Losing weight can be a challenge, especially when temptation is in our faces every time we walk into the kitchen. With some pre-planning, many of the reasons to eat something that is not beneficial to your diet can be decreased. Eating healthy and with the goal of weight loss doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless.
Protein shakes and smoothies can be a satisfying way to beat the cravings and not make you feel like you are missing out on the foods you enjoy. We’ve looked around the web for the tastiest shake and smoothie recipes and came up with ten mind-blowing protein shake recipes for weight loss that will help you get started!
1. Key Lime Pie Protein Shake
- ½ cup Fat free cottage cheese*
- 1 Scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tbs Lime juice – key lime juice if you can find it.
- 5-10 Ice cubes – 5 cubes for a thinner shake, more for a thicker one
- 1/2-1 cup Water
- 2-4 packets Stevia or 1/4-1 tsp no calorie sweetener of choice
- 2-3 drops Green food coloring, or a handful of spinach to make it green
- Optional: 1 tbs sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix
- Optional: 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (for additional thickness)
- Optional: 1 crushed graham cracker – for garnish
*If lactose intolerant, use silken or soft tofu.
Blend all ingredients (except the graham cracker) until desired consistency is reached. Top with crushed graham cracker.
Serves 1 – 180 Cal, 0g fat, 7g Carbohydrate, 0g Fiber, 4g Sugar, 36g Protein
Source: Dashingdish.com
2. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Protein Shake
- 1 large banana, frozen
- 2-3 ice cubes
- 1 cup almond milk (or other non dairy milk)
- 1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
- 2 tablespoons high quality coco powder
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Optional: 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips
- Optional toppings: whipped cream or Greek yogurt
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Serves 1 – 277 Cal, 4g fat, 32g Carbohydrate, 9g Fiber, 20g Sugar, 12g Protein
Source: Fitfoodiefinds.com
3. Almond Butter Protein Smoothie
- 1 large frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond butter
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- Optional Add-ins: Cinnamon, Maca Powder, Cacao Powder, Blueberries (or other fruits), or Spinach
Serves 1 – 305 Cal, 14g fat, 33g Carbohydrate, 11g Fiber, 20g Sugar, 10g Protein
Source: Theroastedroot.net
4. French Toast Protein Shake
- ½ cup Fat free cottage cheese
- 1 Scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tsp Maple extract (or 2 Tbs sugar free maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- Dash Nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice
- 3-5 Stevia packets or no calorie sweetener, to taste
- 1/2-1 cup Water
- 5-10 Ice Cubes
- Optional: 1/2 tsp xanthan gum and 1/2 tsp butter extract
Blend until smooth and top with fat free whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
Serves 1 – 180 Cal, 0g fat, 7g Carbohydrate, 0g Fiber, 4g Sugar, 36g Protein
Source: Dashingdish.com
5. Sweet Spinach Smoothie
- 6 ounces plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 cups spinach leaves, packed
- 1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 15 green or red grapes
- 2 tablespoons chopped avocado
- 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Blend until smooth
Serves 1 – 316 Cal, 6g Fat, 52g Carbohydrate, 9g Fiber, 21g Protein
Source: Fitnessmagazine.com
6. Banana Bread Protein Smoothie
- 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 medium banana (frozen or fresh)
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Serves 1 – 412 Cal, 13.1g Fat, 40.8g Carbohydrate, 5.8g Fiber, 23.5g Sugar, 34.5g Protein
Source: Popsugar.com
7.Harley Pasternak’s Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie
- 5 raw almonds
- 1 red apple
- 1 banana
- 3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Chop apples and almonds into small pieces. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
Serves 1 – 397 Cal, 3.5g Fat, 71.9g Carbohydrate, 8.5g Fiber, 48.8g Sugar, 23.7g Protein
Source: Popsugar.com
8. Black Forest Protein Shake
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy or skim milk)
- 1 banana
- 1 heaping cup frozen dark sweet cherries
- 3-5 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Serves 1 – 330 Cal, 5.2g Fat, 56.8g Carbohydrate, 8.8g Fiber, 23.2g Protein
Source: Dailyburn.com
9. Mango Lassi Protein Smoothie
- 3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
- 3/4 cup (one 6-ounce container) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
- Dash of vanilla extract
- Pinch of cardamom
- 1 teaspoon chopped pistachios
Save pistachios and blend the rest of the ingredients. Pour into glass and top with pistachios.
Serves 1 – 200 Cal, 1.5g Fat, 26g Carbohydrate, 2g Fiber, 18g Protein
Dailyburn
10. Make Your Own!
It is easy to create your own protein shake or smoothie recipe to help with weight loss if you follow these few guidelines:
- 1 cup of a liquid per serving – it can be anything: skim milk, water, juice, soy or almond milk, or coconut water to name a few ideas.
- Protein – the leaner the better. Don’t limit yourself to just protein powder. Tofu, low fat cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt are nice substitutions.
- Healthy Fat – try to choose an unsaturated fat like avocado, seeds, or nuts and keep it to only a tablespoon or two at the most.
- Fiber – Fruits and vegetables have high amounts of fiber and low to no fat. Berries tend to have the highest fiber to sugar ratio and vegetables like spinach and cucumber have relatively mild flavors that can be masked by other ingredients.
- Use frozen fruit, like bananas and blueberries, instead of ice. It adds flavor and nutrition and doesn’t water down the shake.
- Measure all your ingredients. It is easy to underestimate how much you are really adding which can up the calories or fat without knowing.
Protein smoothies and shakes are a great way to satisfy cravings and add needed nutrition without the daily calorie budget. In order to lose weight, it is important to know the daily budget of calories to achieve your goals. I provided the amount of calories in the shakes, but if we have enough interest, then I can offer personalized diet plans and future information on this subject.
If you are unsure of what protein powder you need to meet your needs, check out the best protein powders’ page; that will guide you to finding the best one for you.
