Muscle Mixers

by John Alvino

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Drinking a protein shake can be like downing a shot of vodka, rum, or gin on its own. Sure, you’re a real man if you can stomach it, but it would taste a hell of a lot better if you had something to mix it with. The same goes for certain protein shakes, which guys tend to choke down simply because they need the nutrients, all the while hating that artificial flavor. Fortunately, you can jazz up a bland shake with these simple add-ons—think of them as “mixers”—guaranteed to cut that chalky taste at no cost to your shake’s nutritional value.

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INSTANT COFFEE Add one teaspoon of decaf to your vanilla shakes to create an iced-coffee flavor. Alternatively, add coffee to a chocolate shake for a mocha flavor. If you’re drinking a shake pre-workout, you can use caffeinated coffee to get a stimulant effect and help you zone in on your training.

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PEPPERMINT EXTRACT Use it purely for flavor enhancement—it won’t affect the nutritional content of your shake. Add a few drops to a chocolate shake for a mouthwatering mint chocolate chip ice cream flavor.

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ORGANIC PEANUT BUTTER It goes well with any flavor of shake. Just put one tablespoon in your shake to transform it into a dessert-like snack. Each tablespoon contains about 95 calories, eight grams of
healthy fats, three grams of protein, and a shot of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

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FROZEN BERRIES Try adding one cup to your vanilla shake to transform it into a fruit smoothie. You can and should use all kinds of berries to maximize antioxidants and fiber. One cup of berries has about 50 calories and 11 grams of carbs.