This article was co-authored by Tara Coleman. Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist who has a private practice in San Diego, California. With over 15 years of experience, Tara specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health and offers personalized nutrition, corporate wellness, and online learning courses. She received a BS in Biology from James Madison University and spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist before founding her practice. Tara has been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Dr. Oz The Good Life as well as in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Self, and Runner’s World.
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Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet and can be found in all types of natural foods. A recommended amount of protein is 50 to 175 grams per day, depending on your body type, exercise, and diet. If you're interested in adding protein to your diet, but don't have any protein powder, try making a protein shake with all natural ingredients. Blended together, these ingredients make a delicious, energy filled, healthy shake that can follow any exercise routine, help jump start your day, or help you lose weight.
Ingredients
- 1 cup soymilk
- 2 tablespoons almond or peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup red grapefruit juice
- 1 cup kale
- 1 large apple
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/2 cup chopped celery (1 medium stalk)
- 4 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1/4 cup frozen mango
- 1/8 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3-4 ice cubes
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 1 cup vanilla soy milk
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
Steps
Making a Nut Protein Shake
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1Pour soy milk, almond butter or peanut butter, and chia seeds in blender. If substituting peanut butter for almond butter make sure it is a natural peanut butter to eliminate excess sugar.
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2Add bananas, cocoa powder, or agave for extra flavor. If you are looking for a sweeter shake, or something with a little bit more protein, add a few extra ingredients to give your shake a boost. Consider adding one banana, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and a tablespoon of agave.Advertisement
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3Blend on high and enjoy. Combine ingredients until smooth and enjoy the healthy benefits! This shake yields about 18 grams of protein by itself, but with the added ingredients it yields up to 20 grams of protein.[1]
Making a Green Protein Shake
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1Juice grapefruit. Cut a grapefruit in half, and squeeze the juice into a blender. This juice can also be substituted with orange juice or coconut water.
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2Chop up fruits and veggies. First, wash these ingredients and then removing the stems, cores, and seeds, chop kale, apple, cucumber, and celery into small pieces and put in the blender.
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3Add remaining ingredients. Continue to add hemp hearts, frozen mango, mint leaves, coconut oil, and ice cubes to the blender. Using frozen mango helps the consistency of the shake, but you can use fresh mango and just add a few more ice cubes.
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4Blend on high. Once everything is added to the blender, blend the ingredients on high until the shake is smooth (you don't see chunks of the ingredients). If the shake is looking really thick, add a little water and continue to blend.
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5Pride yourself for being healthy. This shake yields about 17 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber, and is a rich source of Vitamin C + A, iron, and calcium. It makes about 3 cups so enjoy it in a large glass, or split it into two glasses for a more snack-like shake.[2]
Making a Bean Protein Shake
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1Prepare black beans. If you are using beans from a can, then simply measure out 1/2 cup and pour into a blender. However, if you are using dry beans, be sure to cook them and drain the excess water. You can cook beans in a crock pot or on the stove. When the beans are ready, add them to your blender.
- Cooking beans in a crockpot is an easy way to prepare beans without soaking them beforehand. Simply rinse beans, pour into crockpot, add 6 cups of water for every pound of beans, and set crockpot on high for four to six hours. Once the beans are cooked, drain excess water and they'll be ready to go! [3]
- It may seem weird to add beans to a shake, but they are similar to spinach in that when mixed with other ingredients they don't have a taste -- they just add a sneaky bit of nutrition!
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2Peel and chop banana. Taking a ripe banana, remove the peel and slice it into small discs, and then place in blender. It may help to use a frozen banana to make the shake colder and give it a creamy, thicker consistency.
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3Add almond milk, hemp seeds, and cocoa powder. Blend ingredients on high until smooth. If you want to add more protein to your shake, substitute almond milk for 1% milk. This will increase the protein by seven grams.
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4Enjoy your chocolaty-bean shake. This shake yields about 17 grams of protein, but substituted with regular milk will increase the protein to 24 grams.[4]
Making a Tofu Protein Shake
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1Peel and slice banana. Taking the banana out of the freezer, remove the peel and slice the banana into small discs. This will make it easier to blend with the other ingredients. Then, place in blender.
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2Combine soy milk, tofu, and peanut butter. Add ingredients to the blender with the banana and blend on high about one minute until smooth. [5]
- Tofu is a great addition to a shake, because it provides extra protein, iron, and calcium and is low calorie. To use tofu, simply take it out of the refrigerator and remove it from the packaging.[6]
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3Celebrate the health benefits. This shake yields about 17 grams of protein and is also a good source of Vitamin A and C as well as high in calcium and iron. [7]
Expert Q&A
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QuestionIs protein powder better than natural protein in a shake?
Tara ColemanTara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist who has a private practice in San Diego, California. With over 15 years of experience, Tara specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health and offers personalized nutrition, corporate wellness, and online learning courses. She received a BS in Biology from James Madison University and spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist before founding her practice. Tara has been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Dr. Oz The Good Life as well as in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Self, and Runner’s World.
Clinical NutritionistNo, they're both totally fine. A protein shake requires protein, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have to get that protein from a powder. -
QuestionWhat are the key ingredients I should use for a healthy protein shake?Tara ColemanTara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist who has a private practice in San Diego, California. With over 15 years of experience, Tara specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health and offers personalized nutrition, corporate wellness, and online learning courses. She received a BS in Biology from James Madison University and spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist before founding her practice. Tara has been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Dr. Oz The Good Life as well as in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Self, and Runner’s World.
Clinical NutritionistYogurt, hemp seeds, nut butter, nuts, and seeds are all great ingredients to build a shake around.
References
- ↑ http://www.connoisseurusveg.com/2014/06/chocolate-peanut-butter-chia-smoothie.html
- ↑ https://www.carbmanager.com/food-detail/md:6a4622be04bbe50f8d522db431ff2f30/green-protein-smoothie
- ↑ http://www.budgetbytes.com/2010/12/how-to-kick-the-can-of-beans/
- ↑ http://ohmyveggies.com/how-to-build-a-protein-smoothie-without-protein-powder/#slide-1
- ↑ http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Vegan-High-Protein-Smoothie-Made-Tofu-Soy-Milk-31802599
- ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/tofu
- ↑ http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Vegan-High-Protein-Smoothie-Made-Tofu-Soy-Milk-31802599
About This Article
To make a homemade protein shake without protein powder, blend soy milk, peanut butter, and chia seeds on high until the mixture is smooth. If you prefer a sweeter protein shake, add banana, cocoa powder, or agave. You can also make a protein shake using silken tofu instead of protein powder. Just blend banana, soy milk, tofu, and peanut butter on high for 1 minute. To learn how to make a protein shake using vegetables, fruits, or beans, scroll down!
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
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