Tired of paying $1,000 or more for a protein shake at the gym? Do protein shakes made from a packet of chemicals concern you? Try this great recipe for a 100% natural, delicious, low-fat shake that can be used when you are short on time but want something delicious and nutritious. This tastes as good as some of the best chocolate shakes from the ice cream shops, but is very healthy. The secret is the frozen banana.
Protein Shake
Ingredients:
1 cup of milk ( regular, soy, almond or any nut milk would work or water if you
prefer that)
1 scoop (25g) isolated whey protein (I use Allmax Isoflex, but you can also use a plant-based protein powder of your choice)
1 frozen banana
Directions:
To a blender, add milk/water and protein powder
Add broken up frozen banana
Immediately start blending before banana pieces stick together. Continue to blend at max speed for about a minute until nice and creamy – volume will increase as it gets creamier.
Nutritional Information
330 calories
33g protein
51g carbs
1.5g fat
Despite what the advertisements promise, protein shakes do not have magical muscle-building properties. A protein shake is just a convenient meal replacement for when you don’t have the time for a healthy, balanced real meal. If you are training hard and want to maximize your muscle growth then you need a constant supply of protein throughout the day, preferably every 2-3 hours except when sleeping. Each meal should contain its share of your daily protein, 10-35g/meal depending on body weight, but your body really does not care where that protein comes from. It can be beans and rice, it can be a protein shake, it can be a piece of boneless chicken.
The question I always get is: “When should I have my protein shake, before or after working out?”
I think you know the answer by now – it doesn’t matter. Eat/drink your protein every three hours which probably means you are using it right before going to the gym and right after you get back.
Have your shake for any of your daily meals where you don’t have time for a real meal. It is easier to drink a protein shake while driving than eat a plate of chicken, vegetables, and potatoes.
Frozen bananas
Okay, we have all been told not to put bananas in the refrigerator – well, that’s just inaccurate. The key to making great protein shakes is using frozen bananas. Not only do they taste better but the frozen bananas keep for months if you store them properly. Try going to a supermarket like Massy Stores and buying like 10 lbs of bananas. Here is how to prepare them:
1. If the bananas are a bit green, cut halfway through each top to make them easier to peel.
2. Peel the bananas and put them in a Ziploc freezer bag.
3. Alternate directions each layer so the bananas don’t stick together.
4. In the freezer, don’t cram them in or they will stick. They will keep for weeks or months. You don’t have to shop for bananas every week.
Troubleshooting
If your shake is too runny:
* add more frozen banana
* add less liquid
If your blender won’t blend the shake:
* get a better blender, a $5,000 blender won’t work
* start blending the shake immediately after adding the frozen banana
* break the frozen banana into smaller pieces (I break into thirds)
If the shake blends but is not creamy:
* get a better blender
* add more protein powder
Blenders
Don’t mess around with weak blenders. If you can pick it up with one hand then it is probably not powerful enough. The blender I have had for years and can highly recommend is the NutriBullet. It has the power necessary to handle hard frozen bananas and is only about US$40 on Amazon. Or you can pick one up at Courts, it’s up to you.
If you choose some other blender then make sure to do some research and find a good one. Cheers to the gains.
