Protein Powder & Water
The most basic type of protein shake is protein powder mixed in cold water. While youll still reap the nutritional benefits of protein powder from a water-based shake, there are so many other more tasty options! However, if you choose to stick to the basics, add 6-12 oz of water for each scoop of protein powder and mix well. Make sure to add your scoop of protein after the liquid! If you find your shake to be bland or thin, you can use as little as 4 ounces of water to boost the flavor.
Protein Powder & Milk
Protein powder and milk are the best duo since peanut butter & jelly. Theres nothing quite like a protein shake made with an ice-cold glass of milk. Its not just dairy-based milk either! For those less fond of dairy, almond or soy milk are fantastic as well. In generally, 6-12 oz of milk for each scoop of protein powder is recommended. However, if you are looking for a more flavorful shake, try including as little as 4 ounces of milk for each scoop of protein powder. As always, make sure to mix well using a blender bottle or blender for best results.
Coffee Lovers Protein Shake
Breakfast smoothies and coffee are my jam which means this coffee lovers protein shake is my ultimate fave! So coffee protein shake umm yes please. And this one tastes like a straight up milkshake.
On a rainy day, theres nothing I like more than sitting by the window and writing with a delicious treat nearby to sip or snack on. But as the rain falls, sometimes my energy falls, too!
So a quick caffeine boost definitely helps.
But I dont always want a latte or even just brewed coffee. So, I came up with this breakfast smoothie that comes with a kick of cold coffee and some cacao nibs for a pretty finish. Yay for healthy protein shake!
How To Incorporate Protein Shakes Into A Healthy Diet
While protein shakes are a great addition to your diet they are just one piece of the puzzle! Make sure you are getting a variety of nutrients in through a balance of fruit, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. Heres an example meal plan that includes a protein shake:
- Breakfast: I have been hooked on oatmeal for breakfast lately! So many different ways to enjoy this yummy breakfast.
- Lunch: I typically have a salad for lunch its always a mixture of lots of vegetables, protein and healthy fats.
- Snack: Protein shake make a protein shake for an energy boost to get over the afternoon slump. Youll get energy and feel satisfied until dinner.
- Dinner: Take your pick when it comes to dinner options! Again, make sure theres a mixture of vegetables, protein and fat.
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Pass On The Chocolate Powder
Thats right ladies and gentlemen, when buying your first tub or bag of protein powder, resist the temptation to buy chocolate.Here are the two main reasons why:
So, apart from not tasting very good, you cant mix the chocolate powder with many other ingredients outside of milk and maybe peanut butter . I prefer to buy vanilla protein powder, and then I can add in chocolate if I want to using syrup, cocoa powder, or chocolate almond milk.
I said I wouldnt share recipes, but I will share my favorite go-to. My favorite protein smoothie recipe is Vanilla Muscle Tech powder, frozen strawberries, half a banana, some pineapple, and unsweetened almond milk. You just cant have that tropical blend using chocolate powder.
If you want to make your protein shakes taste better, go with vanilla.
Be Mindful About Adding Fat
If youre drinking your shake pre-workout, Hurley suggests keeping it simple and skipping a fat source. Our bodies digest fat a little slower, which can leave you feeling too full or uncomfortable during your workout, she says. If youre whipping up your shake post-workout or any other time of day, a tablespoon of nut butter or ¼ avocado will add healthy fats to keep you full for longer.
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Best Protein Powder For Smoothies
We get asked all the time how to fit in enough protein into our diet and protein powder is such a great way to sneak it in without even trying. The great thing about this strawberry protein shake recipe is that you can use any kind of protein powder you like.
For example plant-based, whey, pea, etc! We actually did an entire protein powder review last year, but in case you havent seen it, here is, in our opinion, the best protein powder for smoothies:
If you asked us what kind of protein powder we prefer for this recipe, wed say one of the whey proteins. Thats what gives this protein shake a cheesecake-like texture and flavor. Now that you know about our favorite protein powders for smoothies its time to get your protein shake on!
The Best Protein Shake Recipe
This is the best protein shake ever! It tastes like a chocolate milkshake, has over 26 grams of protein, and is easy and fast to make.
Protein shake recipes can make a great meal replacement for anytime of the day. But we love to start the day off with one of these breakfast shake protein smoothies.
This protein shakes recipe comes with several delicious add-ons to change the flavor, or add more protein to your smoothie.
You can use this recipe as a breakfast protein shake, or a meal replacement anytime of the day. Making proteins shakes homemade ensures you know exactly whats going into your meal. And these protein shakes recipes are all natural, vegan, and delicious.
This recipe for protein shake has over 26 g of protein, is all natural, and vegan!
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Q: Should My Protein Shake Take The Place Of A Meal
Protein shakes are generally intended to supplement deficiencies in the diet. Because of this, theyre not usually built to replace an entire meal. Depending on the protein shake, the nutritional profile is going to vary, which means that your dietary needs might vary too. Protein shakes are often most effective at aiding in weight loss and muscle growth when paired with an exercise routine. Many protein shakes are designed to be consumed before or soon after a workout for the best effects. Since active people tend to require more protein than inactive people, adding a protein shake may help to boost your bodys health.
Best Coffee Protein Shake
I havent always been a smoothie girl. If you talk to the other ladies on Team Fit Foodie, they would tell you that I love to start the day off with a piece of arugula toast or a breakfast salad with a hard-boiled egg.
However, protein shakes that are not only flavor-packed, but nutrition-packed like this coffee protein shake are my jam.
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Chocolate Protein Shake Without Banana:
This is a request I get a lot! People seem to love or hate bananas in their protein shakes and smoothies. If you happen to be someone who does not like bananas in their frozen treats, have no worries, this is an easy fix. Simply swap in an equal amount of frozen mango or frozen avocado. Both of these options will give the same thick, creamy texture without banana.
How To Make A Coffee Protein Shake
Smoothie making might be the easiest thing youve ever done. It takes less than 5 minutes and you only need one kitchen tool- a blender!
Our Favorite
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Making Your Shake Without A Blender
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Chocolate Protein Shake
Thenumbers: 160 calories, 24 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams sugar
If you like old-school whey protein, it’s hard to better than this pick from Optimum nutrition. It’s both the most affordable and protein packed on this listbut it’s relatively low on carbs, so it’s not the best one-stop recovery solution.
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Fruits Vegetables Or Juice
Many kinds of fruits and vegetables are great choices to add to your protein shake. They can also be added to your shake if they are liquified into juices, too. Fruits and veggies are great because they help add more antioxidants into your protein shake which can really improve your recovery. Just be sure not to add too many fruits or veggies just 1 cup is enough!
Some good fruits to add can include blueberries, bananas, or watermelon. Bananas and berries are loaded with potassium and antioxidants, while watermelon contains an amino acid called l-citrulline which has been known to help the body with muscle recovery. Orange juice also helps add more antioxidants and helps your shake taste fruity and delicious!
If you dont mind eating vegetables, then they can make a great addition to your protein shake. Spinach and kale are great if you want more fiber and nutrition. Adding these fruits, as well as carrots, can even give your protein shake some great flavornot to mention powerful recovery benefits!
Proteins Are The Building Blocks Of Your Muscle
While carbohydrates and fats are used to release energy, and vitamins and minerals are used for thousands of smaller, but vital functions, it is the protein that boosts the repair and growth of muscle.
Making sure you get the right amount of each nutrient is extremely important as is making sure you get the right kinds of each nutrient. Proteins come from both animal and plant sources.
While the animal sources may be more common, multiple studies done in the last few decades have shown that plants are in no way less when it comes to fulfilling our protein requirements.
Plant-based protein sources are also more environmentally friendly and inexpensive compared to animal proteins. And, to top it all, it is far lighter on our bodies and it gets digested easier than meat or dairy products.
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Keep Your Powder In A Cool Dry Place
This is something we read on nearly every dry food container, but not something we always abide by. Heat and moisture will totally change the consistency of your protein powder. If you live in a really humid area, you may also want to consider keeping the little silica packet in the bottom of your powder container.
Most of all, dont get discouraged. Getting the perfect protein shake consistency may take some trial and error, but the convenience of getting high-quality protein right when you need it is totally worth the effort!
What are your secrets to keeping out the clumps? Let us know in the comments below!
Add Extra Nutrients To This Chocolate Protein Shake:
Its easy to add extra vitamins and minerals to any shake or smoothie by adding some nutrient-rich ingredients. Here are some suggestions:
- Ground flaxseed add up to about a tablespoon to give your shake a boost of fiber, healthy fats and antioxidants.
- Chia seeds you can mix in up to a tablespoon of chia seeds to give your shake extra healthy fats and fiber.
- Hemp seeds another seed that will add extra healthy fats, omegas and minerals.
- Oats rolled or quick oats can be blended in your shake to really give it staying power! You can add up to about 1/3 cup of oats. Do not use steel cut oats, as they will not blend well.
- Avocado adding about 1/4 or 1/2 an avocado adds healthy fats and will make your shake extra thick and creamy.
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Other Ways To Add Protein
To amp up your protein content even further, here are some other fabulous sources of protein.
- Cottage cheese per half cup serving, there is over 15 grams of protein and minimal fat. It can give the shakes a creamier texture.
- Greek yogurt Like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt is another dairy based option for adding protein. Non-fat Greek yogurt adds over 21 grams of protein per serving.
- Nut and seed butter Peanut butter, almond butter, and sunflower seed butter all add between 8-10 grams of protein per two tablespoon serving.
- Nuts and seeds Raw almonds, peanuts, and sunflower seeds all can add 10-12 grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving.
- Vegetables Baby spinach, kale, and English spinach all add 3-4 grams of protein.
How Do You Choose A Protein Powder
With the rising popularity of whey protein powder, there are a lot of options on the market. It can be overwhelming if you dont know what to look for.
Also, it is best to choose a powder that is not flavoured. Not only does flavoring possibly increase the amount of sugar and artificial flavours, but you wont want to mix a flavorful powder with other ingredients in the protein shake recipes. Here is the protein powder I use if you’re looking for a clean one.
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What Body Type Are You
Endomorphs are people who have the easiest time gaining weight. They tend to store fat relatively quickly but have a difficult time losing it, and have the slowest metabolism out of the three body types. Just like endomorphs, mesomorphs have an easy time gaining weight but their weight tends to be in the form of lean muscle. Mesomorphs can also burn fat relatively easy.Ectomorphs have a light frame with a small bone structure and long limbs. Ectomorphs have a very difficult time building muscle and gaining weight due to their metabolism. Out of the three body types, ectomorphs have the fastest metabolism.
Eating enough to gain weight for your body type may not only be expensive, but time consuming as well. Individuals who have a tight budget or simply dont have enough time to cook will definitely benefit from weight gainer shakes. By making your own weight gain protein shake, you can put on a decent amount of weight while saving money.
Easy Milkshake Ideas To Try
Now that you know how to make a basic milkshake, try some additional variations:
- Low-fat milkshake: Substitute frozen yogurt or sherbet for the ice cream, or fruit juice for part of the milk.
- Make it a malt: Its easy to mimic those old-fashioned malted milks you get at a restaurant. Simply pick up malted milk powder from the store. Its usually found near the breakfast and chocolate milk mixes. Add 2-4 tablespoons per 1 cup of milk. Or try this fancy caramel pecan version.
- Old-fashioned soda: Stir in ginger ale or soda after making the milkshake. Just make sure not to blend itll cause a fizzy mess! Check out our recipe for Old Fashioned Strawberry Soda to see how its done.
- Love lemon? You wont want to miss this luscious lemon milkshake with lemon drop candies anda silky secret, cream cheese!
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