Stop Looking, These Are The Best Weight Gainers For Women (2024)

More often than not, people who want to gain weight are men. But there are also women who want to sculpt a more muscular physique, become stronger and more athletic, or simply achieve a healthy weight.

The male and female bodies may have different constitutions and work differently on some levels, but the basic formula for gaining weight and muscle is the same for everyone—you need more calories and more protein.

Weight gainer supplements answer both questions in powder form. Taking a weight gainer is easy: mix it in water and drink. However, choosing the right product is a lot more complicated, which is why I’ve curated this extensive list of the best weight gainers for women.

• Best Weight Gainer For Women: Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer
• Best Budget Weight Gainer For Women: Optimum Nutrition GS Pro Gainer
• Best Lactose-Free Weight Gainer For Women: REDCON1 MRE Whole Foods Meal Replacement
• Best Protein Bar For Female Weight Gain: Legion Protein Bar
• Cleanest Weight Gainer For Women: Transparent Labs Mass Gainer
• Best Vegan Weight Gainer For Women: Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer
• Best RTD Weight Gainer For Women: Core Power Fairlife Elite

Best Weight Gainer For Women

Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer

Pros

• Uses whole food carbohydrate sources to deliver a full list of micronutrients.
• Excellent macronutrient breakdown with high protein per calorie.
• Digestive enzymes eliminate bloating and gas.

Cons

• One of the more expensive mass gainers.

Price Per Serving

• $4.50 one-off purchase
• $3.15 subscription

The problem with the majority of mass gainers is the massive amount of cheap fillers utilized to increase the total calorie count per serving, usually in the form of maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a simple carbohydrate that digests fast. Essentially, it is sugar without sweetness.

Maltodextrin serves a purpose. For example, it may be used as a fast energy source during a strenuous workout because it digests quickly and readily. However, consuming significant amounts of maltodextrin daily to gain weight provides no further benefits beyond calories.

Crazy Nutrition’s Mass Gainer is a breath of fresh air that delivers more than an increase in calories. Let us take a brief look at the main ingredient list:

• Gluten-free oat flour
• Pea starch.
• Whey protein combination with isolate and concentrate.
• Sweet potato flour, creatine monohydrate.
• Flaxseed Powder

As you can see, all carbohydrates come from natural dietary sources. As a result, this weight gain supplement has very little sugar.

Because the carbs originate from natural food sources, you’ll gain the vitamins and minerals found in oats, peas, and sweet potatoes. Not to mention the omega-3 lipids in flaxseed powder.

The digestive enzymes found in this product truly set it apart from other products in the segment because they prevent bloating and gas, which are typical for mass gainers.

The addition of creatine monohydrate eliminates the need to purchase a separate supplement during the weight-gain process since you will be taking the gainer every day. 

For a slim woman, this serving size delivers more than a third of her daily protein consumption, making it something to sip on throughout the day. It is available in two delicious flavors: chocolate and vanilla.

500 calories per serving may be too much for a woman, so I often recommend taking ½ a serving, which still provides 20 g of protein and 27 g of carbs, which is how much you will get from a typical meal.

Best Budget Weight Gainer For Women

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pro Gainer

Pros

• The highest protein dose in a weight gainer.
• ½ a dose is more than enough for women and makes the price budget-friendly.
• Third-party tested for banned substances.
• High vitamin and mineral value.

Cons

• Carbs are not from whole food sources.

Price Per Serving

• $3.93 one-off purchase
• $1.96 for ½ dose

Optimum Nutrition is an established brand that produces high-quality supplements. While not derived from whole foods, their Gold Standard Pro Gainer is worth considering, especially if you struggle to achieve your protein requirements.

It contains 60 g per serving, which is the highest amount of any weight gainer.

The product also contains 29 vitamins and minerals, making it an excellent supplement overall. The extensive ingredients list shouldn’t frighten you because the Gold Standard Pro Gainer has been tested for contaminants and banned chemicals and bears the Informed Choice label, indicating it is safe for athletes.

The disadvantage of this product is that it does not employ whole foods as carbohydrate sources, only maltodextrin.

It’s not exactly the most budget-friendly option, at $3.93 per serving, but it is more affordable than the whole-food solutions provided by Crazy Nutrition and Transparent Labs.

There are cheaper mass gainers on the market; however, they contain lower-quality components and are high in artificial compounds. I strongly advise sticking with tried-and-true products like Optimum Nutrition, which should be reasonably priced for most individuals.

Furthermore, the large protein and calorie number (60 g of protein for 650 calories) per serving is enough for women to easily take half a serving and still meet their need for quality weight.

325 calories, 30 g protein, and 40 g of carbs (for half a serving) are numbers for a well-balanced meal, and the cost is a much more affordable $2.00 per serving.

Best Lactose-Free Weight Gainer For Women

REDCON1 MRE Whole Foods Meal Replacement

Pros

• Lactose-free animal-based protein sources.
• Carbohydrates are also sources from whole foods.
• Excellent protein to carbs ratio.

Cons

• A full serving can make you bloated.

Price Per Serving

• $3.20 per serving

If you’re trying to reduce your dairy consumption, looking for an animal protein-based weight gain supplement, or are lactose intolerant, MRE Whole Food Meal Replacement is for you.

Unlike most other mass gainers that use milk-derived proteins, Redcon 1 utilizes a full blend of lactose-free animal and plant proteins:

• Beef protein.
• Pea protein.
• Brown rice protein.
• Chicken protein.
• Albumin of the egg
• Salmon Protein

Furthermore, the carbohydrates are also sourced from whole foods:

• Rolled oats.
• dehydrated yams
• Dehydrated sweet potato
• Pea starch.

While it does not contain digestive enzymes like Crazy Nutrition, the well-portioned serving size prevents bloating and discomfort in your stomach. With 530 calories per serving, you receive an ideal portion size for a male and a big meal for a woman.

Half a serving will give you approximately 260 calories and 24 g of protein, which, when added to a solid day of eating, should be enough to create a caloric surplus and build muscle.

Best Protein Bar For Female Weight Gain

Legion Protein Bar

Pros

• Only natural and organic products.
• The macronutrient profile makes it an excellent high-protein snack to up caloric intake.
• Very delicious.
• Labdoor tested.

Cons

• When bulking up, you may get tired of eating, and drinking a shake is preferable.

Price Per Serving

• $3.33 per serving

Protein Bars have long been a convenient and healthy addition to a solid nutrition plan. However, not all bars fulfill the macronutrient profile and quality of source ingredients to fall into the “healthy” category.

The Legion Protein bar distinguishes itself with an all-natural and organic list of ingredients for everyone who wants only the best for themselves. The bar does not include gluten, artificial flavors, or sweeteners.

The macro breakdown is impressive: 20 grams of protein and 29 grams of carbohydrates (only 4 are sugar) for a total of 250 calories. One bar a day, in addition to the typical diet, may be just what a woman who wants to build some muscle needs.

The Legion Protein Bar is also among the best-tasting bars I’ve tried. It can serve as a nice midday treat, not just something you must chug down for nutrients.

Finally, some people find eating a bar much more convenient than mixing powder.

Cleanest Weight Gainer For Women

Transparent Labs Mass Gainer

Pros

• Only natural, high-quality ingredients.
• Third-party testing ensures this is the cleanest weight gainer.
• Contains 3 g of creatine monohydrate, eliminating the need to supplement separately if you drink one serving daily.

Cons

• The most expensive product on the list.

Price Per Serving

• $5.33 per serving

Transparent Labs constantly produces high-quality goods, including protein, creatine, pre-workout supplements, and muscle gainers.

Their goods, including the Mass Gainer, are usually popular among athletes because they bear the Informed Choice label, indicating that each batch was tested for banned substances and contaminants.

Like their protein powder, this product’s protein comes from grass-fed whey, which is superior to regular dairy. The carbohydrates come from organic tapioca, oats, and sweet potato, all of which are high in complex carbohydrates.

There are only two taste options: chocolate and vanilla. Depending on the flavor, each serving provides 51-53g of protein, 106-110g of carbohydrates, 4-6g of fiber, 12g of sugar, and roughly 730–750 calories.

One serving also includes 3 grams of creatine monohydrate.

The Transparent Labs Mass Gainer is on the pricey side, at $5.13 per serving, but given the company’s commitment to producing all-natural, clean, and third-party certified goods, you get what you pay for.

Again, I will repeat my recommendation, which is even more valid for women to take 1/2 a serving. 750 calories are way too much unless you are not eating enough, and half a dose still has the numbers of a decent high-protein meal.

Best Vegan Weight Gainer For Women

Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer

Pros

• One of the cleanest products on the market.
• A high dose of pea protein.
• Complex carbohydrates profile.
• 3 g of creatine is great for vegans.

Cons

• Pea protein is the main protein source which has an acquired taste.

Price Per Serving

• $5.33 per serving

Vegan diets can easily result in a calorie surplus, but the macronutrient profile is typically poor, making it difficult to obtain adequate high-quality protein.

Furthermore, there aren’t many high-quality vegan mass gainers on the market that allow you to gain weight without using animal products.

Fortunately for vegans, which are often women, one of the greatest supplement companies on the market recently produced their first product of this kind: Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer.

With 750 calories, 110 g of carbs, 53 protein (50 in the vanilla flavor), 9 g of fat, and 10 g of sugar, the numbers are nearly comparable to those of the company’s non-vegan bulk gainer.

The only protein source is pea protein isolate, and the carbohydrates come from tapioca maltodextrin, oat flower, and sweet potato powder.

The product also contains 3 grams of creatine monohydrate, an essential supplement for every vegan since the amino acid is naturally found only in animal foods.

This vegan mass gainer has a well-balanced combination of plant-based proteins, carbohydrates, and essential nutrients that encourage muscle building and weight gain without relying on animal products.

Best RTD Weight Gainer For Women

Core Power Fairlife Elite

Pros

• Ultra-high level of protein.
• Ready to drink means and highly convenient.
• Lactose-free.

Cons

• Too little calories and carbs to use as a meal replacement.

Price Per Serving

• $4.14 per serving

Let’s be honest: lugging around a 6 lbs bucket with a mass gainer and a shaker is not very convenient. This is where products like ready-to-drink protein drinks come into play.

The Core Power Fairlife Elite shines with its ultra-high protein content of 42 grams for only 230 calories. This is more than a third of a woman’s daily protein requirement, while the calories are roughly as much as a small meal, making this a perfect post-workout shake.

The protein comes from ultra-filtered milk and is lactose-free, which is a big advantage for some. With a single dose, you also get all nine essential amino acids.

This product comes in compact bottles and is ready to drink, making it the most convenient option for ladies who are always in a hurry. The downside is the low carbohydrate and calorie count compared to other mass gainers.

This is more of a post-workout supplement, while the dedicated mass gainers have more calories and carbs you can use as fuel for your workouts.

Best Weight Gain Pills For Females

There is no such thing as weight gain pills. Building muscle requires hard training and a surplus of calories. There is no way to get adequate calories in pill form hence why female weight gainers and meal replacements are in powder form.

How To Pick The Best Weight Gainer For Women

Ingredients

The best weight gainers use whole food sources. This is healthier, reduces the strain on the gut, and provides the body with micro-nutrients. Lower-quality gainers resort only to simple carbs like maltodextrin to increase the calories.

If you want to use the mass gainer as a full meal replacement, having various natural food ingredients becomes even more important as you don’t want to rely on simple sugars as your only carbohydrate source.

Better products, such as Crazy Nutrition and Transparent Labs, use complex carbs such as oats and sweet potatoes.

Most mass gainers choose whey protein as their primary protein source, which is excellent for muscle development, but if you are searching for a meal replacement, the Redcon1 MRE’s multiple animal and plant protein sources are a better option.

Serving Size

The serving size is important when choosing a weight gainer. Most gainers have between 300 and 750 calories. My recommendation for most women is to take half servings, but this depends on the entire nutrition plan.

Calculate how many calories and protein you need to be in a slight caloric surplus and dose the weight-gainer accordingly.

There are popular products on the market with huge 300 g of powder servings containing north of 1000 calories, but I strongly suggest you stay away from these. They will only overload you with simple carbs, which is unlikely to lead to anything other than gaining fat.

Macronutrient Breakdown

This is the most important aspect of mass gainers. The good gainers contain about a 2:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, which works nicely.

Some bulk gainers have a 5-to-1 ratio, which is not ideal. These products also have massive 1000+ calorie serving sizes. If you split the portion to consume fewer carbs and calories, you also lower your protein intake excessively.

Furthermore, eating five times more carbohydrates than protein necessitates limiting your whole-food carbohydrate intake, resulting in lower fiber and nutrient intake.

A weight gainer typically contains little fat, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Third-Party Testing

Third-party testing is assuring to all users, but it is especially important for athletes who are subjected to drug tests.

Several options on the list, such as the Transparent Labs and Optimum Nutrition Gold standard gainers, carry the Informed Choice tick, indicating purity.

Another trustworthy mark you can look for is the Labdoor purity mark, which is seen on the Legion Protein Bar.

Frequently Asked Weight Gainer For Women Questions

What Can I Take To Gain Weight Fast For Females?

To gain weight, you need to be in a caloric surplus, meaning you need to eat more calories than you burn. One way to do this is by eating more food, and the other is through supplements like mass gainers, protein bars, and shakes.

However, gaining weight fast is rarely a good idea. If you are a skinny woman and want to gain some weight, you need to take things gradually, or you will gain only fat.

The optimal rate of weight gain sits between 0.3 and 0.6% of body weight per week on average.

Consuming enough protein is the most important aspect besides calories. Only adequate amounts of protein will lead to more muscle mass, so optimizing the intake is crucial.

All products on this list have plenty of protein and are excellent choices.

Is Mass Gainer Good For Females?

Weight gainers are entirely safe for women. Simply be aware of how your body feels after taking your supplements. Do you feel overfull and bloated? Split your doses into two distinct servings rather than one large one.

Which Protein Is Best To Gain Weight For Women?

Whey protein has regularly been shown to increase muscle growth more than other protein sources. The same results are seen when protein supplementation is compared to carbohydrates alone.

However, not everyone reacts well to dairy-based protein powders, so there are lactose-free alternatives on the list. Others follow a vegan diet and can look into Transparent Labs’ vegan option.

And for a full meal replacement, you can choose the Redcon1, which uses a complete blend of protein sources.

Summary

The Crazy Nutrition mass gainer tops our list of the best weight gainers for women because it uses whole food sources, has an excellent macronutrient breakdown, and is reasonably priced.

REDCON1 offers a lactose-free gainer, while Transparent Labs offers both a when protein and vegan version of its ultra-clean product. For ladies who don’t want to mix powder, the Lgeion Protein Bar and Corepower Fairlife shake are convenient options.