Healthy shakes can be part of an effective weight-loss plan, but drinking them will not guarantee results. In order to lose weight, you must move more and eat less. If you do not follow these basic guidelines, no shake can help you lose weight. While following a weight-loss plan, a healthy shake can make a satisfying snack or small meal. Make your shakes at home to control the ingredients and ensure they are as healthful as possible.
Ingredients
Healthy shakes that help you lose weight should feature fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables and protein. Sweet shakes might include bananas, berries, peaches and apples. You can also make savory shakes with spinach, tomatoes, romaine and cucumbers. Protein in these shakes comes from milk -- soy or cow's -- yogurt or protein powder.
Calories
A healthy shake for weight loss should contain between 200 and 400 calories. If you are consuming the shake for a snack, stick to the lower end of the calorie range, while a shake used in lieu of a meal may be higher in calories. A 200-calorie shake might include 1/2 scoop of whey protein blended with half a banana, 1 cup of frozen strawberries and 6 oz. of skim milk. A meal-replacement shake could include one whole banana, 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup non-fat, plain yogurt and 4 oz. of skim milk.
Benefits
A shake is an easy-to-prepare meal on the go, especially at breakfast time. The protein in a healthy shake can help you stay full longer than a snack or meal consisting primarily of carbohydrates. Sweet shakes can help satisfy cravings for ice cream or other goodies, with fewer calories, less fat and more nutrients.
Strategy
Make healthy shakes part of an overall healthy eating plan. Use a shake in lieu of a less-nutritious, high-calorie breakfast such as a bakery muffin and juice or bacon with fried eggs and white toast. You could also use a 200-calorie shake as a morning or afternoon snack to help prevent hunger from causing you to make poor choices at later meals. A small shake could also serve as a pre-workout snack, so you have energy to burn extra calories and protein to support retention and growth of lean muscle mass.
Considerations
Commercially prepared shakes often contain added sugars, artificial colors, sodium, preservatives and thickeners. The vitamins they offer are usually manufactured in a lab. A homemade shake includes whole-food ingredients, so the vitamins and minerals you get are natural and better absorbed by your body.
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