People add olive oil to their protein shake for extra calories. They do this to add more mass to their body weight and then sculpting muscles with training. An extra boost of calories can be added from the healthy olive oil, and the idea of mixing it with protein shakes is a no-brainer. But how does it all really work? Let’s find out in this article.
Contents
What is Olive Oil Good For?
To begin with, every 1 ml of olive oil contains 8 grams of calories. You can use it to improve your fat and calorie intake if not taken in moderate quantities. In fact, the fat-dense structure assists in suppressing your appetite and keeps you satiated for a longer time. So yes, olive oil is good for your weight gain program by adding it to your foods, salads, and drinks.
Olive oil has a good amount of omega 3 besides being rich in monounsaturated fats. This is true. Omega 3 works wonders for anti-inflammation for recovery. Olive oil is also laxative in nature. You may want to keep this in mind, or if you want to use it to relieve your digestive problem.
How Does It Taste When Added to the Shakes?
When added to the food or drinks like shakes, it will depend on the olive oil and what you put in the shake. People report it tastes from none at all to fish-like. The best way to eliminate the taste is to start from light olive oil or a cheaper variant of extra virgin/virgin olive oil. This tends to because the more expensive the olive oil is, the stronger taste it will have.
In addition, check your label and the company producing it. Some brands can dilute the product with other oils like vegetable oil, thus degrading overall nutrients such as Omega 6. High-quality olive oils can be expensive, up to $25 per liter, strong in flavor, spicy and bitter, and sometimes peppery. If added to your shakes, you can add balancing ingredients to neutralize the taste.
More to the authenticity of the olive oil. In some countries, you may find most of the brand doesn’t contain even more than 50% of olive oil in their product. This can add nutrients, health benefits, and flavor differences if you want to incorporate olive oil in a protein shake.
How Much Olive Oil to Add to the Shakes?
One tablespoon of high-quality olive oil can add to about 200 calories. Suppose you are only using mid-grade to reduce the olive oil taste. Adding two tablespoons to your mix can add around 350 calories, and your shakes will still taste great. It won’t add to the overall flavor if only from two or three tablespoons.
If you want to be sure and suppress the taste, even more, you can add other ingredients such as flavored whey protein, mixed fruits like bananas, berries, or strawberries.
Extra tips: you can add oats to your shake. About 100 grams will mask the taste and increase the total calories. You may need to use a grinder or food processor for the best results.
Recipes for Shakes with Olive Oil
Below you can try recipes of olive oil in protein shake added:
Nesquick Protein Shake (1,300 calories)
- 46 grams whey
- 2 bananas, slice as you like
- 3 cups of milk / whole milk
- 2 tablespoons of Nesquick
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil or 2-4 tbs of extra light olive oil (no taste overall)
- Additional 100 grams of oats (grounded) for extra calories
Low-density Lipoprotein (1,300 calories)
- Peanut Butter Shake
- 1-2 cups of milk
- 2-3 scoops of whey protein
- 4-8 ice cubes
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil / EVOO / extra light
- 1-2 bananas
- 3 spoonfuls of peanut butter
- 1 packet of weight control oatmeal
Casein Shake (1,500 calories)
- One Cup of ground oats
- 1.5 scoop of casein
- 1/4 Cup Peanut Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil / EVOO / extra light
- 2 3/4 cups of water
Strawberry shakes (1,400 calories)
- 1 cup Strawberries
- 2 bananas
- Protein powder
- Half cup oats
- 2 cups milk
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil / EVOO / extra light
Alternatives to Olive Oil
If you are still unconvinced or dislike the mixed shake with olive oil, you can try the below alternatives or additions to the olive oil ingredients. Nothing stops you from doing it.
- Whole milk
Whole milk can help you get your calories in and is healthier than decreased fat products. If you suffer from lactose intolerance, this is something you should note. The best method to fix this is to slow up your intake, enabling the body to change and learn to absorb it more successfully if you want it that way. The overall taste of shakes will even improve with whole milk.
- Coconut oil
Olive oil is slightly healthier and has more nutrients. Coconut oil is tasteless and contains more calories and saturated fat. This is a quicker alternative for a calorie boost without adding oil flavor to your shakes.
- Raw eggs
Eating raw eggs can be a quick way to get a lot of protein. We recommend using pasteurized eggs if you are consuming raw eggs. If you don’t like the taste of eggs, even so slightly, you can try liquid egg whites product. This is 100% tasteless with all the benefits of white eggs.
If you don’t want to use liquid eggs, using a blender ball can help to stir the eggs, you can never tell the blended result, except a little sticky spot here and there.
- Peanut butter
Peanut butter is an exceptional choice since it’s loaded with nutrients, affordable, and easy to contribute to your diet plan. The taste is also a fantastic addition to the shake. Enough said.
- Avocado oil
It doesn’t have taste and with all the same calorie amount as olive oil. It has a high smoke point, making it useful for high-temperature cooking (multi-purpose). You will get slightly less polyunsaturated fat and less vitamin E, but that’s all about it.
- Grape seed oil
The seed contains slightly more polyunsaturated fat than olive oil, and the taste is neutral. Grapeseed oil has ended up being a popular alternative cooking oil. It has similar properties to oils like veggie or olive oil and can provide numerous health benefits to consumers.
- Flaxseed oil
The flaxseed oil contains more Alpha-Linoleic Acids, which are good for your heart.
- Almond butter
You can find more monounsaturated fat and other nutrients like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, and folate in almond butter than in olive oil. This is a slight upgrade from peanut butter, only a bit.
- MCT Oil
MCT oil is an artificial oil to extract all the benefits of coconut and palm oil without cons. It’s flavorless, and MCT oil is especially popular with the Ketogenic diet. This one yields lesser calories than olive oil but not that much.
- Heavy cream
You will have additional vitamin A with heavy cream, less monounsaturated fat but more saturated fat. Also, arguably better taste.
Final Thoughts
Olive oil is a healthy addition to your shakes with nutrients and calories, especially if you add bulk muscle mass. One factor putting people off is the taste. You can mask it in various ways without losing the benefits. If you want to replace it anyway, there are many alternatives like coconut oil that are tasteless and have alternative beneficial factors different from olive oil. It’s all going back to you. Lastly, we hope you find this article about olive oil in a protein shake is helpful and enjoyable.
