We all have come to accept smoothies and protein shakes as a part of healthy living. The question though is, are they all really healthy? Or are you just ingesting a lot of sugar under the guise of healthy, muscle-building ingredients? Personally, I have come to believe that it is difficult for you to get the most nutrition per cup unless you have the ability to make your own shakes at home – and alter them to your liking or unique dietary needs. Want our exclusive TrainEatLive.com Protein Shake recipe? We’ve included it at the bottom of this article, but first we will give you some ‘food for thought.’
This Yahoo article found here highlighted some of the unhealthiest drinks you could find in the supposedly healthy juice chains, and here is what was amongst their findings when ordering a small smoothie:
Jamba Juice: A small is 16 ounces.
Worst Menu Offender -
The Peanutbutter Moo'd
A fat and calorie sensation. 530 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 83 grams of sugars.
Planet Smoothie A small is 22 ounces.
Worst Menu Offender -
The Chocolate Elvis
A bloated mix of chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas. 522 calories and 9 grams of fat, with 108 grams of carbs as well.
Smoothie King A small is 20 ounces.
Worst Menu Offender -
The Hulk
A vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate monster. The innocent-sounding strawberry flavor has 953 calories and 29 grams of fat, more than half of it saturated -- and yes, that is a small.
Now, why would you want to have one of those while also paying anywhere from $3-5 per cup? Especially when you can make your own shake at home anytime within 3 minutes, including washing your blender afterwards! The calories and carb/fat count doesn’t bother me as a standalone, but rather the protein/fat/carb ratios when you put them all together just don’t feel right you know? Ok, ok, enough set-up, as promised here is my personal recipe below along with some explanation of the ingredients and their respective purposes. Of course, always take your own dietary concerns/allergies in consideration before jumping into anything you see published online.
TrainEatLive.com ULTIMATE Protein Shake Ingredients
THE STAPLES:
1 Scoop of Vega Protein Powder
1 Scoop of Natural Whey Protein Powder
1 Scoop of Natural Milk/Egg Protein Powder
1 Scoop of Glutamine
1 Scoop of Greens 8-in-1
Skip the base and mix this with water/ice, and you’re looking at 42 grams of protein with under 300 calories and just 18g of carbs. Done. Supplement this once per day in your diet and you’ll be further along than most. Want to go for the best taste/texture? Well move onwards -
THE BASE (optional):
1 DanActive Yogurt Container
8 oz. Orange Juice or other preferred liquid
1 Banana
½ Cup of Optimum Rebound Granola Cereal
Fresh/Frozen Blueberries or other fruit
If calories aren’t a huge worry (bodybuilding vs. weight-loss), and/or this is a meal replacement rather than a supplement, then the shake with the full base will get you closer to 60 grams of protein with an estimated 775 calories and rounding off with just over 115g in carbs.
We feel that the fat content for this shake is so minimal that it’s not even worth mentioning. So if you want to try making your own mixture and adding/subtracting things, go ahead. In the meantime, here’s a quick breakdown on the logic of why we used the ingredients/supplements selected:
Vega Powder - Visit www.SequelNaturals.com.
Broad range proteins, quality carbs, fiber, chlorophyll, mixed berry complex, probiotics, digestive enzymes, Vitamins and Minerals. Free of most allergens. Wow! This stuff could really replace up to 10 different supplements!
Fitness Labs Natural Whey Protein Powder – No artificial stuff damaging your body. Muscle-building Whey. We like.
MLO Natural Milk/Egg Protein Powder – Also natural. Gives your body a blend of protein sources for maximum performance, recovery, absorption and health.
Champion Nutrition Glutamine – Enhances recovery and nutrient absorption.
Olympian Labs Greens 8-in-1 – We’re talking multivitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, detox/cleansing ingredients, BCAA’s. A great supplement and lasts forever.
DanActiv Yogurt – Yes, you can probably use Greek Yogurt for less carbs, but this is easy and convenient as is.
Orange Juice – Yes, we all know about the whole ‘you should eat an orange vs. orange juice’ debate, sugars, etc. etc. Look, we assume you are the champion that eats Salmon and Spinach as a staple; a cup of OJ is acceptable.
Bananas – Magnesium, calming, fruit group, perfect additive for texture in shakes.
Nature’s Path Optimum Rebound Cereal – With flax, oatmeal, almonds and good to build even more texture and satiating smoothie material, this stuff does it.
Frozen Blueberries – Antioxidants, flavors, antioxidants, fruit group, antioxidants. Want to get funkier? Some freeze-dried Acai maybe?
