Meal replacement shake

Nightmare_Queen88
Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
edited July 2016 in Food and Nutrition
I need help! Lol. I've been drinking a protein shake in the morning to replace breakfast, but I just learned that I may not be adding enough fat and carbs to it for it to be filling.
My shake:
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 egg whites
2 tbsp pecan chips
1c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
6-7 frozen strawberries
All together it has 11g of fat and 18g of carbs. I don't really want to increase anything though. Because I'm trying to watch the amount of carbs I eat a day which is between 90-122. The amount of fat I can eat a day is 47g. So do I really need to add anything extra to my shake to boost the fat and/or carbs or is my shake fine the way it is?
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Replies

  • lilligraz22
    lilligraz22 Posts: 183 Member
    I think it's fine the way it is as far as fat is concerned. You'll get more fat throughout the day in your other meals. But it does seem like a lot of protein.
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
    LindaGraziano1 wrote: »
    I think it's fine the way it is as far as fat is concerned. You'll get more fat throughout the day in your other meals. But it does seem like a lot of protein.

    It's about 27-28g of protein. My protein powder itself only has 16g of protein. I was told that wasn't enough protein. So I added the egg whites. I'm not trying to bulk up really. I don't want a lot of muscle. So should I take out the egg whites?
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited July 2016
    Opinion: I would increase protein powder to 1.5 the amount. I would cut out the chips to save calories (but later have them as mid-morning snack). You could also make it with low fat milk instead of nut waters to add protein (and a bit of calcium, magnesium, vitamin d, and potassium.
  • terricherry2
    terricherry2 Posts: 222 Member
    Don't worry, that isn't too much protein at all. And protein won't make you 'bulk', only a calorie surplus will do that. If you like everything you're putting in the shake and it's helping you stay on track with your goals then stick with it. If not then switch it up. There's no one right way to go.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Nightmare_Queen88 wrote: »
    I need help! Lol. I've been drinking a protein shake in the morning to replace breakfast, but I just learned that I may not be adding enough fat and carbs to it for it to be filling.
    My shake:
    1 scoop vanilla protein powder
    2 egg whites
    2 tbsp pecan chips
    1c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    6-7 frozen strawberries
    All together it has 11g of fat and 18g of carbs. I don't really want to increase anything though. Because I'm trying to watch the amount of carbs I eat a day which is between 90-122. The amount of fat I can eat a day is 47g. So do I really need to add anything extra to my shake to boost the fat and/or carbs or is my shake fine the way it is?

    Why are you adding egg whites and protein powder? Stop doing that. Just use the protein powder. Add half a banana or a whole banana for carbs. Banana helps keep you full too, just dont' use a very spotty banana. More yellow. I'd also cut the almond milk and just use water.
  • MarkusDarwath
    MarkusDarwath Posts: 393 Member
    carbs do not contribute to extended satiety. They are the fastest digesting thing we eat. Why are you choosing to be so limited on fats? They really help you feel satisfied for longer. The only thing to watch for is to make sure your foods aren't individually so high in fat as to become super calorically dense. I personally would substitute whole milk for that almond juice, possibly drop the pecans, and just have two whole hard boiled eggs on the side. I would also look at the protein powder you're using and see how much it's adding in carbs alongside that protein. The stuff I use is 30g protein per scoop. But then my calorie allotment is 2200 per day, and you don't say exactly how many calories are in that shake. Speaking of which, solid food satisfies better than liquid. The fact that it's a shake may be part of the problem you're having with it.
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
    It has 279 calories, 26g of protein, 18g carbs and 13g of fat. And to answer the question above I add egg whites to boost the protein because my protein powder only has 16g per scoop. Someone told me that wasn't enough and suggested I add the egg whites. :)
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    It should be fine as long as:
    1.) you enjoy it
    2.) you can fit it into your daily calorie goal
    3.) it's allowing you to hit your goals
  • EddieHaskell97
    EddieHaskell97 Posts: 2,227 Member
    beachbody.jpg


    Kidding... I actually agree with Redraidergirl2009 completely.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited July 2016
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    you do realize whey is a "real food", right?

    or do you avoid things like cheese and yogurts too?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    Positive: I can add 25 grams of protein to my morning coffee. I still get protein from food, it's just also convenient to boost my intake with protein powder.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    you do realize whey is a "real food", right?

    or do you avoid things like cheese and yogurts too?

    Oh..wow, I so didn't mean that as an insult in any way. I was just posing it as a question to learn more. It appears I used the wrong terms.. sorry. :blush:

    No I love cheese and yogurt... I've been in several of your threads lately or following your posts I should say and have learned a lot, obviously I have far more to learn. :# What protein powder do you use and do you add anything to yours @rainbowbow ?
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited July 2016
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    Positive: I can add 25 grams of protein to my morning coffee. I still get protein from food, it's just also convenient to boost my intake with protein powder.

    Thank you! Yes it is a good way to get protein in and I do lack protein each day without going over in my other macros. @janejellyroll
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    you do realize whey is a "real food", right?

    or do you avoid things like cheese and yogurts too?

    Oh..wow, I so didn't mean that as an insult in any way. I was just posing it as a question to learn more. It appears I used the wrong terms.. sorry. :blush:

    No I love cheese and yogurt... I've been in several of your threads lately or following your posts I should say and have learned a lot, obviously I have far more to learn. :# What protein powder do you use and do you add anything to yours @rainbowbow ?

    LOL, no i was just saying. For some reason people seem to think that whey protein is just a supplement, when in fact it's a byproduct of the cheesemaking process. You can commonly see whey on top of settled greek yogurts, etc.

    I personally am lactose intolerant ( :cry: ) So i can generally have whey protein isolate (like muscle milk or quest), otherwise i have to use soy protein powder.

    The only reason i would recommend a protein powder is if you enjoy the taste of some shakes, tasty baked goods high in protein, or want a simply way to add more protein to your diet without a ton of extra calories.

    Is it required? Or necessary? Absolutely not, but it is just normal food and has no specialness other than it's calorie/protein ratio (generally 120 for 25g protein).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I would think your satiety issue has more to do with the fact that you're drinking your breakfast...I've always found solid food to be far more satiating for much longer than liquid food.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited July 2016
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    you do realize whey is a "real food", right?

    or do you avoid things like cheese and yogurts too?

    Oh..wow, I so didn't mean that as an insult in any way. I was just posing it as a question to learn more. It appears I used the wrong terms.. sorry. :blush:

    No I love cheese and yogurt... I've been in several of your threads lately or following your posts I should say and have learned a lot, obviously I have far more to learn. :# What protein powder do you use and do you add anything to yours @rainbowbow ?

    LOL, no i was just saying. For some reason people seem to think that whey protein is just a supplement, when in fact it's a byproduct of the cheesemaking process. You can commonly see whey on top of settled greek yogurts, etc.

    I personally am lactose intolerant ( :cry: ) So i can generally have whey protein isolate (like muscle milk or quest), otherwise i have to use soy protein powder.

    The only reason i would recommend a protein powder is if you enjoy the taste of some shakes, tasty baked goods high in protein, or want a simply way to add more protein to your diet without a ton of extra calories.

    Is it required? Or necessary? Absolutely not, but it is just normal food and has no specialness other than it's calorie/protein ratio (generally 120 for 25g protein).

    Thanks for the explanation, I guess I took it way different than you meant it. lol

    I did think of it as a supplement... so it really helps that you got that out of my head. :laugh:

    Appreciate your post! :smiley:
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    It should be fine as long as:
    1.) you enjoy it
    2.) you can fit it into your daily calorie goal
    3.) it's allowing you to hit your goals

    Well...then I guess I'm good. :) I get so confused because so many people have different opinions about the subject and I don't know who's right and who's wrong. But I'm just going to stick with what I got because it works for me and I think that's all that matters.
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I would think your satiety issue has more to do with the fact that you're drinking your breakfast...I've always found solid food to be far more satiating for much longer than liquid food.

    I do feel satisfied after drinking a shake. I don't know about other people but I do. :)
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    edited July 2016
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    People often use whey protein powder over other sources of protein for either convenience or cost efficiency. Whey protein usually has the lowest cost per gram of protein for any food out there [$0.0018/g] compared to chicken [$0.0025/g] and eggs [$0.0026/g]. It's also very low fat and shelf stable.
  • amandaeve
    amandaeve Posts: 723 Member
    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    Why powder and not food? :smiley: Sometimes I feel like I should jump on the bandwagon and start protein shakes and then I remember how much protein chicken has and how much I love veggies. We're all different and I really would like to learn... so teach the lil grasshopper. :wink:

    Someone explain to me the positives of protein shakes or why you prefer real food instead? I appreciate it!

    My bf doesn't like food. Hoe doesn't enjoy preparing it, eating it, tasting it, any of it. If he could live of a pill, he would. So, he eats Soylent (meal replacement shakes) regularly.

    Me, I love everything about food and I prefer to chew things. I incorporate protein powder when I want additional protein in my day but don't have a lot of space for additional fat or carbs.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I eat a "food" breakfast on the weekends...there's nothing wrong with drinking breakfast if you get full...I like to sleep, might just be me, I dunno but I'm not getting up an extra 30-45 to make and eat breakfast during the week.
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
    edited July 2016
    You need fibre to bulk it up, not more macros. I recommend replacing the pecan chips with ground flax seed, same ratio. You get 4x the fibre of the pecans and more omegas in the fat. (It's also still 5g of fat.) Add in some oats to help bulk it and/or a banana. PB2 is also great at adding protein and fibre without the fat, allowing you to add in your own fats (which will nine times out of ten be more balanced fats than the peanut oil.)
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
    MaiLinna wrote: »
    You need fibre to bulk it up, not more macros. I recommend replacing the pecan chips with ground flax seed, same ratio. You get 4x the fibre of the pecans and more omegas in the fat. (It's also still 5g of fat.) Add in some oats to help bulk it and/or a banana. PB2 is also great at adding protein and fibre without the fat, allowing you to add in your own fats (which will nine times out of ten be more balanced fats than the peanut oil.)

    So I should lower my fat and increase my carbs and protein? I've tried the chocolate pb2 powder and didn't particularly like it but I'm wanting to try the regular one. What about chia seeds? Or are flax seeds better?
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
    edited July 2016
    Nightmare_Queen88 wrote: »

    So I should lower my fat and increase my carbs and protein? I've tried the chocolate pb2 powder and didn't particularly like it but I'm wanting to try the regular one. What about chia seeds? Or are flax seeds better?

    No, not really. The only thing I'd suggest taking out would be the pecans because of the replacement with ground (make sure it's ground) flax seeds. Though honestly I find eggs to be disgusting so I would replace those with the PB2 because it would add the protein back in but bring fibre with it instead.

    Or you could just add the PB2 (I don't really care for the chocolate one myself either.)

    Chia has a nice amount of fibre as well.

    If I was making a protein shake in the morning, it'd look like this:

    1 scoop powder
    4 tbs PB2
    2 tbs ground flax
    1 cup chocolate soymilk
    1 frozen banana

    That's 13g of fibre right there, and paired with 32g of protein I honestly wouldn't be able to drink it too quickly. I'd get full really fast and probably drink this over the course of a few hours.
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
    @MaiLinna Wow that actually sounds really good. I loved adding banana to my shake. It taste soooooooo good. I really need to start going back to eating what I want, within reason of course. :) I use to have my carbs and everything pretty high. It was what MFP recommended, but I felt that was too much. However I was still losing weight with that. I did just adjust my calories to 1500.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    That's what I was going to come in to suggest...replacing the egg whites with peanut butter or pb2. Maybe because the idea of raw egg whites doesn't sound so yummy to me.
    For fiber, you could always mix in some pumpkin puree or apples.
    I'm with cwolfman, though..shakes don't really do it for me, either. If I drink a shake I'm hungry in an hour! At the very least, I need something to crunch on along with it...granola, toast, or cereal or something..
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
    Nightmare_Queen88 wrote: »
    @MaiLinna Wow that actually sounds really good. I loved adding banana to my shake. It taste soooooooo good. I really need to start going back to eating what I want, within reason of course. :) I use to have my carbs and everything pretty high. It was what MFP recommended, but I felt that was too much. However I was still losing weight with that. I did just adjust my calories to 1500.

    That's awesome!!!! There's nothing wrong with carbs unless you're diabetic. A lot of people I've seen recently worry too much about their macros (and in the wrong way) and not enough about vital nutrients that the rest of the country is deficient in.

    Think about it this way: you're meant to eat 25g of fibre a day. (Which, btw, I recommend you go slow on that unless you don't have a stressful job. Any time you get your fibre back up after too long of a deficiency will cause a lot of stomach discomfort. I myself did it the other week after a month of long birthday celebrations.)

    Now, look at foods that are high in fibre. Originally I thought "Wow, I have to eat this every day?! What about other stuff? I can't fit my chips and cookies into my day if I have to keep cramming in the fibre!" It's even on a tv commercial for I think "Benefibre." I started eating things like Fibre One bars to try and hit the quota, but the two things that really made it easy were oats and beans.

    Think to yourself - if you saw someone eating oats and beans every day, would you call them unhealthy? No, you wouldn't. Oatmeal has been touted as a hearty breakfast since we were born, and I don't know about you but I was one of the rare kids happy to eat my lima beans.

    I digress. If you start off trying to meet goals that will change your diet so much that you'll be among the 4% in your entire country eating the right amount of fibre, then by George you have to be doing something right. It's the simplest change I ever made 40 lbs ago, and it made me feel good because I was working up to 25g a day instead of working down to losing weight.

    That being said, there are healthy minimums for your macros. 15% fat per day is the lowest you should go. You want good, healthy fats that can help you absorb vitamins. Between 20-35% fat is the recommendation.

    Americans get way too much protein in their diet. Things like kidney stones are becoming the norm. 42g is the daily rec for a sedentary adult, 52g for an active female, 62g for an active male, give or take 20g. The more kidney and liver problems in your family, the closer to the daily rec I would stay.

    I still have some body shaping to do, but by simply focusing on fibre I was able to lose my first 20 pounds or so pretty effortlessly. After that I had to make sure I was moving enough. Still do. Remember, diet and exercise go hand in hand.
  • MarkusDarwath
    MarkusDarwath Posts: 393 Member
    MaiLinna wrote: »
    That's awesome!!!! There's nothing wrong with carbs unless you're diabetic.

    While carbs aren't bad for you if you're not diabetic, for someone on a calorie restricted diet who is having trouble with feeling hungry, carbs are not helpful.
    Americans get way too much protein in their diet.

    No offense, but that whole notion is nothing but vegan propaganda.

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    MarkusDarwath wrote: »

    While carbs aren't bad for you if you're not diabetic, for someone on a calorie restricted diet who is having trouble with feeling hungry, carbs are not helpful.

    No offense, but that whole notion is nothing but vegan propaganda.


    Speak for yourself. Carbs fill me up and satisfy me. They're also the same caloric density as protein. If i had to pick between a protein shake (just whey and water) vs. say a peice of fruit, sorry to say the fruit it going to hold me over a little bit longer.

    I won't even get into the fact that some of the most filling foods for satiety happen to be a starchy carb called potatoes.

    And as far as "eating too much" protein, this is definitely the case for some people. For sedentary individuals you only need .8-1g of carbohydrates per KG of body weight. For athletes they need this much for each pound of lean body mass.

    I know many people who eat meat meat meat all day every day (i've known 3 people personally who've gotten gout). Not saying this is true for everyone, but if you already consume meat in your diet it's pretty easy to hit your protein goal and it's not necessary to start adding on supplements like bars and shakes.

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