Shmulik "Sammy" Sharon. Credit: Evan Gunville.

If you're anything like me, the idea of packing a meal into a shake has never been all that appealing. (What about the chewing? The savoring? The letting the last bite linger-ing?)

But when it comes to losing fat and building muscle, a post-exercise protein shake is hard to beat. I recently came around to them thanks to Shmulik "Sammy" Sharon, the manager of New York City's Barry's Bootcamp, one of the country's most soaking sweat sessions. He concocted this delicious way to refuel after a workout without splurging on calories. Whip one up at home after your next workout:

Sammy's Simply PB Protein Shake  

Ingredients:  6 ounces almond milk  (Barry's Bootcamp prefers Silk's vanilla flavor) 1 whole banana 1 tablespoon of peanut butter 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder  (Barry's uses Nature's Best: Zero Carb Isopure Whey Protein)

Preparation:  Mix all ingredients in a blender, pour into a glass, and enjoy. If the shake is too thick, add half a cup or more of shaved or crushed ice and blend again. Makes one serving.

Nutritional info: 209 calories, 8 g of fat, 7 g of carbs, 30 g of protein