How to Make a Homemade Protein Shake Without Protein Powder

Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet and can be found in all types of natural foods. A recommended amount of protein is 50 to 175 grams per day, depending on your body type, exercise, and diet. If you're interested in adding protein to your diet, but don't have any protein powder, try making a protein shake with all natural ingredients. Blended together, these ingredients make a delicious, energy filled, healthy shake that can follow any exercise routine, help jump start your day, or help you lose weight.

Ingredients

Green Protein Shake

• 1/2 cup red grapefruit juice
• 1 cup kale
• 1 large apple
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (1 medium stalk)
• 4 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 1/4 cup frozen mango
• 1/8 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3-4 ice cubes

Bean Protein Shake

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Nut Protein Shake

• 1 cup soymilk
• 2 tablespoons almond or peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Tofu Protein Shake

• 1/2 cup silken tofu
• 1 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter

Method 1

Making a Green Protein Shake

1. 
   1
   Juice grapefruit. Cut a grapefruit in half, and squeeze the juice into a blender. This juice can also be substituted with orange juice or coconut water.
2. 
   2
   Chop up fruits and veggies. First, wash these ingredients and then removing the stems, cores, and seeds, chop kale, apple, cucumber, and celery into small pieces and put in the blender.
3. 
   3
   Add remaining ingredients. Continue to add hemp hearts, frozen mango, mint leaves, coconut oil, and ice cubes to the blender. Using frozen mango helps the consistency of the shake, but you can use fresh mango and just add a few more ice cubes.
4. 
   4
   Blend on high. Once everything is added to the blender, blend the ingredients on high until the shake is smooth (you don't see chunks of the ingredients). If the shake is looking really thick, add a little water and continue to blend.
5. 
   5
   Pride yourself for being healthy. This shake yields about 17 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber, and is a rich source of Vitamin C + A, iron, and calcium. It makes about 3 cups so enjoy it in a large glass, or split it into two glasses for a more snack-like shake.^[1]

Method 2

Making a Bean Protein Shake

1. 
   1
   Prepare black beans. If you are using beans from a can, then simply measure out 1/2 cup and pour into a blender. However, if you are using dry beans, be sure to cook them and drain the excess water. You can cook beans in a crock pot or on the stove. When the beans are ready, add them to your blender.

   • Cooking beans in a crockpot is an easy way to prepare beans without soaking them beforehand. Simply rinse beans, pour into crockpot, add 6 cups of water for every pound of beans, and set crockpot on high for four to six hours. Once the beans are cooked, drain excess water and they'll be ready to go! ^[2]
   • It may seem weird to add beans to a shake, but they are similar to spinach in that when mixed with other ingredients they don't have a taste -- they just add a sneaky bit of nutrition!
2. 
   2
   Peel and chop banana. Taking a ripe banana, remove the peel and slice it into small discs, and then place in blender. It may help to use a frozen banana to make the shake colder and give it a creamy, thicker consistency.
3. 
   3
   Add almond milk, hemp seeds, and cocoa powder. Blend ingredients on high until smooth. If you want to add more protein to your shake, substitute almond milk for 1% milk. This will increase the protein by seven grams. ^[3]
4. 
   4
   Enjoy your chocolaty-bean shake. This shake yields about 17 grams of protein, but substituted with regular milk will increase the protein to 24 grams.^[4]

Method 3

Making a Nut Protein Shake

1. 
   1
   Pour soy milk, almond butter or peanut butter, and chia seeds in blender. If substituting peanut butter for almond butter make sure it is a natural peanut butter to eliminate excess sugar.
2. 
   2
   Add bananas, cocoa powder, or agave for extra flavor. If you are looking for a sweeter shake, or something with a little bit more protein, add a few extra ingredients to give your shake a boost. Consider adding one banana, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and a tablespoon of agave.
3. 
   3
   Blend on high and enjoy. Combine ingredients until smooth and enjoy the healthy benefits! This shake yields about 18 grams of protein by itself, but with the added ingredients it yields up to 20 grams of protein.^[5]

Method 4

EditMaking a Tofu Protein Shake

1. 
   1
   Peel and slice banana. Taking the banana out of the freezer, remove the peel and slice the banana into small discs. This will make it easier to blend with the other ingredients. Then, place in blender.
2. 
   2
   Combine soy milk, tofu, and peanut butter. Add ingredients to the blender with the banana and blend on high about one minute until smooth. ^[6]

   • Tofu is a great addition to a shake, because it provides extra protein, iron, and calcium and is low calorie. To use tofu, simply take it out of the refrigerator and remove it from the packaging.^[7]
3. 
   3
   Celebrate the health benefits. This shake yields about 17 grams of protein and is also a good source of Vitamin A and C as well as high in calcium and iron.

Tips

• Use a blender that is high quality and will mix your shakes well.
• Lots of protein by itself is not necessarily good for you. If you are consuming a large amount of protein, it should be coupled with regular exercise.
• Consider altering some ingredients if you don't like the taste of the shake. These recipes are just suggestions, and most of the ingredients can be changed with something more suitable to your liking.