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Health & Fitness

My Favorite Super Shake Recipe

Think you don't have time for a balanced, nutritious meal? Try a Super Shake!

Let's face it, we live in a busy world.  Having some quick and easy meals are key when trying to take advantage of the metabolic boost of eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.  Especially if you're going to be able to balance work, school, kids, and everything else in your life. 

Allow me to introduce you to the Super Shake - a complete, balanced, nutritious meal in a glass.  When you don't have time to sit down to a meal, need something quick, or just don't feel like cooking anything, Super Shakes come together fast and can be made the night before so you'll be ready for a busy day. Here's the recipe for my current favorite Super Shake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Super Shake

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  • 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
  • 1 giant handfull of fresh spinach leaves (seriously grab a lot)
  • 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 tbsp all-natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 of a medium banana
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1 handfull of ice

Put the almond milk and spinach in the blender.  Blend at a high speed until the leaves are basically liquefied.  Add the reamining ingredients and blend again until you have a nice smoothie/shake consistency.


Did that say spinach?

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OK - so I know what you're thinking.  Spinach in a shake?  Gross!  Or was it the cottage cheese that turned your head?  First things first, let's talk about the spinach.  While it will definitely turn your shake green, you would never know it was in there otherwise.  I put a full two ounces in mine and it still tastes like chocolate peanut butter banana goodness.  And while I admit, I'm a bit of a freak at times when it comes to eating clean, others agree - so it's not just me.  Give it a try.  It's a great way to get veggies in a portable meal.

Now to the cottage cheese.  If you love it - no worries, but if you're not a fan, never fear it really dissappears in the shake as well and has a nice side affect of making the shake creamier while also providing some additional protein. 

For the protein powder you can use a whey protein powder like Performance Food Center's all natural Bio-Whey or a casein/milk protein isolate based powder which will be a little slower digesting and keep you feeling fuller for even longer (Bio-Test's Metabolic Drive Lo Carb is a good choice as well).

Make it your own

The cool thing about Super Shakes is that of course this recipe is not your only option.  In fact, one of my mom's favorite shakes has strawberries, spinach, and shredded carrots (shredded because they blend better) in it.  Here are just a few ideas on how to make them to suit your own individual tastes.  First, you can go with vanilla instead of chocolate.  Why anyone would avoid chocolate confuses me, but I digress.  To do so, choose unsweetened original or vanilla flavored almond milk and vanilla flavored protein powder.  Next, you can experiment with the fruit you add.  Instead of a banana, give your favorite variety of fresh berry a try.  You can also use different nut and seed butters instead of just peanut butter.  Almond butter is a great option.  Just make sure you go with the all-natural kind so there's no added oils, sugar, or artificial ingredients. 

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment with greens like kale or swiss chard, using advocado instead of peanut butter and whatever else you can imagine.  Just remember the goal for a complete, balanced, nutritious meal all in one is to get some good quality lean protein, veggies and or fruits, and a little healthy fat.

So next time you don't know when you'll have time to eat during a hectic day, whip up a Super Shake.  And if you come up with a great recipe of your own, please post it in the comments here so we can all enjoy!

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