These are the best Protein Shake recipes on the internet, and they are SO easy! Try strawberry cheesecake, chocolate, vanilla, tropical or peanut butter banana!
Reading: whey protein smoothies for weight loss
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Are protein shakes good for you?
The unsurprising answer is yes. Of course, an extra dose of protein is a great choice for a snack or meal replacement. Many athletes use protein shakes as a way to refuel after exercise. All adults need a minimum of 46-56 grams of protein each day and these shake recipes are a great way to meet that goal.
The best protein shake recipes, including the 5 that are shown below, rely on whey protein powder for that extra nutrition. Whey protein has many benefits, including all of the following:
- Builds muscle and strength
- Assists with weight loss
- Works as a appetite suppresant
- Boosts metabolism
- Provides balance for the body systems with amino acids
- Repairs muscles from exercise
Additionally, these healthy drinks are quick to make, portable, and you don’t need any cooking skills or preparation to make them!
How to make protein shakes
It couldn’t be easier to add protein to your diet with these shakes. You really just dump all the ingredients into a blender and push the button!
Here are a few tips to make your shakes even better, as well as step-by-step instructions:
- Add the liquid to the blender first. I prefer almond milk. Adding it first helps to prevent the other ingredients from sticking to the bottom.
- If you like a thicker shake, use frozen fruit, or blend in a few ice cubes
- Use a high speed blender – the more air, the lighter and creamier the shake will be. Alternatively, an individual-sized blender such as a Magic Bullet will help you save time on clean up.
- For a smoother protein shake, try adding Greek yogurt or avocado – the yogurt will add even more protein!
How do you choose a protein powder?
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With the rising popularity of whey protein powder, there are a lot of options on the market. It can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to look for.
- Choose a whey protein that has the fewest ingredients possible, and be sure that protein is the first listed ingredient.
- Select a powder that has at least 25 grams of protein per serving. Also, look to make sure it is not high in carbs – preferably less than five grams. Many of my protein shake recipes use fruit, so you will be adding carbs, but at least they are healthy carbs.
- Choose one that does not have artificial sweeteners or added sugar. Keep in mind that the sugar per serving also increase with the addition of fruit.
- On the label, you will see either protein isolate or protein concentrate. If you have the choice, always choose the protein isolate. This means it contains more than 90% protein.
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 won’t 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.
Whey protein vs other kinds
Whey protein powder is milk protein. It does have a small amount of lactose in it. If you can eat yogurt or drink kiefer, you will probably be OK with whey protein. If you have a strong sensitivity to lactose, you may want to find another protein powder. Although it will have a different taste, you can use alternatives such as egg white, pea protein, goat’s milk, hemp, or brown rice powder.
You’ll notice a creamier taste to your protein shakes when you use whey powder because it is a milk derivative. In shakes like the strawberry cheesecake, you will notice that the milk protein really makes it taste like cheesecake.
What are the best protein shakes?
You can find plenty of shake recipes online, but the 5 varieties here are full of nutritious protein, and the shakes taste amazing. The recipes make one shake each, but you can make them in advance because they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days. Try any of these flavors!
- Strawberry cheesecake
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Tropical
- Peanut butter banana
These protein shakes not only offer a quick boost of necessary protein, but they have additional benefits as well. Strawberries have lots of vitamin C, B9 and potassium. Pineapple is a great source of riboflavin, magnesium and folate. Bananas are packed with potassium, fiber and B6. Peanut butter has the healthy fats that are essential for heart health.
Strawberry cheesecake protein shake
Tropical protein shake
Chocolate protein shake
Vanilla protein shake
Read more: Rev Up Your Metabolism with This Fat-Burning Strawberry Mango Smoothie
Peanut butter banana protein shake
Why such high calories?
One thing to be aware of is that protein shakes can be higher in calories. On average, the shakes you see below are 200 calories per serving. Because of this, they are best for those who are reducing calories in other areas of their diet or who have a solid and consistent exercise routine. Ideally you should drink this within two hours of exercising.
My protein shakes do keep the calorie count to a minimum and use fresh ingredients such as fruit to boost the nutritional content. In terms of a healthy lifestyle, 200 calories still makes an ideal snack between meals but it is higher than your typical 100 calorie snack so just be aware that the extra protein requires a tradeoff in calories.
Meal prepping protein shakes
Because the protein powder will lose its consistency after being blended, it’s recommended that you do not blend these up ahead of time but rather meal prep the ingredients to pour into the blender. I’ll usually store my add-ins (fruit, yogurt, etc.) with almond milk in mason jars in the fridge and then add my protein powder at the last minute before blending.
You can use an individual-sized blender to whip these up such as a Magic Bullet instead of using a full-sized blender to save time on clean up too!
More protein-packed breakfasts
I often enjoy these protein shakes for breakfast because they are easy to whip up, contain about a meal’s worth of calories and are a great way to get some extra fruit and veggies into your diet. If you’re looking for more healthy breakfast recipes with a ton of protein, I’d recommend you check these recipes out!
- The best healthy smoothies (7 ways)
- Starbucks egg bites
- Banana egg pancakes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some mason jars for meal prepping the ingredients ahead and for serving these shakes
- Here is the protein powder I use
- I like to use a Magic Bullet blender to save time on clean up
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