Shakes are one of the most popular menu items at the LifeCafe, and that comes as no surprise: They can quickly and conveniently nourish your body with sufficient protein and a balance of other nutrients. They are also highly customizable to satisfy your individual taste and nutrition goals.
While it’s easy to order your usual, you can now introduce some variety into your routine with the create-your-own shake option. Below are how seven LifeCafe team members use it to craft their go-to orders.
Christopher Pica, LifeCafe lead at Life Time Middletown – Red Bank in Middletown, N.J.
Go-to order:
- Base: Oat milk
- Protein: Chocolate LTH Whey Protein
- Mix-ins: Banana, blueberry, peanut butter, and almond butter
- Boosts: LTH Power Creatine Monohydrate
“I compete in men’s physique competitions and getting appropriate nutrients is important for me,” says Pica. “I train at 6 a.m., five times a week, and this shake order ensures I get the nutrients and calories needed for recovery. I’ve always been a chocoholic, and I love the flavor profile you get here with the addition of peanut butter and almond butter. The oat milk makes the shake slightly higher in carbohydrates, which works with my nutrition plan — and it also makes the shake taste smoother.”
Kristy Carris, LifeCafe leader at Life Time in Rochester Hills, Mich.
Go-to order:
- Base: Almond milk
- Protein: Chocolate LTH Flex Whey Protein Isolate
- Mix-ins: Peanut butter, banana
- Boosts: Double chocolate LTH Life Greens
“This combination of ingredients keeps me energized, satisfies my sweet tooth, and gives me a boost of daily greens that I often need,” says Carris.
Michael Kline, LifeCafe leader at Life Time in Franklin, Tenn.
Go-to order:
- Base: Almond milk
- Protein: 3 scoops vanilla LTH Flex Whey Protein Isolate, Greek yogurt
- Mix-ins: Peanut butter
- Boosts: LTH Repair L-Glutamine, LTH Power Creatine Monohydrate, cafe mocha LTH Life Greens
“I like having just a touch of chocolate flavor in my shake, which I get from the cafe mocha flavored Life Greens,” says Kline. “And being in my late 40s, I like taking the L-glutamine for gut health and brain health. I work hard and exercise daily and don’t always achieve my protein goals through meals alone, so the extra scoop of whey isolate protein powder goes a long way.”
Joiie Ramirez, LifeCafe leader at Life Time Sky in Manhattan, N.Y.
Go-to order:
- Base: Orange juice
- Protein: Vanilla LTH Prime Collagen Peptides
- Mix-ins: Mango or pineapple
“I love to play around with ingredients for shakes because some of us may grow tired of having the same thing too often,” explains Ramirez. “This order is my recent favorite, which I’m calling Mango Mayhem. If mango isn’t available at your local LifeCafe, I’d suggest pineapple instead to make it a Pineapple Pizzazz!”
“Collagen helps provide structure, support, and strength to your skin and connective tissues,” he adds. “Mangoes are a source of vitamins A, C, E, and K, along with essential minerals like potassium, magnesium, and folate. The flavor of the shake brings back a taste of my childhood when my mom would make vanilla-orange ice cream pops, a treat I still cherish today!”
Mercedes Morones, LifeCafe leader at Life Time in Shenandoah, Texas
Go-to order:
- Base: Almond milk
- Protein: Chocolate LTH Whey Protein
- Mix-ins: Peanut butter, granola
- Boosts: Double chocolate LTH Life Greens
“My favorite way to make a shake is to match the ingredients to whatever flavors I’m craving,” says Morones. “Recently, that’s been the chocolate flavors in this shake. It tastes like a guilty chocolate treat that I’m not ‘supposed’ to have, but it’s nutritious and an easy way to get my protein in.”
Taylor Woodford, LifeCafe new club opening lead and LifeCafe regional center of excellence lead at Life Time Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nev.
Go-to order:
- Base: Oat milk
- Protein: Vanilla LTH Whey Protein, unflavored LTH Prime Collagen Peptides
- Boosts: cafe mocha LTH Life Greens
“This is very similar to our Mocha Madness shake, which I love, but I prefer to make the substitution to the milk, add more protein with collagen, and add the Life Greens to get me closer to my daily needs of greens and veggies,” notes Woodford. “Being able to do that in my breakfast shake makes things so much easier for me when I’m on the go. The addition of collagen protein adds a number of health benefits. It’s a win-win!”
Dave Close, LifeCafe leader at Life Time in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Go-to order:
- Base: 2-percent milk
- Protein: Vanilla or chocolate LTH Whey Protein
- Mix-ins: Peanut butter, banana, spinach, berries (blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries)
“I like to say that I’ve been making this shake for a year at Life Time, but 13 years at home,” says Close. “I use these ingredients as the base of my shakes, and then I’ll also add anything else flavor-wise that strikes my fancy on a given day. I always use vanilla LTH Whey Protein daily, and then if I want a ‘dessert’ at home in the evening, I’ll make another shake using the chocolate LTH Whey Protein.”
