Peanut Butter-Banana Protein Smoothies

This is a favorite recipe of mine for making protein shakes. It's easy and quick. I usually prepare one after every workout to give myself a quick protein-heavy snack right before jumping in the shower.

1. Pour 1 cup skim milk into a clean blender


2. Add 1 cup of ice


3. Add 1 peeled banana


4. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of creamy low-fat peanut butter


5. Add 1 serving of chocolate-flavored protein powder


6. Add 1 tablespoon of honey


7. Blend thoroughly, serve

Here are some tips:

• There are different types of protein powders. Whey (animal protein) usually costs more than soy (plant protein) but is more effective at building muscle.


• Serving sizes for protein powder will vary by brand. Read the box for the recommended amount.


• Adding the peanut butter can be messy as it will stick to almost everything. Try using an ordinary butter knife and scraping it against the used banana peel over the blender. The peanut butter won't stick to the banana peel.


• Make sure to rinse off the blender quickly! It will be much more difficult to clean if the smoothie residue dries up.