Diabetic Friendly Protein Shake

Ive been hunting around for a protein shake that is low in carbs/sugar. Being diabetic i need to be careful and most shakes ive found have 20-50g of sugar per serving!

Ive always found it hard to eat a "real" breakfast before 10-11am so im thinking a "healthy" way to go would be a protein shake to get me kick started on the day.

ALMASED - Looks interesting, but reports are it tastes REALLY bad unless you mix with soy milk/skim milk ect. soy milk and any milk sugars dont agree with me, so looks like its not a good choice.

Trutein - Again seems pretty good but pricey! Around $40 for a 2lb tub.

Anybody have any experience with a low carb/diabetic friendly protein shake, that tastes ok without having to add milk/soy milk ect?

Replies

  • Laura732
    Laura732 Posts: 244 Member
    Just out of curiosity, what makes a protein shake diabetic friendly? How many grams of carbs and sugar is too much? I've had pretty good luck with Almond Milk, have you tried that yet?
  • Hi, I was just told to do a low carb diet since my numbers were high and could become diabetic if I didn't change. I have found that EAS protein shakes have less sugar (2g) and so does Arbonne protein shakes (9g). I use both. With the EAS I use almond milk, unsweetened (3/4 Cup), 1 tsp. instant coffee and shake it up. Works like a charm. Arbonne I just add a little more water than called for, since it is a little chalky. Hope this helps.
  • DejikoGo
    DejikoGo Posts: 8 Member
    I have heard of Isopure Zero Carb as a zero carb protein powder. Though I see it does have Sucralose in it - may need to check the affects it has on blood sugar. Check online for other related powders. And I find mixing with almond milk (unsweetened) works well if you don't want to use water.

    I have tried 1st Step whey protein powder, it had 3g net carbs (8g total carbs-5g fiber). It was quite delightful with the unsweetened almond milk. I had the french vanilla. However, this has " Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose," as sweeteners in it. Just pointing that out.
  • I'm diabetic and I use Health Wise meal replacement shakes (https://www.healthwisenri.com/product-category/meal-replacements) and I add 2 tbsp of ground flax seed and/or 2 tbsp chia seeds. The ground flax seed and chia seeds add fiber and help keep blood sugar low.
  • dsalveson
    dsalveson Posts: 306 Member
    I'm pretty sure most true protein powders are low carb/sugar. I've tried most of Cellucor's flavors and they all taste pretty good mixed with water. 2lb is $30 so a little more than $1 per serving. 3g carbs. Smores is good, and I like to mix mint chocolate and molten chocolate. Trutein is okay but I personally prefer Cellucor.

    I hear this stuff is pretty good and it's $52 for 5lbs. http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/machine-whey.html

    Do you like oatmeal? For breakfast I often eat 45g oatmeal and 40g protein powder mixed with water. It keeps me feeling full and satisfied for quite a while and that would be a diabetic-friendly breakfast.
  • Just out of curiosity, what makes a protein shake diabetic friendly? How many grams of carbs and sugar is too much? I've had pretty good luck with Almond Milk, have you tried that yet?

    It depends a lot on the person, and exactly what is in it. Higher protein generally means you can have more net carbs. With something high protein 5-10g of net carbs is fairly safe.

    Edit to save double post:
    Cellucor looks very interesting, thanks for the tip!
    Thanks to everybody for all the fast helpful responses, you have all been a really big help!

    Oatmeal and protein powder sounds interesting ill have to give that a try! Is there a particular brand of powder you'd recommend?
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I'm not diabetic but all the protein powders I use barely have any carbs at all. Cellucor Cor-performance whey only has 3 carbs per serving and one of that is fiber. Syntha-6 only has 7 carbs and 2 of those are fiber. Both of these come in awesome flavors too.
  • dsalveson
    dsalveson Posts: 306 Member
    Oatmeal and protein powder sounds interesting ill have to give that a try! Is there a particular brand of powder you'd recommend?

    Sorry just to clear that up because I typed it kind of confusing, I don't mix the protein powder with the oatmeal although there are people who do. I meant I eat plain oatmeal and drink the protein shake and having the two together as a meal is very filling. But like I said some people do actually mix the protein powder with the oats as seen here if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeR7GmrJFF8

    My dad is diabetic and I wish he liked protein powder because it could be a diabetic's best friend. There are some great recipes on this site - http://proteinpow.com/
  • ParkerH47
    ParkerH47 Posts: 463 Member
    While its not a shake - Questbars are very diabetic friendly - 20g pro, 17g fibre, 1g sugar, 1g sugar alcohols, 8g fat. And Delish!
  • efwolfcub
    efwolfcub Posts: 99 Member
    I'm a fan of Syntrax nectar powders. they make an unflavored version that you could add to pretty much anything (add it to some SF greek yogurt?) warning though - the flavors are good, but *very* sweet (sucralose is the main sweetener, I think)
  • cclepew
    cclepew Posts: 40 Member
    I like the Dixie Diner shakes a lot. The chocolate one has 111 calories, 21 grams of protein and 2 net carbs. It's almost a little too sweet (my tastebuds have changed since I cut out sugar), but still very tasty. The vanilla one is good, too. Haven't tried the strawberry.

    http://www.dixiediner.com/carb-counters™-carb-rock-roll-shakechocolate-p-410.html
  • I suggest you make a homemade shake instead of buying the premade stuff; you might save money too. My go-to shake is made with NOW Foods Whey Protein Isolate, unsweetened almond milk, 1 serving of oats (uncooked), and a fruit or two (banana berries) with plenty of ice.
  • Oi_Sunshine
    Oi_Sunshine Posts: 819 Member
    Proteinco whey isolate (chocolate) nutritional info:

    Calories116
    Sodium40 mg
    Total Fat0 g
    Potassium0 mg
    Saturated0 g
    Total Carbs3 g
    Polyunsaturated0 g
    Dietary Fiber0 g
    Monounsaturated0 g
    Sugars0 g
    Trans0 g
    Protein26 g
    Cholesterol0 mg 

    I buy this online, minimal ingredient list, and stevia is used as sweetener.