Protein Shakes For Breakfast – A Healthy Alternative?

Now you can see why having a breakfast high in protein can not only help you burn more calories because of your increased metabolism, it will also make you feel fuller and stop you wanting mid-morning snacks, cutting your calorie intake even further.

Reduce Calorie Intake

Protein shakes can help you reduce your calories intake by allowing you to avoid fatty foods, a typical breakfast consists of anywhere between 400 – 600 calories,  protein shakes average around 155 calories, saving you up to 450 calories each morning.

Most Important Meal of The Day

Millions of us lead very busy lifestyles and its breakfast that normally gets pushed aside as we hurry in the mornings to get ready and out into the often hectic world of work.And its here in the early morning rush people tend to leave no time for breakfast or they simply miss breakfast because they do not think it is an important meal.Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and there is no excuse to miss it you can always;

As we already know having breakfast will kick-start your metabolism helping to burn calories, but it will also give you the energy to focus at work or school and improve memory function and basically give your health an all-around boost.

Protein Shakes

Protein shakes can provide a quick healthy alternative to your regular breakfast, relatively cheap and easily made the most popular protein shakes are made from whey protein.Before we can consider drinking some of this protein-packed whey for our breakfasts we need to know a little more about the stuff.Whey protein contains an incredible amount of amino acids that are absorbed quickly into the body, whey protein is one of the most studied supplements in the world and has been proven to help build muscle, increase strength and lose significant body fat if combined with regular exercise.

Whey is found in the watery part of milk if you have ever opened up a yoghurt and seen the watery stuff on top, that’s the whey.Whey is mostly produced when making cheese, the fat of milk coagulate to make the cheese, the byproduct of this process is the whey which separates from the fat. Until recently whey was disregarded by the cheeses makers until they realized its commercial and nutritional value.Whey protein on its own doesn’t taste too good and its this reason whey comes in some delicious flavours such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry being the most popular.Don’t forget to read through the ingredients list before you buy, many of the cheap protein powders available come with added additives, try to avoid any protein powders containing these.

Shake It Up A little!

The reason protein shakes are a great idea for most us who live busy lives is the ease and speed in which they can be prepared, you can mix one up and take it out with you in a few minutes before leaving for work. It will leave you feeling full and keep you going until your next meal.The most simple of protein shakes is a scope of protein powder and any liquid you might like to use to mix it with it. Milk is by far the most common liquid used for protein shakes.If you find the idea of having a simple protein shake unappetizing for breakfast and you have a little more time on your hands then you can add an array of different ingredients, some of you might want to add some extra carbs, many of you will want to improve the nutritional value of the shake or you might just want it to taste better, the choice is yours, here’s a few tasty ingredients people use to liven up their shakes.

Fruit

Buy it Fresh or frozen fruit is a nutritious appetizing addition to any protein shake, pretty much any fruit can be used, the fruit will help offset the taste of some protein powders and give your shakes well, a not so protein taste.Also you will find with some protein drinks leave a not so welcome aftertaste, this is where fruit can rescue your taste buds, add strawberries, bananas, berries anything you like, great for taste and also great for added nutrition.

Nuts

Almond butter is certainly something to go nutty about when it comes to your protein shake, it will infuse your shake with richness and beats peanut butter hands down when it comes to heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and the bone-building mineral trio calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Greek Yogurt

If you want to add any extra protein to your protein shake then Greek yoghurt is packed full of the stuff, its thick and creamy with a ton of bone-strengthening calcium. Greek yoghurt also contains probiotics cultures that are great for your gut health. Tip – Try and get hold of the organic variety, it will ensure the cows were not pumped full of antibiotics.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds can give your shake an extra protein kick, hemp seeds contain all of the essential amino acids to make up a full protein. They are exceptionally high in linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).“They might just be one of the few superfoods that are actually worthy of their reputation,” says Healthline

 Matcha Green Tea Powder

Matcha green tea is becoming increasingly popular but rather than drinking the tea with the leaves stooped in the water the powder has been proved to be 137 times more powerful antioxidant than the leaves alone. We can all step on the green tea bandwagon and put a teaspoon or two of the powder in our shakes.

3 Benefits of Green Tea Powder

1. Improves your mood – The amino acid L-Theanine found in green tea powder has a very beneficial impact on the brain, L- theanine helps assist with the production and secretion of serotonin and dopamine. Both of these chemicals have been found to promote feelings of happiness, relaxation, confidence and concentration levels.
2. Rich in antioxidants – Research studies have shown that green tea powder contains fives times more antioxidants than any other food.
3. Rich In ECGC – EGCG is a catechin, which is a type of particularly powerful antioxidant that provides a plethora of unique healing properties for the body. “Matcha catechins are made up of 605 EGCG, which is very important as this antioxidant has been found to be the most effective for when it comes to fighting and preventing cancer,” says Myprotein

Ultimate Matcha Muscle Building Smoothie

1 heaped scope of chocolate whey protein powder1 tbs of green tea matcha powder1/2 a medium banana1bs ground flax seed1 cup iceCombine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: H‑E‑B Health and Wellness