Cooking with protein powder.

chrisleyland314
chrisleyland314 Posts: 39 Member
edited December 3 in Food and Nutrition
Looking for people's thoughts on cooking with protein powder. Mainly do you think it damages it in anyway? Or different cooking methods i.e. Baking vs microwave?

I'm still undecided after reading conflicting theories/research on Dr Google.

I have asked kamal Patel the boffin behind www.examine.com for his thoughts.

Replies

  • Nomad_xxx
    Nomad_xxx Posts: 10 Member
    I bake with Protein powder all the time in muffins.. working out great for me man!
  • RachNRoll
    RachNRoll Posts: 192 Member
    me too, I just came out on my own with a recipe of cake using protein powder and almond flour (almost no carbs) that is delicious.
  • chrisleyland314
    chrisleyland314 Posts: 39 Member
    Just for the record I do cook with it but I'm curious if it damages it or decreases the protein content in any way.
  • JC77721
    JC77721 Posts: 65 Member
    chrisleyland314 wrote: »
    Just for the record I do cook with it but I'm curious if it damages it or decreases the protein content in any way.

    I doubt it. I read people cooking with protein powder all the time. If it was affected by cooking methods then prople would use something else as an ingredient.
    Nomad_xxx wrote: »
    I bake with Protein powder all the time in muffins.. working out great for me man!

    How long does it take you to make the muffins?
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    From my own reading I concluded that cooking with protein powder doesn't damage the protein.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    It poofs up really... strangely when you heat it. I've given up on cooking with it and just use it for cold mixes, but some people have unlocked its SECRET POTENTIAL (!).

  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    It poofs up really... strangely when you heat it. I've given up on cooking with it and just use it for cold mixes, but some people have unlocked its SECRET POTENTIAL (!).

    Yes, it does that, but I've got a protein brownie style mug cake thingy that uses that effect well.

    Indecently, Casein Fluff puddings are my current obsession (although because I use a blender and food processor when making that I suspect much of the benefit is the increased calorific burn from washing everything up).
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    I add protein powder to my "pancakes" with egg and a banana and a little almond milk. Quite tasty
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
    edited August 2016
    This brings me bad memories of my childhood... Dad hung out at bars a lot and brought this protein powder home he got cheap from one of his bar friends. He swore it was healthy and we wouldn't taste it and he put it in EVERYTHING. Ugh, so gross - everything was gritty and had a nasty aftertaste. I barely ate a thing during that time frame, then one day it "magically disappeared" (imagine that!)
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    There are some pretty decent brands now. Quest is my fav.
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    chrisleyland314 wrote: »
    Just for the record I do cook with it but I'm curious if it damages it or decreases the protein content in any way.

    Enough heat/agitation can denature the protein (so the texture might change). But your stomach acid would have done that anyway. Digestion actually breaks it down even further than that, into amino acids or short peptides before you absorb it. So, no, it doesn't change the nutritional content.
  • tdfunk
    tdfunk Posts: 2 Member
    edited August 2016
    Cooking with protein powder doesn't "hurt" the protein. You have a greater risk of creating an unappetizing mess more than damaging the proteins. You can avoid the Walk of Shame to the trash can if you keep few things in mind (don't mix certain ingredients, watch your ratios, make sure to use some fat, etc.).

    In fact, cooking with protein powders (and not just whey) is a "Thing."

    (I'm not affiliated in any way with any of the following sites. You can thank Google for these references. None of these were AdSense links)

    Here are some pages that address your question directly (Apologies for some of the blatant, in your face, marketing on some of these sites. It's Google's fault. Really!):

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/528865-can-i-heat-whey-protein/

    http://seannal.com/articles/supplementation/does-heat-destroy-whey-protein.php

    https://theproteinchef.co/does-cooking-protein-powder-destroy-or-denature-it/

    Check the following for protein powder recipes of various types:

    http://proteinpow.com/recipes-category - this author has been cooking with protein for years. She has many tips about how not to fail.

    http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/recipes/

    http://www.theironyou.com/p/recipes.html (search this page for "high-protein" to find the powder recipes)

    https://theproteinchef.co/healthy-recipes/

    http://www.theproteinpowderchef.com/#!recipes/c17k2

    So, go whip up something full of healthy protein with a clear conscience.

    *** Update ***

    I just can't leave well-enough alone. I finally hit on a good Google search to answer your question in more detail:

    https://www.google.com/?q=what+is+the+effect+on+protein+powder+on+cooking

    This search gave up a number of pages that say the same basic thing: yes, some of the proteins are denatured, but that doesn't affect the nutritional value. @lemmie177 said the same thing, and was spot-on. Nerds rule!

    Here's my favorite answers:

    http://proteinpow.com/denaturing

    http://www.leanbodiesconsulting.com/recipes/cooking-with-protein-powder/

    Those seems pretty definitive.

    -- tom
  • chrisleyland314
    chrisleyland314 Posts: 39 Member
    Wow @tdfunk you truly have gone the extra mile there!
  • tdfunk
    tdfunk Posts: 2 Member
    Actually, I'd already collected some of the information in Evernote. I recently started a fairly aggressive cycling program. I needed information about recovery nutrition, which led to protein supplementation, etc. I wanted to know if I could add protein powders into my cooking, so I was already looking into this topic. You just happened to ask at the right time and caused me to "dig in" a little more. I hope the info was helpful.
  • chrisleyland314
    chrisleyland314 Posts: 39 Member
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  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I think my main issue with this and making something that doesn't taste like dirt.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I think my main issue with this and making something that doesn't taste like dirt.

    Or is so Freakin' chewy you may as well chew on a gumboot.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I think my main issue with this and making something that doesn't taste like dirt.

    Some protein powders cook very smooth and others are like you suggestion. I have been experimenting lately, the Quest is currently my favorite. I did dymatize and that was terrible (although, I love dymatize in my overnight oats).
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
    My son and I are currently obsessed with these pancakes. http://www.blogilates.com/blog/2012/04/19/pre-contest-protein-pancakes/

    rng4i5yise8c.jpg
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    shinycrazy wrote: »
    My son and I are currently obsessed with these pancakes. http://www.blogilates.com/blog/2012/04/19/pre-contest-protein-pancakes/

    rng4i5yise8c.jpg

    That looks delicious
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I bake cookies, protein bars, donuts, etc.. I use many flavors of Dymatize ISO-100 and it cooks up really well, the donuts and cookies I make are amazing.
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I bake cookies, protein bars, donuts, etc.. I use many flavors of Dymatize ISO-100 and it cooks up really well, the donuts and cookies I make are amazing.

    Donuts? do share the recipe please and thank you!
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