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The Skinny on Protein Powder

February 23, 2016   36 Comments

I am not a fan of supplements. Every week I receive an e-mail from a company that wants me to try their latest concoction that will make everything perfect.

Protein Powder

Protein powder is been on my list of “stuff I don’t want to talk about” for years but I am starting to change my mind. What convinced me to give it a look was the book – Always Hungry?.

There is a banana peanut butter smoothie in the book which uses a scoop of unsweetened whey protein powder and I had to try it.

One of my biggest problems with drinking a smoothie for breakfast was that I didn’t feel full. Protein is known to increase satiety (the feeling of being full after eating food) so I thought that trying some protein powder might be a good thing.

I love smoothies and think they are a fun way to get some fruits and vegetables in your diet (and I bought a new blender!).

I purchased Tera’s Whey protein powder (see below) from Whole Foods because it was the only brand that I could find that was plain and unsweetened. I checked out a brand at Costco that was ¼ the price but it contained artificial sweeteners and was either vanilla or chocolate. Whey protein powder is a complete protein meaning that it contains all nine of the amino acids necessary for humans.

The addition of the whey powder increased the amount of protein in the smoothie by about 11 grams for about 55 calories and you couldn’t taste or notice the powder.

Did I make it to lunch without a snack? You betcha.

Many body builders and exercise fanatics use protein powder to help build, maintain and repair muscle. I think that it is great for new vegetarians who are still learning how to get enough protein in their diet without meat.

I think protein powder could be beneficial in losing weight as long as you aren't getting a ton of protein from other sources. You can overdose on protein - which this powder would make it easy to do - and stress your liver and kidneys.

Have you tried protein powder? Which brand did you try and was it helpful?

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First 20 Comments: ( See all 36 )

I hate most protein powders. I find they have artificial sweeteners, and I can't stand the aftertaste of said sweeteners.

My go-to sources if I want a protein boost in smoothies or overnight oats is either powdered peanut butter bought at the bulk store or Hemp Protein from Manitoba Harvest. So far I've only tried their vanilla flavour, but I love it, and have also used it in protein-ball recipes. My kids can eat it too. Good for vegetarians and vegans.

http://manitobaharvest.com/product/77/Hemp-Protein-Vanilla-…

I love Garden of Life's Raw Protein powder. I've seen it in Whole Foods, but I get it on Amazon.

I use Sprouts unflavored bulk protein. I can buy as much or as little as I want and I can mix it in anything since it has no flavor.

I have been a vegetarian for 45 years, avoiding protein supplements. Thank you so much for investigating this, Lisa. I, too, have been influenced by the information in the book "Always Hungry." I still have lots of berries in the freezer from last summer. I can see a new breakfast habit emerging!!

I prefer pea protein to whey but most of my smoothies are made with plain Greek yogurt. I've also been using Great Lakes gelatin with collagen. As long as I keep the fruit to a cup or under and include lots of greens, I feel full.

I've used GNC LEAN SHAKE and was quite satisfied with results and feeling of satiation - I am using vega protien and greens to get thru a VLCD it's working well. I'm moving to a sugar free powder or low sugar IdealShake and am excited for the future

Try Mullins Whey out of Wisconsin. Pure Whey and natural.

Thanks for this! I've been wondering about protein powders for a while. I get tired of being bombarded by all the wonder foods out there with no way (or whey!) of telling what a reasonable person might eat. I look forward to seeing the comments and maybe I will give it a whirl.

I love North Coast Naturals Chocolate Smoothie, bought it at The Bulk Barn.

I use beans in the smoothie. Pinto or black bean are the easiest to use and it doesn't cost a lot of money. I too have the feeling of not having what I eat last a few hours. This truly ( for me) does the trick!

I'm a fan of Sun Warrior's Warrior Blend protein powder as it is all natural and has a nice flavor. My favorite is the vanilla. It's a great addition to my smoothie.

I can't believe this is your topic today! I've been researching for over a month when a coach mentioned to aim for 95gm/day. I'm a runner that was/is also trying to lose a last 10 lbs after losing 115 altready. But was losing muscle too I think. Need to preserve that! So looked for low cal/high whey protein without a lot of artificial crap. Just ordered sample of About Time and looking at GNC Wheybolic Extreme 60 Natural. Both are 100 cal and 20gm protein. I get most of my protein from real food and track through MFP but if Im short on a day I'll add a supplement to get to 95g. Try to keep my diet pretty clean!

Have u tried devotion and their fluff??? Yummy!! Plz let me know ur thoughts luv 2 read ur ideas and opinion!!! I have some medical issues but I luv to hear all sides and takes on things!!! Xoxoxo

Whey protein powder in tough on uric acid. My husband-who has gout-had to stop with the protein powder for that reason.

I like mixing protein powder with Pb2, unsweetened almond milk, some frozen fruit, and ice for a nighttime dessert smoothie. It helps keep me full, and takes a while to eat (with a apoon, not a straw), and helps prevent me from rummaging in the kitchen at night.

I do not consume dairy or soy so I looked for a palatable plant based protein. I found and love Vega. It is a plant based protein smoothie and is available in berry and tropical tango, in addition to the standard chocolate and vanilla. I found single serving packets in the store for around $2 and knew they were a winner. They have 80-90 calories, 0.5g of fat or less, 4-5 carbs, up to 2g fiber, 2 g sugar, and 15g protein. When mixed with 8 oz of unsweetened Silk almond milk, I enjoy them for 2-3 SmartPoints. As fruit used in smoothies increases SmartPoints, I eat my fruit on the side. And, I am well satisfied until lunchtime.

I do not consume dairy or soy so I looked for a palatable plant based protein. I found and love Vega. It is a plant based protein smoothie and is available in berry and tropical tango, in addition to the standard chocolate and vanilla. I found single serving packets in the store for around $2 and knew they were a winner, they are also availabe in 9 oz pouches. They have 80-90 calories, 0.5g of fat or less, 4-5 carbs, up to 2g fiber, 2 g sugar, and 15g protein. When mixed with 8 oz of unsweetened Silk almond milk, I enjoy them for 2-3 SmartPoints. As fruit used in smoothies increases SmartPoints, I eat my fruit on the side. And, I am well satisfied until lunchtime.

I love Vega protein powder with greens - all natural ingredients. (Costco sells it off and on - also available at Target) I use the powder for a dessert type shake in the evening. This works well for me since I get up at the crack of dawn to hit the gym.

I use to use Tera's Whey and loved it.. But now I use Shakeology. I was added so much other ingredients to the Tera's Whey I thought why not just go for something that was whole. This is my opinion only.

I like a few of protein powders. I personally don't mind the sweetners because I don't drink protein powders that often I'd rather eat my calories and protein then drink it, but when I do make protein drinks (usually for breakfast and maybe again after a really intense weight training session) I like Isagenix, 1Up,Jay Robb (which has stevia in it) Vega One, and I buy powders from bodybuilding.com, and if all else fails egg whites. I personally stay away from GNC products especially now that they are in trouble for misleading customers. Some people love shakeology, but I'm not a fan.

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