It goes without saying that the key ingredient for a sustainable weight-loss journey, is patience. If you are looking for an overnight miracle, you are setting yourself for disappointment. Results vary from body to body, therefore, it is best to focus on things that are in your control, like your diet. Now, drastic measures are never quite encouraged it can shock your body and do more harm than good. It is a wise idea to take gradual steps, like replacing fatty, salty foods with more nutritious, high-protein foods. But why protein, you ask? It is not for nothing that protein is also called the building block of life. It is crucial for building muscle and aiding muscle recovery after work-out. It is also a major component in your hair, skin and nails. Moreover, the more protein you eat, the fuller you are, and lesser is the urge to tick into something fattening, salty or sugary. Since it also helps build muscle, there is lesser space for fat to accumulate.
If you look around your pantry, you would find plenty of high-protein foods. From moong dal, chana, almonds, eggs, and oats, there are options aplenty. The trick is to use them right. While preparing high-protein dishes, try to grill, steam, or boil than deep-frying. You can also prepare your own protein shakes at home. That’s right, no store-bought powders, it’s time to give homemade protein shakes a chance with these recipes.
Sattu Protein Shake
You can call Sattu an Indian protein powder. The chief component of this blend is chickpea flour that is an incredible source of protein and fibre. You can simply mix sattu with water for a sattu sharbat or make something even more wholesome like this sattu shake. Just combine 4-5 tablespoon of sattu powder, 2 tsp of lime juice, half cup of milk, some roasted cumin powder, rock salt and chopped cilantro. Blend everything well and drink away.
Chocolate Protein Shake
Chocolate may not be that bad for your weight-loss journey, provided you know which kinds to trust. Dark chocolate is said to be replete with antioxidants and minerals and is thus also called superfood. To make a chocolatey protein shake, you need to combine one roughly chopped apple, a tablespoon of grated dark chocolate, 1 tablespoon of cocoa water, half cup of yogurt, one cup of milk, one tsp of chia seeds and 2 pitted dates. Blend everything well and you are good to go
Oats Protein Shake
Oats are dubbed as one of the best sources of plant-based protein. You can combine half a cup of blueberries with 2 tbsp oatmeal, 2 cups of milk and a smattering of honey and chia seeds to make this loaded protein shake.
Ragi and Banana Protein Shake
Ragi or finger millet is a popular millet that is used across India to make various types of flatbreads and crepes. It is also said to contain a decent amount of protein and fibre that helps keep you full. Here, all you need to do is, combine some ragi powder (3 tbsp), freshly chopped bananas, a teaspoon of chia seeds and 4-5 almonds together in a mixer with a cup of milk and some warm water and you are done. You can sweeten it with jaggery or sugar.