Help me find a protein supplement

ExistingFish

I've recently stopped eating dairy for my skin. The improvement in my skin has made it evident that dairy does not agree with me.

I am not getting nearly as much protein without dairy though, I was not supplementing protein when I ate dairy - but I ate greek yogurt and cheese regularly which are good sources of protein.

I have tried a couple of non-dairy protein powders and they are disgusting. I can't stand pea protein, I've tried it several mixtures.

I also can't stand stevia, even small amounts. I prefer sugar or monk fruit for sweetener.

I cannot find a non-dairy, not-pea protein that is NOT sweetened with stevia. I can do collegen, egg, and bone based, I'm not vegan - just dairy free.

Any suggestions? I just can't keep buying these and not liking them.

claireychn074

Firstly, are you dairy intolerant or lactose intolerant? It’s worth trying one of the lactose free milks or cheeses to see how that affects your skin, as it could be a nice simple solution (ie you’ll still be able to drink milk and eat cheese). Secondly, have you tried different types of milk / cheese? I’ve got a colleague who can’t have cow’s milk products but is fine with sheep and goat’s milk - she lives on feta.

Thirdly, there are vegan Greek yoghurts and cheese - I have no idea what they taste like or what the protein levels are, but they might be an acceptable substitute.

ExistingFish

claireychn074 wrote: »

Firstly, are you dairy intolerant or lactose intolerant? It’s worth trying one of the lactose free milks or cheeses to see how that affects your skin, as it could be a nice simple solution (ie you’ll still be able to drink milk and eat cheese). Secondly, have you tried different types of milk / cheese? I’ve got a colleague who can’t have cow’s milk products but is fine with sheep and goat’s milk - she lives on feta.

Thirdly, there are vegan Greek yoghurts and cheese - I have no idea what they taste like or what the protein levels are, but they might be an acceptable substitute.

Thanks! I've known that I'm lactose intolerant all of my adult life - using lactose free milk and cheese has not stopped the breakouts.

I am 34 and I have literally never stopped having acne. Literally never in my life. I kept thinking it would "eventually" go away with age. Then there was pregnancy and breastfeeding and I thought when those were over the hormones would settle....nope.

I have been dairy free since February and I'm just now seeing the change in my skin (it takes like 8-12 weeks to see skin change based on diet), I'm not going to 'experiment' with adding things back in. It's improved my digestion, my period cramps are significantly improved - it's better for me not to have dairy.

No, non-dairy greek yogurt has like 1g of protein. I tried it, it didn't taste very good and it didn't have the protein, it was worthless for health.

sarah7591

I drink Premier Protein drinks and really like them. They have 30 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. They are not cheap but like you I am always trying to get more protein.

ExistingFish

sarah7591 wrote: »

I drink Premier Protein drinks and really like them. They have 30 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. They are not cheap but like you I am always trying to get more protein.

Aren't those whey protein based? Whey is dairy.

I'm specifically looking for recommendations that are non-dairy.

sollyn23l2

ExistingFish wrote: »

I've recently stopped eating dairy for my skin. The improvement in my skin has made it evident that dairy does not agree with me.

I am not getting nearly as much protein without dairy though, I was not supplementing protein when I ate dairy - but I ate greek yogurt and cheese regularly which are good sources of protein.

I have tried a couple of non-dairy protein powders and they are disgusting. I can't stand pea protein, I've tried it several mixtures.

I also can't stand stevia, even small amounts. I prefer sugar or monk fruit for sweetener.

I cannot find a non-dairy, not-pea protein that is NOT sweetened with stevia. I can do collegen, egg, and bone based, I'm not vegan - just dairy free.

Any suggestions? I just can't keep buying these and not liking them.

Then why not just increase your protein intake.... eggs, chicken, pork, lean beef? If you don't like protein powder, there are many other options for protein.

ExistingFish

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

ExistingFish wrote: »

I've recently stopped eating dairy for my skin. The improvement in my skin has made it evident that dairy does not agree with me.

I am not getting nearly as much protein without dairy though, I was not supplementing protein when I ate dairy - but I ate greek yogurt and cheese regularly which are good sources of protein.

I have tried a couple of non-dairy protein powders and they are disgusting. I can't stand pea protein, I've tried it several mixtures.

I also can't stand stevia, even small amounts. I prefer sugar or monk fruit for sweetener.

I cannot find a non-dairy, not-pea protein that is NOT sweetened with stevia. I can do collegen, egg, and bone based, I'm not vegan - just dairy free.

Any suggestions? I just can't keep buying these and not liking them.

Then why not just increase your protein intake.... eggs, chicken, pork, lean beef? If you don't like protein powder, there are many other options for protein.

Thanks for the tip! I have added more eggs to my diet. I eat meat regularly,

It may not be relevant to you, but the prices of food, especially proteins, are skyrocketing. Protein powder is usually an affordable way to increase your protein.

I never said I didn't like protein powder! I can't find one! That is what I'm looking for!

glassyo

What about rice protein powder? I tried it when I was supposed to limit dairy. That didn't last long and I didn't like the rice protein powder but you might!

Lietchi

I'm not sure how prices are in your area for these different foods (compared to protein powders), but perhaps there are some things in this list that might be budget friendly, once you get past the classic meat and fish products:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also#latest
It's not an obvious choice, but foods like chickpeas and lentils could give a little boost to your protein intake, for example.

(Yes, I know you're asking about protein powders specifically, but being in a different country (and continent?) I doubt my suggestions would be useful)

WholeFoods4Lyfe

I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

Heamous

I would highly recommend the chocolate Orgain protein. You can get i but thing at Costco for a great price. My wife and I absolutely love it, the taste is great and it is vegan so no worries on the dary side effect.

JBanx256

There is beef-based protein powder as well (Muscle Meds is one company that makes it) and Redcon1 makes a whey-free protein powder called MRE Lite (they have an "MRE" too but it's way too high-cal for me to consider personally) that is made from a combination of beef/salmon/chicken/egg proteins.

ExistingFish

glassyo wrote: »

What about rice protein powder? I tried it when I was supposed to limit dairy. That didn't last long and I didn't like the rice protein powder but you might!

I haven't been able to find one, I'd really like to try it. Do you have a brand recommendation?

ExistingFish

Lietchi wrote: »

I'm not sure how prices are in your area for these different foods (compared to protein powders), but perhaps there are some things in this list that might be budget friendly, once you get past the classic meat and fish products:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also#latest
It's not an obvious choice, but foods like chickpeas and lentils could give a little boost to your protein intake, for example.

(Yes, I know you're asking about protein powders specifically, but being in a different country (and continent?) I doubt my suggestions would be useful)

Thanks - I'll keep it in mind.

ExistingFish

WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »

I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!

ExistingFish

Heamous wrote: »

I would highly recommend the chocolate Orgain protein. You can get i but thing at Costco for a great price. My wife and I absolutely love it, the taste is great and it is vegan so no worries on the dary side effect.

Thanks - I've looked at it, it's sweetened with stevia. I can't stand stevia. I can taste even small amounts.

JBanx256

ExistingFish wrote: »

WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »

I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!

depending on your particular goals, collagen may not be the best option:

https://www.strongerbyscience.com/research-spotlight-collagen/

but then again it may be a perfect fit for ya!

ExistingFish

JBanx256 wrote: »

There is beef-based protein powder as well (Muscle Meds is one company that makes it) and Redcon1 makes a whey-free protein powder called MRE Lite (they have an "MRE" too but it's way too high-cal for me to consider personally) that is made from a combination of beef/salmon/chicken/egg proteins.

Thanks I will look that up, the only been protein ones I've seen before were "mass gainers". I appreciate the suggestion!

Aw man, the third or fourth ingredient is 'Whole Milk Powder" - may not have whey, but it isn't dairy free!

JBanx256

ExistingFish wrote: »

Aw man, the third or fourth ingredient is 'Whole Milk Powder" - may not have whey, but it isn't dairy free!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah *KITTEN* sorry!

paints5555

ExistingFish wrote: »

WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »

I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!

Just remember that collagen is a very poor quality protein. It is missing several essential amino acids.

azuki84

bummer. i eat 500g yogurt every day and my skin is smooth/good in my opinion, or at least my mom says so (LOL). pea protein does suck i agree, taste is vile. i think soy would be my choice, in terms of flavor (loved Vegemil Black Bean Soymilk growing up- then i realized how much sugar they put in that sh** lol)

ExistingFish

paints5555 wrote: »

ExistingFish wrote: »

WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »

I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!

Just remember that collagen is a very poor quality protein. It is missing several essential amino acids.

Just can't win.

ExistingFish

azuki84 wrote: »

bummer. i eat 500g yogurt every day and my skin is smooth/good in my opinion, or at least my mom says so (LOL). pea protein does suck i agree, taste is vile. i think soy would be my choice, in terms of flavor (loved Vegemil Black Bean Soymilk growing up- then i realized how much sugar they put in that sh** lol)

I wish I knew what it was like to have smooth skin! Mine is the best it's been since I was a young teen or before, but it isn't 100% clear - and my back/chest still have spots. It's so frustrating.

Right now I've lost most of my sense of taste due to covid, maybe I could have the pea protein for now...

SuzanneC1l9zz

I can't digest most dairy and have a legume allergy. I use hemp protein. Hemp has a distinctive flavour, which I don't mind (I drank hemp milk for years) but the dehydration to make it into powder makes it really strong, so definitely not for everyone. The one I use is unflavoured and unsweetened.

Nutrition panel:

avatiach

There are some protein bars that are dairy free and rely on fruits as a sweetener. Maybe you could try one of those.

ExistingFish

I found plain egg and rice protein (with nothing else) available online - I think I'm going to try those.

claireychn074

How about a different tack: I know you mentioned the cost of fresh protein (chicken cost rocketing at the moment!) but how do you feel about tinned fish? It can be a lot cheaper than fresh, you can get a wide variety to minimise exposure to the higher levels or mercury etc in tuna. In the UK sardines and mackerel are relatively inexpensive and pack a reasonable amount of protein. They’re not as easy as just drinking a protein shake but might at least not cause skin problems?

CrunchityFrog

So I just came off of an elimination diet (the FODMAP diet for my IBS) and one of the things eliminated was lactose. And one thing I learned on that diet is if that one can eat hard cheese even if you're lactose intolerant because the process of making hard cheese somehow kills the lactose... or something? Anyway, google "hard cheese and lactose" if you're interested.

Also, I use peanut butter powder to add a small bit of protein here and there to my diet. It's not a lot, but every little bit helps, right? I usually sprinkle it into my cereal or my yogurt.

Speaking of yogurt, sheep's milk yogurt is pretty good, as is goat's milk yogurt. But they're a bit pricey. And yogurt is something one can have in moderation while avoiding lactose -- with live bacteria -- because the bacteria kills the lactose.

I had to do a lot of research about this while on that diet. It was a killer elimination diet.

sollyn23l2

CrunchityFrog wrote: »

So I just came off of an elimination diet (the FODMAP diet for my IBS) and one of the things eliminated was lactose. And one thing I learned on that diet is if that one can eat hard cheese even if you're lactose intolerant because the process of making hard cheese somehow kills the lactose... or something? Anyway, google "hard cheese and lactose" if you're interested.

Also, I use peanut butter powder to add a small bit of protein here and there to my diet. It's not a lot, but every little bit helps, right? I usually sprinkle it into my cereal or my yogurt.

Speaking of yogurt, sheep's milk yogurt is pretty good, as is goat's milk yogurt. But they're a bit pricey. And yogurt is something one can have in moderation while avoiding lactose -- with live bacteria -- because the bacteria kills the lactose.

I had to do a lot of research about this while on that diet. It was a killer elimination diet.

I don't think the op is lactose intolerant, I think they don't do dairy period for other health reasons. They won't use whey protein, which has no lactose, because it's dairy.

CrunchityFrog

I don't think the op is lactose intolerant, I think they don't do dairy period for other health reasons. They won't use whey protein, which has no lactose, because it's dairy.

My bad, I coulda swore I read somewhere upthread she said she was lactose intolerant.

georgieamber2

Try soy protein isolates? Pea and rice I find to be disgusting and so chalky! Also soya yoghurt as good macros, same with nutritional yeast which gives a good cheesy / nutty flavour! Also try some higher protein pastas / spaghettis to bump up the protein! 🤍