Protein Smoothies: A Delicious Way to Meet Your Protein Needs
brain candy
Protein Smoothies: By increasing protein intake, you can manage your appetite, boost your metabolism, and preserve muscle mass, all of which are key factors in successful weight loss.
Mama’s Got a New Smoothie Fix!
Protein smoothies….I’m on a mission. Matt, our youngest grandson, started the 11th grade this week. He casually mentioned he would gladly stop by our house on the way to school each morning if I would fix him a protein smoothie or shake. Well, what else do I need to say. If you have grandchildren you will understand))
Protein Smoothies
Besides the fact that my grandson likes smoothies, I have had to take a hard look at my protein intake. it’s been a year now since I began my goal to lose a few pounds before our oldest grandson got married last December.
Indeed, I have lost a few pounds! I’m not at my target yet, but I have lost about 20 pounds. However, over the last few weeks, it seems I’ve been backsliding. If you’re not a Baptist, you may not know what that means))) My weight has been creeping up a bit after a long plateau.
I know my family is tired of hearing me complain about it, but that’s their job to listen))) Carrie has said to me more than once I have to say….that “maybe you’re not eating enough.” Now that sounds counterproductive to losing weight, doesn’t it! But she said also that I probably was not getting enough protein.
Protein Requirement
Protein requirements are different for every person based on height, weight, age, gender, etc. My requirement just based on age and gender is around 46g per day. To promote weight loss, my Fitness Pal app says that I should get in 70-80g per day.
I’ll confess I hardly ever met that goal! You can log your meals in the Fitness Pal app and I’ve been pretty good about that, but have traveled a bit lately and got behind. I’m trying to get back on track now!
So protein smoothies are my plan to help me meet my protein goals. Here are a few reasons to reach those goals.
Protein Smoothie Recipes
I’m working on some recipes right now. And as soon as I get them tweaked I’ll start sharing. The very first one I made was pineapple and it was delicious! I’m ready to share that recipe, but I didn’t take a photo! So I’ll do that when I make it again.
Powdered Protein versus Protein Shakes
I have a pantry full of powdered proteins and mixes. And I’ve made an Almond Joy shake by Silver Lining Lessons. It was good too! But I’m going for ease and quickness of preparation. So I’ve elected to start with a purchased protein shake as the base.
Most times I have tried to add protein powder to a food, or make a shake based on the package directions, it has just tasted yuk! Maybe it’s because I know the extra protein is there….but it just leaves a taste that I don’t like. I’m sure there are differences from brand to brand but you sure can spend a lot of money testing them! If you have a brand that doesn’t give you that protein taste, please drop it in a comment))
Right now I’m using Premier Protein shakes. They come in a four-pack for around $10. And, I’m finding that one protein shake will yield three 16 oz smoothies.
This pina colada smoothie filled up a 32 oz cup and there was still some leftover. The three cups in the first image could have been filled to the brim. I didn’t notice until after I had taken the photos, that there was still smoothie in the blender!
So even at $2.50 a protein shake, yielding three 16 oz smoothies….the price really comes down. Of course, there was frozen fruit added and Greek yogurt, but not that much along with some flavorings.
Again, once I get a few recipes tweaked I’ll be sharing them.
Food Prep
Since Matt leaves for school pretty early, I need these protein smoothies to be quick and easy to make. So I did a little preparation on Sunday afternoon.
Things to Do Ahead of Time
- Place 1 cup frozen fruit in a baggie. (pineapple, strawberries, mixed berries), freeze.
- Place 1/2 cup almost milk in a baggie and lay it flat on a cookie sheet and freeze.
- Place frozen food and milk in a convenient spot. My deep freeze is in the garage, so these items are in the freezer section of my refrigerator.
- Locate shredded coconut and nuts so they are easily found (again, mine are in the freezer)
- Leave the Ninja blender out on the counter. I usually keep it under the counter, but it’s so heavy!
- Jumbo Straws: Regular straws are just too small. I found some on Amazon and they should be here soon. Dang, I should have looked for long-handled spoons too!
Stay Tuned!
I’ll be posting my successful protein smoothie recipes shortly! The pina colada one I did today was just about right….but it needs a bit more tweaking.
If you’re an old hand at making protein smoothies or shakes, I would love to hear about your successes, tips, or ingredients to stay away from. Protein supplements are expensive!
