Okay, I'm dumb - can someone help explain Protein Powders to me?

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2

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  • aneary1980
    aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
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    I used to have total protein (my protein) vanilla when I was on a high protein, low carb dieting and lifting three times a week.

    I made protein muffins with it but generally I had it with 250ml of yogurt and 200ml water in the morning for breakfast I just added different berries everyday.

    It's lower in carbs and sugar than some of the others.

    I also had one in the evenings which was chocolate flavoured and mixed it with milk to make a moose it was my protein I'm not sure of. The exact name but it was bedtime something.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited September 2017
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    You don't need to overcomplicate things. Most protein powders should be alright for your purposes. Any of the details is majoring in minors mostly for those who do need to major in minors (advanced bodybuilders).

    Here are some things that I consider when deciding, none of which has to do with unnecessary paralysing overthinking (note different people will have different ways of approaching this, so this is just an example):
    1. I like the ones that have a higher protein per calorie ratio while still tasting alright, because I love food and would rather not spend too many calories on a supplement.
    2. I prefer whey because it's cheaper and easier to find, plus it's easy to mix and manipulate. The hunger difference is non-existent for me. Shakes don't fill me up. Liquids on their own don't fill me up. Period (another reason why #1 is important to me)
    3. I usually buy vanilla because it takes on whatever flavor you want to make it. We usually have flavor extracts in the house and things like cocoa, cinnamon...etc, so vanilla is the best fit for its neutral flavor. Some people like to use powders pre-flavored with some interesting combinations, and that's okay too if you want to do that.
    4. If I'm considering a different brand I purchase samples if available. In fact that may be the best route for you. Purchase a few different samples before you spring for a whole tub. Try them and pick your favorites. Keep in mind that whey without cow milk tastes sad (at least to me), so try making it with milk before you decide you don't want to try it. To lower the calories a bit you could use a little bit less whey. Milk has some protein after all.
    5. A scoop is never a scoop. Don't trust the scoops provided. Learned the hard way that my scoop was 10 grams lower in weight so I was missing out on 10 grams worth of protein. Probably not a big deal, but my brain doesn't like incorrect data and causes me to obsess.
    6. It doesn't do well in hot liquids. It can clump and/or turn bitter. I also didn't like it in yogurt (some people do). If you're using it in anything be prepared for a distinct protein powder taste in whatever you add it to. Not necessarily bad thing, just don't expect to hide it or disguise it if you have sensitive taste buds.

    Don't overwhelm yourself with details that will not make much of a difference for you. Your goal is to supplement protein, and for that purpose any powder you like enough to consume often will do.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
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    I'm not a huge fan of drinking it. The better tasting ones are at least 150 calories per serving. For the calories, I'd rather eat some lowfat greek yogurt or cottage cheese. If you tend to workout remotely, drinkable protein powder can be useful as it's pretty much non-perishable and travels well until you add water.

    I do mix some of the unflavored protein powder in with yogurt to up the protein content further.

    If I'm trying to get in some more protein for minimal calories or extra work, I usually go for lowfat cottage cheese. If you like cottage cheese, go buy some - its an excellent protein source.

    You can use protein powder along with oats and peanut butter to make a protein bar (makes for a higher protein greek yogurt mix-in when crumbled than granola does).
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I was planning to say many of the things already covered by @amusedmonkey

    I've tried home made protein bars and to get a decent taste I end up making an energy bar instead (higher in fat). Not that fat is BAD mind you, but consider that you can't pack in a huge amount of protein in to a bar.

    If you want to bake using plain protein, try picking it up Whey Protein Isolate at the bulk barn. You can then experiment with your additives.

    Try also rice protein. I find it highly palatable.

    I recommend this easy recipe.
    http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2015/08/no-bake-oatmeal-protein-energy-balls.html

    Your simplest high protein package is a hard boiled egg.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    OH, another thought. If you are thinking a combo of whey and casein protein is the ideal combination, you are talking about milk. You might want to try Fairlife milk which is filtered to increase protein and calcium and decrease lactose.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    OH, another thought. If you are thinking a combo of whey and casein protein is the ideal combination, you are talking about milk. You might want to try Fairlife milk which is filtered to increase protein and calcium and decrease lactose.

    You guys are lucky. We don't have that. I drink milk and make things with it anyway, so if we had this I would not need protein powder.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    edited September 2017
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    ^ Note on the higher protein count for the Premier Protein - You could simply increase the serving size of most any brand of whey to match this. Looks like it has pretty similar macros to most brands, just a slightly higher serving size making it appear to have more protein per serving.

    ETA- The majority of whey I've seen is usually around 25 protein for 120 calories.
    (Versus 30 protein for 160 calories)
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Options
    Why do you not want to touch raw meat? Is it concern about cooking it properly? Texture/feel?

    You can, at least in the UK, buy things that are precooked, like meatballs, prawns and chicken. You can also get a lot of things canned. It's more expensive but it might help you out a bit. I really enjoy prawn omelette - here's a recipe with 39g of protein per serving and 386kcal :)
    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1506635/prawn-and-broccoli-asian-omelette

    Yes, both of those things! I find touching it extremely gross, I'm not a fan of the smell of meat cooking (especially beef), and I'm concerned I would mess up and poison myself lol. Pre-cooked meat usually has preservatives if I'm correct? My parents are also very concerned about meat from China because they think it isn't regulated well. But that does sound like a really good recipe! Thank you. Raw fish is not gross to me, so that might work out!
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Options
    You don't need to overcomplicate things. Most protein powders should be alright for your purposes. Any of the details is majoring in minors mostly for those who do need to major in minors (advanced bodybuilders).

    Here are some things that I consider when deciding, none of which has to do with unnecessary paralysing overthinking (note different people will have different ways of approaching this, so this is just an example):
    1. I like the ones that have a higher protein per calorie ratio while still tasting alright, because I love food and would rather not spend too many calories on a supplement.
    2. I prefer whey because it's cheaper and easier to find, plus it's easy to mix and manipulate. The hunger difference is non-existent for me. Shakes don't fill me up. Liquids on their own don't fill me up. Period (another reason why #1 is important to me)
    3. I usually buy vanilla because it takes on whatever flavor you want to make it. We usually have flavor extracts in the house and things like cocoa, cinnamon...etc, so vanilla is the best fit for its neutral flavor. Some people like to use powders pre-flavored with some interesting combinations, and that's okay too if you want to do that.
    4. If I'm considering a different brand I purchase samples if available. In fact that may be the best route for you. Purchase a few different samples before you spring for a whole tub. Try them and pick your favorites. Keep in mind that whey without cow milk tastes sad (at least to me), so try making it with milk before you decide you don't want to try it. To lower the calories a bit you could use a little bit less whey. Milk has some protein after all.
    5. A scoop is never a scoop. Don't trust the scoops provided. Learned the hard way that my scoop was 10 grams lower in weight so I was missing out on 10 grams worth of protein. Probably not a big deal, but my brain doesn't like incorrect data and causes me to obsess.
    6. It doesn't do well in hot liquids. It can clump and/or turn bitter. I also didn't like it in yogurt (some people do). If you're using it in anything be prepared for a distinct protein powder taste in whatever you add it to. Not necessarily bad thing, just don't expect to hide it or disguise it if you have sensitive taste buds.

    Don't overwhelm yourself with details that will not make much of a difference for you. Your goal is to supplement protein, and for that purpose any powder you like enough to consume often will do.

    Thank you :smiley: It all got a bit overwhelming tbh trying to figure it all out. I agree on that comparison, I was comparing ones by protein grams per 100cal. I hadn't seen any samples but I will look for them!

    So you would recommend weighing a portion to be accurate? Yeah even on the outside of some containers they have an asterisk saying that with settling volume can change and be less accurate.

    Question: If Whey doesn't do well being hot, should it not be cooked with? I'm primarily interested in cooking with the protein powder, although I have seen some recipes for bars/balls without heat, most do. If I get a whey powder would it get gross/bitter if I heat it?

    Yes, I am just looking for something that isn't disgusting. I understand it will taste like what it is. Vega was profoundly inedible to me, but the Vegan Protein+ is functional. If anything tastes less over-sweet than that I'd probably be fine to work with it.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Options
    ritzvin wrote: »
    I'm not a huge fan of drinking it. The better tasting ones are at least 150 calories per serving. For the calories, I'd rather eat some lowfat greek yogurt or cottage cheese. If you tend to workout remotely, drinkable protein powder can be useful as it's pretty much non-perishable and travels well until you add water.

    I do mix some of the unflavored protein powder in with yogurt to up the protein content further.

    If I'm trying to get in some more protein for minimal calories or extra work, I usually go for lowfat cottage cheese. If you like cottage cheese, go buy some - its an excellent protein source.

    You can use protein powder along with oats and peanut butter to make a protein bar (makes for a higher protein greek yogurt mix-in when crumbled than granola does).

    Noted! I am not a fan of cottage cheese. I can eat a little, maybe 1/4 cup, but more than that I get very sick of the taste. It might still be worth to add in little containers into my day. Maybe with more exposure I'll enjoy it more.

    I will definitely look for recipes on that - I love peanut butter, and when I have greek yogurt and fruit as a meal I still crave something to crunch on. That might really help!
  • Rosemary7391
    Rosemary7391 Posts: 232 Member
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    kae612 wrote: »
    Why do you not want to touch raw meat? Is it concern about cooking it properly? Texture/feel?

    You can, at least in the UK, buy things that are precooked, like meatballs, prawns and chicken. You can also get a lot of things canned. It's more expensive but it might help you out a bit. I really enjoy prawn omelette - here's a recipe with 39g of protein per serving and 386kcal :)
    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1506635/prawn-and-broccoli-asian-omelette

    Yes, both of those things! I find touching it extremely gross, I'm not a fan of the smell of meat cooking (especially beef), and I'm concerned I would mess up and poison myself lol. Pre-cooked meat usually has preservatives if I'm correct? My parents are also very concerned about meat from China because they think it isn't regulated well. But that does sound like a really good recipe! Thank you. Raw fish is not gross to me, so that might work out!

    Check out the freezer section - plenty of precooked meat/fish available without preservatives :) Also, if raw fish isn't a problem for you that's an excellent source of protein!

    You could try cooking frozen mince - you don't have to touch it, just pour it out of the bag. I tend to brown the onions, then throw in the mince and once that's brown all over add whatever I'm adding for the sauce and simmer for hours. Absolutely no chance of it being uncooked after that :) the smell isn't long lived - maybe put on the extractor fan? Plus it's about 10 minutes of meat browning smell for 4-6meals (I bulk it out with lentils 'cos I'm cheap!).
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Options
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I was planning to say many of the things already covered by @amusedmonkey

    I've tried home made protein bars and to get a decent taste I end up making an energy bar instead (higher in fat). Not that fat is BAD mind you, but consider that you can't pack in a huge amount of protein in to a bar.

    If you want to bake using plain protein, try picking it up Whey Protein Isolate at the bulk barn. You can then experiment with your additives.

    Try also rice protein. I find it highly palatable.

    I recommend this easy recipe.
    http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2015/08/no-bake-oatmeal-protein-energy-balls.html

    Your simplest high protein package is a hard boiled egg.

    Yeah, I'm definitely going to include hard boiled eggs in my daily lunch bag for this reason. But the texture of yogurt and eggs is still...smooshy. I enjoy them, but I always still want to eat something solid too. I'm hoping to add some variety. It may end up being an energy bar by that metric. I'm not sure, I'll have to go through a few recipes and try it out. :) Thanks for that one!
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Options
    ^ Note on the higher protein count for the Premier Protein - You could simply increase the serving size of most any brand of whey to match this. Looks like it has pretty similar macros to most brands, just a slightly higher serving size making it appear to have more protein per serving.

    ETA- The majority of whey I've seen is usually around 25 protein for 120 calories.
    (Versus 30 protein for 160 calories)

    Yes, I've been trying to make a chart that simplifies the fraction to out of 100cal. So far I have found:
    FitMiss Vanilla Chai 16/90 = 18/100
    BSN Syntha-6 Vanilla 22/200 = 11/100
    Muscle Milk Vanilla Creme 16/150 = 11/100
    Phase8 Vanilla 26/160 = 16/100
    Combat Chocolate Milk 25/130 = 19/100
    Vegan Protein+ 20/130 = 15/100
    Nestle Boost Whey 18/80 = 22/100

    I definitely need to pull out the calculator to see the difference because my brain won't do it on its own lol.
    You're right, the Premier Protein is high, but not out of range. It's 18.5g/100cal which is about on par with the two MusclePharm ones, not quite at the Nestle one.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Options
    kae612 wrote: »
    You don't need to overcomplicate things. Most protein powders should be alright for your purposes. Any of the details is majoring in minors mostly for those who do need to major in minors (advanced bodybuilders).

    Here are some things that I consider when deciding, none of which has to do with unnecessary paralysing overthinking (note different people will have different ways of approaching this, so this is just an example):
    1. I like the ones that have a higher protein per calorie ratio while still tasting alright, because I love food and would rather not spend too many calories on a supplement.
    2. I prefer whey because it's cheaper and easier to find, plus it's easy to mix and manipulate. The hunger difference is non-existent for me. Shakes don't fill me up. Liquids on their own don't fill me up. Period (another reason why #1 is important to me)
    3. I usually buy vanilla because it takes on whatever flavor you want to make it. We usually have flavor extracts in the house and things like cocoa, cinnamon...etc, so vanilla is the best fit for its neutral flavor. Some people like to use powders pre-flavored with some interesting combinations, and that's okay too if you want to do that.
    4. If I'm considering a different brand I purchase samples if available. In fact that may be the best route for you. Purchase a few different samples before you spring for a whole tub. Try them and pick your favorites. Keep in mind that whey without cow milk tastes sad (at least to me), so try making it with milk before you decide you don't want to try it. To lower the calories a bit you could use a little bit less whey. Milk has some protein after all.
    5. A scoop is never a scoop. Don't trust the scoops provided. Learned the hard way that my scoop was 10 grams lower in weight so I was missing out on 10 grams worth of protein. Probably not a big deal, but my brain doesn't like incorrect data and causes me to obsess.
    6. It doesn't do well in hot liquids. It can clump and/or turn bitter. I also didn't like it in yogurt (some people do). If you're using it in anything be prepared for a distinct protein powder taste in whatever you add it to. Not necessarily bad thing, just don't expect to hide it or disguise it if you have sensitive taste buds.

    Don't overwhelm yourself with details that will not make much of a difference for you. Your goal is to supplement protein, and for that purpose any powder you like enough to consume often will do.

    Thank you :smiley: It all got a bit overwhelming tbh trying to figure it all out. I agree on that comparison, I was comparing ones by protein grams per 100cal. I hadn't seen any samples but I will look for them!

    So you would recommend weighing a portion to be accurate? Yeah even on the outside of some containers they have an asterisk saying that with settling volume can change and be less accurate.

    Question: If Whey doesn't do well being hot, should it not be cooked with? I'm primarily interested in cooking with the protein powder, although I have seen some recipes for bars/balls without heat, most do. If I get a whey powder would it get gross/bitter if I heat it?

    Yes, I am just looking for something that isn't disgusting. I understand it will taste like what it is. Vega was profoundly inedible to me, but the Vegan Protein+ is functional. If anything tastes less over-sweet than that I'd probably be fine to work with it.

    It cooks fine. The texture may not be what you expect, though. It lends a bit of grittiness or slightly mouth-puckering dryness to cooked things unless you add plenty of fat (which beats the purpose). It's not as bad in some recipes, and your experience may be different anyway. Managing expectations is your friend. You can make things that taste good but you can't treat them as a replacement for the real thing because they don't compare. It will always be a "protein food", but that's not a bad thing if you know what you're in for.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    Options
    kae612 wrote: »
    Why do you not want to touch raw meat? Is it concern about cooking it properly? Texture/feel?

    You can, at least in the UK, buy things that are precooked, like meatballs, prawns and chicken. You can also get a lot of things canned. It's more expensive but it might help you out a bit. I really enjoy prawn omelette - here's a recipe with 39g of protein per serving and 386kcal :)
    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1506635/prawn-and-broccoli-asian-omelette

    Yes, both of those things! I find touching it extremely gross, I'm not a fan of the smell of meat cooking (especially beef), and I'm concerned I would mess up and poison myself lol. Pre-cooked meat usually has preservatives if I'm correct? My parents are also very concerned about meat from China because they think it isn't regulated well. But that does sound like a really good recipe! Thank you. Raw fish is not gross to me, so that might work out!

    Check out the freezer section - plenty of precooked meat/fish available without preservatives :) Also, if raw fish isn't a problem for you that's an excellent source of protein!

    You could try cooking frozen mince - you don't have to touch it, just pour it out of the bag. I tend to brown the onions, then throw in the mince and once that's brown all over add whatever I'm adding for the sauce and simmer for hours. Absolutely no chance of it being uncooked after that :) the smell isn't long lived - maybe put on the extractor fan? Plus it's about 10 minutes of meat browning smell for 4-6meals (I bulk it out with lentils 'cos I'm cheap!).

    Thank you! I may see if I can do that. My parents buy meat special from a local butchershop and tend to eschew meat from grocery stores because it is "dangerous" or "low quality" or "from China" - I don't know if these claims are true, but I didn't consider it as a possibility just because it isn't to them.

    I'd be more comfortable with the pre-cooked stuff just because I know I won't accidentally poison myself (I really don't know how to cook anything). And you're right, mixed with lentils it might create a really nice meal that hopefully won't get as monotonous. I had made a chick pea and rice dish, and a green lentil and rice dish, and tried to alternate weeks. But eating the same thing at lunch every day made me get very, very sick of it. I need to take more risks with variety.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited September 2017
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    kae612 wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    I'm not a huge fan of drinking it. The better tasting ones are at least 150 calories per serving. For the calories, I'd rather eat some lowfat greek yogurt or cottage cheese. If you tend to workout remotely, drinkable protein powder can be useful as it's pretty much non-perishable and travels well until you add water.

    I do mix some of the unflavored protein powder in with yogurt to up the protein content further.

    If I'm trying to get in some more protein for minimal calories or extra work, I usually go for lowfat cottage cheese. If you like cottage cheese, go buy some - its an excellent protein source.

    You can use protein powder along with oats and peanut butter to make a protein bar (makes for a higher protein greek yogurt mix-in when crumbled than granola does).

    Noted! I am not a fan of cottage cheese. I can eat a little, maybe 1/4 cup, but more than that I get very sick of the taste. It might still be worth to add in little containers into my day. Maybe with more exposure I'll enjoy it more.

    I will definitely look for recipes on that - I love peanut butter, and when I have greek yogurt and fruit as a meal I still crave something to crunch on. That might really help!

    I love cottage cheese particularly with some pepper and balsamic glaze sprinkled on.

    I don't like yogurt nearly as much without a mix-in, so I normally pick up or make bars with some protein that I can crumble in. My go to if I don't want to bother making anything is Clif bars - less protein than protein bars, but more fiber than most protein bars and cheaper. Special K also makes some cheap bars with added protein and fiber (they usually stock these ones by the granola bars). I find it much harder to meet protein on days where my mix-in was purely starch calories, so I rarely use plain granola bars or granola or dry cereal.

    ETA: there are other recipes where you can drop the peanut butter a bit by adding water...those will need to be baked a bit at a low temperature (the water content will otherwise make them much less shelf stable and they'll go moldy in a few days).
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Options
    kae612 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I was planning to say many of the things already covered by @amusedmonkey

    I've tried home made protein bars and to get a decent taste I end up making an energy bar instead (higher in fat). Not that fat is BAD mind you, but consider that you can't pack in a huge amount of protein in to a bar.

    If you want to bake using plain protein, try picking it up Whey Protein Isolate at the bulk barn. You can then experiment with your additives.

    Try also rice protein. I find it highly palatable.

    I recommend this easy recipe.
    http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2015/08/no-bake-oatmeal-protein-energy-balls.html

    Your simplest high protein package is a hard boiled egg.

    Yeah, I'm definitely going to include hard boiled eggs in my daily lunch bag for this reason. But the texture of yogurt and eggs is still...smooshy. I enjoy them, but I always still want to eat something solid too. I'm hoping to add some variety. It may end up being an energy bar by that metric. I'm not sure, I'll have to go through a few recipes and try it out. :) Thanks for that one!

    If you don't mind a little extra fat, wrapping a hard boiled egg in a slice of cheese (which also has protein) is pretty yummy. Or slice in half and top with honey mustard, dijon mustard, balsamic glaze,..
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Options
    or 1/2 the hard boiled egg (with the mustard) upside down on a saltine (+12-15 calories per saltine).
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Options
    kae612 wrote: »
    kae612 wrote: »
    Why do you not want to touch raw meat? Is it concern about cooking it properly? Texture/feel?

    You can, at least in the UK, buy things that are precooked, like meatballs, prawns and chicken. You can also get a lot of things canned. It's more expensive but it might help you out a bit. I really enjoy prawn omelette - here's a recipe with 39g of protein per serving and 386kcal :)
    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1506635/prawn-and-broccoli-asian-omelette

    Yes, both of those things! I find touching it extremely gross, I'm not a fan of the smell of meat cooking (especially beef), and I'm concerned I would mess up and poison myself lol. Pre-cooked meat usually has preservatives if I'm correct? My parents are also very concerned about meat from China because they think it isn't regulated well. But that does sound like a really good recipe! Thank you. Raw fish is not gross to me, so that might work out!

    Check out the freezer section - plenty of precooked meat/fish available without preservatives :) Also, if raw fish isn't a problem for you that's an excellent source of protein!

    You could try cooking frozen mince - you don't have to touch it, just pour it out of the bag. I tend to brown the onions, then throw in the mince and once that's brown all over add whatever I'm adding for the sauce and simmer for hours. Absolutely no chance of it being uncooked after that :) the smell isn't long lived - maybe put on the extractor fan? Plus it's about 10 minutes of meat browning smell for 4-6meals (I bulk it out with lentils 'cos I'm cheap!).

    Thank you! I may see if I can do that. My parents buy meat special from a local butchershop and tend to eschew meat from grocery stores because it is "dangerous" or "low quality" or "from China" - I don't know if these claims are true, but I didn't consider it as a possibility just because it isn't to them.

    I'd be more comfortable with the pre-cooked stuff just because I know I won't accidentally poison myself (I really don't know how to cook anything). And you're right, mixed with lentils it might create a really nice meal that hopefully won't get as monotonous. I had made a chick pea and rice dish, and a green lentil and rice dish, and tried to alternate weeks. But eating the same thing at lunch every day made me get very, very sick of it. I need to take more risks with variety.

    In that case you might want to avoid the fish (at least that isn't astronomically priced). Personally, I am also a bit leery of Chinese fish (both their environmental controls and food safety enforcement aren't exactly great).
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited September 2017
    Options
    kae612 wrote: »
    ^ Note on the higher protein count for the Premier Protein - You could simply increase the serving size of most any brand of whey to match this. Looks like it has pretty similar macros to most brands, just a slightly higher serving size making it appear to have more protein per serving.

    ETA- The majority of whey I've seen is usually around 25 protein for 120 calories.
    (Versus 30 protein for 160 calories)

    Yes, I've been trying to make a chart that simplifies the fraction to out of 100cal. So far I have found:
    FitMiss Vanilla Chai 16/90 = 18/100
    BSN Syntha-6 Vanilla 22/200 = 11/100
    Muscle Milk Vanilla Creme 16/150 = 11/100
    Phase8 Vanilla 26/160 = 16/100
    Combat Chocolate Milk 25/130 = 19/100
    Vegan Protein+ 20/130 = 15/100
    Nestle Boost Whey 18/80 = 22/100

    I definitely need to pull out the calculator to see the difference because my brain won't do it on its own lol.
    You're right, the Premier Protein is high, but not out of range. It's 18.5g/100cal which is about on par with the two MusclePharm ones, not quite at the Nestle one.

    I have a simple old google sheet to calculate calories per gram of food when comparing two packages with non-standard serving sizes (love eating volume), but it can be used to calculate calories per gram of protein I guess. A lower value = better if you're looking for the highest grams of protein per 100 calories.

    Here it is if you wish to to use it (feel free to edit the yellow fields as you wish, I only use it to get quick throw-away comparison numbers) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AzyLUkuRsoey4ZrQHOJvS5VN3imUpSdUc_fm-rboaYY/edit?usp=sharing

    ETA: just tried Gold Standard (my current powder) and each gram of protein is costing me 5 calories. Not bad. I also entered the grams of protein from the image posted earlier and yeah, 160 calories is not too bad. Gold standard would have 150 calories per 30 grams of protein. Not that big of a difference. Entering 100 calories, my powder would have 20 grams of protein per 100 cal.

    ETA again: you might find this helpful
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also