Protein supplements

tracydr
tracydr Posts: 528 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have a hard time getting enough protein while dieting. Thinking about getting a supplement to make a fruit and veggie smoothie. Any low-cal tasty kinds out there that don't cost a fortune?
I was also wondering if using something like egg beaters might be just as good, if not better.
I'm also looking for the healthiest " milk" milk to use in the smoothies. Almond, soy, hemp, etc. regular milk seems higher in carbs than some other types.
I've only tried a few protein powders and the ones I've tried were awful. Especially the soy.
Is adding protein that helpful? I'm on 1200 kcal a a day and tend to run a little high on fats/carbs. Just getting started back to dieting again.

Replies

  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    Egg beaters are fine as a protein supplement.
  • hunterjumper642
    hunterjumper642 Posts: 115 Member
    I prefer getting my protein out of natural sources and foods- chicken, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, etc.

    However, i do use protein powders occasionally. My favorite is Optimum Nutrition Whey- the vanilla and chocolate are the best. If you are looking for a plant-based protein, I like the Sun Warrior protein from Apple Crate- the vanilla tastes the best in smoothies. This is rice protein and is vegan, but is the more expensive of the two.

    I like soy and almond milk. I think soy has more protein per serving, so I would go for that one and see if you like it. Experiment and see which one works best for you- maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a long-term thing, so whatever you choose you should be able to withstand for a lifetime.

    Adding protein has been incredibly helpful to me. I feel a lot fuller when I eat protein, which is awesome. In addition, it is great for building muscle and maintaining it, and some studies even suggest that the body burns more calories to breakdown protein when compared to fats and carbohydrates. (don't quote me on that, though).

    Make sure you are still getting healthy amounts of carbs and fats in your diet, though.
  • cpdiminish
    cpdiminish Posts: 84
    There was a study (data mining) that came out recently that found that in middle age, we actually need less protein than the recommended daily amount, though I forget what health problem they linked an excess to.

    Their hypothesis was that we need more protein when young to grow and be active, less in middle age to maintain, and more as seniors to compensate for malabsorption. Of course, amounts required would be dependent on how much your are exercising, but something to perhaps look up online.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    CipherZero's whey roundup

    >ON Double chocolate and Extreme chocolate are... okay. You'll be sick of them before the tubs are empty. Mixes well in water, milk, and almond milk.Double is less flavorful than extreme.

    >Dymatize Elite Fudge Brownie is godly. Mixed with everything, but tends to be thicker than any of the others. Use a little less water (or whole milk) and you've got dessert shake.

    >Wheytech Protech 24 banana & chocolate are both kind of weak flavors and suitable for blending. The banana is great with orange juice, yogurts, and puddings.

    >Body Fortress vanilla - the worst of the lot. It has a gritty texture that'll never go away no matter what you do with it. Very obvious artifical flavor.

    >The Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Fit N' Full Shake (Berry flavor): I didn't think anything could taste worse than Body Fortress. I was wrong. Disgusting. Do not buy.

    >Myofusion Elite Protein Series Peanut Butter Cookie Dough: Smells kind of like the Body Fortress Vanilla, and has the same highly-artifical flavor but no grittiness to it. Tasted decent in water and will probably a lot better with milk.

    >Paleo Protein - Triple Chocolate. This one's beef and egg whte protein. Smells amazing in power form, had a slick texture and odd flavor if you're used to whey-based protein shakes. The chocolate smells a lot better than it tastes. It's the ony one I was unable to get to completely mix with a blenderball shaker.

    >Jay Robb Strawberry Egg White Protein. Since when is Strawberry yellow? Never mind, it's actually pretty good with a strong flavor. It does produce a very foamy head in the shaker cup
  • Rushgirl82
    Rushgirl82 Posts: 223 Member
    I love silk true coconut milk!
    And I just bought dymatize all natural elite vanilla protein powder! I love it as well in protein pancakes or shakes!
  • getshredded2012
    getshredded2012 Posts: 26 Member
    I'm a big fan of Bodynutrition's Trutein, goes for about $50 for a 4lb tub. The company name used to be Trunutrition Sciences but they recently rebranded to Bodynutrition, but it's the same stuff (Trutein). I have been buying the vanilla flavor for the past 2+ years and I've never been disappointed in it and I'm not tired of it yet. 25g protein per scoop, tastes decent in water but wonderful in milk or almond milk. Whenever I want something other than vanilla flavor in my shake, I add unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate, or blend with bananas, peanut butter, or other fruits for other flavors.

    The Trutein is a combination of 40% whey protein, 40% micellar casein protein, and 20% egg white protein. They also make a protein powder called ISOology which is a protein isolate but I've never tried it.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    I prefer getting my protein out of natural sources and foods- chicken, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, etc.

    However, i do use protein powders occasionally. My favorite is Optimum Nutrition Whey- the vanilla and chocolate are the best. If you are looking for a plant-based protein, I like the Sun Warrior protein from Apple Crate- the vanilla tastes the best in smoothies. This is rice protein and is vegan, but is the more expensive of the two.

    I like soy and almond milk. I think soy has more protein per serving, so I would go for that one and see if you like it. Experiment and see which one works best for you- maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a long-term thing, so whatever you choose you should be able to withstand for a lifetime.

    Adding protein has been incredibly helpful to me. I feel a lot fuller when I eat protein, which is awesome. In addition, it is great for building muscle and maintaining it, and some studies even suggest that the body burns more calories to breakdown protein when compared to fats and carbohydrates. (don't quote me on that, though).

    Make sure you are still getting healthy amounts of carbs and fats in your diet, though.
    I've also noticed appetite suppression from higher protein, which is why I wanted to try having protein shakes with some fruit for fiber. I'll get the soy milk. I used to drink a lot of soy milk but just hate it in my coffee. It's good for smoothies,though.
    I don't need animal free. I'll try both the whey and the egg beaters. I may also up my intake of ft free Greek yogurt, since I love it.
    Starting my weight loss program over and the first 1-2 weeks are always tough. I don't get many calories to play with since I'm on the short side.
    I might try all the milk subs at Sprouts and see what I like best.
    I'll check for the Optimum, too. It sounds great!
    The others sound good,too.
    I bought soy protein from Sprouts bulk bins and it was awful. I gave it to a body builder.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    I'm also going to pick up some tuna for snacks. A can of tuna with a bit of yogurt and salad fixings is a nice, satisfying lunch.
    Another thing I've recently started eating is raw oysters. I can get large ones for 85 cents at the Asian market. I wish I was a better shucker. One raw oyster makes a great appetite suppressant for me.

Categories