This recipe is based on a higher protein diet (22% of calories).

This recipe uses Flax Seeds for ALA which most people can convert to DHA/EPA. Some people, however, don't do this efficiently, and particularly males don't do it as well. If you want a recipe that uses vegan DHA/EPA oil instead to ensure you are getting your requirements, go HERE

VEGAN

All ingredients are vegan in the recipe as is. Choline Bitartrate can come from both plant and animal sources, however the link on this recipe is for "Pure Bulk" branded Choline, which is listed on their site as "suitable for vegetarians and vegans". If you do source another brand, you should try to find one that says the same.

GLUTEN

This recipe relies mostly on Gluten Flour (Vital Wheat Gluten) for protein, which is what's used to make Seitan. If you're celiac, you can replace with Pea Protein Powder ($10.99/lb at Bulk Barn) and replace the oats with certified gluten free oats. You can also leave out the Lysine if you replace with Pea Protein.

TASTE

This recipe doesn't taste awful, and not great either. You will eventually get used to the taste if you're drinking it on a regular basis, and it should be tolerable from the get go. You can always adjust the recipe to have less oil and sugar and more cocoa powder for a better flavor, though cost will increase somewhat.

ADDITIONS

I like to add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ginger to each shake as they are great for the immune system. You can add this, or anything else you like, before hand or "on the fly". A full days worth would be 1.5 tsp turmeric, 1.5 tsp cinnamon and 3/4 tsp ginger.

SOURCES

Some of the ingredients are listed as "Local" meaning that you should simply buy at at a local grocery store. Prices will fluctuate a bit of course.

The Amazon prices include shipping where applicable. Most of the Amazon items are also tax free, so tax need not be added to many items (including the gluten flour).

The Deva Calcium supplement should be purchased 2 bottles at a time to get the price listed in the recipe.

The EPA/DHA oil price is based on buying the 500 ml size. For something cheaper (up front), you can get Webber Natural's capsules at HERE and just take 1 capsule daily. The cost will increase from $0.50/day to $0.61/day in this case.

The "French's No Salt Substitute" can be bought near the salt. The purpose is a cheap source of Potassium Chloride - buying just plain Potassium Chloride seems to cost about double in Canada versus just using this.

Preparation

The first thing you need to do is blend the oats into oat flour. This is best achieved using a high powered blender like a Blendtec or a Vitamix. You can sub with an equal amount of oat flour, but the cost will be higher.

Combine all dry ingredients and mix very well. Store in a sealed container.

When making your shake, add the canola oil and EPA/DHA oil. You can use either a shaker or a blender to combine.

Protein

Protein is provided from the gluten flour and oats. Lysine is added to make it a complete protein.

Xanthan Gum

The Xanthan Gum is not necessary but does make it thicker and more palatable.

Sugar

The sugar in this recipe makes up about 6% of calories. The WHO recommends consuming less than 10% of calories from sugar, and also recommends trying to reduce to as low as 5%. This recipe is almost down to the 5%

Oil

40% fat may seem like a lot, but it's well within recommended guidelines. Remember oil has 9 calories per gram versus 4 for protein and carbs. So while the calorie intake is 40%, the volume is less than 20%. You can sub another oil for canola though canola does have a 2:1 Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio which is an acceptable ratio for these.