TWO QUESTIONS - Coffee and Protein Shakes

peaceout_aly
peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
edited June 2015 in Food and Nutrition
1) If you drink coffee daily, how do you take it? I've been trying to cut it out completely, but it's hard. I find myself craving a latte or iced coffee but I know how sugar-packed and terrible it is. Tips/suggestions appreciated!

2) I use Arbonne Protein Powder/Meal Replacement on a daily basis. I was just reading about the "quality" of protein powders making a big difference in results. In your opinion is Arbonne good quality or low quality? Which protein powder would you suggest?

**Sorry these are totally random questions, didn't want to start two separate discussions!
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Replies

  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    For the coffee question, you can make yourself a latte with skim or 1% milk that is quite healthy. If you like it sweet and/or flavored, there are sugar substitutes and sugar free syrups that you can add in too.

    Personally, I drink my coffee black on a daily basis, though.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    I drink coffee every single day. I use raw sugar with half and half and measure. I make sure I fit it into my calories and macros and then enjoy the heck out of it. No guilt what so ever. Now I will say that I generally stay away from the drinks you can buy at starbucks, etc. Those are not worth the calories to me.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    I have my coffee black if I ever have it, not too often.

    On terms of protein shakes, I get that they're convenient sources of protein on the go but I'd advise getting protein from actual good if possible. I've never heard of Arbonne, but popular brands on MFP are Optimum Nutrition, G.N.C, MyProtein.

    If you do get a protein powder, make sure the brand hasn't been involved in anything dubious. I would recommend ON 100% Whey though, it's got a relatively high amount of protein (24g per scoop), 5.5g BCAA's and 4g of glutamine. Tastes alright in double rich chocolate. (http://www.onacademy.co.uk/gold-standard-100-whey).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnI64N7Uhoc
  • jmc0806
    jmc0806 Posts: 1,444 Member
    I drink my coffee black. I used to do cream and sugar, then cut back on the sugar with splenda and eventually just took it with milk until I cut that out of it too. Now I can't drink it any other way


    Protein powder I always go with Optimum Nutrition. I've never heard of Arbonne before, so i cant say one way or the other
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    coffee actually has some health benefits and nutrition...I take mine black or with a splash of 1%. there's no reason at all to eliminate coffee from your diet...some people could stand to cut back, but other than that there's no reason to do away with it.

    protein powders typically aren't meal replacements...they're just protein supplements...so I really don't know what you have your hands on there. I use Optimum Nutrition Performance Whey Isolate...it's basically pure protein and nothing else...not intended for meal replacement, only supplementation.
  • MrsSchimmy
    MrsSchimmy Posts: 255 Member
    1. I drink one cup of coffee daily with 1 packet of sugar substitute and one tablespoon of sugar free creamer. Generally, even if I have "normal" creamer and real sugar in my coffee, it still tops out at 50 cals per cup. MUCH better than the 800+ cal ones you buy at chains.

    2. Never heard of that one but I look at the calories, carbs, fat and sugar grams per serving of my protein powder. I've always leaned toward Cellucor and Optimum Nutrition for my protein powders. Generally, I always go back to taste. Both have some great tasting powders (Cellucor's Peanut Butter Marshmallow mixed with almond milk tastes like a liquid Butterfinger).
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    A latte or iced coffee is only sugar packed if you put sugar in it. Having cold brewed coffee over ice is fine. Having a latte, which is generally just milk and coffee, is fine unless you need to monitor sugar (the naturally occurring kind) for a medical condition. If you're still trying to monitor sugar and happen to enjoy sugar in both of these forms of coffee, you can try weaning yourself off, looking at artificial sugars or natural sweetener substitutes (like Stevia).
    If you're trying to cut coffee out for whatever reason (I know I did previously for a medical reason), the "weaning off" suggestion would work on that end, too.

    As for protein powder, different ones definitely differ in quality. I'm not familiar with Arbonne, but I know Trutein/True Nutrition has been ranked high; I think Optimum Nutrition protein is also considered a good quality.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited June 2015
    I prefer my coffee (include iced coffee) black. In college I drank it with just milk, and I drank iced coffee with milk until more recently. Never liked sugar in it, but if you like it a bit sweet protein powder can taste good in it.

    Don't know the Arbonne brand. I get the Biochem vanilla (whey) because it tastes good, mixes well, and is convenient (at WF, but then again that probably makes it overly expensive).
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    I only drink about 1 cup of coffee a day when I'm at work, but I don't even log it because it's one coffee mug of plain coffee with a few packets of Splenda. About the same calories as a stick of gum, which I also don't log. I prefer to have flavored creamer in my coffe, and sometimes I'll put a tablespoon of half & half in there, but I don't like drinking my calories (unless it's in milkshake or Starbucks form) and it's still drinkable without it. I can't do black coffee - bitter isn't my thing.

    I've never heard of Arbonne, but I just looked it up and found that the reviews are good and the macros are decent, even though it's higher in carbs than many other high quality protein powders. However, it seems to be highly overpriced and you may be wasting your money on it when you could get a product with better macros from a well-known, highly trusted brand like Cellucor or Optimum Nutrition for a much cheaper price.
  • dbienz
    dbienz Posts: 188 Member
    edited June 2015
    Side note but I sometimes use my protein and put PB2 in it (a powdered peanut butter) with a little bit of coffee grounds! I am a coffee lover... like obsessed, drink it every day, Seattle-coffee-snob status... and the peanut butter shake with the coffee kick and taste to it is amazing!
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
    I make my own iced coffee at home! I make a cold brew coffee concentrate (this recipe looks similar to what I do), and then put cashew milk in it. I typically sweeten it with sugar free syrups, but if you like real sugar, a little bit won't kill you.

    I don't know too much about protein powders, but my current fave is this one, but that's because I like the calorie/carb/protein ratio, and I find it's milled very finely, and mixes in like a champ (especially into yogurt).
  • TnTWalter
    TnTWalter Posts: 345 Member
    I drink black coffee in the morning [16 oz.] with 1 stevia packet.

    I buy whey protein at Costco. Hubby and I [and kids] have smoothies every day so we go through it!

    My current favorite smoothing is Blueberry Bliss: 1 cup frozen blueberries; throw in some frozen cherries if you have them; 1/2 T coconut oil; 1 tsp chia seeds; 1 scoop vanilla whey PP; 1 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened. LOVE.
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
    also this for protein powder ratings
  • snoopy7501
    snoopy7501 Posts: 46 Member
    I take my coffee with a few tablespoons of unsweetened cashew milk and a couple packets of Nutri-sweet. It's only about 10 calories total per cup of coffee! Since I like really sweet coffee, I sometimes buy those sugar-free syrups of various flavors (caramel is my favorite) and add a couple pumps for an additional sweetness boost for no added calories.

    As far as protein powder, looks like I'm in the majority; also Optimum Nutrition. The extreme milk chocolate flavor is awesome; tastes just like chocolate milk, even mixed with water. (Not so good mixed into coffee, though. I tried it once. It was awful.)
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
    Consumer Labs offer independent reviews and analysis of supplements. Good place to start when doing due diligence to make sure you're purchasing a quality product.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member

    Rich shot this just after he left Mutant, where he shilled for their protein and "weight gainer" products, and just before he launched his own line of supplements.
  • SibylDiane
    SibylDiane Posts: 177 Member
    I have about three cups of black coffee every day. It's good for you! I wouldn't use Arbonne because it doesn't fit the guidelines my dietician gave me: whey protein, low carb. Arbonne is mostly pea protein and is high carb, so it isn't for me. I like Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, Syntrax Matrix, Syntrax Nectar, and Unjury (the chocolate splendor flavor).
  • Bizurke51
    Bizurke51 Posts: 190 Member
    edited June 2015
    alykief wrote: »
    1) If you drink coffee daily, how do you take it? I've been trying to cut it out completely, but it's hard. I find myself craving a latte or iced coffee but I know how sugar-packed and terrible it is. Tips/suggestions appreciated!

    2) I use Arbonne Protein Powder/Meal Replacement on a daily basis. I was just reading about the "quality" of protein powders making a big difference in results. In your opinion is Arbonne good quality or low quality? Which protein powder would you suggest?

    **Sorry these are totally random questions, didn't want to start two separate discussions!

    I drink coffee every day, sometimes 1-3 times a day haha. I used to be a big cream and sugar guy, but i managed to cut it way down. I'd recommend just slowly reducing the extra stuff until you get to where its low cal enough for you. I only use splenda which is a huge help and now i'll use a half cup of skim milk or 2 tbsp of creamer, each are 40-45 calories, so coffee for me is about 60 calories these days.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    edited June 2015
    I drink my coffee with non dairy creamer and a packet of half sugar and half Stevia.

    As far as protein powder, I was drinking Shakeology Vegan. However, because of all the mixed ingredeants that are in it, my digestive system could no longer handle it. So yesterday I bought Sunwarrior Clasic Protein powder that is made up of brown rice protein. I had both the chocolate and Vanila flavor today with 10oz of unsweetened Vanila almond milk and Pb2. Both flavors are awesome and half the price of that Shako stuff.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    I don't know about the protein quality, I just looked for one that was 100% whey protein. I actually like my coffee with protein powder. If I'm not at home, I will get Starbucks iced coffee with sugar free vanilla sweetener then mix a cup so with protein powder. I usually get the coffee without ice because it blends better ,then add ice after mixing it. At home, I like cold brewed coffee, a bit of milk, protein powder and ice blended. I'll even throw in baby spinach for more nutrition, because I don't even notice it anymore.