How To Make Homemade Meal Replacement Shakes
Meal replacement shakes can be a great option for those who are looking to lose weight, need a meal on the go, gain muscle mass, perhaps need extra support with digestion, can’t ingest food (think elderly people or having your wisdom teeth taken out) or don’t have the time to sit and cook a well-balanced meal.
It’s important to avoid carb dominant meal replacement shakes if you want to ensure you don’t feel hangry 45 minutes after drinking it. Your shake should always include a combination of protein and fat.
It’s also important to be cognizant of how much fat you include as that can drastically increase the calorie count, and you could possibly be consuming much more than you would in a regular meal. For those looking to lose weight, this is a big no no!
Pro tip – freezing your fruits (bananas/strawberries), veggies (zucchini/cauliflower), or fats (avocados) can make for a creamier texture. Adding lots of leafy greens like spinach, kale or even regular green salad mix is an easy way to get extra fiber, micronutrients and extra greens!
Choose a protein base:
Protein powder, tofu and/or milks (almond, soy, coconut, organic cow’s milk). You can also add seeds and nuts.
Choose a fat option:
Nut butter, chia seeds, avocado, flax seed, MCT oil, coconut oil/butter and desiccated coconut or full fat coconut milk. Seeds and nuts add extra protein and fibre, while avocado makes your shake extra creamy. Fats are crucial in our diet for optimal health and can help keep you satisfied when you’re replacing a meal. If you’re trying to bulk up, fats are the best way to easily add calories. If you are trying to lose weight, be mindful of your portions.
Choose vegetables and/or fruit:
We love using frozen fruit and veggies such as zucchini, cauliflower, mixed berries, spinach, kale, pineapple, mango or banana. Not only do fruits add flavour, but both fruits and vegetables add fiber and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are essential when replacing a meal.
Choose your liquid:
We love just adding a big full glass of water or doing half water and half milk/mylk. Your milk choice and brand of milk could drastically affect the calories so you want to be conscious of what you are using. For example, ½ cup of coconut milk/cream is roughly 200 calories where the same amount of almond milk ranges from 25-50 calories depending on the brand.
Optional extras:
Oats - We love adding some oats for a more substantial breakfast smoothie (especially post workout when your body requires more fuel).
Superfoods - Goji berries, raw cacao nibs, bee pollen, cinnamon, maca root powder, turmeric, cacao powder, ginger root or a pinch of Himalayan salt are also great additions to add in or top off your shake depending on what you use.
Ice – a great option to add a little thickness to your shake if you aren’t adding frozen fruits/veggies.
Water – add or reduce liquids depending on your consistency preference.
Blend:
When you’ve chosen all your ingredients, simply put it all into a blender and mix. High powered blenders work best when you’re using fibrous veggies, nuts and seeds, while smaller, individual sized blenders are easy to use and clean.
PB&J BREAKY SMOOTHIE (360CAL)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen raspberries
1 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp rolled oats
1 scoop AURA Vanilla Plant Based Protein Powder
GREENS POWER SMOOTHIE (400CAL)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana or 1 cup frozen zucchini
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup kale (or other greens)
½ avocado
1 scoop AURA Unflavoured Plant Based Protein Powder
CHOCOLATE WEIGHT LOSS SMOOTHIE (410CAL)
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1 cup cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
½ frozen banana
2 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
AVO NANA GLOW SMOOTHIE (400CAL)
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup water or coconut water
½ avocado
½ cup mango (frozen)
½ banana
1 tsp chia seeds
1 scoop AURA Vanilla Plant Based Protein Powder
1 scoop AURA Wild Ocean Marine Collagen
VANILLA MAGIC SMOOTHIE (375CAL)
1 ½ cups cashew or coconut milk
1 medjool date
2 tbsp raw cashews or almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 scoop AURA Vanilla Plant Based Protein Powder
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
CHOCOLATE + COFFEE BULLETPROOF SMOOTHIE (350CAL)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp instant coffee, or replace 1/4 cup milk with 1/4 cup strong chilled coffee or espresso
½ tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 scoop AURA MCT or ½ tbsp MCT oil
1 scoop AURA Vanilla Plant Based Protein Powder
