I woke up this morning feeling good – it is sunny outside and I am thinking of taking a walk in the park or even better, next to the river….
I look into my closet and try to find some casual clothes to put on; and from thereon, it starts getting frustrating for me, I cannot find anything to wear!
Why Meal Replacement Diet Shakes & Smoothies? – Spring Time, Change Time!
Does this sound familiar to you? You feel dissatisfied about your looks – this feeling abs like a tide, it comes and goes… suddenly you again start noticing the muffin tops and the belly fat that has been accumulated over the months, or even years?
So, the mind is trying to trick you with all the possible excuses and immediately finds all sorts of justifications: “I do not have enough time to exercise or to prepare healthy, balanced meals or God forbid, to go on a diet! It all seems like a waste of time! Besides, taking care of your family and working can be exhausting so who cares about exercise anyway, it is only for the fanatics J”
What do you do next? You of course consult your friends who have tried out so many diets in hope that they will motivate you to finally make that important step and say: “ Let me finally do something good for myself and truly devote myself to the regular exercise and creating healthy meals”.
The only problem is that you have friends that procrastinate exercise, just like you; take my girl friend Lili as an example: if she needs to go on a date, then she is worried about what she will put on and of course, suddenly she becomes upset about herself for neglecting her looks.
Then, resolutely, she decides she will go on a very strict diet from the coming Monday and will lose minimum 30 pounds by doing regular exercise such as bicycling or walking on a treadmill; of course, she always swears to starting yet another diet based on (protein) shakes, smoothies and balanced, healthy meals. Obviously, our friends’ personal experiences can at times be motivating but are usually hilarious in dieting outcome J
Subsequently, when friends’ professional advice is not (motivating) enough J, you check out the countless Google articles about diets, shakes, smoothies, diet shakes, protein shakes, weight loss meals, (belly) fat burn hacks, meals’ replacements, special meals for loosing belly fat and exercises that target buttocks and belly! And of course, instead of going directly for a walk, you have spent yet another hour of searching advice for sport exercise and diets! J
Still, despite all of the above resistance and many excuses, I finally decide to move of the couch, find something easy to put on and get out for a walk. Next to the river I listen to some motivational music and inspirational thoughts of Louise Hay about positive thinking, body image and how visualizing ourselves beautiful can make us feel beautiful inside out….btw, I am on a personal journey to self-improvement and cleaning up old habits… I am creating a new mindset, I need to stay positive and motivated! After all, it is spring time, it is clean-up time, it is my CHANGE TIME!
How I Prepare My Meal Protein Shakes & Smoothies – Meal Replacement Savers!
As I adore to cook and to be creative in the kitchen, I like to think of recipes for various meals – usually, I try to reduce meat intake even though proteins are necessary and good for us so I think of veggie and fruit salads, smoothies and protein shakes that will give me the benefits of a healthy lifestyle but will also be time savers too!
In the light of spring joy and inspiration, I would love to share with you some of my favorite 1 Minute 10 Meal Replacement Shakes & Smoothies.
Quick n’ Easy – 10 Meal Replacement Diet Shakes & Smoothies!
When I am in hurry or lacking energy, I like to prepare the following favorite diet and protein shakes and smoothies for my hubby, kid and myself:
High Protein Prune Shake
Dates Protein Shake
Strong-berry Protein Shake
Banana Almond Fantasy Shake
Mighty Mango Shake
Coconut Vanilla Shake
Very Berry Smoothie
Kiwi Diet Smoothie
Paradise Lost Diet Smoothie
Aloe Vera Shake
1.High Protein Prune Shake
Ingredients:
15-20 prunes
2 tablespoons of raisins
2 tablespoons of whey protein powder
200 ml of yoghurt
1 tablespoon of honey
Preparation:
Put the prunes, raisins and whey protein powder into the blender; add honey and yoghurt and pulse until you get a smooth consistency. This is one of the protein diet shakes that is full of fiber and will not only satisfy your hunger but will also benefit your digestive system.
2. Dates Protein Shake
Ingredients:
15-20 dates
1 banana
2 tablespoons of whey protein powder
200 ml yoghurt
Preparation:
Put all the solid ingredients into the blender and pulse until done – this is one of your new diet, protein shakes that will be a great meal replacement after a good workout time!
3. Strong-Berry Protein Shake
Ingredients:
100 gr of strawberries
2-3 slices of pineapple
2 tablespoons of whey protein powder
200 ml of yoghurt
Preparation:
Use the fresh strawberries and pineapple slices (if possible, always use fresh fruit); add the rest of the ingredients into the blender and blend – the shake will taste even better if you can find wild, organic strawberries. Enjoy your meal replacement protein shake.
4. Banana Almond Fantasy Shake
Ingredients:
1-2 bananas
5-10 almonds
1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds
200 ml of yoghurt
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
Preparation:
Chop the bananas into smaller pieces; add the almonds and the sunflower seeds and optionally, a dash of cinnamon, to own liking (be aware that the taste can be overpowering!). Add the yoghurt and then blend the shake thoroughly. Such protein shakes are a great meal replacement and can be used as take-a-ways to your work in the morning!
5. Mighty Mango Shake
Ingredients:
100 gr of mango
1/2 banana
10-15 cashew nuts
200 ml of yoghurt
Preparation:
Cut the mango into dices and put it together with half of a banana into the blender; add the cashew nuts and finally yoghurt into the blender and pulse gradually and slowly. This diet shake can be used as a good breakfast or afternoon meal replacement option. Remember that cashew nuts are a good source of energy and proteins and will do wonders for your heart, bones and for your weight-control (if not consumed with exaggeration J).
6. Coconut Vanilla Shake
Ingredients:
2 bananas
1 tablespoon of coconut shreds
½ tablespoon of cacao
5 drops of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of whey protein powder
200 ml yoghurt
Preparation:
Cut the bananas into smaller pieces; add the vanilla extract drops, a tablespoon of coconut shreds and half a tablespoon of cacao (organic, if possible) into the blender together with yoghurt and blend all the ingredients. This is a great way to start your day, especially if you decide to go on a diet as this is one of the tastiest protein shakes that will surely be valuable and nutritional for your body.
7. Very Berry Diet Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of raisings
1 tablespoon of gojy berries
1 tablespoon of forest fruit mix berries
200 ml slim yoghurt
Preparation:
Put all the berries and a tablespoon of raisins into the blender; add yoghurt into the blender and blend everything together. This is a diet shake that will give you energy and strength throughout the whole day. Using water instead of yoghurt will increase the effects of your diet.
8. Kiwi Diet Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 kiwi fruits
1 banana
200 ml water
Preparation:
Cut the kiwi fruit and a banana into smaller pieces and simply add water into the blender and create a wonderful, refreshing diet smoothie. If you exercise on a regular basis, your diet will naturally be even more effective.
9. Paradise Lost Diet Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 passion fruits
½ mango fruit
½ banana
200 ml yoghurt
Preparation:
Cut the passion fruit, mango and banana into smaller pieces and add yoghurt – blend everything together and truly believe you are lost in Paradise! J
This meal replacement smoothie can be used in the morning, as a breakfast. It will help you stick to your diet as it is a filling meal.
10. Aloe Vera Shake
Ingredients:
1 banana
10 strawberries
50 ml aloe vera juice
200 ml yoghurt
Preparation:
Cut the banana and strawberries into pieces; add aloe vera juice and yoghurt into the blender. Pulse until you have a perfect post-work out diet smoothie that will do wonders for your skin and muscle repair.
Benefits of Protein Shakes & Smoothies
Whether you are a bodybuilder, a working or a stay-home mom, a professional who rarely has time to prepare solid, home-made meals, these 1 minute meal replacement recipes for diet protein shakes and smoothies will surely be useful for you – simply because they are packed with protein, fruit, and seeds that are all tasty and beneficial for our bodies.
Benefits of protein shakes and smoothies are multiple:
They are saving us time needed for meal preparation
Have high nutritional value
Are beneficial for our hair, skin, muscles
Can prevent over-eating habits
For those of you who eventually decide to make a combination of exercise and certain diets, creating protein shakes and smoothies will be a quick and easy way to eat in a healthy way, without having to invest too much time into your meals.
All of your own protein shakes and smoothies recipes are more than welcome – for additional information on diet shakes and smoothies please click here for Top 20 Weight Loss Shakes & Smoothies That Burn Belly Fat. Stay tuned!
The post 10 Best 1 Minute Meal Replacement Shakes & Smoothies appeared first on Diet of Life.