How to make protein shakes for kids.
Making a kid-friendly protein shake is easy. All you need is a simple protein powder, milk, ice or frozen fruit, and a good blender. Just combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Here is a simple recipe for a delicious and nutritious protein shake that your kids will be sure to love.
Ingredients:
-1 cup milk (or a dairy-free milk alternative like almond milk)
-1 ripe banana
-1 serving vanilla protein powder
-3 ice cubes
Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until the shake is smooth and creamy. Pour the protein shake into a glass and serve it immediately.
Tips:
You can customize this recipe by adding different fruits (such as strawberries or blueberries) or by using a different flavor of protein powder. To make the shake thicker and creamier, add more ice or use a frozen banana. You can also add a scoop of creamy peanut butter.
Keep in mind that most protein powders do not taste very good. For starters, the average protein powder has chalky aftertaste because it is made with protein isolates. Protein isolates, which are listed on the ingredient list as “whey protein,” for example, as opposed to “whey,” have been stripped of the nutrients that make food taste good.
Many protein powders are also sweetened with artificial sweeteners or stevia, which have an unpleasant aftertaste because they activate bitter taste receptors in addition to sweet receptors. If your kid is a picky eater, avoid protein powders made with protein isolates, artificial sweeteners, and stevia.
Unfortunately, many protein powders are not safe for kids. If you read the ingredient list on the average protein powder, you will be shocked by how many artificial and or heavily-processed ingredients there are. This is worrisome because ingredients like these are known to cause disruptions to your gut microbiome (gut dysbiosis), the collection of microorganisms that help you digest food.
More and more research shows that disruptions to the composition and function of the gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that help you digest food) can play a role in the development of chronic diseases ranging from gastrointestinal inflammatory and metabolic conditions to neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses. This is why you should make your kids protein shakes with a simple protein powder like drink wholesome.
One of the reasons why we make the best protein supplement for kids is that we do not use food additives. Most protein powders, on the other hand, are full of food additives. Although not necessarily bad for you in small quantities, additives can add up quickly (especially if you drink a protein shake every day), and cause gastrointestinal (GI) side effects like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and stomach pain.
Food additives are hard to digest, and sit in your gut for longer than food should, which gives your gut bacteria more time to eat. As they eat, these bacteria produce gas, causing bloating and stomach pain. Gas also slows colonic transit (the amount of time it takes food to travel through the colon), which can lead to constipation. In the long term, food additives can disrupt regulatory pathways in the intestine and trigger the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and systemic inflammatory disorders.