5 Muscle building smoothiesProtein is highly important for muscle building as it repairs the muscles and help in their rapid recovery after a workout. That is why most of the trainers recommend taking protein smoothies after workouts. Generally, banana and peanut butter alternatively, are used to add the protein content to the smoothies. Apart from these, Chocolate is a hot favourite as well. But if these do get boring, here are some smoothie ideas, only for you.
Hot Cocoa (bed-time and post workout)
Ingredients:
1-cup milk (fat-free), 1 scoop whey protein chocolate, 1 packet Swiss Miss Diet hot Cocoa and ½-cup cottage cheese (low fat).
Recipe
Heat the milk and just when it gets to the boiling point, blend it in the blender with the protein, cottage cheese and cocoa until smooth. Ensure that the mixture has mixed well. This protein smoothie can be taken just before bedtime as well, because the cottage cheese contains slow digesting proteins that are great for overnight muscle repairing.
Each glass of the Hot Cocoa smoothie contains:
Calories-275
Protein-44 gms
Carbs-20 gms
Fat-1 gm
Fiber-0gm
Root Beer Float (post-workout)
Ingredients:
1 scoop vanilla flavored whey protein, ½ cup vanilla yoghurt (fat free(, 1 scoop vanilla casein protein and 1 ½ cup root beer
Recipe
In a bowl mix all the protein powders into the yogurt slowly and stir well to avoid clumps. Now, pour the root beer in a large beer glass and add this mixture of yoghurt carefully, without stirring. Since the root beer starts carbonation process, the shake becomes quite frothy without having to use a blender for mixing.
Each large glass of the Root Beer Float smoothie contains:
Calories-443
Protein-48gms
Carbs-61 gms
Fat-1 gm
Fiber-1 gm
Post workout or pre-workout smoothies provide the necessary protein to the body that contributes in rapid muscle recovery and growth.
Peach Cobbler (pre-workout)
Ingredients:
1-cup water, ½ can of sliced peaches with juice, 1 scoop vanilla whey and 1 packet Quakers Instant Oatmeal (lower sugar maple and brown sugar)
Recipe
Mix all the ingredients in a blender and serve. Use an immersion blender for this one, to get a finely mixed smoothie.
Each glass of the Peach Cobbler smoothie contains:
Calories-305
Protein-24 gms
Carbs-49 gms
Fat- 2 gms
Fiber-3 gms
Orange Creamsicle (pre-workout)
Ingredients:
1-cup orange juice, ½ cup fat-free yoghurt (vanilla flavor) and 1 scoop vanilla whey protein
Recipe
Mix all the ingredients in the blender and enjoy your smoothie. Ensure that you use real orange juice and not the flavored orange drinks for this one to get the desired result.
One glass of the Orange Creamsicle smoothie contains:
Calories-280
Protein-27gms
Carbs-43 gms
Fat-1 gm
Fiber-2 gms
Chocolate Almond Brownie (pre workout or early morning)
Ingredients:
1 cup milk (fat-free), ¼ cup almonds (chopped), ½ Clif brownie bar (chocolate flavor-chopped finely) and 1 scoop of chocolate flavored whey protein
Recipe
Mix the milk and the flavored protein in the blender and serve with almonds and Clif bar topping. Use a spoon as you will be eating as well as drinking the shake, because the almonds and the bar chips can settle to the bottom.
One glass of this Chocolate Almond Brownie smoothie contains:
Calories -457
Protein-39 gms
Carbs-41 gms
Fat-17 gms
Fiber-8 gms