Protein in water or in a smoothie

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CinqueFit
CinqueFit Posts: 19 Member
in Food and Nutrition
If I mix it with a smoothie , does it become a meal? Is there a benefit one versus the other? Thanks!

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    If you define it as a meal.

    When I have it, I usually have it with a meal, so with oats (and the rest of my breakfast) or with a smoothie (that also includes vegetables and some fat and around the same number of calories as my usual meals).

    But you could totally do a dessert or snack smoothie with just some protein powder and a banana or whatever makes sense for you as a snack. Depends on calories, etc.
  • jdlobb
    jdlobb Posts: 1,232 Member
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    I mix with Fairlife 0% ultra-pasteurized milk. 8oz of milk only adds 80 calories, but 13 additional grams of protein. If I'm feeling skimpy on calories for the day I'll use unsweetened almond milk to cut 50 calories.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Mixing it with water will make it have fewer calories. Mixing it with other items tastes better to many people (and you'll get the nutrition of whatever you're mixing it with in addition to whatever is in the protein powder).

    Whether you consider it a meal is up to you. I don't really feel satisfied by drinking calories, so I wouldn't consider it a meal. When I make a smoothie, I usually keep the calories at a level that I feel comfortable with for a "snack" or part of a meal.
  • canarysal
    canarysal Posts: 118 Member
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    I use unsweetened almond milk at 13 cals per 100mls but have had in plain water, semi skimmed milk and mixed in with porridge (oats), down to personal preference and calorie goals.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    I mix my unflavored protein with coffee and chocolate milk or (more recently) coffee, milk, and cocoa powder. I consider it more of a power boost to get me to my one daily meal, than a meal itself.
  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
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    I guess I'm an odd one, most often I mix chocolate or vanilla flavored pp with cold coffee, and often mix vanilla flavor with diet A&W root beer (note: do not shake with carbonated drink, STIR).
  • Morgaen73
    Morgaen73 Posts: 2,818 Member
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    I mix mine either with water or almond milk.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
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    i have it with water because i have been made to believe that there is only so much protein that can be absorbed (10-15gm per hour) and the rest passes through (might be woo, i havent researched the other side)
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    I just use water. As I generally drink it post workout when I'm famished, I just end up chugging it anyways.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    misnomer1 wrote: »
    i have it with water because i have been made to believe that there is only so much protein that can be absorbed (10-15gm per hour) and the rest passes through (might be woo, i havent researched the other side)

    Mostly woo. The absorption rate is correct, but it takes an average of 8 hours for food to be digested. So you are absorbing nutrients the whole time it's passing through your digestive system. (small intestines do most of the absorption, but not all).
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    If you add water and ice and run it through a blender, technically, it is a smoothie. The advantage is that it tastes better (IMO) and provides the opportunity to add ingredients to make it, as you say, more of a meal (oats, fruit, PB, etc.).

    The disadvantage is that it's more of a PIA than taking a scoop of whey and throwing it in a shaker cup with some water.

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