This easy 3-ingredient banana protein shake is a fast, delicious, and nutrient-packed solution to your morning madness! It’s also a fantastic shake to prep for your workouts and to satisfy your post-workout hunger pangs.
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Are Bananas Good for Protein Shakes?
Bananas are an excellent addition to protein shakes because they provide a naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture that we fondly associate with shakes.
Banana is also one of the healthiest things you can add to a protein shake. It is loaded with essential nutrients and dietary fiber to help you to feel full for a longer time period.
The riper the banana, the sweeter and the more nutrients it contains. And the texture becomes mushier too.
You can use either freshly peeled banana or frozen banana into protein shakes. Using frozen bananas will make thicker protein shakes.
Peel and slice the bananas before freezing them in plastic zip-close bags! Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with the near-impossible task of separating the banana from its peels.
The Best Protein Powders for Shakes
Firstly, when you purchase protein powder, make sure to read the ingredient labels. Many protein powders on the market contain thickener and gums that can cause digestive issues and inflammation.
Artificial fillers and sweeteners can also lower the healthy quality of the powder.
What you want to look for is a clean protein powder with all-natural ingredients.
Secondly, if you want a great tasting protein shake, then you need a delicious protein powder. You want one that doesn’t leave a chalky after taste that makes it hard to gulp down.
The most nutritious and tasty one I’ve found is this Your Super Skinny Protein that has a subtle taste so that it’s super easy to add to almost anything.
It contains plant-based protein sources from peas and hemp, boosted with 3 incredible superfoods for the best post-workout recovery and hunger control.
You can check out my detailed Your Super Skinny Protein Mix Review plus other mixes and my results after a month of adding these superfood powders into my diet.
Is Banana Protein Shake Good for Weight Loss?
Banana is a good source of dietary fiber that minimizes unwanted calorie consumption.
The resistant starch in both green and ripe banana improves fat oxidation, reduces fat storage in adipose cells, and may enhance weight loss.
Both ripe and unripe bananas contain a low glycemic index or a high satiety index. A recent study highlighted that a low glycemic index and energy-restricted diet was more efficient in helping weight loss than a low-fat, high glycemic index diet (source).
A diet rich in protein is one of the best things to do to lose weight and maintain your healthy weight over the long term.
Eating more protein helps your body to lose weight by increasing satiety, maintaining muscle mass, and boosting metabolism.
Adding a banana to a protein shake combines the weight loss properties of banana with protein powder for an easy and quick breakfast that’ll keep you feeling full until lunch.
Is It Good to Drink a Banana Shake Before & After a Workout?
Banana is an excellent pre-workout food as it is loaded with carbohydrates (for fuel) and potassium. It helps to optimize your body’s muscle function during a workout.
Having a banana protein shake before a workout not only prevents unwanted protein loss, but it also ensures that the body has adequate food and fluids to help maintain its blood glucose levels during a workout.
The simple carbohydrates in bananas are also exactly what one needs after a workout, as they help restore your body’s levels of glycogen, which helps to rebuild stressed muscles.
Furthermore, your body’s level of potassium is depleted as you work your muscles during exercise. Therefore, you’ll need to replenish your body with potassium post-workout to maintain proper muscle functions.
When you pair a banana with a protein-rich food, the simple carbs in banana offer your body the instant energy it requires to initiate the use of protein for muscle recovery.
According to the American Dietetic Association, you should take banana protein shake as a post-workout drink to repair your muscles.
How to Make Banana Protein Shake
This easy and healthy banana protein shake consists of the following ingredients:
- Banana: gives your shake a rich and creamy consistency plus natural sweetness. Use sliced frozen banana if you prefer a thicker shake.
- Plant-based Protein Powder: superfoods protein powders pack additional nutrients into your protein shakes. Use a clean protein powder like this one that is subtly flavored so that it can go in any shakes or smoothies.
- Plant-based Milk: this is the liquid base for your shake. You can use unsweetened almond milk or other plant-based milk.
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You have a delicious and nutritious smoothie in under 2 minutes!
Banana Protein Shake Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 banana peeled
- 2 Tbsp skinny protein powder
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
DIRECTIONS
- Place the unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, and banana into a blender.
- Blend and mix well until smooth.
- Add more liquid if too thick, or add ice to thicken.
If you enjoyed this banana protein shake recipe, and are looking for more drink recipes to gain energy and lose weight, sign up for the FREE Green Smoothie for Weight Loss Cheat Sheet below to get started today!
