Consuming Protein & Yummy Protein Shakes
Protein
Protein is essential to have in the body, as it's important for muscle and bone growth as well as organ and immune system functions.
Your body uses proteins to help create hemoglobins which are the red blood cells that carry oxygen to your body.
So needless to say, proteins are very important for a healthy body and a healthy you.
Types of Proteins:
The proteins from meat and dairy products are consider the complete proteins because they contain all 9 amino acids that are essential to the body.
Vegetable proteins are incomplete because they lack at least one essential amino acid, which can be a concer for semi- vegetarians, vegetarians, and vegans. But, even when you consume mostly fruits and vegetables, you can still get a healthy, complete diet by keeping a varied diet and including protein rich foods in your daily diet.
Sources of Protein
- Eggs
- Fish
- Beef
- Poultry
- Lentils
- Legumes (I.E. black beans)
- Nuts & Seeds
- Dairy products
How Much Protein Should I Consume?
How much protein you need in your body is dependent on how much you weigh, your age, and gender. Looking at weight alone, kids need about 0.5 grams of protein for every pound that you weight, and the older you are, the more protein you need to be consuming. For example, the average adult needs about 60 grams of protein a day.
To determine an estimated about of protein that you should consume a day, you can either multiply your weight in pounds by 0.5 or divide your weight by 2.
Check food labels to see how much protein is in the serving that you are about to consume, and make sure to eat a balanced diet to ensure that you are consuming the right amount of proteins for your body.
Homemade Protein Shakes
Once you understand how protein works and have figured out how much protein you need to consume on a daily basis, its time to make the protein shake.
Protein shakes are a great way to curve your appetite if you're on a diet, as it will fill your stomach and ensure that you're still consuming the right amount of protein.
My dad likes to make a quick protein shake or finish up his morning breakfast shake for lunch, if he's not really in the mood for a full meal. It's enough to curve his appetite till dinner and it's healthy as long as you consume a normal dinner and keep a balanced diet.
The old protein shakes tend to include raw eggs and milk. We're going to stay away from that one...
To make a goodprotein shake, you need to find a protein mix. Most protein mixes come in three flavors- vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Vanilla tends to make a better shake if you're using fruits, which is what I will include in this recipe. Otherwise, you can use chocolate or strawberry when using a low- fat yogurt or ice cream to make your shake.
Ingredients:
- Protein mix
- Frozen or fresh fruits (a mixture of both works well)
- Orange juice (any fruit juice will work)
- Ice
** You'll need a blender for this recipe.
** Vary the amounts of juice, fruits, and ice, to how much you plan on drinking.
Directions:
Add the appropriate amount of protein mix, reading the instructions on the bottle, to the blender. Add ice and orange juice.
Choose your favorite fruits (strawberries, bananas, and other berries work well) to add to the blender.
Blend till well mixed.
You may need to add more ice or orange juice to help the blender along.