Meal Replacement Shake/Smoothie Ideas?

RaggedyAnnazon
RaggedyAnnazon Posts: 183 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello!

So I'm asking about meal replacement shakes, both products and homemade smoothie/shake recipes. I have a lot of trouble eating first thing in the moring, and a lot of times have to run out the door for my college classes. This usually puts me to eating at about noon, when I get up for the day around nine.

I've looked into a few products, the Herbalife shakes scare me, the people I talked too seemed too addicted and reliant on them. I like Shakeology, but the price on my already skeleton budget leaves me with no money. I've done homemade smoothies before, but can never seem to find a combination that I like, isn't expensive and keeps me full until lunch time.

Any ideas? Either on products OR recipes for smoothies and shakes.

Thank you!

Replies

  • RaggedyAnnazon
    RaggedyAnnazon Posts: 183 Member
    bump
  • jillian_fan2425
    jillian_fan2425 Posts: 167 Member
    I've been using Dole Smoothie Shakers as my breakfast three times a week, sometimes coupled with a protein bar. They come in several different flavors and are only about $2 at my local Kroger. Basically, each one has frozen fruit and yogurt bits, and you add the juice of your choice (I use milk instead to make sure I get my calcium) and shake them up for a minute. They're especially good if you don't have a blender to make your own smoothies or don't feel like dealing with the mess. Only a couple hundred calories, too.
  • RaggedyAnnazon
    RaggedyAnnazon Posts: 183 Member
    Thank you! I'll take a look at them : )
  • fitnessbabe90
    fitnessbabe90 Posts: 122
    I do veges and fruits smoothie all the time. I never get use to it but i just try to hold my gag reflex and drink the whole suckers to be healthy. I tried every combination but still disgusting. I do it anyway. :-)
  • kmtbeaulieu
    kmtbeaulieu Posts: 33 Member
    .5 cup Plain Greek yogurt protein keeps you full longer

    1-1.5 cups Milk or juice makes the consistency smoother

    1-2 of each Fruit of your choice or frozen fruit of your choice(let them thaw for awhile)

    blend away!


    Right now my favourite seems to be

    Greek yogurt
    -orange juice
    -a apple and a banana
  • RaggedyAnnazon
    RaggedyAnnazon Posts: 183 Member
    That's sometimes my issue, but I've noticed pairing fruits with a very sweet flavor with the veggies helps. Pineapple washes nearly any other flavor out to me most of the time. So if I do make a smoothie and veggies go in, so does pineapple.
  • SKME2013
    SKME2013 Posts: 704 Member
    I believe one of the best choices I made re my nutrition was buying a top of the range blender. It cost me a fortune but was worth every penny.

    I now blend left over veggies with spinach, throw some blueberries into the mix, a spoon of protein vanilla powder and suddenly I have a superb tasting veggie smoothie.

    I would NEVER eat 200-400g of spinach daily!

    Stef.
  • soozey1
    soozey1 Posts: 102 Member
    If you have a look on Pinterest you can make some fairly inexpensive shakes. I am a fan of the superfood ones, helped fixed my current kidney inflammation .
    Choose your base, water, milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut water
    Choose your add in, fruit, yoghurt, nuts, linseed, sesame seed, peanut butter, almond butter
    Power boost it with these super foods. Acai berry, kale, macca powder, cacao powder or another
    My fav , almond milk, banana, kale, macca, sesame, linseed , cacao, almond butter.
    Berries, soy milk, yoghurt, Acai powder and seeds, kale.
    Two weeks you will feel supercharged.
    You can add a protein powder if you wish but it is not necessary.
  • RaggedyAnnazon
    RaggedyAnnazon Posts: 183 Member
    I believe one of the best choices I made re my nutrition was buying a top of the range blender. It cost me a fortune but was worth every penny.

    I now blend left over veggies with spinach, throw some blueberries into the mix, a spoon of protein vanilla powder and suddenly I have a superb tasting veggie smoothie.

    I would NEVER eat 200-400g of spinach daily!

    Stef.

    I've been eyeing blendtec or vitamixes forever. But sadly, my budget it so tight, that if I went out and purchased one, I wouldn't have any income for about three to four months. I'm currently living off school loans and my daughters benefits, it puts me at about $800 a month for income. I currently have a ninja, which seems to work pretty good. I've debated about a nutribullet, but if I havent been able to figure out what makes it special yet, I probably wont figure it out buying it.

    The blender is on my wish list though.
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
    I love my Ninja. I make smoothies every day. I used to use a Nutribullet but I like the Ninja better.

    My smoothies are usually banana, frozen fruit, almond milk, and Vega Whole Foods Smoothie Infusion. Or greens, banana, almond milk, and flaxseeds or hemp protein.
  • LillithM
    LillithM Posts: 17 Member
    Quick question. Is it unhealthy to substitute shakes for breakfast and lunch?
  • 0ange
    0ange Posts: 1
    Dr. Hyman has a bunch of recipes on his site, Fruit and Nut Shake, Rice Protein Shake, Strawberry Tofu. http://bit.ly/OPXMlb Basically, the shake always has protein -either from soaked and ground nuts, or almond milk, tofu, or almond peanut butter added, or protein powder added. It is so much easier to make these, then to reinvent the wheel each morning. Most importantly, you don't get hungry later. So, yes, you can have shakes for breakfast: just make them yourself with the right ingredients.
  • johloz
    johloz Posts: 176 Member
    If you don't have a blender, buy a shaker cup instead. You won't be able to grind up the fruit into it, but if you just mix protein with milk in the shaker cup, then eat a piece of fruit, it's the same thing without all the hassle or expense of a blender.

    My breakfast this morning: 1 cup whole milk, 1 scoop vanilla flavored whey protein, 2 tbsp pb2 -- all shaken up in a shaker cup (which cost about $5.00 - I only need one). If you want fruit also, just eat it on the side. No need to get fancy.

    I like whole milk because it keeps me fuller longer, but you can use lowfat or nondairy as well. Up to you. No need to buy expensive premade shakes.
  • RaggedyAnnazon
    RaggedyAnnazon Posts: 183 Member
    If you don't have a blender, buy a shaker cup instead. You won't be able to grind up the fruit into it, but if you just mix protein with milk in the shaker cup, then eat a piece of fruit, it's the same thing without all the hassle or expense of a blender.

    My breakfast this morning: 1 cup whole milk, 1 scoop vanilla flavored whey protein, 2 tbsp pb2 -- all shaken up in a shaker cup (which cost about $5.00 - I only need one). If you want fruit also, just eat it on the side. No need to get fancy.

    I like whole milk because it keeps me fuller longer, but you can use lowfat or nondairy as well. Up to you. No need to buy expensive premade shakes.
    I'm so glad to hear someone else uses whole milk. I have a shaker, just can't afford the protine powder right now.
  • RaggedyAnnazon
    RaggedyAnnazon Posts: 183 Member
    Quick question. Is it unhealthy to substitute shakes for breakfast and lunch?

    It would actually just be for breakfast, as I've stated I don't usually have time in the morning to make or really stomach solid food. And I believe depending on the ingredients it can be very healthy. It's why I asked about recipes and store bought mixes.
  • ShreddingIt_84
    ShreddingIt_84 Posts: 141
    I looooove the Lean 1 shakes from nutrition 53
    I would say its a good shakeology dupe!

    Sometimes i dont wanna eat and prefer a shake, nothing wrong with that :)
  • Mrscanmore
    Mrscanmore Posts: 865 Member
    I really like banana milk

    Blend 1 banana, a couple ice cubes, 1T of peanut butter and 1C of milk (I use 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 regular). Soooo yummy!
  • Turtlesallthewaydown
    Turtlesallthewaydown Posts: 64 Member
    I tried juicing and I tried using a regular blender but nothing really gave me the results that a Nutribullet has.
    I put almost two cups of spinach in, then a cup of mixed berries and a banana. Or I do the spinach, half an avocado, five or six large tart strawberries and tsp of honey. I've also blended apples and grapes together with a small mandarin and some pineapple.
    The nutribullet gets everything really smooth, especially if you have a banana or the avocado in there.
    And the nutribullet cleans up very quickly, you just rinse the blade and the cup and let them dry on the counter.
    It's a little expensive but I thought it was worth it because of the nutrients that I can get without having to eat a salad for breakfast or having to try to carry fresh fruit around during my morning rush.
  • PinUp2014
    PinUp2014 Posts: 79 Member
    I used Herbalife for a little while but did not like it.

    I've switched back to my tasty and quick shakes using GNC's Total Lean powder. I'm not an advocate for meal replacement, I think if it fits in your macros and makes you happy, go for it. I'm simply lazy and will eat at Sonic 3x a day if I don't have something simple and filling.

    I do one scoop of either the Swiss Chocolate or the Vanilla Bean powder, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, 1 to 1 1/2 cups of non-fat milk and up to 1/2 cup of water and hit blend. My diary is open to the public so you can get an idea of what the calorie count is.

    I prefer the GNC for many reasons, the top 3 being cost and lack of stimulants and no excessive sugar. I feel a bit more level when I start my day with a shake and I went from having the second for dinner to having it at lunch.
  • PinUp2014
    PinUp2014 Posts: 79 Member
    Quick question. Is it unhealthy to substitute shakes for breakfast and lunch?

    Not necessarily. So long as you're not going wild with the rest of your eating and you're getting the right amount of calories and whatnot, it can help prevent cravings or "lazy eating".
  • Helenavee42
    Helenavee42 Posts: 175
    I do fruit and veggie smoothies at night. My 2 fave recipes are:

    1 peach
    1 orange (peeled)
    1 banana
    Juice of 1-2 limes
    1.5 cups baby spinach
    3 kale leaves (I use the curly kind)
    2 tbsp ground flax seed
    6-7 pieces of ice.

    and

    1 apple (cored)
    1 lemon (peeled)
    1/2 cucumber
    1.5 cups spinach
    3 kale leaves
    2 tbsp ground flax seed
    6-7 ice cubes.

    These make about 1 L smoothies. Oh I also add water to the mix to help it blend better. What you could do with these is make them the night before without the ice and refrigerate then in the morning just throw it back int he blender with the ice and then go.

    I used to do protein smoothies before I cut out dairy and processed foods.

    1 banana (frozen)
    1-2 scoops chocolate protein powder
    1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt
    1 cup almond milk
    2 tbsp peanut butter

    or

    1 banana (frozen)
    6 strawberries (frozen)
    1-2 scoop vanilla or strawberry protein powder
    1/2 cup greek yogut
    1 cup almond milk

    or

    1 cup strawberries (frozen)
    1 cup blueberries (frozen)
    1-2 scoop vanilla or strawberry protein powder
    1/2 cup greek yogurt
    1 cup almond milk
    1 cup baby spinach

    Maybe it's just me but these things always kept me full. You could also take some hard boiled eggs with you for a snack. Just peel them before hand and you're good to go.
  • Kerrieann66
    Kerrieann66 Posts: 8 Member
    I like to blend an EAS Advantedge shake (100 calories) with a cup of frozen unsweetened fruit (strawberries are 50 calories) in my Magic Bullet! You could add Chia seeds or Flax Seed oil if you want more nutrients/fiber... but I'm always looking for simple ways to track my calories... I buy a case of the shakes at Sam's club for about $20.00 and buy the fruit in huge bags at Sam's for under $10.00/bag - very inexpensive!!
  • starznholes
    starznholes Posts: 170 Member
    If you have a look on Pinterest you can make some fairly inexpensive shakes. I am a fan of the superfood ones, helped fixed my current kidney inflammation .
    Choose your base, water, milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut water
    Choose your add in, fruit, yoghurt, nuts, linseed, sesame seed, peanut butter, almond butter
    Power boost it with these super foods. Acai berry, kale, macca powder, cacao powder or another
    My fav , almond milk, banana, kale, macca, sesame, linseed , cacao, almond butter.
    Berries, soy milk, yoghurt, Acai powder and seeds, kale.
    Two weeks you will feel supercharged.
    You can add a protein powder if you wish but it is not necessary.

    These sound great!! Thanks for sharing.
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
    I purchased a single serve blender at Wal-Mart for around $20...I measure out my ingredients the night before cover with the blade, and pop it in the fridge. In the morning all I have to do is take it out and pop it on the blender, stick a straw in the cup, and go. Super easy, super fast. Below are a few of the things I mix..This morning my shake had 51g of protein in it and stuck with me from 7 am to noon.

    8fl oz Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Chocolate (juice section)
    33 grams Six Star Nutrition French Vanilla Creme Protein powder
    12g PB2 Chocolate (powdered peanut butter)
    140g frozen strawberries.

    415 Calories, 46 Carbs, 51g protein

    For Fruity I do this one.

    8 fl oz Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Mango Blend
    70 grams frozen mango
    70 grams frozen pineapple
    33 grams french vanilla creme protein powder.

    I too add pineapple with veggies, but I've found the protein plus juice blends give me that added protein to keep me full longer. I don't care for the taste or consistency of yogurt, but you could use that too for an even bigger protein kick.

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