In the era of smoothies and protein shakes, it is tempting to buy them at the coffee shop each morning. Of course, making them at home is cheaper, but who has the time?
You can freeze protein shakes ahead of time for up the 3 months by placing them in a freezer-safe container. Just make sure you don’t fill them to the top since liquid will expand when frozen. When you want to consume one the next morning, the best way to defrost it is to put it in the fridge the night before.
Making protein shakes in bulk and freezing them in individual portions helps you get in the habit of being healthy by removing preparation time.
How Do You Store a Frozen Protein Shake?
Before you even think about storing your protein shake, you must ensure the drink is well-mixed. No one likes having to deal with chunks of powder while drinking. If the ingredients you choose to mix do not blend, you might have unpleasant surprises.
Freezing protein shakes and smoothies can be done in almost any container. Masons jars, shakers, or virtually any bottle will work perfectly. Just make sure to leave some room at the top to avoid the container breaking, as the liquid expands when it becomes solid if you use glass containers.
If you are preparing your shake with milk, fruits, and/or vegetables, freeze the mix immediately to be on the safe side. Don’t leave it out for any length of time.
Blend all of the ingredients you chose for your shake together and pour them into tumblers (or the container of your choice) and place them I’m the freezer. If you are planning to have your shake for breakfast, take one out the night before.
A way to save time for the preparation is to put your selected ingredients (veggies, fruits, protein, and ice cubes) in a zip lock bag or a container lined with parchment paper. Whenever you want a protein shake, just take out a bag and empty it into your blender. Don’t forget to add some liquid, and there you have your healthy and nutritious breakfast!
Pro Tip: To make your protein shake even more exciting and richer in protein is to freeze some Greek yogurt in an ice tray and add it to the blender when you mix it up.
We do understand that sometimes you would prefer not to think about breakfast. Blending your drink and pouring it into a shaker to freeze is an excellent option if you want to spend as little as possible thinking about your breakfast or snack.
How Do You Correctly Thaw a Protein Shake?
There are two main methods to thaw a protein shake. You can either thaw it in the fridge overnight or for a few hours during the day, or you can just leave it out at room temperature for a couple of hours before consuming it.
While it might sound silly, it might be interesting to point out that the two methods will result in different consistencies for your drinks. Selecting what works for you depends on how you like your shake better. If you like loose (runny) consistency, letting your drink thaw in the fridge is the best option.
- To avoid any issues and preserve taste and texture as well as you can, move your drink to the fridge a couple of hours before you decide to consume it. If you’d like to have your shake in the morning, place it in the refrigerator the night before. You might want to know that you’ll never have the same texture with a thawed protein shake as you’ll have with one made on the spot. Still, some like thawed drinks better because of their freshness.
- Another way to consume your frozen protein shake is to let it thaw at room temperature while working out at the gym or commuting. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy your drink cold. Preparing your drinks on a Sunday afternoon will ensure you’ll have your breakfast every day of the week without even having to think about prepping anything.
Do not fall into the trap of wanting to speed up the thawing process by microwaving your drink. It will mess up the taste, and you’ll end up with something completely different than what you planned. Just be patient and wait for your drink to defrost at room temperature.
What Is the Best Way to Prepare a Protein Shake to Freeze?
Protein shakes are one of the best ways to get nutrients, proteins, and minerals and feel energized during the day. They make for perfect go-to breakfasts or snacks for super busy days or post-workout meals.
There is no perfect recipe for a protein shake, and it all comes down to your personal preference. However, you should always include protein powder or greek yogurt, either some veggies or fruit, and some liquid. Whether you decide to make it with water, ice-cubes, almond milk, or dairy milk, you can always freeze your shake once you’re done.
You can get creative and add some healthy fat and delicious taste by incorporating chia seeds, peanut butter, nuts, avocado, chocolate, or coconut oil into your drink. Toppings can make your shake even more interesting and add more healthy nutrients. We suggest adding toppings when your drink is thawed and ready to drink.
Some people seem to be afraid of protein powder. But the reality is that they are easy and healthy sources of protein. Just select the right brand and stay away from products that contain chemicals or additives. The choice of ingredients ultimately depends on your personal preferences and what you are looking for in your protein shake.
Is the Content of Your Protein Shake Affected by Freezing?
We talked about the healthy aspect of consuming protein shakes. But is their nutritious content affected when you freeze them? The reality is that if you mix your protein powder with fruits and/or veggies and some liquids and freeze the smoothie, you’ll have the same nutrients that you’ll get from a freshly made drink.
Freezing protein powder alone might affect its consistency and protein content, as it tends not to respond well to moisture. For this reason, prepare your shakes in advance and freeze them to enjoy your shakes at any time of the day, whenever you feel like it.
Final Sip
The good news is that you have nothing to worry about making them ahead of time and freezing them. If you’d rather not have to prepare your shakes on the spot and enjoy your pre-made protein shakes even on those busy days, you can freeze them with no trouble. Not only that, freezing keeps the protein and content intact, so you can rest assured you won’t affect your planned daily intake.
I hope this article was helpful. Thanks for stoppin’ by!
For more, don’t miss 8 Practical Alternatives to Protein Powder.
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
Anne has a professional canning business, has been featured in the local newspaper as well as on the Hershey website, and has been her family canner for decades. Anyone growing up in the South knows that there is always a person in the family who has knowledge of the “old ways,” and this is exactly what Anne is.
With over 55 years of experience in these endeavors, she brings a level of hands-on knowledge that is hard to surpass. Amazingly, she doesn’t need to reference many resources due to her vast wealth of experience. She IS the source.
Anne wants nothing more than to pass on her extensive knowledge to the next generations, whether that be family or anyone visiting her website, her YouTube channel, or preservingsweetness.com.