Protein Shake Make-Over Ideas?

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I bought like 5 pounds of Body Fortress protein powder (cookies n creme and chocolate peanut butter) but for the life of me I cannot tolerate the taste and consistency of these drinks. I feel like they are super watery and when I try to add ice it just sits on the top instead of blending in like a smoothie. I mixed it with peanut butter and a frozen banana once which worked but it made me sick (as I am gastric bypass post-op). Does anyone have any ideas of how I can spruce up these shakes without adding too many extra sugars? I just can't bring myself to throw them away...
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Replies

  • whittlelauraann
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    what about actually in a blender with ice.... thats how I make mine when I have one but I usually use frozen fruit too.
  • Kalah7Renae12Vera
    Kalah7Renae12Vera Posts: 265 Member
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    what about actually in a blender with ice.... thats how I make mine when I have one but I usually use frozen fruit too.


    That's what I do, I throw my powder, water and sometimes fruit in my Ninja, but for some reason the ice doesn't mix with the fluid it just all gathers at the top no matter now long I blend
  • ChaiSpyce
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    what about actually in a blender with ice.... thats how I make mine when I have one but I usually use frozen fruit too.


    That's what I do, I throw my powder, water and sometimes fruit in my Ninja, but for some reason the ice doesn't mix with the fluid it just all gathers at the top no matter now long I blend

    Sounds like you need a new blender. I thought the Ninja could handle ice and frozen fruit. I have a Vitamix which makes wonderful smoothies, but before that, I had a regular Oster blender that could make a decent smoothie. It would leave chips of ice or fruit in the drink, but at least it would pulverize most of it.

    I make my drinks with unsweetened almond milk and frozen bananas.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    Greek yogurt. Makes it thick and more like a shake, and with the added benefit of a ton more protein.
  • Kalah7Renae12Vera
    Kalah7Renae12Vera Posts: 265 Member
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    what about actually in a blender with ice.... thats how I make mine when I have one but I usually use frozen fruit too.


    That's what I do, I throw my powder, water and sometimes fruit in my Ninja, but for some reason the ice doesn't mix with the fluid it just all gathers at the top no matter now long I blend

    Sounds like you need a new blender. I thought the Ninja could handle ice and frozen fruit. I have a Vitamix which makes wonderful smoothies, but before that, I had a regular Oster blender that could make a decent smoothie. It would leave chips of ice or fruit in the drink, but at least it would pulverize most of it.

    I make my drinks with unsweetened almond milk and frozen bananas.


    Not the blender. With other protein shakes it came out perfectly, and it comes out nicely when I add banana and peanut butter but its just too high in sugar and fat. Greek yogurt is an idea, it would add more protein, I may have to give that a try
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Try mixing it with milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. I hate protein shakes made with water only.
  • ErinShannon
    ErinShannon Posts: 158 Member
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    I make mine with skim milk (per my dietitian) and in my blender and have no problem with it mixing up. I use the same exact kind as you do. I don't add anything else to them, just the skim milk and powder and some ice. When I don't feel like dirtying the blender, I use my shaker cup and add some ice to it that way too.
  • teethgal
    teethgal Posts: 3 Member
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    I use a magic bullet blender use the powder (chocolate is my favorite)with unsweetened almond milk I think it taste like a milkshake
    sometimes I use Ice sometimes fruit or yogurt I even throw in small handful of baby spinach you won't even taste it. Just keep changing it up and find the combonation that you like.
  • Bronx_Montgomery
    Bronx_Montgomery Posts: 2,287 Member
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    COOKIES AND CREAM IS THE BEST!! Never do them in water....if you have the calories do it with milk. Taste so much better
  • DeMarraDontStop
    DeMarraDontStop Posts: 342 Member
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    It was like this for me as well when I first started making my own shakes. I now blend the almond milk & protein powder first then after add the fruit. Seems as if blending the powder first liquifies it first...
  • Kalah7Renae12Vera
    Kalah7Renae12Vera Posts: 265 Member
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    Thanks for all of your responses! I will try a few splashes of milk and see if that doesn't help some. I have also bought some sugar free pudding mixes to add along if it's still got that funky consistency. I don't know if I am brave enough to add spinach to anything chocolate based yet, haha but hey I suppose you never know!
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Unsweetened almond milk has 30 calories per cup! I use a Ninja too and have no problems with it.
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
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    Sent a PM, but wanna post this in case anyone else would like the ideas…:

    307120_4726602995768_1542794703_n.jpg

    This works very well for me!

    It tastes even better with rice milk, but that was adding to many carbs. Carbs are so hard to get under control, even with barely any grains. Can't wait until I am done with the section of P90 that cals for 40/40/20 Oh, and fat. Pfft.
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
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    I have to say, sounds like your blender may not be good enough. I put ice in mine all the time in the blender and it just makes it thick and frosty. I make mine with either lactose free fat free milk or soy. I cant tolerate milk since I had surgery, but I do well with lactose free or soy. Try using frozen fruit..that will also help thicken it up. I have never put a whole banana in my shakes...too many carbs...but a few slices of frozen is good :happy:

    My favorite shake recipe: Frozen protein frappe

    1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use Bariatric Advantage)
    1 scoop Mocha Click protein powder
    1 cup fat free lactose free milk (or soy)
    1 TBSP sugar free Torani chocolate syrup (find it in the coffee aisle)
    about 6 ice cubes

    blend well...takes like a mocha milkshake! Yummy!
  • pixied12
    pixied12 Posts: 27 Member
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    I'm pre-op, but I use Crystal Light (sugar free, any flavor), one of those blender bottles (the ones with the little wire whisk ball @ the bottom) and blend that together with the protein. Another find that I've found to be better than the Blender Bottles is the Bariware bottles. They are just like the Blender Bottles, but they have a plastic thing that goes inside the bottles at the top so that you don't get uncomfortable gas. Kind of like what they have on baby bottles to prevent too much gas in babies and that has really worked. You can go to bariware.com and find all of their products.
  • minionofevil
    minionofevil Posts: 79 Member
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    I thought the protein shakes tastes gross, so I make mine into a protein pancake. And I use a cup of frozen fruit that has been microwaved so it's warm as 'syrup'
  • justtodayjen333
    justtodayjen333 Posts: 142 Member
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    bump
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    I bought like 5 pounds of Body Fortress protein powder (cookies n creme and chocolate peanut butter) but for the life of me I cannot tolerate the taste and consistency of these drinks. I feel like they are super watery and when I try to add ice it just sits on the top instead of blending in like a smoothie. I mixed it with peanut butter and a frozen banana once which worked but it made me sick (as I am gastric bypass post-op). Does anyone have any ideas of how I can spruce up these shakes without adding too many extra sugars? I just can't bring myself to throw them away...

    Try peanut butter OR half a banana, you don't need both to give a creamy texture, half an avocado is also good. Frozen mixed berries are a strong flavour, nutritious and low sugar. I don't add ice to any smoothie or shake and cannot understand why anyone does, that seems bound to make it watery, I just use low sugar fruits/ veggies or reduced fat dairy or sugar free cranberry drink. Have you tried using less water?
  • burtnyks
    burtnyks Posts: 124 Member
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    Definitely add milk, cottage cheese also gives it more of a creamy consistency. I have a few optimum nutrition protein powders that seem a bit watery so I bought xanthan gum (Bob's Red Mill brand) which is a natural thickener. Just a little bit helps to thicken it up. When you run out of that protein, try BSN Lean Dessert. They are the BEST and if you mix it with milk and ice it is really creamy just like a milk shake.
  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
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    Add a little Xanthum gum. It is all natural, very low calorie (25 cal's per 1 tablespoon and I only use a 1/2 T in mine)..but it's all natural and will thicken up your shake so you can eat it with a spoon! Add a little stevia (an all natural sweetener) and maybe some unsweetened coca powder? 15 calories per Tablespoon?