5 Easy Protein Shake Recipes (Great for Weight Loss)

Protein shakes and smoothies can be a great way to get the protein your body needs while helping you to feel full. They can also be a perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth while on your weight loss journey. The recipes below are a sample of our delicious protein shake collection, and I've added some info on using protein shakes for weight loss.

How to Make Protein Shakes for Weight Loss

Once you get the hang of homemade protein shakes, you'll have endless options for healthy breakfast shakes, filling snack shakes, and delicious dessert shakes that align with your weight loss goals. 

I also want to mention - don't use ingredients you don't like just because they are healthy. I don't like cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, so I don't put them in shakes. Some may say "you won't even taste it!" but that's not true. Use ingredients you already like, and the shakes will be SO DELICIOUS to you!

And if you need a smoothie blender, check out my article on the best budget-friendly smoothie blender.

Protein Powder 

Choosing a protein powder for shakes and smoothies can be overwhelming with all the options available. I hope to simplify the process for you by highlighting my favorite protein powders for making delicious and nutritious protein shakes and smoothies.

For whey protein shakes, I highly recommend this lightly-flavored vanilla protein powder. It has a subtle flavor that won't overpower the other ingredients in your shake, and it is unsweetened so you can add whatever sweetener you like. I often opt for granulated erythritol (a natural, zero calorie sweetener), but you may prefer something else. This protein powder makes it easy to customize your shakes to exactly what you prefer.

For plant-based protein powder shakes, I love this chocolate protein powder. It makes delicious meal replacement shakes, thanks to the extra nutrients it contains. And the flavor reminds me of chocolate cake! I haven't found a vanilla plant-base protein powder that I can recommend taste-wise. They all seem to taste like pea protein to me.

And the collagen powder I use is this marine collagen. It's absolutely tasteless and lets the other smoothie ingredients shine. Collagen powder is great to add to coffee, too!

Milks

Using milk of any kind will generally make a creamier shake, but the sugar and calories can add up depending on the milk we choose.

I like unsweetened almond milk for most protein shake recipes because of the taste and the low calorie count. Other low calorie plant-based milk options are cashew milk and cartoned coconut milk. Fairlife makes a dairy milk that is higher in protein and lower in sugar than traditional milk, and that is a great option too.

I sometimes use creamy oat milk in my high-protein smoothies and shakes because of the rich flavor and creaminess. It is a high calorie milk, so I generally use it when we're not using frozen fruit and we need ice to keep the shake cold and frosty. (I find that ice can dilute the flavor of a shake, so I like a full flavor, rich milk to compensate for that.)

Flavor Enhancers

If your protein shake is tasting bland, there are a few things you can try to liven up the flavor.

a teaspoon of Vanilla extract - choose an alcohol free vanilla flavoring or a vanilla extract that is low in alcohol. 

a pinch of salt - you'd be surprised how much this can boost the flavor in your shake!

a tablespoon of sweetener like granulated erythritol - some shakes just need a little more sweetness.

flavored stevia - flavored stevia is a great way to add sweetness and flavor without calories!

Calories and Macronutrients

The recipes below have 160-330 calories, a calorie range that generally fits into weight loss plans. Some of the shakes in our collection of healthy protein shakes and smoothies are higher in calories and carbs, but these can be split into two servings if you'd like to try to fit them in your weight loss plan.

The whey based shakes in our collection generally have 27-30 grams of protein, the plant based shakes have 22-23 grams of protein, and the collagen smoothies are generally the lowest calorie and have 15 g protein.

For weight loss shakes, I personally wouldn't add healthy fats unless they are needed for the recipe flavor. For example, we could add almond butter to the strawberry protein shake below, but it's not necessary for the flavor of the shake. I'd rather save the calories or crunch on a few almonds instead. But if the goal is to make a filling peanut butter protein shake, then yes, I'd add peanut butter to the recipe.

Fruit Smoothies

Since fruits can be high in natural sugar, I want to point out that we should be mindful when choosing fruits for fruit smoothies. Fruits like berries and melons are higher in water content and lower in calories per volume or weight. Fruits like banana and cherries will have more natural sugar and calories for the same volume or weight. 

I'm not saying don't use bananas or cherries (I LOVE this banana protein shake and this chocolate cherry protein shake). I'm suggesting we have these shakes at the right time of day, i.e. as breakfast, as a pre- or post-workout protein shake, for example, so our bodies can use the boost of energy provided by these shakes. And if you have any issues with blood sugar levels, I suggest consulting with your physician about the best fruits for you to use in smoothies.

Protein Shakes for Weight Loss - Recipes

Below is a sample of our protein shake and smoothie collection, each of which was intentionally designed to be DELICIOUS as well as nutritious.

You'll notice a few of them use strawberries, but you can swap them out for other berries or low calorie fruit.