How do I make my protein shake taste good? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

How do I make my protein shake taste good?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

Full Bio →

Written by

UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about your brand. Let us do the heavy lifting.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident fitness software decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. Our partners do not influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

Editorial Guidelines: The Editorial Team at Exercise.com is dedicated to providing fair, unbiased information about the fitness industry. We update our site regularly and all content is reviewed by credentialed fitness experts.

Get the Basics...
  • It is easy to make a protein shake taste good through blending in a variety of fruits or other sweeteners.
  • Protein shake blend recipes can be manipulated according to personal preference.
  • Finding protein shake blend recipes is as easy as accessing the internet.

So, you’ve got your first taste of a protein shake and found the flavor left a lot to be desired!

Don’t worry, you aren’t alone, and as a result, you will find there are lots of recipes online specifically designed to make your protein shake taste good.

No matter what manufacturers do to create a better-tasting protein shake, there are a number of people who will find protein shakes difficult to drink.

Often it is because artificial sweeteners and flavors are used to create certain tastes. Other times it is just about personal preferences.

The good news is, there are things you can do to make these shakes more palatable!

For access to workout routines that you can pair with your protein shakes, sign up for a PRO plan today.

What Things Can I Add to a Protein Shake to Make It Taste Better?

Typically, peanut butter and fruit are the most common ingredients used to make a protein shake taste good.

Peanut butter is especially appealing to those who purchase chocolate shakes because it gives them a candy-like flavor. Peanut butter also eliminates the aftertaste that using alternative sweeteners can give a product.

Strawberries and bananas are also used quite often to make protein shakes taste better. However, you can use any fruit you find appealing.

Ripe strawberries and bananas require no additional sugar to make them taste good. Many people find fruits like blueberries and cranberries too tart to use without sugar.

Naturally, you can use anything you would like to create the perfect tasting shake. Just remember to include those additional ingredients into your calorie and fat intake to ensure you are monitoring exactly what you are eating.

If you aren’t sure of the calorie and fat content in what you are adding, you can visit Self Nutrition Data and see the fat and calorie values for hundreds of different foods.

They even break the foods down into sizes — such as a small banana, medium banana, or large banana — so you can get an accurate count.

What Flavor Protein Shake Should I Use When I Use It for Drink Recipes?

You will find there are shake recipes for any flavor shake. It is most commonly recommended that you purchase unflavored protein to give a clean base for which to make your shakes.

You will find that not every brand offers unflavored protein. In those cases, substituting with vanilla is the best way to go.

However, you can make your own variations to the recipes to suit your personal tastes. If a recipe calls for vanilla but you prefer strawberry, just go for it and create something you will love.

Where Can I Find Protein Shake Recipes?

This is where the internet is going to be a valuable resource, and you will have quite a few options, such as this quick and easy how-to video:

Get More Out of Your Health and Fitness Routine. Go PRO!

Sign Up

You should definitely check the company that makes the protein powder you use. Usually, you will find that there are dozens of recipes on these websites specifically designed for their products.

Another source to consider is weightlifting sites. Sometimes these sites provide recipes and other times you will find recipes in forums created by people just like you.

There are sites specifically dedicated to protein that will provide you with recipes. These sites will usually have a mix of user recipes and recipes written by the creators of the sites. They should also have places you can comment in order to help other people know if the end results were good or bad.

Recipe sites may also have options you can try, such as this Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Protein Shake from allrecipes.com. Online magazines may even devote listicles to protein shake recipes, like this one of 23 recipes from eatthis.com.

Feel free to substitute anything in a recipe if you are unsure about a flavor or you know you don’t like a particular fruit they are using. Creating a protein shake isn’t like baking a cake. You can make changes if it suits you without ruining what you are making.

It is important to ensure that you do your own research as to how beneficial each ingredient will be for your fitness goals. Don’t assume that the calorie and fat information is right, as people make mistakes.

Check out the ingredients on your own to make sure you are getting the most from your nutritional supplements.

And don’t forget that protein shakes are just a small part of total body health. Be sure to check out our PRO Plan to figure out how to stay motivated and focused on fitness all year long!

Learn more about Exercise.com Fitness Business Management Software.

Schedule your demo today.