Protein powders: are they worth it?

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  • SilverRose89
    SilverRose89 Posts: 447 Member
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    I use them when for whatever reason I am below my protein goal. I really like to make protein fluff, it makes a huge bowl for the calories so takes a while to eat, and the protein content makes it extremely filling to me. I find it seriously helpful for when I just want to binge eat something sweet.
  • ashirley695
    ashirley695 Posts: 7 Member
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    I'm not finding them worth it after a few years of experimentation. Currently I have a "vegan" mix on the counter.
    Being on a stupid low calorie diet, and an allergy elimination diet, I thought these powders would help in staying reasonable on calories while providing some of the nutrients I was worried I am missing.
    I'm beginning to see the idiocy in all of it, really.
    If I were motivated enough to pull the blender out every time, I'm sure I could make some fancier shakes. Reality is that I also thought the quick convenience of shaking powder with liquid was a selling point, I don't need to create more dirty dishes than necessary, No? Not so much.
    Cows milk and my digestive system is a rotten combination, goat milk fairs better but is expensive here, and there's something lacking in rice milk for me in terms of enjoyment. All nuts currently seem to give me hives, as well as banana and avocado, so those mixers are out even before calorie load was considered. I could go on, but currently this is a major negative for the efforts and cost.
    Besides ingredient issues, I have yet to find a powder with a decent taste. They all suck, honestly, unless you add a ton of things like honey (that's a negative for me right now), chocolate, etc. I just don't seem to ever enjoy the taste or consistency. Moving beyond that, if I chug one down, I feel real funny for hours. I don't think my stomach enjoys that much liquid at once, it really does prefer actual food. In the morning, I drink my coffee and then have to wait a bit before eating as even that is just too much liquid. Never heard of anyone else having that issue though. Maybe the powder could be added to coffee, but I thought I read the heat of hot coffee would alter the powder negatively, and I haven't been willing to sacrifice a perfect cup of coffee to potential powderous ruin.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    I've been drinking some sort of shake thing in the morning since i'm a little girl. i'm not a breakfast person and this way I get some nutrition before i'm out the door.
  • saragd012
    saragd012 Posts: 693 Member
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    I think it varies so much from person to person it's impossible to say definitively how worth it they are. As PP have mentioned, some people few it as a supplement and some people treat it as a meal replacement. For me, protein powders are absolutely worth it. I eat a mostly plant based diet, and have a (taste) preference for large quantities of vegetables so without protein powder/bar supplements I would be hard pressed to reach my protein goals. Protein bars are especially helpful to me as a snack with a decent amount of calories when I'm (mentally) struggling to eat enough. Yes, it would be cheaper to drink a large amount of milk and eat some spoonfuls of peanut butter, but I won't, so instead I invest in the items I know I'll actually consume.

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