During my last trip to Cambodia, for a week-long workshop of writing and photography, some of my group members mentioned they crave a smoothie in the morning for a boost of energy. You can find tons of fresh fruits in Siem Reap. But since the food industry there is far behind that in the US, you probably canโt find a smoothie stand when you need it. We started chatting about how to make smoothies while traveling. Someone even mentioned inventing a portable blender just for trips.
Smoothies and protein shakes are not a big thing in China the way they are in the US. But I got to know more about it from my husband, after moving to Austin from Beijing. The first time I heard that you could add peanut butter into a smoothie, I thought, ew, how strange is that! But now, the peanut butter smoothie is one of my favorite drinks!
My husband and I both enjoy protein smoothies. Not only do we drink them after a short run or before yoga, we serve them for breakfast too. A protein shake is very filling and will hold us over a few hours until lunch, without feeling hungry. Not to mention that it boosts energy immediately and works even better than coffee.
The only problem is, I hate to clean the blender. My husband and I enjoy different flavors when it comes to drinks. So we always use a hand blender to mix drinks separately. This means, cleaning the hand blender twice, plus any cutting boards, bowls, and cups used. Not something I enjoy doing on a busy morning. Or any time of any day.
When I learned about the Thermosยฎ shaker bottleit sounded like a blessing โ now I can mix my favorite drinks in a single bottle without using a blender.
I started right away and tweaked 10 of my favorite smoothie recipes into protein shakes that I can make without a blender.
Making drinks couldnโt be easier. All I have to do is:
- Add liquid to the Thermosยฎ bottle. This can be water, milk, or juice.
- Add solid contents, such as protein powder, sweeteners, spices, cacao powder, and fruit puree.
- Place the green stationary mixer into the bottle, twist on the lid, and put on the locking ring. Then shake! Shake! Shake!
Voila! You will have a yummy and nutrition-packed smoothie in a minute.
The bottle is designed to evenly combine liquid and all types of protein powder. But I found out it works well with cacao powder, peanut butter powder, pumpkin puree, and even tahini!
You can bring the shaker bottle with you on the way to work, to the gym, or on a trip. It is lightweight, seals in liquids very well, is pretty cool looking, and you can clean it up with a quick rinse.
Want to mix a drink on the go? Simply pack your protein powder and your preferred flavorings and supplements in the bottle. You can mix them with water or a juice / milk base you pick up at a convenience store. There are endless options to mix your favorite flavors. For example, you can pack cacao powder, flaxseed meal, and peanut butter powder (my favorite!) into a small ziploc bag and stuff it into the bottle.
This method is extremely helpful when traveling. We pack a few dry ingredients and the bottle into our bag. This way, we can have a quick, delicious, and healthy meal at any time during the day, no matter whether weโre waiting at the airport or driving for a few hours.
Excited about making your own protein shakes? We have good news!
Thermosยฎ is offering a limited time promotion that gives you the chance to win a Thermosยฎ Shaker Bottle through a sweepstakes hosted on the Thermos brand Facebook page.
There will be a total of 10 randomly selected winners for the promotion. And that could be you!
โโ โโ
And donโt forget to follow Thermos on Twitter, Facebook, Instagramand Pinterest to get updates on the event!
Now here is the list of quick protein shakes that you can make with the Thermosยฎ bottle. The options are endless and this list is designed to provide some inspiration. Please DO tweak them according to your tastes and try out different types of ingredients. Happy shaking! ๐
Note: to make a protein shake, add ingredients into the Thermosยฎ bottle in the order listed in the recipes below, place the green stationary mixer into the bottle, seal and lock the lid, and shake until the ingredients are blended.
1. Vanilla coffee shake
- 1 cup low-fat milk (or plant based milk)
- 1 cup fresh brewed coffee
- 1 scoop vanilla protein
- Honey (or agave syrup, or other prefered sweetener) to taste
Slightly adapted from Body Building.
2. Peanut butter shake
- 2 cups low-fat milk (or plant based milk)
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter powder
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or honey, or agave syrup)
- (Optional) 2 to 3 drops vanilla extract
3. Pina colada shake
- 2 cups pineapple-coconut juice
- 1 scoop vanilla protein
- (Optional) 2 to 3 drops vanilla extract
4. Orange grapefruit shake
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup grapefruit juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 scoop vanilla protein
5. Matcha shake
- 2 cups low-fat milk (or plant based milk)
- 1 teaspoon Matcha powder
- 1 scoop vanilla protein
- 1 tsp maple syrup (or honey, or agave syrup)
6. Pumpkin pie shake
- 1 and 3/4 cup low-fat milk (or plant based milk)
- 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey, or agave syrup), or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Slightly adapted from Eating Well Living Thin
7. Lemon ginger shake
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 cups water
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon honey (or agave syrup), or to taste
8. Tahini chocolate shake
- 2 cups low-fat milk (or plant based milk)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon honey (or agave syrup), or to taste
9. Cranberry shake
- 2 cups fat free milk (or plant based milk)
- 1/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
10. Apple Cinnamon Shake
- 2 cups fat free milk (or plant based milk)
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Other optional add-ins
You can add one or some of the ingredients below to vitamin, fiber, and more nutrition.
- Ice cubes
- Flaxseed meal
- Chia seed
- Whey protein powder
- Goji powder
- Maca powder
