Last Updated on December, 2024
Protein shakes have everything you need to manage your protein intake and ensure that you get that extra needed energy before or after every workout. They’re an excellent option for muscle building and can even help people lose weight.
That’s why protein powders are commonly used in homemade protein shakes, and meal replacement shakes.
But, not everyone wants to have protein powder. So, if you don’t have any protein powders available, aren’t medically allowed to have them, or want a protein shake without supplements, you’ll be glad to know plenty of options.
That said, we’ll be looking at how to make a meal replacement shake without protein powder so you can easily stir one up at home and get all the nutritional goodness. So let’s get started with some of the most critical opening details you need to know.
Table Of Contents
The Process of Making Meal Replacement Shakes Without Protein Powder
There isn’t anything special about making a meal or protein shake with no protein powder. The process is easy, as all you have to do is find the right recipe and follow it.
There are no specific ingredients you have to keep in hand before, as they’ll usually differ depending on the recipe. However, things like almond butter, plain greek yogurt, hemp seeds, coconut milk, peanut butter, etc. are some of the nutritional ingredients you might have to use.
Then there are sweeter things like vanilla extract, maple syrup, sweetened almond milk, frozen blueberries, frozen fruit in general, vanilla yogurt, etc. which are the key to making a delicious protein shake. Make sure to collect these once you decide what recipe you’re following.
As for equipment, all you’ll need is a good blender. Besides that, get all the ingredients you need for a specific recipe and prepare them accordingly. Speaking of which, here are a couple of our healthy recipes that you can follow to prepare some:
1. Pineapple Shake
The first option is one of the most delicious homemade shakes without protein powders that you can make. It’s a delicious mixture of pineapple, greek yogurt, and cooked white beans. Here’s what you’ll need to make this protein-packed shake with a great creamy texture:
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cow’s or plain soy milk
- 1/2 cup of frozen pineapple
- 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp of shredded coconut (you should also be able to use unsweetened cocoa powder as an alternative)
- 1/2 frozen banana
- Half a cup of cooked white beans
2. PB&J Shake
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are delicious snacks everyone enjoys, from children to adults. This next homemade shake is based on it. So, if you love PB&J, gather the following ingredients to prepare this personal favorite of ours:
Ingredients
- 1 cup of any milk of your choice
- A cup of frozen mixed berries
- 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter (or any nut butter, although PB would be preferable)
- 1 tbsp of milled flaxseeds (you can also use chia seeds as an alternative)
- 2 tablespoons of rolled oats
More homemade meal replacement shake recipes in this guide.
Alternative Protein Sources to Add in Meal Shakes Over Protein Powders
Protein powder didn’t invent protein, guys. However, there are plenty of foods and ingredients you can use to add more protein to your diet. We’re here to list some of them, so keep reading to find out about the foods that can help add protein to your shakes:
- Milk: It’s the ideal ingredient for meal replacements because of how filling and nutritious it is. Milk is a much better option than water, as it can also give you lots of protein. Cow’s milk, soy milk, sweetened and unsweetened almond milk, and many more are all ideal options. (Anything that’s dairy-free should usually work too). (1)
- Soy Ingredients: Soy ingredients are often high in protein, and they go great in a homemade protein smoothie/shake. Silken tofu is an excellent option for a protein shake, although you should be able to use soy butter and other ingredients too.
- Beans and Grains: Oats are the most popular and nutritious choice for these. They have lots of health benefits and are high in protein. But, you can also use lentils, white beans, and black beans as they’re decent in terms of nutrition.
- Frozen Fruits: Frozen bananas, guava, peach, avocados, and many more foods are high in protein. Plus, they’ve got good taste thanks to their natural sweetness, and you can experiment with all kinds of shake recipes thanks to them. Add some of these to your protein shake to make it more nutritious.
- Frozen Berries: Technically, berries count as fruit. But, these little things are such good options that they deserve a section of their own. While they aren’t filled to the brim with protein, ingredients like frozen strawberries, blueberries, and especially raspberries are good options. A shake with these tastes fantastic, and it can be just like eating dessert if you follow the right recipe.
- Milk-Based Products: Milk is exceptional for a protein shake, as already mentioned. But, there’s also the option of milk-based products for protein smoothies or shakes. Depending on the options available near you, you can add stuff like cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and much more.
- Nuts/Seeds: Lastly, you have all kinds of nuts and seeds worth trying. There are way too many options to list here, so there are chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, seed butter, etc., to name a few. If you don’t like any of these, there are many other options that you can choose depending on their nutrition facts.
You can add any of these (or even all) to your protein shake to make it healthier. They’re good options for any protein powder-free shake and can help you in various ways. For example, most of them have ideal nutrition and can help with muscle growth, which is good.
Depending on how much protein you need in your shake, you can add as much of these as you want. Still, don’t get too greedy. Make sure that you only add a certain amount.
Too much of a single ingredient will lead to a strange-tasting shake, plus excess protein will lead to health issues.
Related: How to make a meal replacement shake taste better?
Reasons You’d Want to Avoid Protein Powder in Meal Shakes
There are plenty of reasons why someone would want to avoid adding these powders into their meal/protein shake. For example, they aren’t exactly the healthiest at times because of all the sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Plus, a protein shake like this might have toxins and heavy metals.
For other reasons, some people aren’t fond of using supplements. Other people don’t want to waste money buying them so often for daily consumption. Some might also be allergic to the ingredients inside.
Long story short, there are plenty of reasons. Simply being uncomfortable with having to consume protein powders is more than enough of a reason as well. So, you can skip out on them entirely and make a meal shake without them.
Conclusion
There’s no shortage of options for making a meal replacement shake without any protein powders. We’ve shared everything you need to know here and have even thrown in a couple of our most recommended recipes.
All that’s left is for you to follow everything we’ve said. Once you do that, you’ll be able to make the perfect meal or protein shake at home without using any protein powders!
REFERENCES:
- https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/milk
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