I'm 99% sure that most of you reading this are aware of and have tried a protein shake at one point in your life. It’s a great way of getting that extra protein in during the day to hit your requirements, whether you use them straight after a training session or as a meal replacement. Whey protein is the most popular form of protein as it is absorbed by the body the fastest and can get repairing your muscles quickly after damaging them during a workout. This is the reason the best time to usually consume a whey protein shake, is just after training or first thing in the morning when you haven’t consumed any nutrients for a prolonged period of time.
Sometimes these shakes might get a little bit boring, or you are finding yourself still needing a little bit more (or less) calories during the day to hit your requirements. The following whey protein shake recipes are ones I have personally chosen and used in the past depending on my goal. I will split them into high calorie shakes low calorie shakes. The best part about personal protein shakes is that they are personal! So you really can mix and match ingredients till you find one that you enjoy the most. For the recipes, I won't list the flavour of whey protein, I will let you experiment and find your personal favourite.
High calorie protein shakes
This shake was my go to in a morning when I was short on time.
Ingredients – Whey protein (50g), semi skimmed milk ( 300ml) , 3 weetabix, tablespoon of peanut butter.
Calories – 646. Plus or minus a 100 depending on brands.
Simply place all the ingredients in a blender and mix together! This can be quite a thick shake, so you can adjust the quantity of milk accordingly, just remember to change the calories as well! A simple, quick and nutritious shake to start your day.
Here’s another morning shake…
Ingredients – Oats (50g), whey protein (50g), half tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of chopped almonds, semi skimmed milk (400ml).
Calories – 635. Plus or minus 100 depending on brands.
Low calorie shakes
Mixed berries
Ingredients – Whey protein (50g), semi skimmed milk (250ml), 15 blueberries, 5 strawberries, 10 raspberries, handful of ice.
Calories – 400
A very refreshing shake that is perfect for hot days. There is a lot of fibre in this shake so it will keep you fuller for longer! Just mix all together and blend, easy!
Banana blast
Ingredients – whey protein (25g) , 1 banana, unsweetened almond milk (300ml), full fat Greek yoghurt (100g), ground cinnamon ( half a tablespoon) , ice as needed.
Calories – 370
As with the rest of the shakes, mix all ingredients into a blender and…blend! It couldn’t be simpler! If this shake is too thick, add some more almond milk bit by bit until your ideal consistency is reached.
So there you have it, 4 shakes to try instead of always just solely reaching for that protein powder! All using natural healthy ingredients! Be sure to let me know what you think if you try any and as I said, the best part about a homemade protein shake is that you can really customize them to your needs! So use these as examples, I expect you to experiment! To make it easier, I have left a list below of the best ingredients to try for a homemade protein shake.
Homemade protein shake ingredients list:
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Whey protein
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Soy protein
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Casein protein
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Milk
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Almond milk
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Peanut butter
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Almonds
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Greek yoghurt
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Bananas
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Berries
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Cinnamon powder
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Honey
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Low calorie syrup
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Coffee powder
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Oats
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Ice cream
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Weetabix
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Ice or water
Happy shake making!
