term.
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