A super shake is like a smoothie but packed with protein, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats.
They are great if you are short on time as you can still get all the goodness of a full meal in.
Below is a brilliant guide from precision nutrition founder Dr John Beradi on how to create the perfect super shake.
There is a handy recipe guide at the end also. Enjoy.
Here’s one of the secrets to good nutrition: Not all of your meals have to be whole food meals.
In fact, you can even replace one to two meals each day with easy-to-make, tasty drinks we call Super Shakes.
Now, we know that there are tons of stores and juice bars springing up all over, offering smoothies.
But honestly, these store-bought and juice bar type shakes are often barely better than a fast-food milk-shake.
They’re typically sweetened heavily with sugar, contain minimal or low-quality protein sources, and missing many of the nutrients found in whole foods.
The Super Shake, on the other hand, is packed with good stuff like high-quality protein, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats.
In addition to the quality nutrition it provides, the Super Shake meets your need for quick, easy, high-quality food that you can have in a pinch.
So whenever you need a high-quality meal, but can’t make a full, whole food plate for yourself, try out the Super Shake.
Get a good blender
Before you start experimenting with our step-by-step guide, here’s a question for you. Do you have a decent blender?
If not, and you want to start making Super Shakes, you’re going to have to go get one. And remember, you get what you pay for.
That’s right, if your blender starts smoking when you add a few ice cubes, it’s time for a replacement, one that’s more powerful and ready for the task at hand.
Making your shake super
Ok, so let’s assume you’ve got your blender out and it’s powerful enough to do the job. Now you can follow the step-by-step guide below for creating nutritious and tasty Super Shakes.
We selected some of the fruits, vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats that seem to work best for our clients. Just go through each step and select an item (or two) from each column. Mix and match as you like. You’ll end up finding combinations you prefer the most.
That said, our list isn’t exhaustive.
Feel free to branch out.
Keep in mind, too, that not all of the steps below are mandatory.
If you don’t want a topper, leave it out. If you want extra veggies, go for it. If you are trying to keep your calories down, you can manipulate variables like number of portions, especially carb and fat amounts.
STEP 1
Pick a liquid
- Water
- Almond milk (unsweetened)
- Cow’s milk
- Soy milk (unsweetened)
- Hemp milk (unsweetened)
- Iced green tea
Less liquid = thick shakes. More liquid = thin shakes.
Aim for 150ml-250ml per serving.
STEP 2
Pick a protein powder
- Whey protein
- Casein protein
- Pea protein
- Rice protein
- Hemp protein
- Other proteins or protein blends
Some protein powders contain thickeners, which will increase the thickness of your shake. Find the protein supplement that you like best.
Aim for 1 scoop per serving (20-25 g protein).
STEP 3
Pick a veggie
- Dark leafy greens: Spinach / Swiss chard / kale
- Pumpkin / sweet potato
- Beets / beet greens
- Cucumber / celery
- Powdered greens supplement
Spinach is usually your best bet, as it is virtually flavorless in your Super Shake. Canned pumpkin is great too. It goes well with vanilla. When using beets, try roasting them and removing the skin first. Beets pair well with chocolate. If you add celery or cucumber, you’ll need to use less liquid in your shake.
Aim for 1 fist-sized portion per serving.
STEP 4
Pick a fruit
- Apples
- Bananas
- Berries
- Cherries
- Dates
- Pineapple / mango
- Powdered fruit supplement
Toss in a banana to give the shake an excellent consistency. Dates go a long way, as they’re very sweet (and make sure to get rid of the pit first!). Apples are easy — simply remove the core and slice into wedges. You can use fresh or frozen fruit.
Aim for 1 cupped hand-sized portion per serving.
STEP 5
Pick a healthy fat
- Walnuts
- Flax, hemp, chia seeds
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Peanut and nut butters
When blended well, nuts and seeds give the shake a nice, rich consistency.
Aim for 1 thumb-sized portion per serving.
STEP 6
Pick a topper
- Coconut
- Cacao nibs / dark chocolate
- Yogurt
- Oats / granola
- Cinnamon
- Ice cubes (if using fresh fruit)
Cinnamon is good with vanilla and pumpkin. Add oats if you need extra carbs, yogurt if you want a smoother consistency, and ice if you used fresh fruit.
For all of these, a little goes a long way.
So, how about an example?
Here’s one of my favorites. It uses 2 servings of each step to make one large Super Shake, replacing a full meal. (Alternatively, you could use 1 serving of each step for a small meal, or snack.)
- Step 1: Water (about 300ml)
- Step 2: 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
- Step 3: 2 fist-sized portions of baby spinach
- Step 4: 1 banana and 1 cupped handful of frozen strawberries
- Step 5: 2 thumb-sized portions of chopped walnuts
- Step 6: Top with a few sprinkles of cinnamon
- Step 7: Drink.
- Step 8: Feel awesome.
There you have it, a template for creating awesome Super Shakes, every time.
Click here for the super shake booklet to find lots more recipe ideas.
Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy this handy guide. If you have any questions please ask below.