Protein shakes can be useful to hit your daily goals. On top of that, you can make them tasty and healthy with the right ingredients.
What tasty and healthy mean varies from person to person but most people will agree with at least a few of the options on the list.
1. Nuts
Nuts are not only great on their own. They are also great ingredients for a wide variety of recipes including a few protein shape recipes.
First of all, nuts contain a variety of important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and fats that are generally considered healthy.
Additionally, many people will like options like almonds and peanuts when it comes to the tastes they add to the protein shake.
One thing you do want to keep in mind is that nuts are also relatively high in calories. Even considering you don’t absorb all the calories in them, you may need to limit the number of nuts you use for goals like losing weight (1).
2. Blueberries
Blueberries are a great example of a fruit that is tasty, easy to add to protein shakes, and generally considered healthy.
They are especially well-known for their polyphenols which in simpler words are substances that can be good for your health.
Besides these, blueberries are also relatively low in calories and add some fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your protein shake.
3. Matcha powder
Matcha power is the result of growing and processing certain types of green tea leaves. This powder can be and is used in a variety of recipes ranging from just matcha tea to baked goods with matcha in the main role.
As you can tell from this, many people like the taste of matcha. For this reason alone, you can consider adding matcha to your protein shakes or at least giving it a try.
Additionally, green tea and matcha are typically considered healthy additions to the human diet although more good research is always welcome (2).
One thing to note is that matcha powder contains caffeine. Consuming it too close to bedtime could reduce your sleep quality and some people don’t deal well with caffeine at all.
4. Yogurt
Something to note first about the next protein shake ingredient is that not all yogurts are equally healthy.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that many brands add sugar to their yogurts. This is generally considered to be unhealthy.
Besides that, people who don’t deal well with lactose may need to avoid yogurt too.
However, if your body does deal well with yogurt, it can be a tasty ingredient that adds a certain texture to your protein shake.
5. 80%+ cacao chocolate
Chocolate does not sound like the healthiest addition to a protein shake but there are again differences between brands.
The ones that consist of more than 80% cacao are considered to be at least decent for health due to the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients in them.
On top of that, most people will agree that this is a tasty protein shake ingredient.
Something you do want to keep in mind is that chocolate, even the ones considered to be healthier, contains a decent amount of sugar.
Additionally, chocolate contains a lot of calories which means you may want to limit how much you put in your protein shake if you want to lose weight.
6. The right peanut butter
If you are familiar with protein shake recipes you will likely have encountered peanut butter as an ingredient option.
While peanut and nut butters can be tasty additions, there is something to note if you want to keep things healthy.
More specifically, many peanut butter brands add sugar and oils to their products. These types add a lot of calories that are considered to be the unhealthy types to your protein shake.
Besides that, even if you do choose the cleaner peanut butters, you want to keep in mind that they contain relatively high amounts of calories.
A small amount of peanut butter can be a great way to add some taste but peanut butter shakes with some protein may lead to weight gain.
7. Oats
Oats are a type of whole grain that is well-known in the health world for their amounts of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
They can also be added to protein shakes. Partly for their nutrients and taste but also for the specific texture they add to the mix.
Some of the benefits of adding oats to protein shakes include making them more filling, adding more nutrients, and not requiring a lot of preparation.
Oats come in different types including rolled, steel cut, quick, and instant. To keep things as healthy as possible you want to go for rolled and steel-cut ones and don’t mix your protein shake too much after adding them.
8. Avocado
Avocados could be a surprising ingredient for protein shakes but they can add nice amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and fats that are considered to be healthy.
On top of that, many people like their taste. Especially in certain combinations like bananas, cacao, and almonds.
One downside of avocados is that they require a bit more preparation time and effort compared to some of the other ingredient options.
Additionally, some people really don’t like the taste of this ingredient.
9. Strawberries
Strawberries may not be as famous for their health benefits as blueberries but they do make up for it to some extent with their taste.
At the same time, strawberries still contain nice amounts of vitamins, minerals, other micronutrients, and fiber.
Additionally, while there is a way to overdo it, strawberries are generally good for weight loss since they are relatively low in calories.
One thing to note is that fresh strawberries again require a bit more preparation effort if you want to cut off the green part. If you mind this, you could consider adding frozen strawberries to your protein shake instead.
10. Chia seeds
Chia seeds are a type of edible seed that is relatively popular when it comes to smoothies, shakes, and breakfast foods.
They contain nice amounts of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. If you struggle with hunger throughout the day, chia seeds could be the perfect protein shake ingredient for you.
At the same time, you also want to keep in mind that chia seeds contain a decent amount of calories. Additionally, they absorb a good amount of fluid which means you may have to change the quantities of your other ingredients.
The taste of chia seeds is typically described as “nutty”. If this sounds like something you would enjoy you can try out a few protein shake recipes that include them.
