Fuel Your Day With These Killer Breakfast Shakes

In the harder, better, faster, stronger world of today and the right protein shake for breakfast is a fast, efficient and healthy way to start your day. Best yet, you don’t need the time or cooking skills to make these quick and easy to-go meals. All that's required is an occasional run to the grocery store or food delivery, ice and a blender. Here are our current favorite breakfast protein shake options to start your day.

For all of the following recipes mix the ingredients in a blender with a little bit of ice.

The Oatmeal Shake
High-fiber oatmeal is a primo source of calcium and iron and it keeps you full and brimming with energy all morning. Our Oatmeal Shake recipe not only delivers protein, fiber, and flavor, but without the sugar or unhealthy fats that you’d get by hitting a greasy diner, vending machine, or drive-thru for breakfast. There’s enough fiber and protein in this shake to slow the usual absorption of sugar, giving you an energy boost without making your blood sugar levels spike and then plummet like Hilary Clinton’s poll numbers.

Recipe
1 cup dry oatmeal
2 scoops vanilla protein
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup maple syrup or agave syrup
1 tbsp chopped almonds
1 ½ cup water or low-fat milk

The Antioxidant Shake
Sure, “antioxidant” is a health-related buzzword that you hear tv doctors and gym trainers name drop, but what in the hell does it actually mean? In Wikipedia terms, Antioxidants are chemicals (both natural and man-made) that are the first lines of defense in keeping you healthy. Natural antioxidants are mainly found in fruits and vegetables, and some of the best just also happen to be the brightest in color: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, beets, red peppers, kale. We’ve assembled these so-called “super-foods” for an Avengers for your stomach.

Recipe
2 scoops protein powder
2 cups chopped raw kale
1 cup blackberries, blueberries, beets, walnuts, etc.
1 cup almond milk

The Peanut Butter and Banana Shake
This shake might taste too good to be considered healthy, but don’t feel guilty. One banana alone provides 3.5 grams of fiber and peanut butter, even with a bit of sugar, is rich in good, heart-healthy fats. This protein-rich one-two punch will kick-start your energy levels making it the ideal shake before or after an early morning workout.

Recipe
2 scoops protein powder
½ cup almond flakes
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup almond milk
1 banana
1 tbsp honey

The Super Berry Shake
Berry shakes are a great intro into healthy shakes, especially for those who aren't eating fruits and vegetables like chicken strips. Not only do berries offer all-natural flavors that smell and taste a hell of a lot better than that green plasma mystery juice, Tina in HR loves so much, but they'll help prevent disease and boost energy levels. Fresh fruit works best but inexpensive and easy-to-find frozen fruit and berries works just as well. For our version, we’ve added some spinach, yogurt, walnuts and flaxseed to provide additional omega-3 fatty acids and will help you feel full.

Recipe
1 cup almond milk
1 cup spinach
2 cups frozen or fresh mixed berries (blueberries, rasberries, strawberries)
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp walnuts
1 tbsp ground flaxseed

The Chocolate Coffee Shake
Most of us can’t function without coffee in the morning and we all know from our mothers that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But that milkshake that Starbucks calls "coffee" is packed with sugar, calories, and no nutrition. This genius concoction kills two birds with one stone, breakfast and coffee. In addition to being delicious and a great match with coffee, chocolate also has health and antioxidant benefits. Half a banana or a tablespoon of peanut butter would be a great addition if you want a bit more variety.

Recipe
2 scoops chocolate whey protein
1 cup skim or almond milk
1 tbsp ground instand coffee (add more to taste if necessary)
Dash of salt