Protein Drink Recipes to FALL in Love With

There’s a crisp fall breeze in the air. Darkness comes earlier in the evening. We’re ready to pull out the sweaters and flannel sheets.

Fall flavors are in: pumpkin, butternut squash, apples and pears in all their varieties, cranberries, caramel, maple, pecan, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

But if you’re a bariatric surgery patient who relies on a good tasting protein supplement to meet your daily protein goal, you may not feel so motivated to drink a COLD shake or smoothie right now. Who said you cannot enjoy protein drinks WARM? The trick is to make sure that you only add protein powder to liquid when it is below 140 degrees Fahrenheit, or the protein will clump like crazy.

Let me share some fun and delicious recipe ideas to bring a little fall flavor into your protein drinks.

#1 - Pumpkin Spice Protein Drink

Ingredients:

• 8 oz milk or dairy alternative

• 1 serving vanilla protein powder

• 2 Tbsp canned pumpkin

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pumpkin pie spice

Ok the trick again is to warm up your liquid base (milk, almond milk, oat milk, whatever you choose) slightly in a small saucepan. Use a thermometer to check the liquid stays under 140F. Whisk in the vanilla protein powder until dissolved. Add the canned pumpkin, vanilla extract, and then a few good shakes of pumpkin spice (or just cinnamon if that’s all you have), and stir until it suits your taste.

#2 - Salted Caramel Protein Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 8 oz chocolate ready-to-drink protein shake -OR- 1 serving chocolate protein powder + 8 oz milk

• 2 Tbsp sugar-free butterscotch pudding powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Sea salt

A ready-to-drink chocolate shake is easier, but I prefer to use chocolate whey protein powder with unsweetened almond milk. Either way, warm up the liquid milk base in a small saucepan. Use a thermometer to check the liquid stays under 140F. Slowly whisk in protein powder if applicable. Add in the sugar free butterscotch pudding powder, vanilla extract, and finally a dash of sea salt, then stir well.

#3 - Warm Protein Apple Cider

Ingredients:

• 8 oz water

• 1 packet sugar-free apple cider

• 1 serving unflavored protein powder

• Cinnamon stick

• Orange slices

Prepare the sugar-free apple cider according to package directions. Use a thermometer to check the liquid cools to under 140F. Whisk in the unflavored protein powder until dissolved. Steep the cinnamon stick and orange slices in the cider for more flavor.

Hope you enjoy these warm seasonal drinks and get a healthy dose of protein to boot!