Let’s face it ladies— we all want to say we ate a salad for lunch and went to the gym for 2 hours but between crazy class schedules, clubs, sports, work, and trying to maintain a social life, keeping up with a healthy lifestyle in college is sometimes easier said than done… Lucky for you, I have the perfect breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack you can make in your room, is easy to clean up from, and can be taken anywhere you need to rush off to— a shake! And here to help you is my 5 step guide to building your perfect shake!
What you will need:
- Large size or personal blender (depending on preference)
Step 1: Start with a base
In my semi-professional opinion, I would advise making the base of your smoothie any variation of dairy or nut milk. Whole milk, low-fat milk, unsweetened or vanilla almond milk, and soy milk are just a few examples of bases you can use in your shake!
Step 2: Add some protein
There are many different kinds of protein powders. These include, but are not limited to; whey protein, casein protein, and pea protein. Whey and casein protein both come from cow’s milk. Other proteins, such as pea protein, come from legumes. This makes pea protein, and other plant proteins, a great option for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone else trying to limit their consumption of animal products. It should be noted however that you steer clear of protein powders that contain sugar alcohols like Erythritol as these products are chalk full of added sugars and artificial sweeteners! I personally use Tera’s Whey, which is an organic grass-fed whey protein powder, but would also recommend brands such as Orgain, which is a plant-based protein powder.
Step 3: Add a serving of fruit
Depending on your personal preference, you can choose either fresh or frozen fruit. Fresh fruit is great if you have it, however, frozen fruit is easy to store, lasts longer, and eliminates the need to add ice to your shake. Some examples of this include fresh or frozen cherries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, banana, mango, etc.
Step 4: Add a healthy fat
A common misconception is that all fat is bad, when in actuality healthy fats are ESSENTIAL in providing energy to our cells, insulation, and protection to our organs, and a slew of other really awesome things! By adding a healthy fat to your shake, not only will you be doing your body a huge favor, but it will keep you feeling fuller longer! Nuts and nut butters like peanut butter, almond butter, raw cashews, raw walnuts, and my personal favorite; sun butter, are a super easy and tasty addition to any shake.
Step 5: Add some greens
For many of us, getting the recommended amount of greens every day is next to impossible! Luckily, shakes are a great place to sneak these in. In combination with certain fruits like apples, bananas, pineapple, and even lemon, you won’t even know they are there. Try adding a serving of spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, or even parsley, to your next shake. While the green color might be discouraging, rest assure they’re just as tasty, and jam-packed with even more vitamins and minerals!
Having a hard time conjuring up some ideas? I’ve got you covered!
Here are a few of my favorites to get you started…
Chocolate and Cherry
Plain nut milk, frozen cherries, and chocolate protein powder
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Vanilla nut milk, frozen strawberries, vanilla protein powder, and almond butter
Orange Creamsicle
Vanilla nut milk, oranges, vanilla protein powder
Berry Bliss
Vanilla nut milk, frozen strawberries/blueberries/raspberries, and vanilla protein powder