Sometimes, what appears so easy as eating and gaining weight, may not be that simple. It can be disheartening to attempt to gain weight, only to never see any results.
If you’re having trouble packing on pounds, a weight gainer can be just what you need. And for those that are lactose intolerant, there are great weight gainers that provide you with extra calories and protein without any dairy.
In this guide, we uncover the best dairy-free weight gainers that can aid in your weight and muscle mass gaining journey.
Read on to learn more about these great products, as well as some tips and guidance on mass gainers.
In a hurry?
If you just want to know which lactose-free weight gainer supplement we recommend, that distinction belongs to Vegan Naked Mass. It contains a whopping 1,230 calories per serving, alongside 50 g of muscle-building protein. Even a half-serving could serve as an effective source of extra calories.
If you're looking to supplement your diet with clean, vegan-friendly calories, then Naked Mass is a great choice.
Naked Mass contains no extra additives or sweeteners so you can feel good about what you're putting into your body.
If you’re just looking to build lean muscle without the extra calories, you may prefer our guide to the best lactose-free protein powders or our review of the best low FODMAP protein powders.
Table of Contents
The 4 Top Recommended Dairy-Free & Lactose-Free Weight Gainers
- Naked Vegan Mass – Naked Nutrition
- Athlete’s Gainer – Iron Vegan
- Veganmass – Vegun Nutrition
- Vegan Mass Gainer – Gorilla Gulps
Unlike typical mass gainers that are made with dairy (whey protein), these lactose-free mass gainers offer plant-based protein rich in carbs, protein, and healthy fats. So you’ll get all the nutrients you need while packing on those pounds.
We’ve selected the 4 best lactose-free mass gainers, and provided a little more info about what makes them so great!
1. Naked Vegan Mass – Naked Nutrition
If you're looking to supplement your diet with clean, vegan-friendly calories, then Naked Mass is a great choice.
Naked Mass contains no extra additives or sweeteners so you can feel good about what you're putting into your body.
Top of this list is the best overall lactose-free weight gainer – a popular pick today for those looking to gain weight!
If you’re someone that’s considered a “hard-gainer“, it can be quite the challenge for you to eat a surplus of calories to gain weight. This is where Naked Vegan Mass becomes your best friend! With a whopping 1,230 calories in each serving, this lactose-free mass gainer makes it that much easier for you to get those additional calories in.
Naked Vegan Mass’s complete amino acid profile and serving of 248 grams of complex carbohydrates gives you the right boost in calories and energy so you can power through any workout. One of Naked Vegan Mass’s ingredients, organic maltodextrin, has also been shown to promote strength and exercise performance by helping maintain your anaerobic power.
Thanks to its ideal blend of complete plant-based proteins and complex carbs, it’s the perfect alternative to whey protein powder for those looking to pack on muscle. This mass gainer comes in chocolate and vanilla flavors.
We love Naked Nutrition, which is why we also featured their products on our lists of the best weight gainers for women, the best weight gainers for teens, and the best weight gainers for skinny guys.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 1,230
- Protein: 50 g
- Carbohydrates: 248 g
- Fat: 4 g
Protein Sources:
- Organic Brown Rice Protein
- Yellow Pea Protein
2. Athlete’s Gainer – Iron Vegan
When it comes to quality ingredients, high protein, and high-calorie supplements, Athlete’s Gainer is the perfect runner-up for a lactose-free weight gainer.
Athlete’s Gainer is an excellent source of dietary protein that helps build strength and muscle. Each serving provides 42 grams of non-GMO plant-based protein, 720 calories, 13 grams of fiber, and only 1 gram of sugar.
It’s true to its vegan roots with its long list of plant-based ingredients that include organic greens, plant oils, organic sea vegetables, fruit concentrates, and sprouted whole grain.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 720
- Protein: 42 g
- Carbohydrates: 120 g
- Fat: 8 g
Protein Sources:
- Fermented Pea Protein Isolate
- Brown Rice Protein Concentrate
3. Veganmass – Vegun Nutrition
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly lactose-free weight gainer, look no further than Vegun Nutrition’s Veganmass. Veganmass checks a ton of boxes when it comes to mass gainers.
What makes this mass gainer stand out the most is its multi-source carbohydrate blend. It features a low glycemic, fast absorbing source (as Carb10), six organic ancient grains (as ModCarb), and Wild Yam and Sweet Potato that extends performance and supports glycogen replenishment.
Moreover, it features a completely plant-based mass gainer blend of Organic Pea Protein, Organic Quinoa Protein, and Organic Sacha Inchi Protein to achieve a complete amino acid profile.
Free of dairy, soy, gluten, and GMOs, Veganmass is a shining example of what a lactose-free mass gainer should be!
We can’t forget to mention it comes in two tasty flavors: Chocolate Fudge Cake and Vanilla Cream Cake. Yum!
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 280
- Protein: 30 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fat: 6 g
Protein Sources:
- Pea Protein
- Quinoa Protein
- Sacha Inchi Protein
4. Vegan Mass Gainer – Gorilla Gulps
With a diverse blend of premium protein, Gorilla Gulps’s Vegan Mass Gainer is worth considering if you’re looking for a great lactose-free mass gainer.
Vegan Mass Gainer’s combination of a completely plant-based protein blend (Pea, Rice, and Hemp), virgin olive oil powder, essential amino acids, BCAAs (branched chain amino acids), and fast-digesting complex carbohydrates provide you with quality calories (530) and protein (42 g) to support muscle growth.
While being GMO, gluten, and dairy-free, Vegan Mass Gainer is an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Iron, and Vitamin D. But not only that, this lactose-free mass gainer is also gut-friendly! So no more uncomfortable bloating.
Available in two delicious flavors (mocha and chocolate), Vegan Mass Gainer keeps you both nutrient-fortified and satisfied.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 530
- Protein: 42 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fat: 13 g
Protein Sources:
- Pea Protein (80%)
- Rice Protein (10%)
- Hemp Protein (10%)
Do You Need A Weight Gainer?
You’re probably wondering “is a weight gainer necessary?” or whether you should just eat more. Everyone’s body, appetite, and life circumstances are different. And some simply aren’t able to gain weight like others.
While mass gainers can be beneficial given how convenient they are for getting in extra calories, real whole foods should always be your main diet source. It’s important that you use a weight gainer as a supplement to a healthy, well-balanced diet (real food), rather than relying on it completely to gain weight.
The following are some instances where a mass gainer can be useful:
- You’re underweight and have a small appetite. Appetite is typically not an issue when it comes to weight gainer supplements as they’re in liquid form. They can also help feed your body with a good chunk of calories.
- You’re not able to pack a full meal for work/school/college, and the only food available is low-quality. In this instance, a mass gainer can be extremely useful for reaching your macronutrient targets.
- You’re only able to eat 2-3 meals after long gaps. Having a mass gainer in between your meals as a snack is a convenient way to add extra calories to your diet.
You can also find other sources of plant-based protein from lentils and other legumes (such as peas, beans, nuts, and seeds), which offer a full protein package.
Introducing a mass gainer to your diet largely depends also on the type of diet you’re currently consuming. If you already follow a generally healthy diet, then a mass gainer can be a great added source of nutrition. However, if you have a generally poor diet, then adding more processed calories from mass gainers is not advisable.
How To Choose The Best Lactose-Free Weight Gainer
When it comes to choosing the best lactose-free weight gainer, there are two things you should consider: the flavor of the mass gainer and what your goals are.
But not only that, it’s also important that you know what makes a good quality mass gainer. Good quality mass gainers will meet your personal calorie goals, have at least 25 grams of protein, tasty flavors, high-quality ingredients, and disclosed protein sources.
Flavor & Taste
No one wants to drink the same flavor day in and day out. If you want to maintain your weight gain progress, you’ll need to drink your lactose-free weight gainer every day. So to avoid growing tired of the same flavor, change it up!
Of course, chocolate fudge cake and peanut butter are delicious, but imagine eating it every single day. Doesn’t sound too appetizing, does it? The same holds true for your lactose-free weight gainer.
The good news is that the above-listed lactose-free weight gainers have a good range of flavor options for you to try out. You can easily get your next yummyflavor when moving on to your next tub!
In fact, we think flavor is so essential that we created an entire list of the best tasting mass gainers!
Know Your Goals
To ensure you’re gaining weight from your mass gainer, you must know what your goals are.
To help determine what your goals are, here are some questions you should ask yourself:
- How many extra calories do I want to consume in order to achieve my desired result?
- Do I care whether my calories come from whole foods or a mass gainer?
- Do I want my main source of calories to come from carbohydrates, proteins, or fats? These are your macro goals – determining whether you want to consume more carbs than protein and vice versa will provide different results.
- Do I want to use a mass gainer as a supplement or replacement?
If you do not know your goals, there is a good chance you may take too much or too little mass gainer.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Lactose-Free Weight Gainer?
They Are Convenient
Not everyone is able to prepare meals, especially when you have a busy schedule nearly every day of the week. A mass gainer can be your best friend for saving you time on cooking. All it takes is a scoop or two into some water or a smoothie, and voila, you’ve got yourself some calories.
As a lactose-intolerant person, it’s not always easy eating a meal that doesn’t end with an upset stomach. Dairy has a sneaky way of getting into even the plainest meals. Not only are lactose-free weight gainers convenient for this, but they also provide you with a combination of all the things you need to go about your day.
Reaching Your Weight Goals Is Made Easy
Sometimes, what appears so simple and easy as eating becomes harder the more you try. It can be disheartening to eat a lot of food, only to never see any results.
Introducing a mass gainer into your diet is a much easier way to reach your weight goals. Rather than eating to the point of hurting your stomach or feeling sick, a mass gainer is a more “compact” option. It won’t feel as if you’re climbing a mountain to get your weight up.
You Know How Many Macros You’re Consuming
When you’re eating a regular meal, it can be hard to tell the exact amount of macros (this being your carbs, protein, and fats) you’re consuming. One meal may be higher in carbs and lower in protein, and another can be higher in fats and lower in protein.
With a mass gainer, you’re able to see how many calories you’re consuming and where those calories are coming from; carbs, protein, and fats. This can be essential in making sure you’re consuming more calories than your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
Weight Gainer Tips
Here are some great tips to ensure you’re building muscle mass easily and effectively:
- Use a macro tracker to track your calorie consumption and weight. This will help you dial in your TDEE.
- Calculate your TDEE. Once you know your TDEE, eat above it by about 300-500 calories per day to gain weight in a sustainable fashion.
- Counting your calories for the first few days or weeks of your weight gain journey can help you greatly. Here are some great tools for calorie counting.
- Eat energy-dense foods with your weight gainer. Coconut oil or milk, any kind of nut butter, raw honey, oats, dried fruits, and tubers (yams, potato, sweet potato) are all ideal.
- If you’d like to boost your protein without a ton of extra calories, mix your lactose-free mass gainer with 16 oz of oat or almond milk.
Things To Look For If You’re Lactose Intolerant
If you are lactose intolerant, you should try and avoid whey protein powders, as these can lead to nausea, bloating, gas, and other symptoms of lactose intolerance. That’s why people looking for protein powders for sensitive stomachs often turn to lactose-free options.
Stick to weight gainers that are either plant-based or dairy-free. In some instances, you can eat whey protein concentrate, provided they have the lactose removed from it. You can check the label of any whey protein concentrate product to verify that it’s 100% lactose-free.
More specifically for those that are lactose intolerant, whey protein isolate may be better for people who have trouble digesting lactose. You can rest assured that the products listed above have all of the lactose removed from them and are completely safe for the lactose-intolerant.
FAQ
If you’re in too much of a caloric surplus while taking your mass gainer, then yes, you may gain fat. If you’re using the mass gainer to help hit your daily caloric and macro goals, you will not gain fat.
The recommended dosage is between 1-3 servings per day. But this will depend on which weight gainer you use and your current fitness goals. You can find out more information on serving size from the label.
Begin with one shake per day and monitor your progress. If you’re still not meeting certain daily calorie requirements, adding 2-3 servings of a weight gainer per day can help move that scale up.
You can take your mass gainer with breakfast to kick start your day or in-between meals. Some say that the best time to chug down your mass gainer is right after a workout or just before bed.
Closing Thoughts
Much like it is for people trying to lose a few pounds, gaining weight can be incredibly difficult and frustrating. But know that it is possible!
Your priority should always be to improve your diet through whole foods and to eat more calories than you burn. But throw a mass gainer into the mix and your weight gain journey can become a much easier and more attainable feat!
Of all the products listed above, Naked Nutrition’s Naked Vegan Mass is one of the best overall to consider. It’s incredibly high in calories and carbs that provide a great boost of energy for those with busy and active schedules.
If you prefer a lower-calorie option that is still packed with carbs, protein, and healthy fats to help you hit your macros, a close second is Iron Vegan’s Athlete’s Gainer.
