Protein powders for meal replacement

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emvenz92
emvenz92 Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Right now I use muscle milk chocolate, 1 scoop, and 1 tablespoon of powdered protein in a 20 ounce shaker bottle full of water. I'm looking to get a little more variety of flavors, as I use it daily for breakfast to keep me full throughout my morning at work, but I'm having trouble finding protein powder to put into that much water without being loaded in calories. Thanks in advance!

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Please note that a protein supplement is just that...a protein supplement. It's not really intended to replace a meal as it's basically just protein...it doesn't have the requisite nutrition (i.e. vitamins and minerals, etc) to really qualify as a meal replacement. They're also a fairly paltry amount of calories to be actually considered a "meal."
  • fjmartini
    fjmartini Posts: 1,149 Member
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    emvenz92 wrote: »
    Right now I use muscle milk chocolate, 1 scoop, and 1 tablespoon of powdered protein in a 20 ounce shaker bottle full of water. I'm looking to get a little more variety of flavors, as I use it daily for breakfast to keep me full throughout my morning at work, but I'm having trouble finding protein powder to put into that much water without being loaded in calories. Thanks in advance!

    Whey isolate protein powder is low in carbs and fat. If you're only looking for protein calories that's the way to go.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
    edited April 2017
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    Why not invest in a meal replacement shake. Protein shakes are largely just to increase protein.. it doesn't include the additional vitamins unless it's fortified.

    Also, how are you defining loaded with calories.
  • Mary_Anastasia
    Mary_Anastasia Posts: 267 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I like this stuff! 150calories, 23g protein, and it tastes alright, too :) I like it a lot better than other protein shakes I've tried (including other pea protein, and whey proteins). I use almond milk with it to keep the calories low.

    xoc8arz4ykfc.jpg
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Warning to the OP - don't use "protein shake" and "meal replacement" in the same sentence. People here will go asparagus.

    If you're looking to optimize protein while minimizing calories, look for a whey protein isolate.
  • juliehmaui2016
    juliehmaui2016 Posts: 32 Member
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    I use GNC Pro Performance Whey Iso Burst (2 scoops), and blend it with 1cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 frozen organic spinach, 1/2 cup of frozen fruit (usually 1 of the following: mango, strawberries, blueberries, peaches) 1.5 cups of water. I split the shake into 2 shakers and have one for breakfast and one for lunch. However, I also take fish oil capsules (1 AM and 1 PM), multi-vitamin (New Chapter in the AM), fibre supplement (PM) and a probiotic capsule (AM).
    I have a snack mid morning (i.e. 1/3 cup of cottage cheese and 1/2 an organic avocado) and mid afternoon snack (i.e. 2 tbsp. of natural peanut butter with a small apple)
    Then I have a normal dinner (lean protein i.e. 1/2 grilled chicken breast brushed with coconut oil and seasoning) 1/2 cup cooked brown rice and 2 cups of a steamed veggie. (Just as an example)
    As you can see the shakes I have to add stuff to because to be a MR they need more than just protein and I still have snacks during my day and eat a regular dinner. I am looking to loose 10lbs and have lost 3 so far in the last few weeks.
  • emvenz92
    emvenz92 Posts: 4 Member
    edited April 2017
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    All I'm looking for is something that keeps me full. I don't eat breakfast food like eggs, so I find that the days I eat food in the morning instead of drinking one of these I tend to snack earlier and eat more. I've tried bars before but I don't stay full for long, the drink can take me an hour or more to drink while at work, so it keeps me from snacking for hours and makes me feel full because of the amount of liquid, also it helps me ingest more water daily which is something I struggle with. Also I don't count macros so the only reason I stick with protein is because I feel fuller when have more protein in my diet.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    So what do you consider "loaded with calories"? I'll be honest, I've never seen a protein powder that I thought was too much calories. I like ON or Trutein powders, though if I'm using them for breakfast I blend in oats and greens to make it a meal replacement.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I'm using "food" for that.

    So you decided to bring nothing to this conversation then.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    emvenz92 wrote: »
    All I'm looking for is something that keeps me full. I don't eat breakfast food like eggs, so I find that the days I eat food in the morning instead of drinking one of these I tend to snack earlier and eat more. I've tried bars before but I don't stay full for long, the drink can take me an hour or more to drink while at work, so it keeps me from snacking for hours and makes me feel full because of the amount of liquid, also it helps me ingest more water daily which is something I struggle with. Also I don't count macros so the only reason I stick with protein is because I feel fuller when have more protein in my diet.

    Most quality proteins will have around 25 to 30g in it.

    I'd recommend checking out www.labdoor.com for quality test.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
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    I don't use it everyday, but I like Garden of Life's Raw Meal. It's organic, vegan, sugar-free, and it tastes pretty good! It also has an enzyme blend in it to aid digestion. I mostly just use it on days when I don't have time to out together a healthy meal, or if I'm feeling too sick to eat or something.

    I wouldn't recommend just using a scoop of regular protein powder as a meal replacement, though. I think someone already noted that protein powders only have protein, while a balanced meal includes all macronutrients, as well as vitamins and minerals. You could use the protein powder to make a smoothie that would be more balanced as a meal. Otherwise, you should buy something that's specifically designed as a meal replacement.
  • MaddMaestro
    MaddMaestro Posts: 405 Member
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    I use protein powders WITH a meal replacement shake, but only if I run outta food to cook lol.

    If you're concerned about calories, then use the smaller serving size since some powders offer a "scoop". Bear in mind that ONLY protein powder should not be your meal replacement.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    Shawshankcan wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I'm using "food" for that.

    So you decided to bring nothing to this conversation then.

    Please tell me you see the irony?

    I did, just irritated when some people come in with a high and mighty approach without actually helping or backing up their statements.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    Shawshankcan wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Shawshankcan wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I'm using "food" for that.

    So you decided to bring nothing to this conversation then.

    Please tell me you see the irony?

    I did, just irritated when some people come in with a high and mighty approach without actually helping or backing up their statements.

    I'd try to keep an open mind. Some people are not a fan of supplements; especially considering very few are tested and are not controlled substances. I fully understand both sides. For me, I wouldn't use a protein shake as a meal replacement, especially while cutting weight. It can reduce your opportunity to address nutritional requirements. But I do understand that sometimes, you need something quick or you can't eat heavy in the morning (like my wife).

    Coming into a thread to express an opinion about someone post is even less helpful to the OP as it drives drama, which can further deviate a thread because we have these discussions.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    emvenz92 wrote: »
    All I'm looking for is something that keeps me full. I don't eat breakfast food like eggs, so I find that the days I eat food in the morning instead of drinking one of these I tend to snack earlier and eat more. I've tried bars before but I don't stay full for long, the drink can take me an hour or more to drink while at work, so it keeps me from snacking for hours and makes me feel full because of the amount of liquid, also it helps me ingest more water daily which is something I struggle with. Also I don't count macros so the only reason I stick with protein is because I feel fuller when have more protein in my diet.

    Below is my normal morning drink flavors, usually spread across a liter and a half of water. This gets me from 4 AM till 1030ish

    Pure Protein - 100% Whey Powder - Vanilla Cream, 1 scoop (39g)
    Optimum Nutrition - Amino Energy- Blue Raspberry, 2 Scoop (4.5g)
    Cellucor - Alpha Amino, 1 scoop
    amazing grass green superfood - orange dream,1 Scoop
    Optimum Nutrition - Gold Standard 100% Whey - Strawberry Banana, 1.5 Scoop


    I find that the BCAAs help me feel more full. The Greens powder makes me feel better about not having a balanced breakfast.
  • bhurley100
    bhurley100 Posts: 201 Member
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    kwtilbury wrote: »
    Warning to the OP - don't use "protein shake" and "meal replacement" in the same sentence. People here will go asparagus.

    If you're looking to optimize protein while minimizing calories, look for a whey protein isolate.

    Lmao

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