There’s a simple way to prep a daily protein shake to guarantee that you get one nutrition packed meal a day. A little planning will ensure a healthy lunch and take away some of the stress of any hectic morning where, as we all know, every minute is precious! 

I want to share with you my go to prep which seems like a small thing but it in fact has had a ripple effect and touched on other aspects of my day, even of my life! Not to get overly dramatic about it but I can not overstate  how much time and stress this has saved me over the years. 

I originally began prepping these shakes because I worked in a job that only allotted me 30 mins for lunch.  I generally eat healthy at home. I cook a lot, order take out only occasionally.  I was so aggravated, and spent so much time figuring out what I could pack for lunch that I could eat in a short amount of time in a relaxed, leisurely way.  I found this to be impossible. I was inhaling lunch too quickly to enjoy any of it, let alone having the sacred lunch break as a time to relax and rejuvenate.  

I started using Sunday nights to prep shakes for the week.  I’m here to tell you it changed EVERYTHING! The prep literally freed my mind to no longer think about or stress about what I would pack for lunch each day.  It freed my 30min lunch break into a time where I could enjoy my lunch while taking a walk, always a much needed movement break.  I noticed that my weight was more easily managed (yay!)  I no longer had to think about where and when I would be able to fit in my supplements. That one consistently healthy meal really did have a ripple effect and made a tremendous difference.

I always add my chosen supplements to the shake. This  ensures that I don’t have to worry about fitting  those into a random meal or drink each day.  My supplements are part of the shake, that’s the only way I take them. Check another thing off the list!

Everything I put in my shake is intentional. The fruit varies seasonally. The leafy greens and cabbages are less varied but there is always an assortment. The liquid is brewed green tea with macha and turmeric because I like the peppery flavor. My protein powder and other supplements are unflavored.  I prefer the fruit and tea to provide the taste.

Once the kitchen supplies are on hand you’ll need only to prep the fruit and brew the tea in advance. I shop for the greens each week.  Every other ingredient is either frozen or a pantry item so you can prep those a week or two in advance. 

This is a list of kitchen supplies that I use. 

1. 10-12 mason jars,  16oz jars for freezing the fruit
2. Electric tea kettle, to quickly prep all the tea for the week. Turns off automatically for safety.
3. Tea brewer,  a pitcher with insert to steep the tea, great colors to choose from!
4. 2 quart pitcher, You’ll need to fill both pitchers for the week- more great colors!
5. Nutribullet, 1200 watt,  powerful, easy to clean, blends ingredients smoothly in a minute.  Turns off automatically. I use the 32oz cup for each shake.
6. Yeti 26oz Rambler with straw lid, it keeps the shake ice cold and has a variety of colors and lids you can choose from. Amazing quality.

Ingredients:

1. Frozen fruit, or fresh, in 16oz mason jars in the freezer. I keep a 3lb bag of mixed fruit, a 3lb bag of wild blueberries and a bag of frozen banana pieces on hand and ready to go!
2. Salad mix – 2 boxes
3. Cole slaw mix – 1 bag
4. Baby carrots, frozen, 2 or 3 pieces 
5. Protein powder (unflavored), flax seed (healthy fat), and any other supplements you take daily
6. Green tea, 3 liters – brewed hot and kept cold in the fridge. Approx 16oz needed for each shake

Keeping all ingredients in the freezer and fridge prevents you from having to add ice, this prevents the taste from being watered down.

The salad and cole slaw are the only things I buy fresh each week! 

The weekly prep takes 15min. 

The daily prep takes less than 5min.

Steps to prep:

Tea: Brew approx 3 liters of tea and keep it in the fridge. I actually use the same 3 tea bags for all 3 liters.  My steeper is 1 liter.  I make 3 batches and increase the steep time for each batch.  1st 4min, 2nd 7min, 3rd 15min. 

Fruit: line up the empty mason jars and start filling!  I keep a bag of frozen banana pieces on hand and put one piece in each to start.   Next I fill with other mixed fruit.  A 3lb bag will fill 10-12 mason jars leaving enough room to top off with wild blueberries.  I use the wild blueberries because they are smaller and fit into and around the other fruit.  They fill the jar better and are said to be higher in antioxidants, so it’s a win win! Of course you can add fresh fruit.  I’ll often cut and bag fruit to add to the freezer to keep it varied. The frozen offerings at the supermarket have mixes as well as single bags so you will have no problem finding your favorite combination.

Salad: Keep a bag of baby carrots in the freezer. I buy 2 boxes of salad and 1 bag of cole slaw each week. Every store has multiple salad combinations. Some specifically for shakes include greens like kale, chard and spinach. The cole slaw is also a great option to add because it typically includes red and green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.  Again, every grocery store has different combinations and you will certainly find your favorite.

Morning prep:

This is how quickly it comes together.

In the 32oz Nutribullet cup – I add in this order 

1.  2 or 3 frozen baby carrots
2.  the mason jar of frozen fruit
3.  my supplements – I add these after the fruit because it blends in better
4.  cole slaw
5.  salad greens
6. Finish by adding the green tea. 

A note about quantity:

I add the cole slaw and salad in equal parts.  I loosely fill the cup to the top but don’t pack it in.

I fill the green tea to the marked -max- line on the cup

You can always add more tea after if you feel it’s too thick and blend (or stir) it again.  I find when I use a lot of spinach it is very thick and I run it through the blend cycle twice.

I pour it in my Yeti and into my work tote it goes in less than 5 minutes!

And that’s it! 

I’ve included a YouTube link if you want to watch me put it all together.  And check out the photos below.

You can check out all the products I use on Amazon, I’ve included affiliate links to each. As an affiliate I do get a small commission with each purchase, at no additional cost to you.  I thank you for starting your Amazon shopping with me!