Are you sick of making the same boring dairy-free protein powder shake after or workout, or in the morning as part of a whole food supplement? I did it years but now I make sure that each homemade protein smoothie I whip up has a chance to be super tasty and even a unique experience if I am feeling like a creative drink architect. There are a few easy pointers that will help you break the mould of the boring bland protein supplement shake.
Tip 1: Make it a Healthy Dessert Shake
I use this dairy-free dessert shake method nearly every day now. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t still a thousand ways to make it. For starters, I never use soy protein powder anymore, not even soy protein isolate as the base for dairy-free protein powder for the energy shake. I want it to be packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals, as well antioxidants and fibre. At the same time, I think that it is essential that whatever type of homemade protein shake you make, it ought to be really easy to digest. That way, whether you need a good jump start energy drink in the morning after you wake up, or you need a dose of high-quality filtered protein as a supplement after a workout, it will be easily be able to be absorbed and go to work to fuel your body almost immediately.
Tip 2: Be Creative with Your Protein Powders
Here are some of the protein powders and supplements that I like to use:
• Hemp protein
• Egg albumen
• Brown rice protein
• Ground Flax
Tip 3: Add in the Extra Special Nutrition
There are an unlimited number of ingredients you can add to your homemade protein powder shake. I usually add flash frozen organic fruit along with refrigerated coconut milk. If you use a blender, you will end up with a super healthy vegan ice cream smoothie that will cool you off and pack a nice protein punch.
• Coconut milk
• Frozen berries or fruit
• Whole food powder like Vega
• Spices like cinnamon or nutmeg
• Real vanilla extract
• Vegan ice cream
6 Comments
Along with the fruit, I add a dark, leafy green veggie like spinach. If you have a 3 or 4 to 1 ratio of fruit to greens, you can't taste the greens.
I've heard a lot about hemp. Will have to look into it. Thanks for sharing!
a) it is a larger protein molecule with lower bio-availability compared with some others. The more difficult absorption is also a common cause of bloating and gas. Choosing a cross-filtered soy protein isolate really helps here.
b) For men, soy acts as a hormone disruptor that mimics estrogen and can cause many undesirable side effects such as irritability and low level inflammation/ slower recovery times.
c) If you are dairy-free and or gluten free, many people will also have at least a sensitivity to soy, or may develop one. Personally, I have gone from a mild sensitivity to probable total intolerance over the past 5 years that I have been on a dairy-free diet (and aware of my casein dairy protein intolerance).
So for most people, adding in soy in moderation is a fine way to get a valuable vegan protein that is easy to find in stores. I recommend not over doing it and watching how your body reacts.
Now I only use it in my shake which I don't drink every day, and when I do, it's only half a scoop. More gives me indigestion and I have to drink a lot of water a couple of hours later. I'm neither dairy nor gluten free, although my dairy consumption is limited to a little cheese every now and then, so I think I'm okay consuming it. But I'm definitely going to check out the hemp protein. Can you recommend a good brand?
I added a couple of Amazon protein powders under the article including a nice hemp and rice protein powder blend. I am not sure what country you live in, but I also use "Naturally Splendid" premium hemp protein that I get from the Shopper's Drug Mart in Canada.