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Frozen Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie
By Patrick McGuire
I want to give you one of my favorite protein shake recipes. I use it to grow and build muscle and for fat loss or weight loss.
I use it to replace a meal when late for a meeting and sometimes when I know I am on the road all day with little time to stop for food and don’t want to feel heavy and bloated in the gut while driving. I fire up one of these bad boys and load it up with ice. (I make it a bit thicker than normal so by the time the ice melts it’s perfect).
So I am going to give you my standard recipe and some tips, then I add in some suggestions to help make it a MASS shake or use it for cutting up the fat.
My Frozen Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie
Ingredients:
Chocolate protein powder: 28 grams = 28 grams protein (I count protein not weight).
Vanilla yogurt: 1 cup (8 oz)/226g = 10 grams protein, 38 grams carbs, 4 grams fat and lots of good bacterial cultures.
Frozen banana: ½ (half) = (approximately) 15 grams carbohydrates.
Ice cubes: as many as you want. I like lots. Freeze brain is fun.
Water: about 4-8 ounces is all you really need, but I like mine thick and cold.
Flax seed oil: 1 tea spoon = 5 grams long chain triglycerides and lots of omega fats.
Coconut oil: 1 teaspoon = 5 grams medium chain triglycerides and lots of omega fats.
Peanut butter: 1 teaspoon natural organic = 5 grams fats.
Portions and Grams:
38 grams proteins / 5.4 portions protein = 152 calories
53 grams carbs / 5.8 portions = 212 calories
15 grams fats / 5 portions = 135 calories
Total (approx) calories: 499
As you can see I would easily drink my lunch in about 60 seconds. So to make it a snack I cut it in half to a 2-3 portion shake or snack. I like to make this and drink half as my midmorning shake and half as my afternoon or post-workout shake.
(Clearly that shake in the photo at right is a few more than 499 calories, but I thought it would get 
your juices flowing, like it did mine.)
Now for the directions: Prep a clean blender, throw in ice cubes, add frozen banana (in chunks), yogurt, and peanut butter. Cover and start blender. Add in protein powder, then flax seed oil, coconut oil and finally water to desired consistency. Serve and enjoy. That’s it, rather simple and simply satisfying.
To make this a bigger shake, don’t cut it in half for two shakes, but drink it all for lunch. Or if you are on a balanced (zone like) eating plan, increase or decrease the portion sizes.
Sometimes I like to add oatmeal raw just at the tail end of the blend cycle to give it added slow release carbs and longer energy or just to pump it up and make it a really thick and chewy shake (as is the case when I do it for some lunches).
Now to make this a mass shake, well, that is obvious and easy. Add oatmeal to give you a higher percentage ratio of carbs and cut the flax seed oil to reduce the fats, like this:
MacroMASS Ratios: 35% protein, 45% carbs and 20% fats.
It’s still a very healthy mass-gaining shake by all means.
Now to make a cutting Frozen Monkey Protein Smoothie is quite simple.
Cut the yogurt and do not add oatmeal. It can’t get any easier than that. When I am in real deal fat loss mode I even bring the banana down to 1/3 instead of half, just for flavor. You can see now that the ratios are more in line with a restricted calorie and reduced carbohydrate program.
Advanced Fat Loss Ratios: 40% protein, 20-30% carbs and the balance being healthy fats and oils.
Sometimes I even opt out the peanut butter for the real thing and fewer calories. This requires chewing your shake, but that increases digestion and personal satisfaction.
Stay Empowered and Stay Focused on Your Goals.
Patrick McGuire is one of the creators of Empowered Nutrition Meal Plans, a fitness and weight loss program. You Should Sign Up for His Program Here.
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