Protein is an integral part of a healthy and balanced diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight and build lean muscle. Unfortunately, reduced protein intake can result in muscle loss undoing all the hard work you do in the gym.
A great way to fill this gap and increase protein intake is through low-calorie protein shakes. Homemade protein shakes are rich in nutrients that help build muscles and keep bones, hair, and skin healthy.
Any protein shake won’t do a good job. It is best to make low-calorie protein shakes at home to get the most nutritional benefits. Store-bought protein shakes are often loaded with sugar that can harm your health. Slugging these drinks every day would do no good for your body. However, your protein consumption goals will not be compromised with homemade healthy, low-calorie protein shakes.
To help you keep track of your protein consumption, we have curated recipes of some of the healthiest low-calorie protein shakes that will aid in weight loss and subsequent muscle gain.
4 Low-Calorie Healthy Protein Shakes That Can Be Made At Home
Chocolate Protein Shake
This protein shake is perfect for you if you are a chocolate lover. The shake is neither too sweet nor too bitter and is a great mood booster.
Ingredients:
- Almond butter – 1 tbsp
- Apple (chopped) – 1 piece; you can replace the apple with a banana if you like its taste better and want to feel full
- Grated dark chocolate – 1 tbsp
- Cocoa powder – 1 tbsp
- Yogurt – ½ cup
- Milk – 1 cup
- Dates pitted – 1
- Chia seed and hazelnuts to enhance flavour (optional)
How to Make:
- Take a clean blender and put the chopped apple, milk, pitted dates, cocoa powder, almond butter, and yogurt. Milk the ingredients together until smooth.
- Take a tall glass, pour the thick shake into it, and garnish it with dark chocolate.
Vanilla Chai Shake
With a calorie content of 219, this shake is an innovative twist to chai (tea).
Ingredients:
Unsweetened almond milk – ¼ cup
Plant-based vanilla powder – 1 scoop
Brewed chai, chilled – ¼ cup
Frozen banana – ½ cup
Unsalted natural almond butter – ½ tbsp
Grounded cinnamon – ¼ tsp
Water for blending
How to Prepare the Protein Shake?
- Take a clean blender and put all the ingredients in it. Then, whiz the machine till the ingredients are blended into a smooth consistency.
- Do not put a lot of water into the blender initially. Instead, keep adding it to get the consistency you want.
Roasted Gram Flour Low-Calorie Protein Shake
Roasted gram is a plant-based protein powder best suited for people following vegan keto diets. Surprisingly, this excellent natural food costs 1/10th of the price of whey protein in shops. You can buy roasted gram flour at home or in shops to make this protein smoothie.
It is one of the best protein sources and gives an instant energy boost on drinking.
Ingredients:
- Roasted gram flour – 4 tbsps
- Cilantro chopped – 2 tbsps.
- Juice from half a lime piece
- Cumin powder, roasted – ½ tsp
- Water – 1 cup or as much as necessary
- Salt to taste
How to Make the Shake?
- Mix the roasted gram flour, chopped cilantro, salt, and roasted cumin powder in a dry bowl.
- Once the dry ingredients are mixed, slowly add water and stir gradually to ensure no lumps are left behind. A blender can also be used to make this protein shake.
- Once the shake is ready, add the lime juice, mix it well and enjoy on hot summer days.
The Green Monster
Sporting a vibrant green colour, this shake is enriched with protein from the deadly combination of banana, spinach, and avocado.
Ingredients:
- Unsweetened, no sugar added apple juice – ¼ cup
- Plant-based vanilla protein powder – 1 scoop
- Water – ¼ cup
- Chopped Bosc pear – ½ cup
- Ripe avocado – ¼
- Baby spinach, loosely packed – ½ cup
- Frozen banana – ½ cup
Let’s Prepare the Protein Shake:
- Wash the loosely packed baby spinach leaves properly to clean all dust, sand, dirt, and grime. Keep it aside to drain the water
- Take a blender and add all the ingredients along with the spinach.
- Gradually keep adding water until you get the thickness you want.
- Pour it into a tall glass and enjoy it as a pre or post-workout drink.
Final Takeaway
Protein is an essential compound for the body to function correctly. So, no matter what diet you follow, it is vital to include protein in your meal plans. Homemade low-calorie protein shakes are the best sources of protein that you can have at any time of the day.
The protein shakes covered in this article will help you build muscle and satiate hunger for long periods. So, if you are looking for easy recipes to make protein shakes at home, your search ends here.
