Supplement companies use a lot of empty fillers and simple carbs to stretch their product and make their protein or meal replacement shakes, resulting in extra carbs and calories that are not accounted for in your diet, or they simply hide on their label as “Proprietary Blend” which gives them the right to withhold the ingredients from you, the consumer.
The easiest and one of the healthiest ways to make a tasty whey protein shake or meal replacement shake is to make your own shake. Get yourself an unflavored whey protein concentrate or a decent whey protein shake or powder. Whey protein concentrate typically has around 80 to 81 grams of pure protein per 100 grams, while isolate has 90 to 93 grams per 100 grams.
Add 40 to 50 grams of protein powder, depending on your needs (preferably concentrate before training and isolate after training) in your food blender. This will yield 32-40 grams of pure protein when using concentrate and 36-45 grams of pure protein when using isolate.
Now add 50 grams of raw raw oatmeal or oatmeal in your smoothie. Oatmeal has about one calorie per gram. Oatmeal is one of the most enjoyable and healthy carbohydrates and will result in a slow, steady and sustained release energy source.
Add a handful (approximately 15 to 20 grams) of grapes. Grapes have about three calories per gram. Raisins are an instant source of energy and will absorb quickly and also add a nice flavor to your plain buttermilk.
Add 300 – 400 ml of cold water or cold water and ice. The more ice you add, the thicker and “creamier” your smoothie will be. Another good alternative to water is skim milk, and the calcium content in skim milk is especially good for women.
If you need extra flavor after adding the raisins, you can use coffee, milo, nesquik, cocoa powder, cinnamon, or peanut butter to add to your smoothie.
You can also add fruit like apple, pear, banana or strawberries. Just look at the extra amount of fructose (fruit sugars) in these if you’re trying to lose weight.
Another great tip for adding fruit to your smoothies is to freeze your berries or bananas. This way they will be preserved forever and you can add them whenever you want according to your taste of the day. Simply add the frozen fruits to your smoothie and you have a sparkling fruit smoothie with good protein content.