Homemade Protein Shakes | 12 Natural Ways to Boost Protein

Skip the protein powders and make homemade protein shakes with these 12 natural options for boosting protein in smoothies – they’re cheaper, healthier, and taste great!

I started drinking protein smoothies several years ago when I worked through the exercise program P90X.

The program’s diet called for participants to drink protein shakes daily, but since we were in the process of switching over to real food (and avoiding ingredients we couldn’t pronounce) …

I couldn’t bring myself to knowingly drink the protein powder shake recipes with a completely unrecognizable ingredient list!

Plus, I don’t know about you, but just adding protein powders to a blender bottle with water and shaking it up doesn’t feel substantial enough to me. It gave me protein but not a variety of nutrients that my body needs especially as a meal replacement.

So I did my research, created lots of high protein drink recipes, and wrote a book on making protein smoothies without adding whey protein powder, called High Protein No Powder.

I learned that it’s relatively easy to make protein shakes at home, so long as you are strategic and intentional with the ingredients you use.

HOMEMADE PROTEIN SHAKES

How can I make the best protein shakes at home?

• Make sure every ingredient has protein. Many people will use water to make smoothies because it has zero calories, but guess what? It also has zero protein.
• Don’t overlook the protein in fruits and vegetables. Smoothies usually contain bananas because they are great at repairing and replenishing the body post workout, and they’re naturally sweet. One banana also contains 1.6g of protein! One cup of spinach contains nearly 1g of protein and kale contains 3g of protein per cup!
• Figure out your personal protein goals. According to Harvard Medical School, the average sedentary person (someone who doesn’t exercise) needs just 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight.
  • To figure out your weight in kilograms, multiply your body weight in pounds by 0.36.
  • Then multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.8g to figure out your daily protein goal.

Note: Remember, this is only valid if you don’t exercise. Those who exercise regularly, are pregnant, or require a high protein diet need to consume a higher amount of protein each day. And you’re not going to get enough protein in a banana smoothie alone!

You will need to adjust your protein goals to suit your individual needs for weight loss or building muscle mass.

12 NATURAL WAYS TO BOOST PROTEIN IN SMOOTHIES

Although I included over 50 ways to add protein to smoothies in my book High Protein No Powder…

Here’s how to add protein to make high protein drinks using ingredients you might already have at home.

1. COTTAGE CHEESE

An unlikely choice I know, but there are 12.6 grams of protein in just ½ cup of cottage cheese!

This is one of the secret ingredients to many of my healthy smoothie recipes, including the Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie, Orange Julius, and Mango Tango Smoothie.

2. KEFIR

If you’ve never heard of kefir before, think drinkable yogurt. It’s usually cow milk that has been fermented. You can find my full tutorial on making homemade dairy kefir HERE, as well as the health benefits of kefir.

Kefir contains a whopping 10 grams of protein! Of all the choices of liquids to put in homemade protein shakes, kefir is my top pick.

3. COLLAGEN FOR PROTEIN SHAKE SMOOTHIES

You know how bone broth is so good for you? It’s because of the gelatin that is extracted from the bones when you cook them. Collagen is uncooked gelatin, and adding a scant tablespoon to a smoothie boosts the protein by 10 grams!

By itself, collagen is tasteless, odorless, and dissolves without any issues. I add it daily to my Green Maca Smoothie and love the benefits in my hair, skin, and nails. It is important, however, to buy quality collagen. I only use and recommend Perfect Supplements grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen.

Psst! Crumbs readers can save 10% on their order when you use the code CRUMBS10 at checkout!

4. NON-DAIRY MILK FOR PROTEIN DRINK RECIPES

You might be tempted to reach for almond milk for your protein shake, but that won’t get you the most protein per serving. In fact, of all the non-dairy milk alternatives, almond milk is in a 3-way tie for last place with coconut milk and rice milk.

On the other hand, peanut milk will give you 9 grams of protein in just a ½ cup! Peanut milk isn’t available commercially in many places, so your best bet is to make it yourself. This easy Peanut Milk Recipe calls for just two ingredients – peanuts and water – and you can sweeten and/or flavor the nut milk however you’d like.

5. PEANUTS

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making peanut milk, how about just adding peanuts to the smoothie? You’ll be boosting the protein by 8 grams for every 2 tablespoons you add!

Almonds (6g protein) or cashews (5g protein) are also yummy options for adding nutty flavor and giving your smoothie a protein boost.

For an extra treat, feel free to add a little cocoa powder. Chocolate and peanut butter? Yum!

6. ANIMAL MILK IS A GREAT SOURCE OF PROTEIN IN SMOOTHIES

If your default liquid is cow milk, you might already know that one cup has 8 grams of protein. But did you know that:

• Goat milk has 9 grams of protein per cup
• And sheep milk has a whopping 15 grams of protein per cup!

You probably don’t have easy access to a sheep, but definitely consider animal milk as the liquid in your protein smoothie.

7. NUT BUTTERS ADD PROTEIN TO SMOOTHIES

I’m certainly not trying to sound like a broken record, but it’s a fact that nuts contain a large amount of protein (and also healthy fats) and that’s why you keep seeing them on this list. Did you know that…

• Peanut butter has 8 grams in a 2-tablespoon serving?
• Almond butter is in second place with 6.7 grams in 2 tablespoons.
• Cashew butter is next with 5 grams of protein in 2 tablespoons.

You can also make your own Homemade Nut Butters following this tutorial.

8. HEMP HEARTS

Hemp hearts are a superfood, high in omega fatty acids, but they’re also high in protein too! Add 2 tablespoons to your protein smoothie to boost the protein content by 6.7 grams.

9. EGGS

If you don’t think eggs belong in a smoothie, you obviously haven’t tried my Eggnog Smoothie before. It’s the classic flavor of eggnog, except that it’s real food, and it’s available year-round.

And oh yeah, it’s high in protein too. Just one egg has 6.3 grams of protein!

10. CHIA SEEDS

I’m personally not a big fan of chia seeds. They get gelatinous when they’re mixed with liquid, and it’s a texture that I do not care for.

But still, they are high in protein. Two tablespoons carry 6 grams of protein and will work in almost any homemade protein shake recipe thanks to their neutral flavor.

(Just be sure to have LOTS of liquid or you’re making smoothie Jell-O. No bueno.)

11. GREEK YOGURT

I bet you thought this would be higher up on the list, right? Greek yogurt is definitely a high-ranking source for protein – 6 grams in just ½ cup – but this post proves that it’s not the only source.

In case you were wondering, plain yogurt did NOT make it to this list. It’s a “so-so” source of protein – 4.3 grams for ½ cup – but Greek yogurt will really give you the boost you’re looking for.

Also, you can save TONS of money by making your own yogurt. I use this easy yogurt tutorial and it’s never failed me, ever. Once you have a batch of homemade yogurt ready, you can turn it into Greek yogurt using the tutorial right here. Easy peasy!

12. WHITE BEANS

Before you balk at the fact that I’m suggesting you add beans to your protein shakes, hear me out.

We use them to make Black Bean Brownies, and you love those, right?

We use them to make Chocolate Hummus, and you love that too, right?

So then trust me when I say adding ¼ cup of beans to your protein beverages WON’T ruin it and you won’t even notice they’re there! Besides…

MORE PROTEIN SHAKE IDEAS

Use one of these protein shake ideas to hit your protein goals for the day.

PROTEIN SHAKE RECIPE FAQS

MORE HIGH PROTEIN RECIPES

What do you add to your protein smoothie recipes? Leave your ideas in the comments below!