Here you are, trying another way of keeping down your body fat, so you look in your special diet cupboard, and look at the rows of different protein shakes. You hesitate because your mouth does not salivate; how many times has your mother told you ‘If it doesn’t taste good – it must be good for you…’

So why not try and get over the normal state, that protein shakes containing whey powders produce may not be the best tasting drinks you've ever had?

Well what about trying to make your own? I do and they are much, much better, so give it a go!

Try this out

Choosing What to Put in Your Protein Shakes

Before rushing off to your refrigerator to blend everything in site, let's go through some basic principles you will want to consider first. Not only do you want to create the best tasting shakes but you should also aim to make the most effective protein shakes for your dieting requirements. This is important because there is no point throwing full fat ice cream, chocolate sauce, peanut butter and full fat milk all together to create a wonderful tasting fat gaining shake. You need to be a little wise when choosing your ingredients.

So what kinds of ingredients make good choices for your shakes? Try using the following tips when getting your ingredients from the supermarket or refrigerator:

1. Try to keep as many of your ingredients as natural as possible. A good example of this is using natural peanut butter instead of regular peanut butter. The natural version has better protein content and also natural fats that are important in your diet.

2. Fresh fruit should be used whenever possible. Fruit contains the carbohydrates that will fuel your workouts and your day. The complex sugars in fruit are important to any diet (unlike the simple sugars in sweets, sodas, etc).

3. Think about ingredients that will boost your shake's protein content. For example, you could throw a handful of nuts into the blender for a little extra protein without making the shake much thicker. You could add a few raw egg whites (if you are worried about eating raw eggs you may be able to find treated egg whites in cartons at your supermarket). You could always simply dump an extra scoop of whey powder in there as well.

4. Make sure you have enough liquids. If you get a little too carried away you may discover your shake is easier to eat with a spoon then drink from a glass. When you first start creating your shakes it is a good idea to add your liquids (water, fat-free milk, fruit juices, etc.) in stages so that you get your desired consistency.

5. Examine the nutritional information for each ingredient and consider the impact it will have on your dieting goals. For example, you may be opting for fat free (skimmed) milk if you aren't trying to gain weight.

6. Always know what your goal is and make your shakes accordingly. If you are trying to shed the fat you will be skipping the types of ingredients that add too many carbohydrates and fats while trying to increase the protein content.

7. Think of how you might create a unique flavor. You can try things like cinnamon, vanilla, honey, coconut milk, etc. Once you get the hang of this you will see the possibilities are endless. Making Your Protein Shake.

Always add your main liquid source to the blender first so that everything else you add afterwards is easily blended. Following this, add your protein powder and give your blender a quick 'burst'. Now you are ready to add the rest of your ingredients and blend until you get the right consistency. At this point you may want to add a little more liquids to tweak your shake's thickness. Throw in five or six ice cubes to make your shake more refreshing.

Now if you discover any really good shake combinations why not send them to me and I will publish them for you to share with our fellow enthusiasts!

Looking for a leaner, stronger body, then now’s the time to look at a good ‘weight-lifting-routine’ and add in a little exercise with your tasty protein drinks.