Making Protein Shakes Taste Better

Doomsprout
Doomsprout Posts: 26
edited October 6 in Recipes
I wanted to share some things I do to protein shakes to make them taste better without increasing calories too much since the vanilla flavor gets old after a while.

I find adding sugar-free kool-aid w/ splenda or sugar-free jello makes a nice fruity change. Sometimes I will add vanilla, almond, or other extract.

Sometimes for a real treat I will add sugar-free cheesecake or pistachio pudding mix, but that does raise the calories slightly.

I also buy sugar-free 0 calorie flavored syrups they sell online and add them, they have things like hazelnut, raspberry, coconut, etc.

Walden Farms makes 0 calorie caramel, marshmallow, peanut butter, and chocolate sauces, I plan on trying adding those as well.

I got the idea because I was starting to dread having protein shakes because of the flavor and now I enjoy as much as a snack. :)

Replies

  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    1/4 cup steel cut oats for complexity
    1/2 cup blueberries for antioxidents
    1/2 cup raspberries for antioxidents
    1/2 cup almond milk so you dont fart all day!
    =D
    Makes for a great breakfast!

    PS: I grind my steel cut oats in a coffee grinder!
  • hrshoven
    hrshoven Posts: 3
    Protein shakes make me nauseous, but to lose weight before surgery my doctor recommended them. DO NOT ADD PUDDING!!! The texture is appalling! I have chocolate protein powder and I am having a hard time finding things to add to keep me from feeling like i want to vomit. I just tried strawberry sugar free jell-o today and it was marginally better.
  • debrajdavid
    debrajdavid Posts: 31 Member
    I add 1 tbs. of Chocolate PB2 - tastes wonderful!!
  • peggymenard
    peggymenard Posts: 246 Member
    This morning I put 1 scoop of vanilla Lean1, 3 strawberries, 1/4 C of blue berries, 8 ice cubes, 1/2 C of FF milk and blended. It was a luscious berry thick shake that made me want to suck the straw to the last drop. For the choc flavored Lean1, I add 1 C of fresh kale, 1 pkg of Stevia which offsets the bitterness of the kale and 8 ice cubes and blend. I can't eat uncooked bananas or wheat or I would probably add that to the choc shake. Sometime I throw in a TBS of flax meal.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    My protein shakes are pretty much always: Greek yogurt, protein powder, fruit. I use fresh or frozen fruit depending on availability and sometimes I'll add a splash of milk or some PB or PB2.

    In the fall I'll use canned pumpkin, Greek yogurt, and cool whip in my shakes.
  • Wookinpanub
    Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
    I use the GNC Total Lean shakes (25 grams of protein) daily. To shake things up (sorry for the pun), I add frozen blueberries (my favorite fruit) to them. The shakes are delicious on their own but extra special with blueberries.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I always use vanilla powder because I feel you can make vanilla taste like whatever you put in there.

    I also use unsweetened coconut milk or vanilla almond milk (also unsweetened).

    Then I use Dasani or Crystal Light drops to make it taste like whatever I'm in the mood for...for example I will make a shake with coconut milk, frozen pineapple and coconut pineapple drops, and it tastes like a pina colada! Another one I will do is frozen blueberries and use the mixed berry flavor.

    Some would poo-poo at the sweeteners that are in those but I don't use very much, literally just a drop to add flavor.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    30g Soya Protein Isolate
    250ml water

    pour into drink bottle
    shake
    drink, mentally shutting off your sense of taste

    now - what was difficult about that?
  • zephyr1975
    zephyr1975 Posts: 9
    I am a bariatric post-op. I have a couple of protein shakes every day to meet my protein requirements.

    My favorite is Iced coffee. I use my Keurig to brew my coffee over ice in my blender cup. I add a scoop of vanilla protein powder (i use the Muscle Tech brand from Sams Club), 1 tbs. sugar free liquid creamer, and a couple of pumps of my sugar-free Torani syrup.

    I also like to make smoothies with no sugar added frozen fruit, milk, and protein. My favorite i call a peach pie. 4-5 Frozen peaches, 1 c. skim milk, 1 pump vanilla Torani Sugar free syrup, and a dash cinnamon.
  • peggymenard
    peggymenard Posts: 246 Member
    Try McCormick's flavorings....pineapple, coconut, lemon, orange....just a drop....and yaaa to the pineapple and coconut....It's just like those pool side drinks with tons of calories.
  • PamelaGailJacobucci
    PamelaGailJacobucci Posts: 39
    I guess I'm boring. I've been drinking chocolate protein shakes for years and I like them just as they are. Mixed with water. Sometimes I add a tbsp of coconut milk, but that's pretty much it.
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    I guess I'm boring too =) I just mix mine with sugar free vanilla almond milk, and it tastes great.

    Some brands taste better than others. Trutein for example, is good all on it's own.
  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    Haha, yeah my chocolate protein shake is nice so I haven't got sick of it yet. Maybe it just takes trying a different brand.
  • ffmarsik
    ffmarsik Posts: 1 Member
    Try PB2 - powdered peanut butter. Yummy flavor. They also do a chocolate PB2 but it didn't taste very chocolately to me.
    http://www.bellplantation.com/

    "preservative free and contain no artificial sweeteners. And in the case of PB2 and Chocolate PB2, you won’t find 85% of the fat calories of regular peanut butter"
  • PinkyPan1
    PinkyPan1 Posts: 3,018 Member
    My morning routine is one scoop of chocolate protein powder, one banana along with a splash of water and ice cubes.
  • Siigh_duck
    Siigh_duck Posts: 161 Member
    Thank god some people said they have theirs relatively simple XD I thought I was majorly missing out on something there, I just mix my chocolate protein powder with some fruit + water and it's awesome
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    I make mine with Vanilla Protein mix yogurt, fruit and PB2 and Almond milk so yummy.
  • heavydron
    heavydron Posts: 19 Member
    Add some protein to the protein shake. Tastes amazing that way! Still not good enough? Probably just because there isn't enough protein...add more!
  • Siigh_duck
    Siigh_duck Posts: 161 Member
    Add some protein to the protein shake. Tastes amazing that way! Still not good enough? Probably just because there isn't enough protein...add more!

    I don't know why that made me giggle xD
  • shaybell34
    shaybell34 Posts: 50 Member
    love the ideas for protein shakes. I use vega one/ vanilla. any ideas for this particular shake?? :drinker:
  • shaybell34
    shaybell34 Posts: 50 Member
    I always use vanilla powder because I feel you can make vanilla taste like whatever you put in there.

    I also use unsweetened coconut milk or vanilla almond milk (also unsweetened).

    Then I use Dasani or Crystal Light drops to make it taste like whatever I'm in the mood for...for example I will make a shake with coconut milk, frozen pineapple and coconut pineapple drops, and it tastes like a pina colada! Another one I will do is frozen blueberries and use the mixed berry flavor.

    Some would poo-poo at the sweeteners that are in those but I don't use very much, literally just a drop to add flavor.



    [ Im gonna try your idea sounds good]
  • zephyr1975
    zephyr1975 Posts: 9
    I wanted to add the protein shake I made tonight. It is a first tonight and turned out pretty good.

    I brewed 2 Twinings Ultra Spice Chai tea bags in 10 oz. of boiling water. I poured the tea over ice in my blender bottle. I added 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1 tbs sugar free liquid creamer, and 2 pumps of Torani Sugar free Vanilla syrup. I shook it up and it turned out to be a great Iced Chai Latte.
  • GreatDepression
    GreatDepression Posts: 347 Member
    I LOVE the cheesecake flavor pudding powder from Jello. It's too bad it's kind of high carb because of the thickening agent.
  • zorbaru
    zorbaru Posts: 1,077 Member
    my wife adds fruit to hers, usually frozen berries. tastes quite nice.

    work colleague made a vanilla one yesterday with a banana and a coffee shot. it was ok but i think the banana made it too sweet. vanilla with a coffee shot would be nice i rekon. or even the unflavoured one with a coffee shot would be good
  • Kel1677
    Kel1677 Posts: 76 Member
    I use silk dark chocolate almond milk and pure protein frosty chocolate protein powder, that's my fave. I also use silk vanilla almond milk and pure protien powder with a Duncan Hines flavor creation flavor packet. I use orange cream it really good too
  • getrealgirl
    getrealgirl Posts: 201 Member
    My favorite for morning is cold black coffee, chocolate protein powder (whey) and almond milk. Gets me going!
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