Protein Shake Ingredients
1 cup dry oatmeal1-2 packets stevia or other low calorie sweetener
1 1/2 scoops protein powder (flavor optional)
1 teaspoon honey
10-12 ounces almond milk
Oatmeal is a go-to staple of bodybuilders, health nuts, dieters and healthy people in general. Why you ask? Because it is a great source of energy and one of the healthiest complex carbs that you can eat. Oatmeal is full of healthy starches and fiber to help with digestion.
Perhaps most importantly, several studies about oatmeal show that it helps reduce heart disease! With all of these benefits, it’s a great staple to add to your diet. I also enjoy adding it to protein shakes! It thickens them up and is great in the morning for a quick breakfast on the go.
This oatmeal protein shake recipe is super healthy and filling. It will give you energy and combat hunger for a long time. It’s great to burn fat with and has become a staple of my diet!
For this recipe, add all of the ingredients into a quality blender and that’s it! You can use any type of protein powder that you want. My favorites for this recipe are chocolate peanut butter, vanilla and cookies and cream. Let me know your favorite type for this oatmeal protein shake in the comments section!
Stay full, burn fat and make this awesome shake in less than five minutes!
Quick Banana Oat Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1-2 scoops protein powder1 banana
2 tablespoons oatmeal
1 pinch cinnamon
1 1/2 cups water or milk
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
When I’m needing a shake and I’m in a jam, I’m usually running around the kitchen trying to figure out what I can toss in the blender to avoid having just another boring shake.
A lot of times, my search ends without a good reward and I’m left with your basic water and protein powder mix. That’s not all bad but it is definitely not as tasty as one of my typical recipes. I noticed that I always have oatmeal around, though, and began integrating some oatmeal into more of my recipes. It’s especially useful in the mornings where I need some extra complex carbohydrates to kickstart my day.
The other item that I’m most likely to have hanging around the kitchen waiting to be used is bananas — the perfect add-on to a protein shake. The two seemed like a match made in heaven so I’ve started regularly making this banana oat protein shake in the mornings for breakfast. With a little creativity, you can whip up a tasty protein shake using a couple ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen and pantry.
You can use any kind of standard oatmeal for this. I’ve used slow oats, instant oats and even the packets of oatmeal that you can heat up in the microwave. The different kinds of flavors can transform your protein shake. My favorite is maple brown sugar oatmeal with a banana!
The type and flavor of protein powder is totally up to you as well. Different combinations can give you a totally different flavor!
Feel free to add all sorts of other goodies to this recipe! I kept the main recipe simple for this one because that is the inspiration for the recipe. It needs to be perfect for the “Oh crap I have to leave in 5 minutes and need to eat something filling” moments that happen far too often (for me at least!)
Let me know your take on this tasty and quick banana oat protein shake recipe!
Chocolate Raspberry Mocha Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 ½ - 2 cups chocolate almond milk8 – 10 drops chocolate raspberry liquid stevia (SweetLeaf brand)
1 avocado
½ cup frozen raspberries
1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, melted
When you think of flavor combinations, lots of things probably come to your mind. Chocolate and peanut butter. Peanut butter and banana. Strawberry and banana. On and on and on.
I kind of go all out with the chocolate in this one, so when I make it, I use chocolate almond milk, the chocolate raspberry stevia and chocolate protein powder. If that’s too rich for you though, you can always use vanilla protein powder instead. I also use an avocado in this one for the same reason I usually use avocados. The creaminess. There’s nothing like it and when I’m indulging in a decadent flavor like this one, I want my shake to be lusciously creamy. It doesn’t change the flavor and adds some “good fat” to the shake as well. You can also use plain or vanilla flavored yogurt to add creaminess if you’re not a fan of avocado.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 ½ - 2 cups vanilla almond milk1 scoop vanilla pea protein powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8-10 drops liquid stevia, to taste (cinnamon-flavored SweetLeaf liquid stevia adds an extra kick!)
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, melted
½ cup ice cubes
One of my favorite “healthy” cookies these days is the snickerdoodle ever since I came across a gluten-free, refined sugar-free recipe. Believe it or not, they are one of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten and I can’t really keep them in the house longer than a couple days every time I make a batch. So I figured it’d be easier to get my snickerdoodle fix in the morning with my protein shake instead of constantly baking cookies.
One of the reasons I love this snickerdoodle protein shake so much is my grandma makes the world’s best snickerdoodle cookies. No matter how healthy I treat to eat, she’ll give me a plate of cookies to take home with me nearly every time I see her. I’m a huge sucker for cookies and an even bigger cinnamon addict. To stay away from cookies and to get a tasty shake, I needed a recipe like this!
(Side note: If you want to go the lazy but still tasty route, you can check out this excellent Snickerdoodle flavored protein powder by Select.
This one is pretty simple too since really the main flavors in a snickerdoodle are vanilla and cinnamon. There’s not much else to it. Most times I make this one, I like to use plain liquid stevia to give it a little sweetness without changing the flavor. But if you want to make it extra “cinnamony,” you can use cinnamon-flavored stevia in addition to the dry cinnamon. It’s another good way to start the day with a fresh mouth and that’ll be coffee breath any day!
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Girl Scout Samoa Cookie Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 ½ - 2 cups vanilla coconut milk¼ cup chocolate or carob chips
1 tablespoon sugar free or low glycemic caramel sauce
8-10 drops coconut flavored stevia (SweetLeaf brand)
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, melted
½ cup ice cubes
As a former Girl Scout, I can still conjure up the flavor of pretty much any Girl Scout cookie from memory. There’s no denying the popularity of these cookies, especially since in recent years, they’ve started popping up in places other than the cookie jar. There are now Girl Scout cookie flavored coffee creamers, ice creams, crunch bars, even chapsticks. So I figured why not jump on the bandwagon and try to make a Girl Scout cookie flavored protein shake?
Samoas was never actually one of my favorite flavors, I was more of a Trefoil fan. But since it’s way easier to recreate a chocolate/caramel/coconut cookie than it is shortbread, I took a go at it. Plus, I already like to use coconut oil anyway, so I’m a step ahead.
I think the deliciousness of this one comes from the same flavor combination that made the cookie so popular. Even if you’re not a big fan of coconut (like me), combining it with chocolate and caramel makes all the difference. I used vanilla coconut milk instead of chocolate since I used chocolate protein powder but you could always switch these around or double them up to your liking. For the caramel sauce, I chose a low glycemic version (St. Dalfour) so I could enjoy the taste without worrying about my blood sugar. And the real clincher I think, is the coconut flavored liquid stevia. Since coconut oil doesn’t have a very strong taste, this gives the shake its namesake’s signature flavor!
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Banana Cream Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 cup low fat milk½ cup heavy cream
1 banana
½ cup vanilla yogurt
¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla pea protein
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, melted
A few ice cubes (optional)
Continuing with my idea to turn my daily protein shakes into “mini-desserts,” I decided to experiment with some milkshake recipes and make one that was a little more protein, a little less ice cream.
Although I normally like to make my shakes dairy-free, this one is admittedly a little more “decadent” so I used regular low fat milk and heavy cream to make it thicker. I also used regular yogurt instead of coconut milk yogurt like I normally would, but at least try to use one with the lowest sugar content I can find.
The key ingredient in this one, that gives it that “pie” feeling, is the graham cracker crumbs. I use gluten free ones for my diet and can’t get enough of them. Feel free to add more crumbs if you’re like me and think the crust is the best part!
Vanilla extract and vanilla pea protein give it just enough sweetness that I don’t use any stevia or other sweeteners but I think agave would be good too! Adding one of my favorite everyday ingredients, coconut oil, makes me feel just a little less guilty for indulging since I know I’m still getting at least one thing that’s good for me!
Detox Smoothie Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 ½ cups cold water ½ lemon, peeled 1 pear 1 green apple 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric ½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger root Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste ½ teaspoon stevia or other natural sweetener, to tasteAt the direction of my naturopathic doctor, I did an extremely restricted diet for six months a couple years ago. Although it was pretty difficult and frustrating at times, I have to admit, it was nice knowing that I was only putting “real” foods in my body. Basically, I ate fruits, vegetables and meats (grass fed, antibiotic and hormone free), nothing else. After the restricted diet ended and I switched to a more Paleo-like diet, I found myself wanting to do a “detox” every once in a while just to get that feeling of a super clean system again.
After finding a bunch of different concoctions online and in books, I decided to make my own combination based on the most common detoxifying ingredients. Lemon, fresh ginger and turmeric seem to be the most-touted ones out there. Lemons help with digestion and flush toxins from your body, while ginger helps with liver function. Turmeric is also beneficial to the liver.
Cayenne pepper is another go-to ingredient when it comes to detoxifying. It has been praised for its benefits to your circulatory system and digestive system. Apples and pears are a great way to add fiber and of course water instead of milk is a no brainer.
Since I’m not a huge fan of ginger (and that’s what you usually taste the most), I add a little liquid stevia for taste. It’s not contradictory to the detox like traditional sugar and helps tame the spiciness of the ginger root and cayenne.
This isn’t one I like to drink every day but it’s a great way to “clean up” your body every few weeks!
Nuts & Berries Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
½ cup water 1/3 cup plain coconut milk yogurt ¼ banana 2 tablespoons walnuts 1 tablespoon blanched almonds 1 teaspoon agave nectar ½ cup frozen unsweetened raspberries 1 cup ice cubes 1 scoop pea protein 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, meltedI think squirrels have the right idea with their diet. You never see them lining up at the doctor’s office needing shots and medication. So what better ingredients for a protein shake than nuts and berries? I usually use at least one kind of berry in my protein shakes every day but I don’t typically add a lot of nuts, just a scoop of almond butter usually. So to mix things up a little (and add some more protein), I made this one extra nutty.
My favorite berry is raspberries but I think strawberries or blueberries would taste good in this one too. I like to use unsweetened berries as much as possible to make sure I’m not taking in any extra sugar. I try to buy organic berries too even though the price tag is a little higher.
Almonds have long been touted as a healthy snack but did you know walnuts are really good for you too? I didn’t really pay them much attention (other than to use them in one really good pesto recipe) but do a little research and you’ll find they contain tons of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties! Adding more than one kind of nut, ups the amount of “good fat” too.
I use coconut milk yogurt and agave nectar to keep the smoothie dairy free and refined sugar free but you can always use low fat milk and honey if you prefer. I really like to use pea protein to keep it as healthy as possible too. My favorite pea protein is Now Foods. It’s tasty stuff!
With all of the antioxidants and nutrients in this protein shake recipe, I like to use this after a long, early morning workout in the fitness pool or a late night date with the weights at my favorite gym.
Either way, you’ll find this one takes like a yummy bowl of cereal all mixed up in a shake!
Simple Sweet Potato Smoothie
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 cup red grapes½ medium orange, peeled
½ cup cooked sweet potato, peeled and cooled
½ medium apple, seeded
½ teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root
¼ cup frozen cranberries
2 cups ice cubes
When fall/winter rolls around, I start craving things like pumpkin, apples, caramel and sweet potatoes. I don’t know what it is, there’s just something in the air. And I must not be the only one… because that’s when Starbucks comes out with their seasonal drinks! Well, maybe not a sweet potato one. Which is why I wanted to find a good smoothie that uses them.
I played around with a couple recipes until I found a combination I like and this one checks off all the boxes. The cranberries, grapes and orange give this smoothie just the right amount of sweetness to offset the spiciness of the ginger root. Of course, ginger root is a wonder ingredient in and of itself, with tons of health benefits for your liver among other things. It will be the strongest flavor you taste, so adjust it accordingly if you want more or less intensity.
Adding a sweet potato to the smoothie gives it a big fiber boost and a creamy texture too, just be sure to use a cooked potato that has cooled completely. For the apple, you can use any kind that you like, but I usually use gala or fuji apples because of their sweetness. If you find that you want it a little sweeter though, you can always add a few drops of liquid stevia to your liking!
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Almond Joy Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 banana 2 cups chocolate almond milk ¼ cup almond butter ¼ cup vegan carob or chocolate chips 1 scoop pea protein 8-10 drops liquid stevia, to taste ½ cup ice cubes 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, meltedAlmonds are a great way to get protein in your diet, as well as fiber and healthy fat. But if you’re not a big fan of popping them in their natural state, adding almond milk or almond butter to your protein shakes is a great way to get an extra boost of protein.
I’m not a big fan of coconut (although I use a lot of coconut products for their health benefits!) so even though I call this an Almond Joy shake, it doesn’t taste exactly like the candy bar. It does have coconut oil in it, like many of my smoothies, because it’s good for the digestive system. But the main flavors in this one are almond and chocolate. Yum!
I like to use vegan carob chips to keep it dairy free but you can use chocolate chips too if you don’t like the taste of carob. It’s an acquired taste but one that I really started to like when I was on a doctor-directed break from regular chocolate.
Pea protein is my go-to protein because it’s wheat-free, soy-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. You might have to get used to the flavor the first few times you use it, but I find that when I add almond butter to my shakes too, it disguises the flavor. It also blends well and doesn’t feel gritty.