Protein Shake Revolution - In Search of the Perfect Meal Replacement or Snack Shake for Fitness

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A few weeks ago, one of my coworkers got me very interested in the shakes she was drinking. On the side, she is a rep for a company that provides shakes that are fairly high in protein and vitamins while still filling you up and being low calorie.

As I began searching for my personal substitute, I started digging around online to find out why this brand of shakes was so successful. The most common answer? Because it not only had protein, but it also had a lot of fiber, which not only helps you feel full, but also helps you... er... regulate.

So, naturally, I set out to concoct my own shake. My goals were to create a shake with the following attributes...

• Could be a mid-morning snack or lunch replacement - I wanted to be able to just dump stuff into my shaker bottle and take it to work with me. So, ideally, all of the ingredients would be dry/powdered in form (otherwise, I would have to deal with things going bad or getting chunky before I was ready to drink the shake).
• Good source of protein - It didn't have to be totally jam packed, because I do get a decent amount of protein in my daily diet (thanks to these cheesecakes). But, I did want it to have at least 15-20 grams of protein, to keep my metabolism going and help me feel full while also working on regenerating my muscles.
• Good source of fiber - Since this was one of the highest reported reasons that people liked the other meal replacement shake I was looking at, I decided that it was a good thing to keep in mind for mine. That said, it was important that I incorporate fiber without making it taste too gross or chalky. That means no Orange Metamucil, friends.
• Easy to make - I wanted my morning routine to just involve me adding a few scoops of this and that to my shaker. Nothing complicated. No time consuming prep work.

The Ingredients and Tools:
I ordered a bunch of Blender Bottles via GNC online on one of their Friday Deals (they were $5 each). I already had on hand a few different types of protein powder, as well as things like chia seeds and PB2 which can add texture and flavor, respectively. I also just ordered some vitamin filled powder online, which I'm looking forward to incorporating into the recipe, because it will make it even better. So, here are the items I've used:

• Blender Bottles - You can use a regular BPA-free plastic bottle with a cap, but the blender bottles with the silver whisk balls inside really help shake it up and make it frothy. I find that the smaller blender bottles do the job - the larger ones just take up too much space and you don't use all of the room anyway. Here's green, pink, blue, and a black double pack.
  
• Protein Powder - Chocolate or Vanilla or Cake Batter (or all three!). I typically use Chocolate, because it juts appeals to my taste buds more, but all three are delicious.
  
• PB2 - Peanut Butter or Peanut Butter Chocolate (or both!)
  
  
• Vega One All Nutritional Shake - Chocolate, Vanilla Chai, or Natural (I'm starting out with Chocolate, so I can't actually speak to the taste of the other two yet. If you're going with vanilla protein, I'd suggest trying the Vanilla Chai Vege One).
  
• Optional flavorings: Cinnamon, Peppermint NuNaturals
  

Want it all? Click here to browse the entire shop for "Shake Revolution"

The Method:
I either fill my bottle at night or in the morning before I leave the apartment. Here's what I've tried so far:

1. Double Chocolate: 3/4 scoop (or 1.5 Tablespoons) Chocolate Protein Powder, 1/3 scoop (or 1 Tablespoon, as the Vega One scooper is huge) Vega One Powder
2. Double Chocolate Mint:  3/4 scoop (or 1.5 Tablespoons) Chocolate Protein Powder, 1/3 scoop (or 1 Tablespoon) Vega One Powder. Just before adding water/milk, add 3-7 drops Peppermint NuNaturals.
3. Chocolate Peanut Butter:  1/2 scoop (or about 1 Tablespoon) Chocolate Protein Powder, 1/2 scoop (or 1.5 Tablespoon) Vega One Powder, 1 tablespoon PB2

I'm excited to try the seemingly unlimited flavor options I received from NuNaturals this week. Can't wait to share even more shake recipes with you!

Chocolate Chip Blueberry Almond Fiber Muffins

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Is it light and fruity? Is it rich and chocolatey? These delicious muffins are having an identity crisis! Time for you to make them and help them decide...

Nom nom nom. That's the sound of me eating these muffins for breakfast.

And lunch.

And a snack after dinner.

It's really not my fault, though. Sometimes you just need a bit of muffin in your life. And sometimes you're faced with a horrible muffin dilemma: Do I eat the blueberry muffin or the chocolate chip muffin? See, I understand you, people. I know your inner woes.

And now I've solved them! Because you'll never have to make that perilous decision again! Instead, you can have your muffin and eat it too... or... whatever.

What I'm trying to say is... make this, eat this, love this. Yum.

Ingredients:

• Fiber One Blueberry Muffins Mix
• 3/4 Cup Water
• 4 oz Applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons Shaved Chocolate (or chocolate chips)
• 2 tablespoons Sliced Almonds (or walnuts)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Combine muffin mix, water, applesauce, and egg in a medium bowl and mix well until the batter is fairly smooth.
3. Add chocolate and almonds.
4. Place in muffin papers and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes:

• If you'd like to end up with a bit of chocolate shaving on top for a garnish, add half way through baking.

Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar

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Sweet tooth just kicked in? When you're looking for something sweet, sugary, and tangy - without the calories - here's your answer. Enjoy!

I've said it before. I'll say it again. Strawberries are all you need. And a little bit of Balsamic Vinegar, too.

Yum. Did I mention it's only 9am and I'm already hungry? #thelifeofbeingafoodblogger

Would you like to know how desperately I'd like for you to make and eat this healthy, delicious, satisfying treat? I wrote you a poem. See, that's raw passion right there.

For those of you who are, in truth,

Imprisoned by your sweetest tooth...

When all that you can think or tweet,

Is how much you would like a treat...

Just have a few bites of this dish,

and close your eyes and make a wish!

Disclaimer: Wishes might not come true immediately, but they eventually WILL! Haven't you heard the Disney song? 

Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

• Strawberries (Approximately 5-10 per person, depending on the intensity of your sweet tooth!)
• Balsamic Vinegar (Approximately 1 tablespoon per cup, but go ahead and drizzle as you please!)

Directions:

1. Cut Strawberries
2. Pour Balsamic Vinegar
3. Eat
4. Smile!

Sea Salt Kale Chips

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Sometimes, a girl just craves chips. It’s like it’s hardwired into human DNA (except it’s totally not – but these Kale chips just might be!). But the issue, it seems, is that… well… CHIPS ARE HORRIBLY BAD FOR YOU! Even the baked lays you can find in grocery stores are filled with processed ingredients and substitutions that are shady. In the end, all we really want is a little crinkle. That snap, crackle, pop that you get when you bite into a chip (or shove a handful in your mouth, amiright?!).

So when I heard that people were making chips out of Kale, I was intrigued.

I have to be honest here – I haven’t read any of the recipes on Pinterest, etc. I wanted to start from scratch instead of being "inspired" to "copy" someone else's recipe. So I’m not sure if other recipes add more salt, more seasoning, more olive oil, etc. But you know what? I don’t freaking care! These are delicious and low calorie and low sodium (for Chips, at least). And, best of all, for the many friends I have who beg me for low-ingredient recipes, there are only three ingredients... and the only prep required is ripping and tossing! Purrfect.

Sea Salt Kale Chips

Prep Time: 2 Minutes

Bake Time: 8-10 Minutes

Servings: Makes enough for 3-4 people to snack on!

WW Points (Old): 1

WW Points Plus (New): 1

Calories Per Serving: 25 (Based on this recipe making 3 servings. If you eat the whole thing, it's 75)

Nutrition: High in calcium,Very high in manganese, High in potassium, Very high in vitamin A, High in vitamin B6, Very high in vitamin C, Very high in sodium

Ingredients:

• 5 large leaves Kale
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 2 pinches Sea Salt or Garlic Salt (or 1 pinch of each!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Wash Kale and rip into chip-size pieces.
3. Toss with olive oil and salt.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until Kale pieces are crispy.

Balsamic-Glazed Prunes and Blackberries with Basil and Feta

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I have some odd childhood memories of both prunes and blackberries.

You see, when I was little, my lovely mother tried to get me to eat prunes. I remember thinking they tasted like old lady food. We also used to have a blackberry tree in our back yard when I was very little. I remember watching my dog run around my back yard and picking blackberries with my dad.

Old lady food and berries picked with dad. Sounds wholesome, right?

This dish was created out of the need for a small-yet-delicious afternoon snack. Justin and I had just returned from a Birthday weekend visit with his family in Holland, Michigan (where I tried to surprise him with a birthday dinner… and failed miserably… more on that another day!). Without the energy to cook a whole meal… and without wanting to stuff our faces before heading to the gym (yeah, we actually made it to the gym after the drive back!), we were looking for something small and light. I stuck my head in the fridge, saw the prunes I had recently bought on a whim, and got to work. Fruit and balsamic vinegar have an eternal love affair, so I decided to capitalize on that. Soon came the blackberries and basil.

It is the perfect blend of sweet and tart. The balsamic vinegar reduces to a thicker sauce, which adds a semi tart outer layer to the fruit, particularly the prunes, which become even sweeter and softer. The berry flavor is really brought out by the vinegar and the basil… oh, the basil. Why is basil so amazing? It is perfect in salads, with cheese and tomato, and with fruit?! Geez. Talk about super-spice.

Oh, dear… and let’s not forget the Feta. It adds something slightly savory to the dish without taking it out of dessert-land.

Oh, and did I mention that PRUNES ARE FILLED WITH FIBER?!

Balsamic-Glazed Prunes and Blackberries with Basil and Feta

Cook Time: 7 Minutes
Servings: 2
Calories Per Serving: 193

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 3/4 cup Dried Prunes
• 1/2 cup Blackberries
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped Basil Leaves (or dried basil)
• 1/2 tablespoon Reduced Fat Feta Cheese (or Fat Free)

Directions:

1. Combine prunes, blackberries, and balsamic vinegar in a pan over medium heat.
2. Continue to stir to prevent burning and heat for 5 minutes or until balsamic begins to reduce (thicken).
3. Add basil and feta, then heat for additional 2 minutes.
4. Serve!

Protein Stay-Full Meal Cookies (No-Flour Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip)

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What's in these cookies?
Energy + Protein + Feeling Full For Hours!

These cookies are big. Like monster big. Like it's a meal in itself... or a snack at very least. But it's also kind of perfect that way, I think. Just grab one in the morning, put it in a Ziplock bag, and chow into it when that 2:30 feeling hits ya.

Not only will this give you more than enough energy to get you over the 2:30 hump, it will also keep you full all afternoon. Seriously. I ate one at 2:00 this week and, around 7:00, found myself saying... "I guess I could eat a small salad or something..."  because I just wasn't very hungry.

So what's the story? What makes them so special? They're packed with protein, which most of us don't get enough of. Especially if you generally work out later in the day, it's important to already have protein in your body instead of waiting until after your workout to pound a protein shake.

I noticed that it's difficult to get enough protein during the day, especially if you're being healthy. Toast for breakfast and a salad for lunch? Even if you had peanut butter on your toast and chicken on your salad, that's hardly enough protein. That's where this cookie comes in :)

The cookies also have added ground flax seed, which is packed with fiber and lignans, kind of like these Waffles. Fiber means these cookies will help your body... er... digest your food. Lignans curb unwanted cell growth (i.e. cancer cells). What's not to love, right?

And, best of all... they're low carb. Like seriously low carb. No flour. Not even whole wheat flour. Flour  just wasn't invited to this party, folks. We're sick of its attitude (but you didn't hear that from me...).

Have you noticed the cookie getting smaller? That's because I'm eating it. Today, I'm breaking off a piece after breakfast... breaking off a piece after lunch... and, as a result, pretty much staying full all day.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips (or 1/2 cup for extra chocolatey goodness)
• 2 tbsp Ground Flax Seed
• 1/4 cup Diced Walnuts
• 2 scoops Protein Powder (I used 100% Whey Gold Double Rich Chocolate, available here)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
3. Scoop onto cookie sheet and flatten with a fork. (Makes 8 large, using an ice cream scoop as a guide. Making 12-14 smaller would also work!)
4. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to brown (my bake time on this was funky. I first baked for 10, then took it out for a few, then put it back in for 5. I also turned the temp up to 375 for the last few minutes. Just watch for browning).

 Eat when you're in need of energy or want to stay full for hours!

 

*Nutritional information compiled using CalorieCount