I must say that I am not a big fan of supplements. Not because they don’t have application, but rather because they are often seen as a magic pill for success.
Apart from the creatine, being the most used and therefore studied supplement, there is one called protein powder? Most of the people know what protein powder is, but for those who don’t, let me explain.
Protein powder is powder that is made out of protein rich sources. It can be animal based – usually eggs or whey and casein. And plant based, such as hemp, soybeans, rice, peas etc.
The function is simple. Mixed with water, it is a good tasting shake that gives you around 30 grams of protein per dose. It is easy to digest and consume which makes it great for people who need, but struggle to consume more calories per day.
The problem with protein powders.
Over consumption.
The fitness industry made a great job to ritualize the protein shakes after training. When something is a ritual, you do it consistently. It means that after every workout you will reward yourself with a protein shake. And because it taste good and is a dietary supplement, why not having it every day or even twice per day. Before you know you are adding 200 calories every day which are not always from pure protein.
Purity.
The competition is so great, that every company is trying to come up with solutions to attract more customers. It could be price, but as price decreases, so does the actual amount of protein. It could also be taste. As we know taste enhancers are usually sugars or types of fats that are not always great for our health.
And even if you don’t care about the price and you get the most quality protein powder out there, it is still not going to have all the benefits as a whole meal.
You don’t really need protein shakes every day. You should always try to get your protein from a complete whole sources. However if you feel sometimes like having a tasty and health beneficial shake, check out this DIY recipes I come up with.
Vanilla protein shake
Ingredients:
1 whole egg
200 ml of milk
Vanilla essence/powder or vanilla sugar
Sweetener (optional)
Throw everything in a blender, and mix for one minute. If you are using vanilla sugar you certainly don’t need to use the sweetener. You can replace the milk with any other preferred alternative (oat milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc…). If you don’t have a blender, regular mixer or shaker will do the same job.
Enjoy!
Chocolate protein shake
Ingredients:
1 whole egg
200 ml of milk
Cocoa powder
Sweetener (optional)
Throw everything in a blender, and mix for one minute. You can replace the milk with any other preferred alternative (oat milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc…). If you don’t have a blender, regular mixer or shaker will do the same job.
Enjoy!
Strawberry protein shake
Ingredients:
1 whole egg
100 grams of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
200 ml of milk
Vanilla essence/powder or vanilla sugar (optional)
Sweetener (optional)
For this one you will definitely need a blender, especially if you use frozen strawberries. Throw everything in a blender, and mix for one minute. If you are using vanilla sugar you certainly don’t need to use the sweetener. You can replace the milk with any other preferred alternative (oat milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc…).
Enjoy !
It is true that this will give you about 12 grams of protein, instead of the claimed 30 from the commercial ones (most of the time not more than 25), however it is way cheaper, it contains way more nutrients and you can customize it the way you want. You can adjust the sweetness, use different products for different flavor etc.