protien powder shakes??

mznicoleg

so i hear people saying that they ditch the slimfast 321 shakes and switch to protein shakes.I am drinking the slimfast shakes because they are easy to use/make but i know they have a lot of sugar. I am using them to loose weight..can anyone share some recipes so i can quit using slimfast?and which protein powder to use ...thanks.

midnight_storm

I have the same inquiries, but also I'd like to add:

Does it matter if your protein shake powder is flavored? Will the 'chocolate' or 'vanilla' flavor be a big flavor if you add things to it? I want to make mine with orange juice and stuff, but I can't fathom having to taste Vanilla flavored orange juice. And it seems as though I might not have a choice in getting non-flavored.

workingthisout

I have a vanilla whey protein that I use, its pretty good. I usually do half a scoop of powder, and mix it in the blender with frozen fruit like strawberries or blueberries, half a banana, some water, ice cubes, maybe a little juice. The protein powder basically is there to balance out all the sugar in the smoothie, it slows down the way your body absorbs the sugar. You want to make sure you have protein with every meal, so when you're making a smoothie quick you can just toss in the protein powder to have a balance

workingthisout

& Midnight, the flavor takes a little adjustment but you'll figure out what tastes good with it. I do vanilla powder with orange all the time, it grows on you lol. Some brands even make like Oreo flavor. I get mine at the grocery store, &I've heard GNC has really good flavors

Kr1ptonite

Iv tried a number of Protein powders and for me Cellucor Whey is one of the best tasting around. Peanut Butter Marshmellow flavour is amazing.
Your looking at about 130 Calories
Protein: 25g
Fat: 1.5g
Sugar: 1g
Carbs: 3g

HeyGoRun

I have the same inquiries, but also I'd like to add:

Does it matter if your protein shake powder is flavored? Will the 'chocolate' or 'vanilla' flavor be a big flavor if you add things to it? I want to make mine with orange juice and stuff, but I can't fathom having to taste Vanilla flavored orange juice. And it seems as though I might not have a choice in getting non-flavored.

Vanilla willl taste better if you wanna add other stuff
Chocolate taste ok with a banana

dreamofbrokenbutterflies

I use an unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 40 cals a cup, and a scoop of body fortress premium whey protein powder in strawberry, at 160 cals, though I don't drink it as a meal replacement, just after working out. Though if you wanted it as a meal replacement just stick a banana in it because strawberry banana shakes are wicked.

Alluminati

Slim Fast is a meal replacement shake, so it probably has more vits and minerals than a protein shake.
Protein shakes are a supplement for those that need help hitting their protein goals.

Make sure when you switch out your shakes you are still getting all your vitamins and minerals through your food and/or vitamin supplements.

cdahl383

I've been using Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Natural Chocolate protein powder for a while now and it tastes/works great. I have a shake in the morning along with my shredded wheat and a half glass of OJ. 500 calories, 40g protein, and I'm full until lunch around noon. ON 100% whey has 24g protein per serving and 130 calories. Mix it with an 8oz glass of skim milk and you get another 80 calories and 8g protein. Much healthier for you than those shakes with tons of junk in them.

I also make my own protein bars by using the protein powder, rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, cocoa powder, skim milk, and crushed flax seed. All natural ingredients and they taste better than the store bought protein bars that are loaded with junk.

If you go with a protein powder I recommend getting one with NO artificial sweetners in it. I tried the regular ON 100% whey stuff before and after a week or so I started getting headaches. It turns out it has some weird artificial sweetner in it. I got the natural version that is sweetened with a little sugar and stevia (plant extract) and I've had no issues.

trisH_7183

I use Body Fortress vanilla whey protein powder from Walmart.It can be used with most other flavors,added to chocolate milk etc.A lot of ppl
Use chocolate powder with peanut butter,but not a fan of PB,so I stay with vanilla.I add ice,4oz of yogurt,powder with milk or water.
Sliced frozen bananas are easy add ins. Keep track of calories,they can add up pretty fast.

ghost15026

I've been using Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Natural Chocolate protein powder for a while now and it tastes/works great. I have a shake in the morning along with my shredded wheat and a half glass of OJ. 500 calories, 40g protein, and I'm full until lunch around noon. ON 100% whey has 24g protein per serving and 130 calories. Mix it with an 8oz glass of skim milk and you get another 80 calories and 8g protein. Much healthier for you than those shakes with tons of junk in them.
...
If you go with a protein powder I recommend getting one with NO artificial sweetners in it. I tried the regular ON 100% whey stuff before and after a week or so I started getting headaches. It turns out it has some weird artificial sweetner in it. I got the natural version that is sweetened with a little sugar and stevia (plant extract) and I've had no issues.

I second Optimum Nutrition. You can pick up a tub of it on Amazon.

The one part I politely disagree with is the "side effects" of the flavored types. It is not a "weird" artificial sweetener - it is Sucralose aka Splenda. Sucralose is based on common sugar but processed so you can't digest it (similar to insoluble fiber). Sucralose works for many and may bother a few like anything else. Headaches are common for a handful of people - just treat it like any allergy. If you know Sucralose bothers you, simply avoid it. If it doesn't, then it's fine to use.

I don't want to turn this into an artificial sweetener flame war - use your judgment in the end. (This may still initiate one, though)

Vanilla flavoring is the most flexible as you can make just about anything out of it. Add some Trop50 orange juice and lowfat milk to make an Orange Julius. Drink it FAST because it will separate the milk. You can add in fruit and greek yogurt to make a delicious smoothie of any type. For just plain straight drinking then I highly recommend Double Chocolate. Tastes identical to chocolate milk as long as you use at least 4 ounces of milk.

The unflavored is fine but you'll always be seeking something out to add to your shakes. This may not always be a good thing. You usually add something sweet that adds additional calories/carb content you may not want/need. It also takes more time to make. Sucralose doesn't add any calories in contrast.

Just keep in mind that these powders are supplements. They exist to help you meet your protein goals & are not an actual "meal replacement". The meal replacement shakes have a lot of micronutrients (among other things...) that you won't find in the protein powders. They're both convenient, however.

These will all work fine to suppress hunger. You may want to consider that a huge chunk of cooked chicken breast, turkey, and even a lower fat cut of steak does the same thing with a smile. Just depends on your circumstances and what you're trying to do.

Avoid the Shakeology cultists.

rkirk1954

My favorite, so far, is the Whey Isolate Vanilla protein powder sold by Puritan's Pride and, if I'm not mistaken, the same as Vitamin World. 30 grams of protein per serving with 1g of fat and less than 1g of carbs at 130 calories. Using a high speed blender, the stuff comes out creamy. I mix it with 8-10 ounces of water , per serving, and add cinnamon and cayenne with baby spinach.

norrisski

I use EAS Lean Protein Powder and mix with unsweetened Silk almond milk. I also add fresh fruit and occasionally peanut butter. I really like it because it gives me the protein with less calories and less sugar than most. It comes in vanilla and chocolate. My shake this morning was 2 scoops chocolate flavored, 1 cup almond milk, and 1/2 cup fresh raspberries.

tattygun

Mix vanilla protein powder with ice cold almond milk and catch the bus to pleasure town!

cdahl383

I think the ON 100% whey regular stuff uses Acesulfame K as the artificial sweetner. I think its different than sucralose but it could be a variation. I know for me it gave me headaches so I opted to stop taking it. WIth the natural stuff, no headaches and it tastes about the same too. From what I've read artificial sweetners aren't bad for you in low doses but I just choose to avoid them if I can.

You may also want to check out the article Consumers Reports did a while ago about the various protein powders out there. Quite a few of the popular ones had high levels of heavy metals in them (i.e. Muscle Milk). ON was on the low side and below all of the FDA's RDA allowances. Supplements are regulated by the FDA so companies dont have to follow as many rules as regular food manufacturers/processors have to.

Here is a link to the article I was referring to. Keep in mind that many common food items like fish and potatoes also have higher levels of heavy metals than other foods, so a small level of these is probably entering our bodies through other food sources, albeit at low/safer levels. But some of the protein powders are a little excessive with what's in them.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/whats-in-your-protein-drink/index.htm

bbudyn

Avoid ON 100% protein it has many fillers and its low quality protein. I would suggest a protein from Kaizen http://www.kaizennaturals.com, it is high purity no artificial sweetener, no GMO's (Genetically Modified Organism/Additives). They're a great company and have lower prices than most protein brands on the market. In addition it tastes great.



Smooth tasting
Delicious, natural flavour
Easy to digest
Easy to mix
No artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners
Low in fat
Low in carbohydrates
Gluten-free
Lactose-free
No hormones, pesticides or GMOs

Tasada07

I use Evox Lean Pro shakes as a meal replacement. It's the best tasting shake I've ever tried and not that sweet. Tastes like milkshake and mixes instantly. I find many shakes have a very powdery feel in the mouth. You can mix with milk and / or water and each 300ml only has 98calories. I dont find the need to really blend with fruit or anything, occasionally I do have a bite of fruit with it but as is.

tamadrummer001

You cannot go wrong with Optimum Nutrition! Just remember it is different than a meal replacement shake. It does not have the same amount of calories as a meal replacement shake and its only packing 3 or 4 carbs.

I love love love it!

I am knee deep in a 50lb cut! Because I work out so hard 6 days a week, I am afforded mine with 1% milk post work out and then my going to be Casein protein shake with milk as well.

I see a professional nutritionist, a doctor for fat pills/loss and a trainer for the kicking of my buttocks...lol

I believe you are smart to get away from the meal replacement, take the smart advice on shakeology, (I am a coach, because a friend sells the crap, and I hate the stuff! Cannot drink it, its horrible, it costs an a$$load of money too)

One big piece of advice that is still very difficult for me to swallow has been to remember that we did not get fat overnight, and it will take a lot longer to take it off. Don't get discouraged if you have plateaus and peaks and valleys. It happens! Just make it your new lifestyle and run with it.

Protein powders/meal replacements are supplements, eat 85-95% real food and supplement your shortfalls for protein with a shake

NK1112

I've been using Walker Diet Shake Meal Replacement ... The Chocolate flavor Ingredients: Protein Blend of (Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Egg Whites and Sodium Caseinate), High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Inulin, Lecithin, Dutch Process Cocoa, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Oat Fiber, Vitamin and Mineral Blend of (TriCalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Ascorbate, Vitamin E Succinate, Opti™ Zinc Methionine, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Molybdate, Niacinamide, Selenomethionine, Copper Gluconate, Pyridoxine HCl, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine HCl, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3, Chromium Polynicotinate, Vitamin K1, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid), Xanthan Gum, Glutamine Peptide, Soy Fiber, Guar Gum, Carrot Fiber, Mono & DiGlycerides, Choline Bitartrate, DiPotassium Phosphate, Citrus Pectin, Sucralose.
Contains: Milk, Eggs and Soy. I usually have the vanilla and chocolate on hand.

It comes in at 180 calories with 60 calories from fat and provides 7 grams of carbohydrate, 6 grams of fiber and 24 grams of protein for 2 scoops mixed with 8 ounces of water and 1 ice cube whirred in a blender.

I usually use it as an after-workout snack and cut back to just one scoop with coconut water instead of plain water. I've also added hemp seed or chia seed to it and used almond milk with berries or 1/2 a banana ... I find it quite good and affordable.

It's pretty inexpensive on line ... about $23 for 36 ounces and $13 for 18 ounce ... but Vitacost usually has it on sale for less on line.

susan420

My favorite is IsoNatural

Protein 27g
carbs 1
fat 0
sugars 0
sodium 45mg
cholesterol 3mg

tamadrummer001

Avoid ON 100% protein it has many fillers and its low quality protein. I would suggest a protein from Kaizen http://www.kaizennaturals.com, it is high purity no artificial sweetener, no GMO's (Genetically Modified Organism/Additives). They're a great company and have lower prices than most protein brands on the market. In addition it tastes great.

While the Kaizen product looks to be great. Do you have any information showing that ON uses inferior whey in their process? There is plenty of information available to the opposite saying they are one of the best manufacturers of all forms of protein since they own the facilities where the whey is produced and control 100% of the process.

Yes, it has sucralose and coffee creamer as some of the ingredients, but 90+% of proteins do. I have no issues with it personally and I certainly do not believe that using completely safe products in the process makes this inferior.

Please cite some sources that show ON is a bad product. This will also implicate BSN since they are ON as well.

cdahl383

Most of my research has found ON to be a pretty good protein too. But maybe I missed something. ON is also made in the USA from USA products which I also liked. I'm sure there are many other good ones out there as well, but it seemed for the money that ON offered the best quality product (not the best, but near the top for a reasonable price). Last 5 lb tub I got was $45 with free shipping, pretty hard to beat that.

I agree with the statement above, most of your calories should be from real foods that have fiber and nutrients and just supplement for extra protein with the powder. I know some people have 4 or 5 shakes a day and that just seems excessive as well as probably missing out on a lot of fiber, vitamins, nutrients, etc.

mortuseon

I've been using the MyProtein protein shakes as a supplement - it's sugar-free (the Impact Whey which get, anyway) and you can get unflavoured to add to almost anything (I add the banoffee one to greek yoghurt which makes an amazing breakfast with banana...). Pretty affordable compared to most protein shakes, imo. It's not a meal replacement, though, so you'll need to add in some veggies etc to make up the difference.

jynxxxed

My question is why do you need a meal replacement? I'm here because I enjoy food, so I'd rather not replace meals with drinks.. you can lose weight eating delicious food.

I do use Optimum Nutrition as a protein shake as a supplement for when I'm unable to get sufficient protein through food alone. It's not a meal replacement though. I'd really prefer to eat my calories when possible.

stillnot2late

Lots of people need something as a meal replacement rather than skip a meal. Lots of people would rather skip a meal than use a replacement. Me, I'm not skipping any, so if I need to use a shake, its on. Someone mentioned Walker Shake - In all my years on this earth, using protein shakes and meal replacements, Walkers is the worst I have ever tasted in my life. Someone mentioned making their own protein bars - so do I, its so much better than buying them cause they cost too much.

life_wontwait

One thing I'll add that I didn't see mentioned (apologies if I missed it), if you're mixing your protein with stuff, whey is fine, if you're just going straight protein drink and want it as a replacement, you might want to go with a slower digesting protein like casein.

KittyViolet

I've bounced between Optimum Nutrition (loads of flavors to choose from omg), iForce (basic flavors), and currently working my way through a tub of Myofusion (this one is gluten free!). They all work the same to me as far as I can tell, and the flavors I've tried so far taste fan-freaking-tastic!

If I plan on making my smoothie the main part of a meal, I blend 1 or 2 scoops with 1 cup of almond milk, 1 1/2 cups of raw spinach, some ice cubes, and whatever fruits I have lying around. I find bananas blend really well. Also, spinach and blueberries make a tasty smoothie, albeit a really gross-looking one haha! If I'm just having it as a drink with a full meal, I just shake 1 scoop of powder with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of almond milk. Comes out gritty this way sometimes, but whatever. I ain't picky about that lol.

heis4u2004

I haven't been using premade protein shakes or mixes. I do my own thing. Here is my recipe and I have been consistently losing weight: 3 ice cubes, 1/2 ripe banana, handful spinach, 1 tbsp all natural peanut butter, 1 tblspn or less cocoa powder, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk. I use my blender to crush the ice and get it to a nice chocolate drink. The ripe banana is sufficient in sweetening this.
Low in sugar and high in protein.
SometimesI do not need the peanut butter especially if I am having a boiled egg with it. This is what I have been drinking almost every morning. And you cannot taste the spinach.

Some poeple add honey or yogurt for added sweetness or protein.

I do not know if this will help anyone in making healthy choices, but here it is. Anyway a lot of those premade mixes have too many chemicals listed and I try to stay away from all that.

judychicken

Bump!

peggyalex

I have tried shakeology, slim fast, Jillian Micheals, visalus and a # of others.............by far my favorite and nutrition wise for the price is IdealShape, I really think I like the chocolate best, but have tried both choc and vanilla. of course vanilla is easier to blend w/ fruits and veggies if thats they way you want to go tho! good luck! there are so many out there to choose from it gets confusing!

TinaBean007

Basically as everyone is saying, it's all about macros and what you're trying to accomplish. Plug the nutritional facts into your food diary and determine if it addresses what you want.

I do the raw organic thing.... They have both meal replacement and protein. I use protein because I struggle to reach my daily goals through my diet. http://www.gardenoflife.com/Products-for-Life/Foundational-Nutrition/RAW-Protein.aspx