Banana shakes are a popular drink made by blending bananas with other ingredients.
Many people enjoy banana shakes as a convenient breakfast option, quick snack, component of their fitness routine, or strategy to help reach their weight goals.
This article reviews the potential benefits, downsides, common ingredients, and best uses of banana shakes.
Share on PinterestMarti Sans/Stocksy UnitedPotential benefits
Banana shakes are often used as a convenient way to incorporate calories and nutrition into a busy lifestyle or support a health goal like weight loss or gain. Many people also use them to support recovery from a hangover.
Some potential applications and benefits of banana shakes include:
- Weight gain. One medium banana contains approximately 100 calories. To promote weight gain, you may want to include several bananas in your shake along with other high calorie ingredients (1).
- Weight loss. Bananas are rich in fiber, containing 3–4 grams each. This nutrient can enhance feelings of fullness, prevent overeating or snacking between meals, and support healthy weight loss goals (1).
- Workouts. Bananas are a rich source of complex carbs, which can increase muscle glycogen stores and potassium, which helps prevent muscle cramps. They also provide a steady stream of glucose, making them perfect for fueling a workout (2, 3, 4).
- Hangovers. Alcohol increases urination and inhibits the production of certain hormones that otherwise help your body retain water. This can result in a loss of electrolytes like potassium, and bananas are a rich source of this mineral (5).
Ultimately, these shakes can be tailored to meet your specific lifestyle goals and offer a number of potential benefits.
SUMMARYBanana shakes are extremely versatile, and the recipe can be tailored to meet specific health needs and goals, including promoting weight loss or gain, fueling a workout, or aiding hangover recovery.
Downsides
If you’re considering making or buying banana shakes, it’s worth considering some potential ingredient-related downsides.
First, these shakes can be high in added sugar. This is especially true for commercially prepared versions, which sometimes contain added sweeteners to improve the taste.
Similarly, you risk increasing the added sugar content of homemade shakes if you include ingredients like ice cream, yogurt, or refined sugar.
Second, banana shakes can be high in calories. While this can benefit those using them to gain weight or drinking them during periods of appetite loss, it may not be ideal if you’re looking to avoid excess calories in your overall diet.
The best ways to know which ingredients are in your shakes are to either make them yourself or read the ingredient and nutrition panels on commercial versions.
SUMMARYDepending on their ingredients, banana shakes may be high in added sugar and calories. While this may be suitable for certain uses like weight gain, some people may want to avoid these shakes.
Common ingredients
Banana shakes comprise bananas and a liquid, such as milk, alongside other ingredients that help create the flavor and nutritional profile you desire.
The shakes can be altered to match your personal preferences. There are several ingredients commonly used to make them, including:
- protein powder
- peanut butter or other nut butters
- dairy or nondairy milk
- refined white or cane sugar
- ice cream or frozen yogurt
- dairy or nondairy yogurt
- ground flax or chia seeds
- frozen fruit like peaches, blueberries, or strawberries
It’s easy to tailor banana shakes to meet your individual taste and dietary needs, and their nutritional profiles depend on the types and amounts of ingredients you use.
SUMMARYBanana shakes comprise bananas and a liquid like milk. Other common ingredients added for flavor and nutritional value include nut butter, protein powder, yogurt, ice cream, or other fruits.
Types
Banana shakes are versatile, and it’s easy to adjust the ingredient list to meet your personal needs and health goals.
For instance, you can make a low carb shake by using just one banana, which will contribute 23–27 grams of carbs to your smoothie. Other low carb smoothie ingredients include almond milk, soy protein powder, and raw nuts (1).
A high protein shake can be made by adding protein powder, nut butter (blended or powdered), and seeds.
If you’re using banana shakes to gain weight, you can use the high protein ingredients above, along with canned coconut milk, to significantly increase the fat and calorie content.
Banana shakes can also be transformed from a smoothie into a milkshake to be enjoyed as a dessert. Simply incorporate ice cream or frozen yogurt, as well as toppings like chocolate chips and whipped cream, to give your shake a delicious dessert twist.
To make your shake vegan, avoid using dairy products or other animal-derived ingredients. Instead, use a plant-based milk, such as soy, pea, hemp, or almond milk, as well as a soy- or pea-based protein powder.
SUMMARYAdjust the ingredients in your banana shake to make it low carb, vegan, high protein, or high calorie and high fat.
Recommendation
Banana shakes can be enjoyed by anyone as part of an overall healthy diet.
This is especially true because you can adjustments the recipe as needed to fit your specific health or fitness needs.
For instance, athletes and active people may benefit from the boost of carbs and electrolytes in banana shakes to prevent muscle soreness, fuel workouts, and shorten recovery time (2, 3, 4).
People aiming to gain weight can start with a basic recipe and add other high calorie, high fat ingredients to create a calorie-dense snack to enjoy between meals and help increase their body weight.
For those trying to lose weight, banana shakes can still be enjoyed as long as you limit the content of high calorie, high fat ingredients and make sure to enjoy them as part of an overall healthy diet.
The only ones who should truly avoid banana shakes are those with a banana allergy. Otherwise, these shakes can be enjoyed as part of just about any lifestyle.
SUMMARYBanana shakes are versatile and can be a rich source of nutrients and support many different lifestyles. Unless you’re allergic to bananas, you can easily create and enjoy these shakes in a way that best fits your needs and preferences.
The bottom line
Banana shakes are a versatile drink that can be enjoyed by most people and tailored to support specific health or fitness goals.
The main ingredients are bananas and a liquid, such as milk, alongside other common additions like protein powder, nut butter, other fruits, ice cream, or yogurt.
Banana shakes can be made to benefit weight loss or gain, a fitness routine, vegan diet, or low carb lifestyle. You can enjoy them as a snack, quick and easy breakfast, or even as a dessert option.
Just be sure to choose ingredients that suit your needs, paying attention to added sugar and calories, or read the ingredient list and nutrition panel if you’re purchasing a premade shake.
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