By Samantha Taylor
One thing I love to have in this warm Florida weather is a cold, refreshing and yummy protein shake. Back in the old days, protein shakes didn’t taste very good, but now they are really delicious and come in many different flavors.
Since I was in the mood for a refreshing protein shake, I headed to Smoothie Junction on SR 54 near Collier Parkway, next to Tijuana Flats. I like that this place offers lower-calorie shakes — with less than 200 calories. They are available as protein shakes or fruit smoothies.
I’m all for low-calorie shakes, so I ordered a regular size, low-calorie, low-carb Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup protein shake. Sounds delicious, huh? Well, I loved it. It was great and boy was it refreshing.
The Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup had only 189 calories, 2 grams of fat and 27 grams of protein. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe in a diet that is too low in carbs, but I would rather eat my carbs in food form than drink them in a shake.
I admire food places that care to let their customers learn about their food and their calorie content, and Smoothie Junction is one of those places. You can visit www.smoothiejunction.com to learn all about the nutritional content of various menu items.
I know that many of my readers are interested in losing weight and staying lean, so steer away from the “weight gainer” protein shakes that are more for bodybuilders and people who are trying to put on more weight. That is one example of why you need to know how to order, to tell which ones help you lose weight and which are for gaining weight.
Smoothie Junction also has various kinds of protein bars and pre-made protein shakes that are great to have as a snack. This quick-stop place carries a few of my favorite protein bars, which include Pure Protein (also my husband’s favorite), Clif bars and Builder bars (also made by Clif).
I prefer these bars because they use more natural ingredients than others in the market. Clif bars, for example, use sweeteners that are healthier than refined sugar such as evaporated cane juice and honey.
They also have my favorite pre-made drinks, Lean Body and Muscle Milk. I like these two because these shakes taste good, are high in protein and low in fat. I recommend you order the low-calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and then grab one of those protein bars and a pre-made protein shake for later that day or the next.
It’s great how we have these quick, tasty and delicious options when we just don’t have time to sit down to a regular meal, especially when it’s ideal to eat every 3-4 hours. For more than three years now, I’ve been having a pre-made protein shake every morning for breakfast. I also enjoy the convenience of having one of those protein bars once a week.
