gaddar.singh: Vanilla Coffee Protein Shake ? Hungry Hannah

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Vanilla Coffee Protein Shake ? Hungry Hannah

First of all, I want to apologize for my absence lately. I had my wisdom teeth out on the 7th and so I?ve been kind of under the weather these past few days. I aim to post a new recipe on here at least once or twice a week, but I?ve unfortunately been falling short lately. I realize that probably bothers nobody except me, however, so onto the food!

I can?t? eat solid foods yet because my gums are still quite swollen and sore, so I?ve been trying to make the most of this and exploring new smoothies and protein shakes. My mother drinks a protein shake every morning for breakfast, consisting of ?Tropical Dreamsicle? flavored protein powder and Vanilla Silk, and it?s pretty tasty. She also has chocolate and vanilla protein powder that she?s been letting me use, so this morning I decided to whip up a shake.

In addition to desperately missing eating solid food and actually chewing (instead of just sloshing stuff around in my mouth), I?ve also missed my iced coffee. I?m allowed to drink coffee, but somehow drinking it out of a cup instead of through a straw isn?t quite as satisfying. (In case you?ve never had your wisdom teeth out, you?re not supposed to use a straw after having them removed because you may disrupt the blood clot that?s formed over the wound and could lead to a painful infection called a dry socket ? ouch). I did have some leftover iced coffee in the fridge this morning, so I decided to combine it with protein powder to make a coffee protein shake, yum!

If you?re unfamiliar with protein powder, fear not; I knew little about it until a few months ago. Powdered whey protein is a simple way to add protein to your diet and is used by many athletes to build lean muscle and lose fat. Protein is, of course, essential to the human diet and helps to keep you feeling full for longer. I used to think that only athletes or body builders used whey protein, but I?ve come to realize that?s not true and that anybody can use it! It comes in an endless variety of flavors and can be added to smoothies, shakes, oatmeal, etc. To learn more about it, click here.

This shake tastes like a thick iced coffee, but is loaded up with protein, so you?re getting your caffeine boost and protein all in one. My version uses vanilla-flavored protein powder and has a fairly strong coffee flavor, but feel free to use whichever flavor powder you like; chocolate, almond, raspberry, banana ? anything will do! One scoop of protein powder (using the scoop the packaging provides you with, which is? a little less than a 1/2 cup) has 25g of protein. Substitute Greek yogurt for regular yogurt and your shake has over 30g of protein! It?s perfect for a morning when you don?t have time to cook a real breakfast, or just want a quick pick-me-up before the gym.

Vanilla Coffee Protein Shake

Ingredients:
makes 2 servings

2 cups ice
1 cup chilled strong-brewed coffee (using the cold-brew method, or simply prepare a strong cup of coffee ahead of time and refrigerate)
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (use Greek yogurt for extra protein!)

Directions:

Simply combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse for 30-40 seconds or until all ingredients are blended. If a thicker consistency is desired, add more ice. Serve immediately. This recipe makes 2 servings, so if you only need one serving, freeze the rest for later use.