5 Sweet and Savory Primal Shakes
Some days, a fork and spoon can feel like a bit of a hassle. Okay, not really, but the temptation to simply drink our food is one we give into now and then when convenience is a priority. A Primal shake is a good way to mix things up, treat yourself to a healthy snack in the afternoon or add a little extra something to an evening meal. Some shakes, even without the addition of dairy or added sugar, can even satisfy a hankering for dessert.
When you’re making a shake, it’s tempting to throw anything that looks good into the blender, stick a straw in it and suck it down. But be careful; what started as a healthy snack or meal-replacement can quickly turn into a huge glass of carbs and sugar.
In the following recipes we avoid this pitfall by limiting sweeteners and starting our shakes with a solid base of healthy fats, ideally, 50-70% of the total calories. Coconut milk, nut butters and avocado are a good starting point, and you don’t have to choose just one. Coconut milk and nut butters are practically decadent together and coconut milk with avocado is a soothing combination worth trying. The avocado loses all its savory inclinations and blends into a shake with a slightly sweet flavor and incredibly creamy texture. An occasional spoonful of seeds will add fat too, as will a drizzle of coconut or olive oil, or an egg if you’re so inclined. Which leads us to the next layer in our shakes: protein.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to shoot for 10-30 grams or so of protein. Again, nut butters are great for this, and a scoop of whey protein can boost the protein content of any shake. Once you have your fat and protein in place, the last thing to consider is keeping the carbs in check.
Try not to total more than 25 g per shake; the lower the better. Though, of course the precise carb count will depend on your particular goals. Berries work well here. They’re carb/antioxidant ratio is tough to beat and they’re high in flavor, so a mere 1/2 cup is usually plenty.
Even if you concoct the perfect ratio of fat, protein, and carbs, it’s all for naught if the shake doesn’t taste good. If you throw ingredients into a blender in clean-out-the-fridge mode you might end up with some questionable flavors and colors. Then again, you might stumble onto some combinations that are pure genius. We already mentioned the avocado/coconut combination we stumbled upon. We’re equally fond of the refreshing combination of blueberries and kale, and a savory shake made with tomato and cucumber. We’ve provided recipes for these shakes and a few more to get you started, but experimenting is the best way to come up with your own favorite. For example, the last two recipes are delicious as-is but are low in fat, so you might want to either add some fat or create them as a complement to a fatty Primal meal.
Tell us what you think in the comment board. Share your thoughts on your personal favorite Primal Shake concoctions. Grok on!
Coconut Avocado
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 2-4 tablespoons water (optional, if needed for texture)
- 1/2 – 1 cup ice
FitDay says:
Calories: 461
Fat: 36.2 g
Carbs: 17.2 g
Protein: 26.9 g
Chocolate Almond
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 – 1 cup ice
- 2-4 tablespoons water (or other liquid)
FitDay says:
Calories: 519
Fat: 43.7 g
Carbs: 16.5 g
Protein: 26.0 g
Spicy Tomato
- 1/2 cup chopped tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/3 cup frozen spinach or a small handful raw spinach
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce or black pepper, or to taste
- squeeze of lemon
- 1/2 cup ice
FitDay says:
Calories: 148
Fat: 10.9 g
Carbs: 13.2 g
Protein: 3.1 g
Berry-based shakes tend to be higher in carbs and lower in fat, which is why we prefer drinking them right before or after a meal that is high in fat and protein, like eggs or steak. You can, however, up the fat content in either of these shakes by adding half an avocado, a spoonful of coconut milk or oil, nut butter, or yogurt if you eat dairy.
Vanilla Berry
- 1/3 cup frozen berries
- 1/4 cup coconut water
- 1 scoop whey protein
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- sprinkle of cinnamon or fresh mint
FitDay says:
Calories: 177
Fat: 0.9 g
Carbs: 26.5 g
Protein: 17.9 g
Blueberry Kale
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup coconut water
- 1 stalk kale, chopped (stem removed). Kale is easiest to blend if you either boil it for 1-2 minutes or put it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so.
- 1 scoop whey protein
FitDay says:
Calories: 166
Fat: 1.8 g
Carbs: 22.8 g
Protein: 19.9 g
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Posted By: Worker Bee
What a wonderful post, Mark! I have a smoothie for breakfast every day, but mine is pretty boring with just coconut milk, water, and whey. This will help me to shake things up a bit, so to speak!
And thank you so much for including whey in your ingredients. People poo-poo whey a lot on the forums but it really is an efficient way for busy people like me to pack on the protein at 6am on a work/school day!!
Absolutely delicious. Thanx for the great post
Great recipes. Looking forward to trying them out.
Mark…
What about the insulin spike all of these shakes are going to cause (yes even whey protein will spike insulin and cause an increase of IGF-1)?
Why not just eat real food, with fiber?
I believe these are about as un-primal as it can get when it comes to regulating hormone levels. Adding fat isn’t going to stop the insulin as much as people think here.
Go eat a grass-fed steak. Its better all together.
I have to say as a type 1 diabetic that it is true that whey protein powder raises blood sugar- a scoop of whey protein raises my blood sugar about as much and as quickly as a gala apple.
That being said- I think that most of the readers at Mark’s Daily Apple are comfortable eating apples, so…
When I am too lazy to clean a blender, I make a morning “shake” in a saucepan. Melt 1 tbsp of cocoa powder in warm water (I shut off the flame when it reaches 110F), then mix in 2 tbsp of whey protein and plenty of heavy cream. This works great with coconut oil instead of the cream, but then you need the blender to make a nice emulsion (in which case I might throw in 1/8 tsp cinnamon and a bit of hazelnut butter).
Libby, I love eggs, but the bulk whey protein isolate I’m using is cheaper for a given amount of protein (it’s about $7.50/lb). I can’t get decent eggs for less than $3.50 a dozen, and the good ones cost $6+ at the farm market.
If your goal is fat loss, is it ok to start using coconut milk in smoothies instead of water?
If you don’t get a kind filled with sugar.
Unsweetened coconut milk is low-cal, has almost zero carbs, and good fats (MCTs).
I was thinking…
165ml of lite coconut milk (thats the size of the small can here in Aus)
100grams of berries
25grams of whey protein isolate
ice?
its about 10grams of carbs, 30 grams protein and 15grams of fat…thats not to much fat to have in one meal?
Holly: Fat is not the problem when eating according to the Primal Blueprint. Check out: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/mark-sisson-is-not-afraid-of-fat/
Cheers,
Man, I tried the coconut milk/avocado shake yesterday and was pretty disappointed. In my pre-paleo days, I used to make avocado shakes with vanilla ice cream and they were quite tasty. Apparently all the flavor was coming from the ice cream because this version didn’t get me off at all.
I tried the coconut avocado one too and was disappointed. I might mess around with a few spices first to see if I can change the taste. It’s a very nice base.
Onto chocolate almond tomorrow.
Do you use rice or hemp protein? I keep seeing whey protein and am curious about the loyalty to whey.
Thanks!
surprisingly good in the spicy tomato smoothie instead of the avocado- 1 oz frozen liver. I use a vitamix and it comes out creamy- almost like cool spicy bisque.
Hello, could any body tell me about the biofed back interface machine.. Is it a good thing or just another hoax.. I went to a Naturopathic doctor, he put a band around my forehead and i placed my feet on what looked like bathroom scales, it had numbers on it, he proceeded with the test which lasted for about an hour, i could feel electric like impulses in my feet, he told me that i had a lot of lead in my system and that my arteres had as lot of plaque.. He wanted me to take collidoial silver, b2, b6, b12 and largentine also cystein for the lead.. Does this machine really tell all of this abut your health? thanks for any help with this.. kathy
Please do NOT ingest collidoial silver – it’s a heavy metal and toxic. Naturopaths are good (though you have to be careful because most states don’t regulate them) but this guy sounds like a quack.
Mark, Would you recommend any of these shakes as a post-workout drink following some strength training? I was thinking of trying the avocado/coconut? Do you have any other post workout shake suggestions? Thanks
We make Kefir shakes, I have a couple I rotate, one is 2 cups Milk Kefir, 1 Tbs Coconut Oil, 1 Tbs Almond Butter, 1/2 Banana, 1 tsp Vanilla. Very good!
Another is 2 cups Milk Kefir, 1 Tbs Coconut oil, 1 cup Blueberries, 1/8 cup apple juice. Also very good!
I made the vanilla berry the other day and I have trouble finding the right consistency. Quick suggestion: Maybe instead of regular coconut water you could try Vita Coco, the coconut water beverage. Since it has a bunch of different flavors you could mix and match with the drink you’re making. The discount word is 2BUCKVIT at http://bit.ly/c78qe7
Anyway I love the pictures, I look forward to checking out future posts.
I went to the store the other day and I couldn’t find any coconut milk. However, I did buy a box of hemp milk. In regards to taste and texture do you guys think that hemp milk would be an acceptable substitute to coconut milk?
For the chocolate almond shake, is there something else i can use instead of cocoa powder? Like cinnamon?
Thanks for the recipes, I love shakes! Just made a big yummy one for two or more people
1 cup strawberries
½ cup blueberries
1/4 cup lingonberries
½-1 avocado
1 raw egg (organic free range)
1 scoop whey powder
Enough water to blend
Opt. ½ frozen banana
Kind of over the top but very gooood
Hey are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you need any coding knowledge to make your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I’m drinking a smoothie for dinner as we speak – half an avocado, an egg, greek yogurt, banana, cherries, and spinach. delicious!
No comment from Primal Toad, strange?
Hahah I was wondering the same thing! Was expecting a plug for the toadally primal smoothies for sure.
Excellent Article! many thanks significantly for sharing this with us! i will be absolute to check back here often!
These damn WordPress spammers have been relentless lately. Looks like this one slipped through.
This looks divine! I would have tried one of these right now except that I already had my own (and not as delicious) smoothie: 1/2 cup coconut milk, 2 raw eggs, 1 tablespoon of raw cocoa powder dissolved in a bit of water, 1 packet of stevita.
Question: what does ‘vanilla’ mean? Vanilla extract? Raw vanilla?
Thanks!
The avocado shake is..eh. But I added some taco bell HOT packets and its palatable.
I started having smoothies for breakfast about 2 months ago (about 5 days a week). I can’t believe how good they make me feel throughout the day. I almost have to force myself to eat lunch, and even by dinner time, I still don’t get hungry! This is my typical smoothie, though I rotate ingredients.
I try and use all organic when possible.
1 small carrot, 1 or 2 stalk celery, 1/4 fennel bulb (anise bulb and stem-adds a licorice/anise/sweet flavor)1 cup frozen kale, 8 cabbage leaves(vary the type), a few Romaine leaves, fistful of parsley, 1/4 cucumber, 1/2 teaspoon powder each of the following-Turmeric, Ginger, Cummin, Cinnamon, cocoa, occasionaly kelp powder,black pepper, a bit of Himalayan salt. 1/2 Lemon or Lime juice.
2 raw eggs, 2 tablespoons cream, 1 tablespoon virgin Coconut oil, 2 tablesoons lemon flavored cod liver oil,
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus (on occasion) 1 heaping tablespoon sour cream and/or full fat greek yogurt,
Add or 2 cups water ’til desired texture. Occasionally add a few frozen bluberries, plus 2 frozen pineabble cubes. FInally, 2 scoops portein powder.
Unbelievable!
Sounds yummy actually. Out of curiosity what is the final blended color?
When you add cocoa and/or bluberries,
the color is a light brown (not as appealing as the light green color when you omit them), but the flavor is more “full-bodied”, or richer. The cream, yogurt, and sour cream tends to lighten the color.
Honestly, the first few look bad but the berry ones I’ll try out. I need a protein shake during my church fast days.
Try adding a spoonful of coconut butter (or coconut cream concentrate, whatever you like to call it) to the coconut-avocado one. Its HEAVEN.
Do you use canned coconut milk or So Delicious coconut milk? There’s a big difference in fat and calorie content, seem like very different products.
I use So Delicious unsweetened (50 cal per cup) coconut milk – what kind do these recipes refer to? The nutritional value is quite different.
Does anyone know what kind of coconut milk these recipes call for? I use So Delicious original unsweetened (50 cal.) Do the above recipes call for canned, full-fat coconut milk?
I make a protein shake most mornings. I use a hemp protien, which I really like and read that it is better than whey or egg. I add a banana, some blueberries, ice and water. Any concerns out there with using a protein powder?