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How to Make Your New Favorite Plant Based Protein Shake

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If you’re looking to add more protein into your daily mix, but you follow a plant based diet and want a simple recipe that you can use each day, you’re in the right place. There are hundreds of plant based protein shake recipes out there, but most are overly complex and contain detailed instructions that can be tedious to follow.

In this guide, we’ll be going over how to make a simple plant based protein shake that we’re sure will become your favorite. In addition to the recipe, here are just a few other things we’ll be going over in this guide:

  • The health benefits of plant based protein shakes
  • Ways to make your own plant based protein shake
  • Other recipes and products to try if you like plant based protein shakes
Pink smoothie sitting on counter
Plant based protein shakes don’t have to be boring – adding an interesting blend of unique fruits and vegetables can be a great way to mix things up if you’re getting tired of the same drink each day.

How Plant Based Protein Shakes Can Improve Your Health

The expected and unexpected health benefits of protein shakes

Plant based protein shakes are foundationally composed of two types of ingredients: plants and protein. Vegetables and protein are essential components of any healthy diet – the average daily serving of vegetables recommended to adults is around two to three cups and the recommended amount of protein for adults daily should fall around 0.8kg for every kilogram of body weight.

That being said, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that only around one in ten Americans receive this recommended amount of vegetables and that about one third of older Americans are not receiving the proper amount of protein in their diets. With a busy lifestyle, a stressful work environment, and the time allotted to your family, it can be difficult to make a consistent effort to reach this daily recommended amount of protein and greens. Plant based protein shakes make it just a little bit easier to add a healthy blend of vitamins and nutrients to your diet – and they taste great!

If you weren’t already convinced as to why you should add a daily plant based protein shake to your daily routine, here are a few more amazing benefits of these shakes:

  • A great source of iron

If you’re on a plant based diet, either by adopting a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, you’ve likely run into issues getting enough iron into your diet. Iron is a protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. When your iron is low, and your body isn’t able to receive that oxygen from your red blood cells, you can suffer from tiredness, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

Plant based protein powders that contain iron supplements, which is a large portion of the supplements on the market today, can help to reduce the symptoms of low iron and overall improve energy levels. Always be sure to check how much iron is in your protein supplement, and check with your doctor to ensure that you’re consuming the right amount for your body and health needs.

  • Stay full and energized for longer

If you’ve been feeling fatigued throughout your day, with only occasional bursts of energy, protein might be the solution to end inconsistent energy levels. Receiving the proper amount of protein can help the body with fuel to repair and rebuild tissue. Protein takes longer for the body to break down, which is why it helps to sustain your energy for so long. Having a plant based protein shake at the beginning of your day can go a long way in improving your energy levels, especially if you add these shakes to your daily routine for an extended period of time.

  • Gain some muscle

If you’re looking to gain some muscle mass, protein shakes can play a large role in helping you bulk up if you have a consistent workout routine. Studies have shown that “protein supplements significantly improve muscle size and strength in healthy adults” who exercise with resistance workouts and strength training exercises.

The key to using protein shakes to supplement muscle growth is consuming the right amount for your body each day. Consuming too much protein can be detrimental to your health if drunk in high quantities, and the health benefits of the supplement lessen if you take more than the recommended amount. Eating protein powder without supplementing it with consistent exercise will not produce results for your muscle mass. Strength training, mixed with cardio and a healthy diet, is the best way to get results out of using protein powder.

  • Potential weight loss opportunity

Depending on the protein powder you use, a health supplement that contains a high volume of fiber can help to keep you fuller for longer. If you drink your protein shake in the morning, you’ll likely have a fuller stomach until or beyond lunch time. This can help to curb snack cravings and reduce your chances of eating too much throughout the day. A high fiber content can also help your digestive system stay healthier and working smoothly throughout the day.

Some protein powders can even be used as meal replacements, though you should not be replacing every meal with a plant based protein shake or solely rely on it for your vitamins and minerals. Replacing breakfast with a hearty plant based protein shake is a great place to start for meal replacement shakes, but proceed with caution and consult your doctor if this is a route your plan to take. While you shouldn’t expect instant weight loss from drinking protein shakes, they can absolutely help to supplement your journey.

These are just a few of the potential health benefits of adding plant based protein powder to your diet, but there are a variety of other ways that it can improve your overall health. Always be sure to consult with a healthcare professional before you start taking protein powders to make sure that it’s the right option for you.

Two brown smoothies sitting on white coutner
Want to add even more protein to your plant based protein shake? Adding a nut butter to your drink can help to smooth out the texture of the shake, add some amazing flavor to your creation, and supplement the protein that’s already in the drink.

A Recipe for Success

Tips and tricks to make your plant based protein shake perfect

The only way to make your plant based protein shake the best it can be is by trying out a mix of ingredients and consistencies that work the best for you and your taste. Taking a few tries to decide what vegetables and fruits you enjoy mixed into your drink – and how smoothly you like your drink to be – is the only way to get to your perfect protein shake recipe.

The first step in your plant based protein shake journey should involve determining which ingredients to add to your mix. Here are just a few great ideas for what you could include in your concoction:

  • Spinach
  • Chlorella
  • Wheatgrass
  • Kale
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Pineapple
  • Banana
  • Nut butter
  • Greek yogurt
  • Plant milk
  • Apple
  • Beetroot
  • Pomegranate
  • Bilberries
  • Turmeric
  • Chia seeds

These are just a few suggestions of what you could add to your shake, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to the contents of your drink. Always make sure to allow greens and the protein powder to be the base of your shake, with fruit acting as a supplement to the flavor of the beverage. Too much fruit in your shake can result in a high sugar content, which in excess can become unhealthy especially if consumed on a regular basis.

Once you have all of your ingredients laid out – including your vegetables, fruits, plant based protein powder, and anything else you feel like adding – you’ll be ready to blend. Combine your contents in your blender and add a liquid of your choosing. You can use anything from water to dairy milk to nut milk to juice, but it depends on what you’re feeling. Dairy and nut milks will guarantee a smoother, richer consistency, but they also add a hint of cream to the taste.

If you want the liquid of your shake to act as more of just a blending agent that doesn’t affect the flavor too much, then definitely opt for water, coconut water, or some sort of light juice. This can help the flavors of the shake’s contents to shine more, rather than the liquid.

With your ingredients and your blending liquid chosen, you’ll be ready to start blending. The amount of time you blend your shake could depend on your blender’s settings, but it’s fine to play this step by ear. Blending in fifteen second increments and taste-testing the consistency is a good way to start off until you have a sense  for what you like your shake to feel like. If your shake isn’t blending properly and ingredients are blocking up your blender, then try adding more liquid and stirring things around.

The final step in this process is to, well, drink your shake! If the flavors don’t quite feel right, you can always add it back to the blender and add some more ingredients to it or just tweak your personal recipe the next time you make one. Or, perhaps you’ll find the right combination of ingredients on your first try. Don’t be afraid to play around with your ingredients – there are no rules!

For some more plant based protein shake ideas, check out this post from Healthy Skoop with a handful of tasty recipes.

Hand holding green smoothie in front of street
The more vegetables, the better! If the majority of the ingredients in your plant based protein shake are leafy greens and other nutrient-packed vegetables, then you’re on the right track to making the most out of your daily drink.

Products to Try if You Love Plant Based Protein Shakes

Other items you might need for your shakes

While you can make your plant based protein shake without necessarily including any protein powder, if you want a healthy serving of protein then you might want to consider adding the supplement. The Healthy Skoop Sweetgreens Daily Greens with Adaptogens Powder is a great starter supplement for anyone looking to get into protein shakes. The blend contains organic vegetables, probiotics, and a healthy serving of fiber to keep your digestive system on track.

If you’re looking for a more plant based substitute to whey protein – which is not vegan-friendly –  we have a whole guide to finding the right plant based protein powder. There’s a wide array of plant based protein powders on the market, but it might take some time to figure out which one works the best for you.

Additionally, using a protein powder, regardless of whether it’s plant based or not, is not the key to a healthy lifestyle. Protein powder should be a supplement to a consistent workout routine and balanced diet. Always be sure to consult with your doctor or another healthcare provider to ensure that using a protein powder is right for you and your lifestyle. If you find that you have any adverse reactions to a protein powder, immediately discontinue use and contact your doctor.

Man drinking from smoothie cup
Some people prefer to drink a protein shake before a workout, while some prefer after. Whatever time you decide to drink your plant based protein shake is totally a matter of preference – there are no wrong ways to drink it!

With this guide, we hope that you’re well on your way to crafting the perfect plant based protein shake. While there are no wrong ways to create your masterpiece, it can take a little bit of time to figure out what works best for your taste buds. With a little bit of patience, persistence, and experimentation, you’ll have your personal protein shake recipe figured out in no time.

If you’re looking to add more protein into your daily mix, but you follow a plant based diet and want a simple recipe that you can use each day, you’re in the right place. There are hundreds of plant based protein shake recipes out there, but most are overly complex and contain detailed instructions that can be tedious to follow.

In this guide, we’ll be going over how to make a simple plant based protein shake that we’re sure will become your favorite. In addition to the recipe, here are just a few other things we’ll be going over in this guide:

  • The health benefits of plant based protein shakes
  • Ways to make your own plant based protein shake
  • Other recipes and products to try if you like plant based protein shakes
Pink smoothie sitting on counter
Plant based protein shakes don’t have to be boring – adding an interesting blend of unique fruits and vegetables can be a great way to mix things up if you’re getting tired of the same drink each day.

How Plant Based Protein Shakes Can Improve Your Health

The expected and unexpected health benefits of protein shakes

Plant based protein shakes are foundationally composed of two types of ingredients: plants and protein. Vegetables and protein are essential components of any healthy diet – the average daily serving of vegetables recommended to adults is around two to three cups and the recommended amount of protein for adults daily should fall around 0.8kg for every kilogram of body weight.

That being said, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that only around one in ten Americans receive this recommended amount of vegetables and that about one third of older Americans are not receiving the proper amount of protein in their diets. With a busy lifestyle, a stressful work environment, and the time allotted to your family, it can be difficult to make a consistent effort to reach this daily recommended amount of protein and greens. Plant based protein shakes make it just a little bit easier to add a healthy blend of vitamins and nutrients to your diet – and they taste great!

If you weren’t already convinced as to why you should add a daily plant based protein shake to your daily routine, here are a few more amazing benefits of these shakes:

  • A great source of iron

If you’re on a plant based diet, either by adopting a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, you’ve likely run into issues getting enough iron into your diet. Iron is a protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. When your iron is low, and your body isn’t able to receive that oxygen from your red blood cells, you can suffer from tiredness, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

Plant based protein powders that contain iron supplements, which is a large portion of the supplements on the market today, can help to reduce the symptoms of low iron and overall improve energy levels. Always be sure to check how much iron is in your protein supplement, and check with your doctor to ensure that you’re consuming the right amount for your body and health needs.

  • Stay full and energized for longer

If you’ve been feeling fatigued throughout your day, with only occasional bursts of energy, protein might be the solution to end inconsistent energy levels. Receiving the proper amount of protein can help the body with fuel to repair and rebuild tissue. Protein takes longer for the body to break down, which is why it helps to sustain your energy for so long. Having a plant based protein shake at the beginning of your day can go a long way in improving your energy levels, especially if you add these shakes to your daily routine for an extended period of time.

  • Gain some muscle

If you’re looking to gain some muscle mass, protein shakes can play a large role in helping you bulk up if you have a consistent workout routine. Studies have shown that “protein supplements significantly improve muscle size and strength in healthy adults” who exercise with resistance workouts and strength training exercises.

The key to using protein shakes to supplement muscle growth is consuming the right amount for your body each day. Consuming too much protein can be detrimental to your health if drunk in high quantities, and the health benefits of the supplement lessen if you take more than the recommended amount. Eating protein powder without supplementing it with consistent exercise will not produce results for your muscle mass. Strength training, mixed with cardio and a healthy diet, is the best way to get results out of using protein powder.

  • Potential weight loss opportunity

Depending on the protein powder you use, a health supplement that contains a high volume of fiber can help to keep you fuller for longer. If you drink your protein shake in the morning, you’ll likely have a fuller stomach until or beyond lunch time. This can help to curb snack cravings and reduce your chances of eating too much throughout the day. A high fiber content can also help your digestive system stay healthier and working smoothly throughout the day.

Some protein powders can even be used as meal replacements, though you should not be replacing every meal with a plant based protein shake or solely rely on it for your vitamins and minerals. Replacing breakfast with a hearty plant based protein shake is a great place to start for meal replacement shakes, but proceed with caution and consult your doctor if this is a route your plan to take. While you shouldn’t expect instant weight loss from drinking protein shakes, they can absolutely help to supplement your journey.

These are just a few of the potential health benefits of adding plant based protein powder to your diet, but there are a variety of other ways that it can improve your overall health. Always be sure to consult with a healthcare professional before you start taking protein powders to make sure that it’s the right option for you.

Two brown smoothies sitting on white coutner
Want to add even more protein to your plant based protein shake? Adding a nut butter to your drink can help to smooth out the texture of the shake, add some amazing flavor to your creation, and supplement the protein that’s already in the drink.

A Recipe for Success

Tips and tricks to make your plant based protein shake perfect

The only way to make your plant based protein shake the best it can be is by trying out a mix of ingredients and consistencies that work the best for you and your taste. Taking a few tries to decide what vegetables and fruits you enjoy mixed into your drink – and how smoothly you like your drink to be – is the only way to get to your perfect protein shake recipe.

The first step in your plant based protein shake journey should involve determining which ingredients to add to your mix. Here are just a few great ideas for what you could include in your concoction:

  • Spinach
  • Chlorella
  • Wheatgrass
  • Kale
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Pineapple
  • Banana
  • Nut butter
  • Greek yogurt
  • Plant milk
  • Apple
  • Beetroot
  • Pomegranate
  • Bilberries
  • Turmeric
  • Chia seeds

These are just a few suggestions of what you could add to your shake, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to the contents of your drink. Always make sure to allow greens and the protein powder to be the base of your shake, with fruit acting as a supplement to the flavor of the beverage. Too much fruit in your shake can result in a high sugar content, which in excess can become unhealthy especially if consumed on a regular basis.

Once you have all of your ingredients laid out – including your vegetables, fruits, plant based protein powder, and anything else you feel like adding – you’ll be ready to blend. Combine your contents in your blender and add a liquid of your choosing. You can use anything from water to dairy milk to nut milk to juice, but it depends on what you’re feeling. Dairy and nut milks will guarantee a smoother, richer consistency, but they also add a hint of cream to the taste.

If you want the liquid of your shake to act as more of just a blending agent that doesn’t affect the flavor too much, then definitely opt for water, coconut water, or some sort of light juice. This can help the flavors of the shake’s contents to shine more, rather than the liquid.

With your ingredients and your blending liquid chosen, you’ll be ready to start blending. The amount of time you blend your shake could depend on your blender’s settings, but it’s fine to play this step by ear. Blending in fifteen second increments and taste-testing the consistency is a good way to start off until you have a sense  for what you like your shake to feel like. If your shake isn’t blending properly and ingredients are blocking up your blender, then try adding more liquid and stirring things around.

The final step in this process is to, well, drink your shake! If the flavors don’t quite feel right, you can always add it back to the blender and add some more ingredients to it or just tweak your personal recipe the next time you make one. Or, perhaps you’ll find the right combination of ingredients on your first try. Don’t be afraid to play around with your ingredients – there are no rules!

For some more plant based protein shake ideas, check out this post from Healthy Skoop with a handful of tasty recipes.

Hand holding green smoothie in front of street
The more vegetables, the better! If the majority of the ingredients in your plant based protein shake are leafy greens and other nutrient-packed vegetables, then you’re on the right track to making the most out of your daily drink.

Products to Try if You Love Plant Based Protein Shakes

Other items you might need for your shakes

While you can make your plant based protein shake without necessarily including any protein powder, if you want a healthy serving of protein then you might want to consider adding the supplement. The Healthy Skoop Sweetgreens Daily Greens with Adaptogens Powder is a great starter supplement for anyone looking to get into protein shakes. The blend contains organic vegetables, probiotics, and a healthy serving of fiber to keep your digestive system on track.

If you’re looking for a more plant based substitute to whey protein – which is not vegan-friendly –  we have a whole guide to finding the right plant based protein powder. There’s a wide array of plant based protein powders on the market, but it might take some time to figure out which one works the best for you.

Additionally, using a protein powder, regardless of whether it’s plant based or not, is not the key to a healthy lifestyle. Protein powder should be a supplement to a consistent workout routine and balanced diet. Always be sure to consult with your doctor or another healthcare provider to ensure that using a protein powder is right for you and your lifestyle. If you find that you have any adverse reactions to a protein powder, immediately discontinue use and contact your doctor.

Man drinking from smoothie cup
Some people prefer to drink a protein shake before a workout, while some prefer after. Whatever time you decide to drink your plant based protein shake is totally a matter of preference – there are no wrong ways to drink it!

With this guide, we hope that you’re well on your way to crafting the perfect plant based protein shake. While there are no wrong ways to create your masterpiece, it can take a little bit of time to figure out what works best for your taste buds. With a little bit of patience, persistence, and experimentation, you’ll have your personal protein shake recipe figured out in no time.

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