Question about protein powder and almond milk

sodakat

I've not tried either one. Almond milk is rather expensive but I've noticed that lots of people use it instead of milk. I'd like to know what it tastes like and some reasons for using it instead of milk, please.

Regarding protein powder, what/where should I buy if I want to use it to get in a bit more protein each day and how do you prepare it when used as part of your general weight loss plan.

Thanks very much!

BlueBombers

I mix my protein powder with regular 1% milk. I just shake it up and enjoy. I sometimes add a banana or a little peanut butter just to mix it up.

Almond milk is alright but I prefer regular milk which has a lot more protein than almond milk. A lot of people use almond milk as it is lower in calories and carbs compared to regular milk.

Edit:

As for protein powder, I am currently just trying different brands to see what I like best. I try to stick to the natural stuff if possible and am careful to choose powders with very little sugar in them.

_lyndseybrooke_

I'd go to a store designed for nutritional products. Around here we have Nutritional Warehouse. Once you're there, ask an employee (a female preferably) what type of protein powder she'd suggest for your needs. She should ask you some questions, like how many calories per day you have to spare, what your goals are, etc. I'd stick to a vanilla flavored protein powder for now, because it's incredibly versatile.

I use CSN 100% Pro Whey Standard protein powder in the flavor Vanilla Ice Cream. It's about $32 for a 3 lb tub, which contains around 40 one-scoop servings. Each scoop has 115 calories, 1 g fat, 2 g carbs, 1 g sugar, and 24 g protein. It was important to me to find a low-calorie powder with a decent protein count, but no extra fat, carbs, or sugar. It was also important that it actually taste good with no weird protein after taste, and this one fits the bill. You can buy it online, but you'll have trouble finding it in stores unless you live in South Carolina.

When I first started, I just mixed one scoop of the protein powder with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk. You can also use regular milk (skim, 2%, etc.) or coconut milk, or even just plain water. I like almond milk because it's only 30 calories per cup. This simple mixture was only 8 oz and tasted like a melted vanilla milkshake. Very tasty and satisfying.

Now, I take 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/2 cup water, a big handful of baby spinach (can't taste it in the shake), 1/2 frozen banana, and a few ice cubes. I use my blender to make it into a smoothie-like texture. It's soooo good, and it ends up being more like 16 oz, which makes it more filling than the aforementioned basic mixture. Plus, I'm getting extra fruits and veggies in. This is the only other blend I've tried, but there are SO many recipes out there for good protein shakes. If you can afford the extra calories, peanut butter or avocado is a great addition.

cstringfellow2013

I like the Simple Truth Vanilla Almond Milk. It has 80 calories per 8 ounces and more flavor than skim milk (83 per 8 ounces). There are unsweetened ones that have only 30 calories per 8 ounces, if you are trying to lower the calories. The one I prefer tastes like a slightly nutty low fat milk. The unsweetened one tastes like a slightly nutty skim milk - nearly bland. Easily use the first one in cereal, if I ate cereal, but a poor substitute for dipping cookies!

I mix one scoop of dutch chocolate protein powder with 10 ounces of Almond milk and one frozen banana (sliced) each morning. It does the trick for me. If I am out of bananas, I just shake up the almond milk with the scoop of protein powder. I use Isopure Whey now. If you do a search on this forum for protein powders, you will see lots of recommendations for other brands and their yummy flavors.

sodakat

Thanks to all of you for the info and ideas!