Protein Shakes / Meal Replacements (Natural)

tlafrance
tlafrance Posts: 105 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I want to make my protein shakes from home, without using any protein powder. What are the normal calories for protein shakes? What is a suffient amount of grams a protein shake should have? Also if you have any recipes please share. Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • Kasya007
    Kasya007 Posts: 165 Member
    Why are you seeking extra protein & why do you not want to use protein powder? There are some good ones out there that aren't all sugar & filler? Though, you do really have to look hard for them.

    I personally use protein powder, because I simply can't get enough protein into my diet to repair my muscles during my training, while staying under my 1,200 calorie limit & keeping my other nutrients balanced. (I use: North Coast Naturals 100% Iso Protein, http://www.northcoastnaturals.com/images/nutritionalfacts/nutritionalfacts_isoprotein_vanilla_ca.png)

    Powders aside, there are a lot of options for low-calorie, high-protein shakes. You'll most likely want to use milk, chocolate milk or soy milk as a base, as they are higher in protein than almond or coconut milk, look for the non-fat or skim varieties. Other things to add, to thicken it & raise the protein level without raising the calories too much would be raw egg whites, tofu, Greek yogurt, light Ricotta cheese and fat-free cottage cheese (the dairy all around 100 cals per 1/2c-3/4c serving). You could get into nut butters & actual nuts to raise the protein, but they also raise the calories dramatically, ruin the texture & add good--but unnecessary--fats.

    I don't have any recipes to share as I change mine depending on what I'm craving each day, but flavour is where you can get creative! You can go sweet, savoury, fruity, spicy...just experiment and have fun! For instance, this morning I simply had plain Greek yogurt for my source of protein, but I added cinnamon, Vanilla, Splenda, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg &...cayenne pepper! It was DIVINE! :smile:

    IMO, try not to make a shake with anything more than about 250 calories. You can get all of your protein needs in with that amount. Heck, you don't even have to go to the trouble of making a shake, just eating those foods can get you the protein you're seeking, (a lot of athletes simply just have chocolate milk after workouts).

    To give you an idea of the protein & calorie content that you asked about, my usual recovery shake (or just breakfast shake) looks like this. As you can see, it's two servings and by the time I'm done adding the ice & veggies, the blender is so full that I split it up & drink it throughout the day. I also commonly add in extra things like soy lecithin, Salba seeds, yogurts & those fat-free cheeses mentioned above (and I always add ice):

    2mn1vo2.jpg

    Good luck--and once again--have fun experimenting with flavour, you'll find something that you like. GREAT JOB on your loss, btw! :smile:
  • Bearman45
    Bearman45 Posts: 46
    I want to make my protein shakes from home, without using any protein powder. What are the normal calories for protein shakes? What is a suffient amount of grams a protein shake should have? Also if you have any recipes please share. Thanks in advance.

    I've often asked my self these same things. Why can't I just make my own?

    Typically, I have a morning shake that consists of water, a cup of frozen strawberries, and Arbonne Essentials vanilla powder. It's very yummy, satisfying and filling. Sometimes I add some grapes. Here's what you get...

    Ingredients Calories Fat Protein Carbs Fiber Sugar
    Kirkland Signature - Whole Frozen Strawberries, 1 cup 50 0 0 13 3 9
    Arbonne Essentials - Vanilla Protein Shake, 2 scoops 160 4 20 13 1 9
    Water - Municipal, 1 cup (8 fl oz) 0 0 0 0 0 0
    Grapes - Raw, 15 grape 24 0 0 6 0 6

    Total: 234 4 20 32 4 24

    But I'm a do-it-yourselfer at heart, so I tried this...

    Ingredients Calories Fat Protein Carbs Fiber Sugar
    Spinach - Raw, 1 cup 7 0 1 1 1 0
    Grapes - Raw, 15 grape 24 0 0 6 0 6
    Bananas - Raw, 0.5 small (6" to 6-7/8" long) 45 0 1 12 1 6
    Kirkland - Whole Frozen Strawberries, 0.75 cup 38 0 0 10 2 7
    Fry's (Canada) - Premium Cocoa, 1 tbsp (5 g) 15 1 1 2 2 0
    Herbal Select - Stevia Liquid Extract, 15 drops/0.10ml 0 0 0 0 0 0
    Fresh Fruit - Pineapple Spears, 2 spears 38 0 0 9 0 0
    Tru Roots - Organic Quinoa - Cooked, 3/4 cup 170 3 5 30 4 4
    Milk - Reduced fat, 2% milkfat, 1.5 cup 183 7 12 17 0 19

    Total: 520 11 20 87 10 42

    This was really tasty. The cooked quinoa makes it rich and creamy. The trick is to blend the quinoa and milk together first. I use a VitaMix and blend until smooth. Then add the rest. It makes a really good shake, with pretty good protein, but look at those calories! 520!

    So then I tried this...

    Ingredients Calories Fat Protein Carbs Fiber Sugar
    Raw Pumpkin Seeds, Unsalted, 1/4 cup (50g) 300 23 18 4 2 1
    Golden Roasted Milled Flax Seed, 2 Tbsp (15g) 100 7 3 3 3 0
    Fry's - Premium Cocoa, 1 tbsp. 20 1 1 2 2 0
    Dairyglen - 2% Milk, 1.2 cup 156 6 11 14 0 13
    Grapes - Raw, 24 grape 39 0 0 10 1 9
    Bananas - Raw, 0.5 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) 53 0 1 13 2 7
    Kirkland - Whole Frozen Strawberries, 1 cup 50 0 1 13 3 9
    Blueberries - Raw, 0.5 cup 41 0 1 11 2 7
    Stevia Leaf Extract, liquid, 10 drops 0 0 0 0 0 0

    Totals 759 37 36 70 15 46

    The key again is to blend the pumpkin seeds and flax into oblivion before adding everything else. This was also very tasty, thick and creamy. Great protein (36g) and fiber (15g), but 46g of sugar and 759 calories!

    I tried plenty of other concoctions, some of which were, well, vile, but in the end the two recipes above accomplished what I was looking for: Smooth and tasty, quick and easy, inexpensive, good protein, healthy and nutritious.

    However, the calories are high, and they are a lot to drink. If that isn't an issue for your needs then I think they do the job. If calories are a concern, stick to the powders. There are some good ones for sure. The one I use at times is vegan (no whey! - pun intended) and doesn't add a bunch of sugar.

    Experiment, enjoy, and let us know what you create.

    EDIT - Sorry, I don't know how to post the MFP nutrients the way Kasya did... hope you can read that mess!

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