Looking for the best meal replacement shakes for quick weight loss? We got you covered! In this post, you will learn not just the recipes for the shakes but also how and why it works.
One of the major reasons for weight gain and obesity is an unhealthy diet. Meals, snacks, and drinks containing high calories have a way of telling on body fat deposition.
This is why everyone trying to lose weight make a change of diet.
There are times your taste bud craves for something different from what you have on your weight loss diet plan. You can’t afford to make the wrong choices of a substitute.
That is why you need to know these protein shake recipes for weight loss.
Most weight loss meal recipes are low in carbs, sugar, and calorie. You often have to shove a bowl of vegetable salad down your throat even if you don’t want to.
You can indeed get tired of these foods at some point. But that isn’t a good reason to give up your weight loss goals.
You can still satisfy your sugar cravings with some protein shake recipes for weight loss.
Protein shake recipes for weight loss are made using protein powders and other food ingredients such as fruits and seeds that will aid weight loss.
These protein shakes can serve as snacks, meal replacements, or post-workout refreshing drinking. Having a healthy meal replacement food or snack is also a way of keeping weight off.
Your exercises, low-carb diet, and all other efforts you put into losing some calories may not be visible if you keep on replacing your meal with junks, trans fats, and fast foods.
It is much better to settle for healthy meal replacement options like using protein shakes.
How Meal Replacement Shakes Work
First, you’ve got to know that proteins are essential to weight loss. While attempting to lose weight, a daily intake of protein does a lot in weight management. This is why a lot of weight loss diet plans are protein-based.
Protein shakes are healthy meal replacement options for you to meet your daily protein requirement, satisfy your taste bud, and also lose weight.
The protein contained in a protein shake recipe for weight loss work in several ways to aid weight management. Some of which include the following:
- Reduction of hunger and appetite: Protein increases the actions of appetite-reducing hormones and slows down the levels of hunger hormones like ghrelin. This simple weight loss mechanism will help you eat less, thereby consuming fewer calories.
- Boosts metabolism: Weight loss studies have also revealed that a high protein diet can increase your body metabolism to burn excess and unwanted pounds.
- Improves satiety: Proteins also help you keep full for a longer period. After a breakfast of a bowl of healthy oatmeal, you could slot in a bottle of protein shake in the afternoon to keep your energy fired up till later in the evening.
As I mentioned earlier, protein shakes are healthy meal replacement options to include in your weight loss diet. Protein shake recipes for weight loss are a convenient means to meet your daily protein need to aid weight loss.
Most often, people mix protein powders with water to have their liquid protein shake. Some of the readily available protein powder options include whey, soy, casein, hemp, rice, and pea protein powders.
However, I prefer to use natural ingredients for my healthy protein shake recipes for weight loss.
You can make a healthy, delicious protein shake with real ingredients like Greek yogurt, quinoa, almonds, and hemp hearts. Also, these are easy-to-get ingredients that you could always pick up in a nearby grocery.
1. Chai Protein Shake
Just a cup of this tasty vanilla protein shake will do if you crave for some ice cream.
The chai shake is packed with a lot of amazing natural ingredients that will keep your metabolism revving all day and make you feel stronger after a workout session.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium banana
- A tablespoon of chia seeds
- 5.3 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
- ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk
- ¼ tsp. ground cardamom
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. hemp hearts
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
- Small pinch ground cloves
Directions:
- Cut the banana into chunks
- Then, put all ingredients into a high powered blender
- Blend till you have a smooth mixture
- Pour into a glass
- Serve and enjoy your cream protein shake anytime
2. Peaches and Cream Shake
I love peaches! Who doesn’t? They taste great. But if you don’t like them, don’t worry, there are several other protein shake recipes you could pick from.
For my peach lovers, here is a great recipe you shouldn’t miss out on. The taste of peaches mixed with vanilla greek yogurt and some almonds- yummy!
You’d definitely forget about protein powders mix with water with this real ingredient taste.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen peaches
- 5.3 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
- 10 raw almonds
- 1 Tbsp. hemp hearts
- 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk
Directions:
- Blend all ingredients till smooth
- Serve and enjoy your blend of tasty ingredients.
3. Berry Oat Shake
Taking a bowl of oatmeal with berry toppings is a highly recommended diet for weight loss. However, this Berry Oat Protein shake recipe is a perfect replacement for your oatmeal breakfast.
Take this blend in the morning to keep you full and active for most of your day.
Ingredients:
- 5.3 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk
- 5 frozen strawberries
- ¼ cup of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 Tbsp. old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- ¼ cup frozen raspberries
- 1 tsp. honey
Directions:
- Toss all ingredients in a blender
- Blend until it becomes smooth
- Serve and enjoy
4. Raspberry Almond Shake
There are three beautiful things about this recipe: the taste, the fiber, and the protein. Raspberry Almond Shake tastes great and is filled with fiber that increases your satiety and curbs sugar cravings.
The real deal about protein shake recipes is not just the protein need, the taste has to be peng too. This raspberry almond shake recipe has the taste and the protein you need.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup frozen raspberries
- 1/8 tsp. almond extract
- 1 Tbsp. hemp hearts
- ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 5.3 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a blender
- Start the blender up and whip until smooth
- Serve and enjoy
5. Mexican Chocolate Shake
Chocolates sound great, right? The cocoa powder in this Mexican chocolate shake gives you that chocolate taste you’ve been longing for.
I know you’ve got to ditch your chocolate candy bars because you have to burn fat. This recipe is good news. Have a feeling of your lovely chocolate taste in your protein shake.
Ingredients:
- 5.3 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 10 raw almonds
- ¼ cup of cooked quinoa, chilled
- 1½ Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 medium banana, cut into chunks and frozen
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
Directions:
- Whip all ingredients together in a high powered blender
- Serve and enjoy the savory taste
6. Creamy Protein Shake
This creamy yummy recipe is the last on my list. It is highly rich in protein sources and also very tasty. You can make this recipe with any fruit of your choice.
But, it is good to use banana because of its fiber content, which keeps you full for a very long time.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz of unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter
- 10 almonds
- Non-fat cottage cheese
- A cup of greek yogurt
- 1 medium banana
- Ginger/cinnamon
Directions:
- Pour a liquid base into the blender
- Scoop in some nut butter
- Add the almond nuts, cheese, and yogurt
- Whip all the ingredients together
- Turn your protein shake into a cup
- Sprinkle your shake with cinnamon or ginger.
Useful Tips for Taking Protein Shakes
- Always use low-fat or skim milk as they are healthier.
- Also, try to avoid the use of flavored milk because they can contain a lot of added sugar.
- Unsweetened varieties of yogurt and milk are also preferable in your protein shakes
- When you want to use cheese in your shakes, try to make use of the options that are low in fat and calorie
- Go for non-fat, plain yogurt, as flavored varieties have a lot of added sugar, and whole-milk yogurts are heavy in saturated fat.
- Do not grab just any bottle of protein shake in juice shops or local gyms. This is because they often carry more added sugar
- Depending too heavily on protein shakes to replace regular meals is not the best. You’ll miss out on the nutritional benefits of whole foods.
- Since protein contains calories, consuming too much can make losing weight more difficult.
- Don’t stop your workout routines. They help a lot in complimenting your protein shake diets for weight loss.
- Avoid ingredients or foods that you are allergic to in your protein shakes.
Conclusion
You don’t have to feel like you’re missing out on anything when on a weight loss diet. Get yourself updated on the latest delicious calorie-free meal, snack, smoothies, and protein shake recipes that can aid weight loss.
Try some of the recipes above and give us your comments in the suggestion box below.
