You might ask yourself if you should or should not add more protein powder, or more nuts.

Research has shown that 40g of protein at a time is the optimal amount to be consumed by the body in a single meal, for a duration of 4 hours.

So honestly, it is really up to you, either add 250g of peanuts for 46g of protein, or add 1 scoop of a protein powder, in addition to 100g of nuts which is approximately 20g of protein which equates to a total of about 40g of protein, some protein powders have higher or lower per scoop of protein, but the average is usually 20g of protein.

If I like the flavour of a specific protein shake, I use a scoop, if not I only use nuts, and use the protein shake when I need the 40g of protein, and I am not hungry enough to eat.

Next is choosing a sweetener, there are many choices to pick from depending on what you like.

Putting in a ripe banana is a good option, because a banana is nutritionally dense fruit, great source of potassium, and has a good amount of sugar, and pairs well with milk.

Dates is my personal favourite due to its micro nutrient content, it contains Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6, and rich in fibre, the best part, it's all natural.

Brown sugar vs refined sugar, it's a no-brainer, go with brown sugar.

Last thing I'd like to mention is artificial sweetener, some say it's harmful and inhibits healthy gut activity, but I personally use it due to my type 2 diabetes.

When you have chosen which ingredient to use as a sweetener, you personally have to choose the amount that is to your taste, when I use dates, I use them in 3s, as for a banana, no need to complicate it, just use a whole banana, as for brown sugar, I start with 1 tablespoon then the next time I make it, I decide if I want more, lastly for artificial sweetener I start with 1 pack and increase the next time I make my shake if I desire a sweeter taste.

Your choices are endless, but it all depends on what outcome you want to achieve.

Do you want your drink more creamy? Watery? It all depends on your preference.

I personally use Oat milk or Almond milk (I'm lactose intolerant) mixed with some percentage of water to counter the creaminess of the peanut, but for extreme creaminess you can use milk.

The amount of liquid you add into the mix is all up to you, the less liquid you use, the more thick it will be, in contrast the more you use, the more milkshake consistency you'll get.

Vanilla extract is one of the easiest ways to give a drink a kick of flavour, just don't make my mistake when I first started using vanilla, I used too much of it in a small quantity, it tastes disgustingly bitter.

A single drop of vanilla or half a pod of vanilla should do the trick.

If you want to get fancy or add some extra steps because you love to infuse flavours together, simmer the vanilla pod in the mix of liquid you will use in your drink before mixing in the blender.