If you’ve been training for more than a minute, you’re surely familiar with protein shakes. And you’re likely sick of them. The powder-plus-water routine gets old—fast. Do all healthy protein shakes have to taste like sidewalk chalk? We challenged a few of our favorite nutritionists and dietitians to build us a better protein shake. The following recipes are simple, delicious, and guaranteed to fuel your active lifestyle while fulfilling your nutritional needs.
The Best Protein Powders That Taste Good Too
Read article
9 Healthy Protein Shakes That Actually Taste Good
- Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake According to Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, author of the No-Brainer Nutrition Guide for Every Runner, this shake is a post-workout favorite among her clients. “Bananas are full of potassium, which helps reduce blood pressure and replace electrolytes lost through sweat during exercise,” she says. “And the peanut butter contains healthy fats to help fill you up after a workout.” Makes 1 serving Protein: 39 g Ingredients
1 scoop unsweetened, unflavored protein powder 1 tbsp peanut butter ½ banana ½ cup water ½ cup ice
Instructions
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth.
California Prune Board 2. Purple Power Smoothie “Men need about 38 grams of fiber per day for optimal health, but most of us fall short,” says ACSM exercise physiologist Jim White, RDN, owner of jimwhitefit.com. This smoothie contains both prunes and berries, which collectively deliver nearly 20 percent of your recommended daily intake in one sitting, White says, while also helping fight inflammation and lower cholesterol. Makes 1 serving Protein: 29 g Ingredients
¼ cup prunes, diced 1 cup baby spinach leaves 1 scoop whey protein (unflavored or vanilla; can also use plant-based protein) ¾ cup pomegranate juice ½ cup frozen berries of choice
Instructions
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice or water as desired/needed.
Shutterstock 3. Soothie Smoothie Veggie averse? This smoothie delivers one full serving of vegetables and two servings of fruit in one pain-free drink. “It also contains whey protein to help with inflammation and immunity, tart cherry juice, which contains melatonin for better sleep, and beets, which contain nitrates to improve oxygen delivery,” explains Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD, LDN and owner of activeeatingadvice.com. Makes 1 serving Protein: 34 g Ingredients
1 scoop vanilla whey protein isolate (or plant-based protein) 8 oz tart cherry juice 1/3 cup raw beets, peeled and chopped 4 prunes, chopped 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
Instructions
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth.
Shutterstock 4. Post-Workout Pomegranate Protein Shake Sometimes, plain ol’ protein needs a little punch. This shake delivers one. “Pomegranate juice contains polyphenol antioxidants, which have been studied for their role in aiding muscle strength recovery,” says Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT, author of the Instant Pot Cookbook for Dummies and owner of shawsimpleswaps.com. “And an 8-ounce serving of has as much potassium as a medium banana to help replace lost electrolytes and promote recovery.” Makes 1 serving Protein: 37 g Ingredients
1 cup frozen pitted cherries 1 tsp cocoa powder 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice 1 scoop plain whey protein isolate 1 tsp chia seeds
Instructions
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice or water as desired/needed.
Michelle Dudash 5. Creamy Ginger-Orange Smoothie with Almond Butter What this drink lacks in protein, it makes up for with other goodness. Ginger has been shown to be effective against exercise-induced muscle pain, and research indicates it may also help reduce blood sugar levels and blood pressure. “It also contains a lot of potassium in the form of bananas and oranges to balance your electrolytes and keep your sodium levels in check,” says Michelle Dudash, RDN, Cordon Bleu–certified chef and creator of Dash Dinner Spice Kits. Makes 2 servings Protein: 9 g Ingredients
½ cup low-fat milk 2 small (or 1 large) oranges, peeled and diced ½ medium banana, cut into chunks ½ inch piece gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 tsp) 1 tbsp unsweetened almond butter
Instructions
Add ingredients to a blender cup in the order listed. Puree on low speed to begin and work up to high until smooth, adding ice as needed.
Shutterstock 6. Chocolate Banana Wake-Up Smoothie Recent research indicates that coffee consumption may reduce your risk of the most lethal form of prostate cancer, says Anne L’Heureux, RDN. “Coffee contains caffeine and several phenolic compounds that may serve as antioxidants,” she says, “which may lower cancer risk.” Makes 1 serving Protein: 37 g Ingredients
1 cup brewed coffee, chilled 1½ scoops vanilla protein powder ½ banana, frozen 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tbsp almond butter
Instructions
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice as needed.
Shutterstock 7. Green and Lean Tropical Smoothie “Green tea contains a host of antioxidant polyphenols, including a catechin called epigallocatechin gallate,” says L’Heureux. “As an antioxidant, EGCG is 25 to 100 times more potent than vitamins C and E and may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.” Makes 1 serving Protein: 35 g Ingredients
1½ cups brewed green tea, chilled 1½ scoops vanilla protein powder 1 handful spinach, washed 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 cup frozen tropical fruit mix (mango, pineapple, banana)
Instructions
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice as needed.
Shutterstock 8. Cherry Berry Smoothie This smoothie contains 20 grams of protein—with nary a powder in sight. “Make this an ‘express’ breakfast: portion out the berries, cherries, and walnuts into baggies and store them in the freezer,” says Rizzo. “Then all you have to do is toss it in a blender with yogurt and milk and you’re ready to go.” Makes 1 serving Protein: 20 g Ingredients
½ cup frozen cherries ½ cup frozen blueberries ½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt ½ cup milk (dairy or soy) 2 tbsp walnuts
Instructions
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice as needed.
Shutterstock 9. Tropical Turmeric Protein Smoothie Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been shown to be effective against DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). This recipe from Angie Asche MS, RD, CSSD, owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition, may help accelerate recovery and get you back under the barbell faster. Makes 1 serving Protein: 27 g Ingredients
1 scoop vanilla whey or plant-based protein powder ½ to 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 large handfuls leafy greens (e.g. kale or spinach) 1 cup frozen mango or pineapple 1 cup coconut water
Blend until smooth, adding ice as needed.
Nutrient-Packed (and Easy-to-Make) Smoothie Alternatives
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If you’ve been training for more than a minute, you’re surely familiar with protein shakes. And you’re likely sick of them. The powder-plus-water routine gets old—fast. Do all healthy protein shakes have to taste like sidewalk chalk?
We challenged a few of our favorite nutritionists and dietitians to build us a better protein shake. The following recipes are simple, delicious, and guaranteed to fuel your active lifestyle while fulfilling your nutritional needs.
The Best Protein Powders That Taste Good Too
Read article
9 Healthy Protein Shakes That Actually Taste Good
1. Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake
According to Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD, author of the No-Brainer Nutrition Guide for Every Runner, this shake is a post-workout favorite among her clients. “Bananas are full of potassium, which helps reduce blood pressure and replace electrolytes lost through sweat during exercise,” she says. “And the peanut butter contains healthy fats to help fill you up after a workout.”
The Best Protein Powders That Taste Good Too
Read article
The Best Protein Powders That Taste Good Too
Makes 1 serving Protein: 39 g
Ingredients
- 1 scoop unsweetened, unflavored protein powder
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- ½ banana
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup ice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Purple Power Smoothie
“Men need about 38 grams of fiber per day for optimal health, but most of us fall short,” says ACSM exercise physiologist Jim White, RDN, owner of jimwhitefit.com. This smoothie contains both prunes and berries, which collectively deliver nearly 20 percent of your recommended daily intake in one sitting, White says, while also helping fight inflammation and lower cholesterol.
Makes 1 serving Protein: 29 g
¼ cup prunes, diced
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 scoop whey protein (unflavored or vanilla; can also use plant-based protein)
¾ cup pomegranate juice
½ cup frozen berries of choice
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice or water as desired/needed.
3. Soothie Smoothie
Veggie averse? This smoothie delivers one full serving of vegetables and two servings of fruit in one pain-free drink. “It also contains whey protein to help with inflammation and immunity, tart cherry juice, which contains melatonin for better sleep, and beets, which contain nitrates to improve oxygen delivery,” explains Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD, LDN and owner of activeeatingadvice.com.
Makes 1 serving Protein: 34 g
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein isolate (or plant-based protein)
- 8 oz tart cherry juice
- 1/3 cup raw beets, peeled and chopped
- 4 prunes, chopped
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
4. Post-Workout Pomegranate Protein Shake
Sometimes, plain ol’ protein needs a little punch. This shake delivers one. “Pomegranate juice contains polyphenol antioxidants, which have been studied for their role in aiding muscle strength recovery,” says Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT, author of the Instant Pot Cookbook for Dummies and owner of shawsimpleswaps.com. “And an 8-ounce serving of has as much potassium as a medium banana to help replace lost electrolytes and promote recovery.”
Makes 1 serving Protein: 37 g
- 1 cup frozen pitted cherries
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice
- 1 scoop plain whey protein isolate
- 1 tsp chia seeds
5. Creamy Ginger-Orange Smoothie with Almond Butter
What this drink lacks in protein, it makes up for with other goodness. Ginger has been shown to be effective against exercise-induced muscle pain, and research indicates it may also help reduce blood sugar levels and blood pressure. “It also contains a lot of potassium in the form of bananas and oranges to balance your electrolytes and keep your sodium levels in check,” says Michelle Dudash, RDN, Cordon Bleu–certified chef and creator of Dash Dinner Spice Kits.
Makes 2 servings Protein: 9 g
½ cup low-fat milk
2 small (or 1 large) oranges, peeled and diced
½ medium banana, cut into chunks
½ inch piece gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 tsp)
1 tbsp unsweetened almond butter
Add ingredients to a blender cup in the order listed. Puree on low speed to begin and work up to high until smooth, adding ice as needed.
6. Chocolate Banana Wake-Up Smoothie
Recent research indicates that coffee consumption may reduce your risk of the most lethal form of prostate cancer, says Anne L’Heureux, RDN. “Coffee contains caffeine and several phenolic compounds that may serve as antioxidants,” she says, “which may lower cancer risk.”
1 cup brewed coffee, chilled
1½ scoops vanilla protein powder
½ banana, frozen
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp almond butter
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth, adding ice as needed.
7. Green and Lean Tropical Smoothie
“Green tea contains a host of antioxidant polyphenols, including a catechin called epigallocatechin gallate,” says L’Heureux. “As an antioxidant, EGCG is 25 to 100 times more potent than vitamins C and E and may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.”
Makes 1 serving Protein: 35 g
Ingredients
- 1½ cups brewed green tea, chilled
- 1½ scoops vanilla protein powder
- 1 handful spinach, washed
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup frozen tropical fruit mix (mango, pineapple, banana)
- Cherry Berry Smoothie
This smoothie contains 20 grams of protein—with nary a powder in sight. “Make this an ‘express’ breakfast: portion out the berries, cherries, and walnuts into baggies and store them in the freezer,” says Rizzo. “Then all you have to do is toss it in a blender with yogurt and milk and you’re ready to go.”
Makes 1 serving Protein: 20 g
- ½ cup frozen cherries
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- ½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup milk (dairy or soy)
- 2 tbsp walnuts
9. Tropical Turmeric Protein Smoothie
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been shown to be effective against DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). This recipe from Angie Asche MS, RD, CSSD, owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition, may help accelerate recovery and get you back under the barbell faster.
Makes 1 serving Protein: 27 g
- 1 scoop vanilla whey or plant-based protein powder
- ½ to 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 large handfuls leafy greens (e.g. kale or spinach)
- 1 cup frozen mango or pineapple
- 1 cup coconut water
Blend until smooth, adding ice as needed.
Nutrient-Packed (and Easy-to-Make) Smoothie Alternatives
Read article
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
Nutrient-Packed (and Easy-to-Make) Smoothie Alternatives
Read article
Nutrient-Packed (and Easy-to-Make) Smoothie Alternatives
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Class It Up With The International Mountains Whiskey Glasses
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Uncle Nearest Whiskey Lineup Is Rapidly Expanding
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The Rambler 10 Oz Lowball From YETI is a Must Own
Best Bars in Mexico City for Low-key Cocktail Lounges and Mezcal Shrines
Class It Up With The International Mountains Whiskey Glasses
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Uncle Nearest Whiskey Lineup Is Rapidly Expanding
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