Shakes and Smoothies to Boost Your Energy
Shakes and smoothies are a phenomenal way to get your body going in the morning or give it an energy boost in the afternoon. While ingredients like fruit bring some easily accessible sugar to your system so that you get a quick energy boost, forms of protein, such nut butters and protein powders, offer longer term energy sources.
Plus, unlike juice, smoothies and shakes can bring you a lot of fiber, a key element in a healthy diet, through the inclusion of whole fruits, nuts, and vegetables. In fact, multiple studies have shown that starting your day off with a solid serving of protein and fiber not only helps energy and concentration, but also contributes to longevity and overall health.
Shakes tend to get a bad rap for their association with fast food while smoothies are more often touted for their nutritional value. But shakes don’t have to be a junk food, you can make shakes with an eye towards nutrition. In fact they can prove to be quite healthy and delicious at the same time.
To get some ideas for shakes and smoothies to add to your daily diet, read on.
Wake up with a Shake:
Shakes that include coffee are a great way to switch up your usual morning routine.
To get a thick and smooth texture, you can choose to include ice cream, but you don’t have to stick to dairy. Soy, rice, oat, and nut-based ice creams are fantastic choices for creating that delightful texture.
Alternatively, to cut down on sugars and fats, you can stick with blending ice and milk (oat milk is a good candidate for plant-based shakes). Your shake won’t be quite as thick as it will with an ice cream but blending the milk and ice will create a nice frothiness.
If you’re still seeking some of that classic creaminess, consider using a little dairy or plant-based yogurt. If you stick to plain yogurt, milk, and ice, you’ll want to use honey or maple syrup to sweeten things up.
For the coffee, you have a number of choices: use cold brew, dissolve some instant coffee in a little water, or choose a coffee-flavored ice cream.
And finally, you can always add vanilla or chocolate for that extra bit of excitement. You can also pop in some nutrient-rich protein powders.
Another Take on the Shake:
If coffee is not your thing, or if you prefer it in a mug on its own, then berries are a fabulous alternative for your morning shake. They are high in dietary fiber and antioxidants and have been shown to reduce chances of diabetes and cancer and to improve memory.
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all good options, but don’t forget about açai berries and goji berries, which are also packed with nutrients.
The rest of your shakes can resemble the one above, and, even with berries, you may want a touch of honey.
Get in the Groove with a Smoothie:
Nut butter and/or protein powders are the key to making the energy you get from a smoothie last for hours.
A lovely combination is nut butter with milk (plant or dairy), banana, flax seeds, and protein powder. The banana provides quickly accessible energy, while the other ingredients release energy more slowly during digestion. The flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. You can also add many more vitamins and minerals through your protein powder choice.
If you want more green in your smoothies, some great ingredients to include are spinach, kale, and spirulina. All of those pack a great nutritional punch. And you can also bring in some creaminess with avocado, which is rich in healthy fats. To sweeten up these ingredients and include some easily accessible sugar, apple juice works well. And you can bring in more protein with powders, nuts, nut-based milks, or yogurt.
I personally love a tropical twist on my smoothies. Mango offers both delicious flavor and excellent creamy texture. Guava, pineapple, banana, coconut, and kiwi all offer fantastic tropical flavors. They are each strong enough that you’ll want to choose two to three for a smoothie rather than throwing them all in. Nut butters do not work well with most tropical combinations, so you will definitely want a good flavor-neutral protein powder to use in this kind of smoothie.
Protein Powders Give You Long-Lasting Energy and More
Choosing a good protein powder is key to many healthy and delicious smoothies. At Natura.Punkt, we are big fans of powders incorporating golden chlorella.
Not only are these powders high in protein, but they are also rich in potassium, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. The combination helps increase red blood cell levels, improve skin and hair, and eliminate heavy metals from the system. Plus, it’s all natural, gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO.
Plus, unlike juice, smoothies and shakes can bring you a lot of fiber, a key element in a healthy diet, through the inclusion of whole fruits, nuts, and vegetables. In fact, multiple studies have shown that starting your day off with a solid serving of protein and fiber not only helps energy and concentration, but also contributes to longevity and overall health.
Shakes tend to get a bad rap for their association with fast food while smoothies are more often touted for their nutritional value. But shakes don’t have to be a junk food, you can make shakes with an eye towards nutrition. In fact they can prove to be quite healthy and delicious at the same time.
To get some ideas for shakes and smoothies to add to your daily diet, read on.
Wake up with a Shake:
Shakes that include coffee are a great way to switch up your usual morning routine.
To get a thick and smooth texture, you can choose to include ice cream, but you don’t have to stick to dairy. Soy, rice, oat, and nut-based ice creams are fantastic choices for creating that delightful texture.
Alternatively, to cut down on sugars and fats, you can stick with blending ice and milk (oat milk is a good candidate for plant-based shakes). Your shake won’t be quite as thick as it will with an ice cream but blending the milk and ice will create a nice frothiness.
If you’re still seeking some of that classic creaminess, consider using a little dairy or plant-based yogurt. If you stick to plain yogurt, milk, and ice, you’ll want to use honey or maple syrup to sweeten things up.
For the coffee, you have a number of choices: use cold brew, dissolve some instant coffee in a little water, or choose a coffee-flavored ice cream.
And finally, you can always add vanilla or chocolate for that extra bit of excitement. You can also pop in some nutrient-rich protein powders.
Another Take on the Shake:
If coffee is not your thing, or if you prefer it in a mug on its own, then berries are a fabulous alternative for your morning shake. They are high in dietary fiber and antioxidants and have been shown to reduce chances of diabetes and cancer and to improve memory.
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all good options, but don’t forget about açai berries and goji berries, which are also packed with nutrients.
The rest of your shakes can resemble the one above, and, even with berries, you may want a touch of honey.
Get in the Groove with a Smoothie:
Nut butter and/or protein powders are the key to making the energy you get from a smoothie last for hours.
A lovely combination is nut butter with milk (plant or dairy), banana, flax seeds, and protein powder. The banana provides quickly accessible energy, while the other ingredients release energy more slowly during digestion. The flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. You can also add many more vitamins and minerals through your protein powder choice.
If you want more green in your smoothies, some great ingredients to include are spinach, kale, and spirulina. All of those pack a great nutritional punch. And you can also bring in some creaminess with avocado, which is rich in healthy fats. To sweeten up these ingredients and include some easily accessible sugar, apple juice works well. And you can bring in more protein with powders, nuts, nut-based milks, or yogurt.
I personally love a tropical twist on my smoothies. Mango offers both delicious flavor and excellent creamy texture. Guava, pineapple, banana, coconut, and kiwi all offer fantastic tropical flavors. They are each strong enough that you’ll want to choose two to three for a smoothie rather than throwing them all in. Nut butters do not work well with most tropical combinations, so you will definitely want a good flavor-neutral protein powder to use in this kind of smoothie.
Protein Powders Give You Long-Lasting Energy and More
Choosing a good protein powder is key to many healthy and delicious smoothies. At Natura.Punkt, we are big fans of powders incorporating golden chlorella.
Not only are these powders high in protein, but they are also rich in potassium, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. The combination helps increase red blood cell levels, improve skin and hair, and eliminate heavy metals from the system. Plus, it’s all natural, gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO.