Juices, Smoothies and Shakes - Oh My!

When it comes to losing weight, replacing meals, or creating a healthy diet, people often turn to shakes, smoothies or juices. They can all be included in a “healthy” diet but differ greatly. The ingredients, sugar count, and benefits can vary but can also overlap in different reciptes. Today, I’m giving you the basics of each and how you can incorporate them into your diet in the best way.

1)     Juices are most of the time vegetable, fruits, or a combo of the two blended or “juiced” together. Within this group one of the best options to choice from are the typical juices you usually get at a “juice bar” over a bottled one or juice box from the grocery store. These are usually the healthier of these options because you are getting most if not all of the fruit and vegetable (fiber, pulp, etc). This helps lower the blood sugar spike of these more concentrated straight fruit juice, and contains most of the “good stuff”. If you’re looking to hydrate with a juice, I’d suggest looking for a juice bar/shop to get your fix. 

Positives: Great phytonutrients/vitamins/minerals/antioxidents

Negatives: Can be high in sugar, especially if store bought or pre-made. Look for options that include the benefits from fruit, not just the sugar or taste. Juices are usually  low in protein and Macro dependent.

2)     Smoothies are tricky to categorize as they can range in their benefits.  Some with a straight fruit blend, can pack in the calories and sugar, but not much else. Others can incorporate protein powders or other good addatives. In this case you are getting a better blend of macros and not just carbs and a blood sugar spike.

Positives: If they contain protein then it can be a refreshing way to add to your total protein intake.

Negatives: Like juice, smoothies can contain a lot of sugar and calories, which can quickly add up to extra fat.

3)     The shakes we’re talking about here are short for protein shakes (not the ones you get at the ice cream shop). Although these can be the best Macro friendly option they can still be a sugar/carb bomb if not done right. Finding quality protein can be harder than you think, and certainly much harder than finding quality carbs and fats! Look for a mix that packs in the protein but isn’t flavored with sugary flavorings, and watch what else you add to it. Most of the time shakes have protein powders as a base then add other things like milk (or nut milks), fruit, nut butters, oats (or other carb powders for athletes), veggie powers, or even spinach. Done right you can add 20-50 grams of daily protein from one shake! This makes it perfect for those looking to increase their protein while still staying low in calories, carbs and sugar. A great meal replacement or additive to any diet. 

Positives: High protein and a lower fat/sugar option for many. Can be customized to taste or athletic needs.

Negatives: It can be hard to identify quality with the array of protein powders available.

If you have any questions or are looking to incorporate more protein shakes into your diet, check in with me over at Jtab Training for some suggestions. We stock a variety of types and flavors and can give you ideas on how to mix it into your daily routine.

Protein, Protein Everywhere!

 Protein. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t mention the word or talk about how important it is for all health related things. Fat loss, muscle mass gain, bone density, bone strength, general health… protein can be a huge player in all these. I will spare you with all the science about Protein but trust me it’s really important.

Most people reading my blogs are looking for better body composition, am I right? And by “better” I mean more muscle/less fat primarily. Protein not only builds those nice shoulders and glutes that everyone wants, it ALSO keeps you fuller longer. This is a game changer because if you are “full” your mindless snacking will most likely be significantly reduced, cutting calories and lbs.

In the meantime to help you obtain all the protein you “need” for that body you want, enter protein shakes (powders). And although I agree that having a big steak is more “filling” than a protein shake, the steak also comes with lots and lots of fat (albeit mostly good fat but fat nonetheless). I am NOT saying steak is bad, I’m saying it is high calorie so to get all your protein from steaks you would probably take in WAYYY too much fat.

All about Protein Powders:

There are 2 major types of protein powders that we can talk about. Whey (Dairy based) or Vegan plant based, (non-soy). Whether we talk about Whey or Plant Based, I always recommend getting a powder with natural sweeteners and the fewest ingredients possible. Why do I only recommend more natural powders? I feel if you are using it daily or a few times a week don’t you want cleaner nutrition? I sure do. If a food item is a once a month thing then it’s probably less important the quality, but something that I (or in this case you) take on a regular basis, I would hope you are trying to get the best quality you can find. The difference in pricing is not as much as it used to be, yet the difference in quality can be huge.

Most of the choice between the 2 styles is just preference, unless you vegan or dairy tolerant (notice I did NOT say lactose intolerant, I’ll explain). The amino acid profile for vegan protein has come a long way and now rivals that of the original “gold standard”, whey protein. So the difference comes down to taste, allergies, or vegan preferences. It does make sense to switch it up now and then though if you can tolerate both forms. Variety is the spice of life!

 Whey Protein:

The Whey proteins I recommend are only Whey Isolate, which means the lactose is removed 99% (strained more hence the higher price). Whey protein powders are generally 25grams of protein per scoop making it a high protein meal/snack. Double that and you’d have to eat lots of steak to match that or about 2 chicken breasts in one sitting (which is pretty hard to do).

My favorite Whey Isolate Protein is About Time. You can pick it up here on my Amazon page.

Vegan Protein:

Vegan protein powder I recommend is usually made from a myriad of plants/rices (brown rice, hemp, quinoa, cranberry, etc). Benefits of these protein powders are of course lactose free, animal free, dairy free and usually free of any allergies. These tend to more “organic” and most vegan proteins are naturally (stevia/monk fruit) sweetened, so you don’t have to look at the ingredients as much. Some, not all, vegan protein powders I recommend act more of a meal replacement because they have a “greens” blend and probiotics in them as well. This isn’t necessary if you are getting enough greens in elsewhere. There are some that are solely protein also and usually are 15-22grams that I have found. Yes, that means a little less protein but most of the time better assimilated or digested (even if you tolerate dairy pretty well).

My favorite Vegan Protein Powder is Sunwarrior and you can get that here.

My favorite Vegan Meal Replacement is Nutiva and you can get that here.

Keep an eye out for my next blog with some of my favorite smoothie recipes utilizing protein powder!