Quick and Easy Shakes and Smoothie Recipes for Busy Dads

Your life is busy. So busy sometimes you wonder how you manage to fit everything in.

Some days you don’t.

Eating healthily and a busy schedule do not make good bedfellows.

It’s so much easier to dive out the door and grab a latte and granola bar on the way to work. Protein and carbs right?

Or you come in from work starving. The traffic was horrific and dinner is at least two hours away. Do you reach for the biscuit barrel?

Drink Blended Smoothies and Shakes for Convenience and Health

Because you’re a TDD Dad, you don’t settle for convenient junk food. You want fast, healthy food that is going to nourish you, grow your muscles and improve your well being.

I’ve compiled a collection of my favourite shakes and smoothies that hit the spot every time. Some are outrageously simple. Others a bit more complex.

Some are super tasty, others are more ‘acquired’.

Try these out and let me know how you get on. If you’re posting photos on Twitter, use the hashtag #TDDShakes.

In these recipes I use measuring cups or handfuls as it’s quicker. If you’re being strict with your macros, you may want to weigh and measure your ingredients. If I’m measuring liquids, I’ll estimate as it saves time.

You’ll also need a blender that can cope with ice and veggies (see below for my recommendation).

1. Super Fast Chocolate Hunger Buster

If you’re hungry and in a hurry, this shake is king. The slow-release carbs in the oats and the high protein from the whey will leave you feel satisfied for 3-4 hours, allowing you to continue on your journey towards ‘Super-Dad’.

Blend:

• 3-4 Ice Cubes
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1-2 scoops chocolate whey protein
• 1/2 cup water.

The oats and ice give this shake a really thick texture. At 40-60 g of protein, 50 g carbs and 10-15 g of fat, your going to be satisfied without the guilt.

Add more water if you like a more runny shake. You could experiment with other flavours of whey powder such as caramel or vanilla.

2. The Greens Guzzler

Inspired by the now infamous Joe Rogan Kale Shake, this slightly toned down version is a great way to start the morning. If you struggle to get enough veg during the day, this is certainly going to set you up with plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

I find that adding ice can temper stronger flavours which is a help if you’re chugging a green shake in a hurry. Bonus Tip: If you take a pre-workout supplement and its nasty, add ice. It will taste a lot better.

Blend together:

• 3-4 ice cubes
• 1 large handful of chopped kale
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1 ripe pear

You’ll need a high powered blender to mush up all the veggies. I use a KitchenAid Classic Blender but there are others out there such as the Vitamix Blender or Nutri Ninja Pro that will do the same job.

Here’s a quick video of how to make the Greens Guzzler:

Play around with the ingredients – add celery or courgette instead of cucumber or kiwi fruit instead of pears.

3. The ‘Breakfast in a Glass’ Berry Protein Smoothie

I take full credit (or responsibility) for this creation. Discovered by accident on a day when I was running late for work. I took the basic components of my usual breakfast, threw them in the blender and downed the mix in one go.

I suggest drinking it more slowly if you have the time.

Blend together:

• 3-4 ice cubes
• 1 large handful of frozen berries
• 1/2 cup of rolled oats
• 2 raw eggs
• 1-2 scoops of protein powder (chocolate or vanilla is best)
• 150ml water

That’s 45-75g of protein, healthy fats, vitamin D and anti-oxidants all in one go.

If you’re squeamish about using raw eggs, you can replace with pasteurised egg white. Or just grow a set. Obviously if you live in a country where salmonella is an issue, don’t eat raw eggs (of if you do, you do it at your own risk).

I find I can’t taste the eggs when they are mixed with the other ingredients. Raw eggs give the smoothie a nice thick glossy texture.

You could also add a scoop or two of freeze dried berry powder to supplement the anti-oxidant properties of the frozen fruits.

4. The Strawberry and Banana Mass Gainer

This is an old favourite of mine from when I was lifting heavy five to six times a week. I needed quality calories and plenty of them. The banana gives loads of flavour and carbs while the strawberries add vitamin C and anti-oxidants. A good dose of healthy fats from the milk and nut butter adds up to a real man’s protein shake.

Blend together:

• 1 ripe banana – the riper the better
• 6-7 large strawberries
• 300ml whole milk
• 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter
• 2-3 scoops of whey protein powder

Really ripe bananas work best for this shake. I also prefer whole milk over reduced fat varieties – no man got obese from drinking whole milk.

Almond or cashew butter is great if you can afford it. Otherwise a decent peanut butter is great. Don’t ever touch ‘reduced fat’ peanut butter. It’s from Hades.

Experiment with different flavours of protein powder. I don’t think chocolate works that well with this but vanilla is a great choice.

5. Pre-Workout Beet and Raspberry Smoothie

Its a good idea cycle off your pre-workout supplement now and again. This super smoothie is great as an alternative. The beetroot is rich in nitrates. These convert to nitric oxide which helps to give you the gym ‘pump’ that turns you from Small Dad to Swole Dad.

Raspberries add a good dose of anti-oxidants while the yogurt delivers slow release proteins.

Blend together:

• 2-3 cooked beetroot
• 2 handfuls of raspberries
• 250g low fat Greek yogurt

If you need a bit of sweetness, add a little Stevia or calorie free syrup. Or you could just man up.

This will come out pretty thick, so add a little water or milk if you need it.

 

P.S. If you like easy, healthy recipes check out my super-easy Liver and Bacon

 

• Do you have any smoothie or shake recipes of your own? Post them in the comments and I’ll feature the best ones in a follow up article.