How to Meal Prep Protein Shakes

Protein shakes are a good source of healthy nutrition and a super easy way to get a saturating meal in your belly. Depending on your preference, they can become daunting to prepare every day. Meal-prepping protein shakes are the best way forward, and I’ll tell you how.

How to Meal Prep Protein Shakes

Now that you know meal-prepping protein shakes are possible and you have the advantages in mind, let me share some of my favorite tips and techniques on how you can make it work for you too.

Scoop Your Serving in Your Shaker

Most protein shake shakers come with a little compartment container at the bottom to store your powder portion. This is helpful if you need to take your shake to the gym or to work but don’t want to mix it in advance.

You can also pour your liquid into the main part of the cup. Remember that if you use milk or natural coconut water, don’t leave it out of the fridge too long or keep it in a cool place.

Once you are ready to drink the shake, add the powder to the liquid, shake it up, and enjoy! Remember, this method only works for daily prep if you don’t add other ingredients.

Portion Out Your Protein Powder

One of the easiest methods of meal-prepping protein shakes is to scoop your powder portions out for each day. You can do this for a few days ahead, a week, or even prep the entire bag or container of protein powder into serving sizes. Here is how:

Use mini airtight containers or sandwich-size Ziploc bags. Scoop a serving size into each container or baggie, seal it well, and store it. Now you don’t have to measure anything when prepping your shake and just toss the powder into the milk.

After having kids, I had several milk formula portion containers. So instead of hoarding or donating them, I started scooping my protein powder servings into them. It is super convenient and makes preparing my shakes so much easier.

Prepare and Store Your Add-Ins

This is my personal favorite part of protein shakes – the add-ins. It makes protein shakes so much more fun, tasty, and filling. And I get to mix and match ingredients to create different flavor combinations. For example, if I’m using a high-quality whey protein powder that’s vanilla-flavored, I love pairing it with fruits like blueberries and bananas. If I’m in the mood for chocolate protein powder, adding a scoop of peanut butter into the shake is one of my favorite combinations.

Here is how you can prep your add-ins:

1. Wash, clean and cut up any fruit and veg that you may want to add. Some common ones are apples, bananas, berries, avocados, spinach, carrots, and kale. Place them according to portion sizes and flavor combinations in a mason jar with your milk overnight, or freeze them in Ziploc bags to use as needed.
2. Get your portions of nuts and seeds ready. I mix nuts like almonds, pecans, and cashews with seeds like pumpkin and flax. I roast them for a minute, grind them and store the mixture in an airtight jar. It makes it simpler to toss a few spoons into my protein shakes before blending than to pick out each ingredient every time I make my drink.
3. Keep all your protein shake items in one spot so it’s easier and quicker to access. That way, even items like nut butter can be added quickly without searching and shuffling for ingredients on the spot.
4. If you enjoy a couple of dates in your shakes, soak them overnight in water. Remember to pit the dates first. I love doing this and adding dates with water to my protein shakes. Dates are super healthy, making any protein shake sweeter and yummier.

Portion Out Your Liquid

While portioning out your liquid might not seem like a big deal, it’s great not to have to measure your milk/water base on the spot if you are always busy and rushing around. Pour it into a mason jar or your shaker/bottle/cup. You can quickly blend your protein shake and add it to the vessel before drinking.

Some people are wary about meal-prepping protein shakes, fearing they go bad or taste weird. I will jump at the opportunity to tell you that it is perfectly safe to meal prep your protein shakes, and there is more than one way to do it.

Before I get into the how, it is necessary to comprehend that, albeit easier than cooking, it still takes some prep time, especially if you add extra ingredients. Meal prepping or preparing in advance to make consuming protein shakes a breeze is extremely beneficial.

3 Benefits of Meal-Prepping Protein Shakes

If you want to know why you should meal prep protein shakes or how they can advance prepping and make your life any easier than protein shakes already do, here are some advantages to consider: 

Saves Time and Effort

The most apparent benefit of meal-prepping food or drink is that it saves time and effort. For someone like me who is super lazy in the kitchen and always looking for the quicker, simpler method, meal prepping my protein shakes allows me to whip up a filling, nutritious meal in just a few minutes.

More Ingredients

Protein shakes can be bland or have an overpowering flavor profile that few people like. But if you still want to benefit from the protein, adding extra ingredients like fruits, veg, peanut butter, or nuts and seeds can help mask the odd taste and give you a more comprehensive nutritional value.

I cannot stomach a protein shake alone. My favorite additions are bananas, avocados, and sometimes spinach. But having these ingredients ready to go saves me time, prevents a mess when preparing the shake, and ensures that I don’t get lazy because there’s not much to do.

Keeps You on Track

If you are on a specific eating plan, like using protein shakes as a dietary supplement like a meal replacement or for a high-protein diet, prepping your protein shake is a great way to ensure you stick to your plan. When it feels like too much work or too many things to do on the spot, you may get lazy and eat something you aren’t supposed to.

I am a prime example of this. I tend to wait until I am starving before eating. Then I am too hungry to prep anything, leading to me munching a bag of chips or gobbling down chocolate croissants so fast I practically inhale them. Knowing I have a protein shake prepared that will take a minute to put together helps me avoid junk food.

Can You Prepare Protein Shake Drinks in Advance?

If you prefer to pick up your shake and drink as soon as you need it, without preparing it, you probably want to know if you can make it in advance. The same would apply to someone who may want to take it to the gym, work, or on a road trip.

You will be happy to learn that you can make your protein shake drink beforehand. Shakes stay safe in the refrigerator for a day or two, but drinking it as soon as possible is best. The taste quality might decrease, and the shake can become rancid if not stored correctly.

If you plan on prepping your drink in advance, consider these factors:

• An insulated flask or bottle that will keep the drink cool is a good option to keep it fresh.
• Keep it in the fridge unless you will drink it at the gym.
• If you take it on a road trip, picnic, or hike, try to keep it cooler.
• Avoid adding other ingredients unless you prepare the drink early, and blend in additions before consuming it. Fruits and greens tend to turn brown and go off.

Conclusion

Protein shakes are convenient, saturating, and nutritious and can be incredibly helpful if you need extra protein or want a quick healthy fix. Meal prepping your protein shakes will make it even easier, and following my tips guarantees a delicious drink every time.