Help me find a protein supplement

ExistingFish
ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
I've recently stopped eating dairy for my skin. The improvement in my skin has made it evident that dairy does not agree with me.

I am not getting nearly as much protein without dairy though, I was not supplementing protein when I ate dairy - but I ate greek yogurt and cheese regularly which are good sources of protein.

I have tried a couple of non-dairy protein powders and they are disgusting. I can't stand pea protein, I've tried it several mixtures.

I also can't stand stevia, even small amounts. I prefer sugar or monk fruit for sweetener.

I cannot find a non-dairy, not-pea protein that is NOT sweetened with stevia. I can do collegen, egg, and bone based, I'm not vegan - just dairy free.

Any suggestions? I just can't keep buying these and not liking them.
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Replies

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,611 Member
    Firstly, are you dairy intolerant or lactose intolerant? It’s worth trying one of the lactose free milks or cheeses to see how that affects your skin, as it could be a nice simple solution (ie you’ll still be able to drink milk and eat cheese). Secondly, have you tried different types of milk / cheese? I’ve got a colleague who can’t have cow’s milk products but is fine with sheep and goat’s milk - she lives on feta.

    Thirdly, there are vegan Greek yoghurts and cheese - I have no idea what they taste like or what the protein levels are, but they might be an acceptable substitute.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    Firstly, are you dairy intolerant or lactose intolerant? It’s worth trying one of the lactose free milks or cheeses to see how that affects your skin, as it could be a nice simple solution (ie you’ll still be able to drink milk and eat cheese). Secondly, have you tried different types of milk / cheese? I’ve got a colleague who can’t have cow’s milk products but is fine with sheep and goat’s milk - she lives on feta.

    Thirdly, there are vegan Greek yoghurts and cheese - I have no idea what they taste like or what the protein levels are, but they might be an acceptable substitute.

    Thanks! I've known that I'm lactose intolerant all of my adult life - using lactose free milk and cheese has not stopped the breakouts.

    I am 34 and I have literally never stopped having acne. Literally never in my life. I kept thinking it would "eventually" go away with age. Then there was pregnancy and breastfeeding and I thought when those were over the hormones would settle....nope.

    I have been dairy free since February and I'm just now seeing the change in my skin (it takes like 8-12 weeks to see skin change based on diet), I'm not going to 'experiment' with adding things back in. It's improved my digestion, my period cramps are significantly improved - it's better for me not to have dairy.

    No, non-dairy greek yogurt has like 1g of protein. I tried it, it didn't taste very good and it didn't have the protein, it was worthless for health.
  • sarah7591
    sarah7591 Posts: 415 Member
    I drink Premier Protein drinks and really like them. They have 30 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. They are not cheap but like you I am always trying to get more protein.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    sarah7591 wrote: »
    I drink Premier Protein drinks and really like them. They have 30 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. They are not cheap but like you I am always trying to get more protein.

    Aren't those whey protein based? Whey is dairy.

    I'm specifically looking for recommendations that are non-dairy.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,757 Member
    I've recently stopped eating dairy for my skin. The improvement in my skin has made it evident that dairy does not agree with me.

    I am not getting nearly as much protein without dairy though, I was not supplementing protein when I ate dairy - but I ate greek yogurt and cheese regularly which are good sources of protein.

    I have tried a couple of non-dairy protein powders and they are disgusting. I can't stand pea protein, I've tried it several mixtures.

    I also can't stand stevia, even small amounts. I prefer sugar or monk fruit for sweetener.

    I cannot find a non-dairy, not-pea protein that is NOT sweetened with stevia. I can do collegen, egg, and bone based, I'm not vegan - just dairy free.

    Any suggestions? I just can't keep buying these and not liking them.

    Then why not just increase your protein intake.... eggs, chicken, pork, lean beef? If you don't like protein powder, there are many other options for protein.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    I've recently stopped eating dairy for my skin. The improvement in my skin has made it evident that dairy does not agree with me.

    I am not getting nearly as much protein without dairy though, I was not supplementing protein when I ate dairy - but I ate greek yogurt and cheese regularly which are good sources of protein.

    I have tried a couple of non-dairy protein powders and they are disgusting. I can't stand pea protein, I've tried it several mixtures.

    I also can't stand stevia, even small amounts. I prefer sugar or monk fruit for sweetener.

    I cannot find a non-dairy, not-pea protein that is NOT sweetened with stevia. I can do collegen, egg, and bone based, I'm not vegan - just dairy free.

    Any suggestions? I just can't keep buying these and not liking them.

    Then why not just increase your protein intake.... eggs, chicken, pork, lean beef? If you don't like protein powder, there are many other options for protein.

    Thanks for the tip! I have added more eggs to my diet. I eat meat regularly,

    It may not be relevant to you, but the prices of food, especially proteins, are skyrocketing. Protein powder is usually an affordable way to increase your protein.

    I never said I didn't like protein powder! I can't find one! That is what I'm looking for!
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,744 Member
    What about rice protein powder? I tried it when I was supposed to limit dairy. That didn't last long and I didn't like the rice protein powder but you might! :)
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,845 Member
    edited June 2022
    I'm not sure how prices are in your area for these different foods (compared to protein powders), but perhaps there are some things in this list that might be budget friendly, once you get past the classic meat and fish products:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also#latest
    It's not an obvious choice, but foods like chickpeas and lentils could give a little boost to your protein intake, for example.

    (Yes, I know you're asking about protein powders specifically, but being in a different country (and continent?) I doubt my suggestions would be useful)
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.
  • Heamous
    Heamous Posts: 50 Member
    I would highly recommend the chocolate Orgain protein. You can get i but thing at Costco for a great price. My wife and I absolutely love it, the taste is great and it is vegan so no worries on the dary side effect.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    There is beef-based protein powder as well (Muscle Meds is one company that makes it) and Redcon1 makes a whey-free protein powder called MRE Lite (they have an "MRE" too but it's way too high-cal for me to consider personally) that is made from a combination of beef/salmon/chicken/egg proteins.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    What about rice protein powder? I tried it when I was supposed to limit dairy. That didn't last long and I didn't like the rice protein powder but you might! :)

    I haven't been able to find one, I'd really like to try it. Do you have a brand recommendation?
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    I'm not sure how prices are in your area for these different foods (compared to protein powders), but perhaps there are some things in this list that might be budget friendly, once you get past the classic meat and fish products:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also#latest
    It's not an obvious choice, but foods like chickpeas and lentils could give a little boost to your protein intake, for example.

    (Yes, I know you're asking about protein powders specifically, but being in a different country (and continent?) I doubt my suggestions would be useful)

    Thanks - I'll keep it in mind.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

    Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    Heamous wrote: »
    I would highly recommend the chocolate Orgain protein. You can get i but thing at Costco for a great price. My wife and I absolutely love it, the taste is great and it is vegan so no worries on the dary side effect.

    Thanks - I've looked at it, it's sweetened with stevia. I can't stand stevia. I can taste even small amounts.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

    Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!

    depending on your particular goals, collagen may not be the best option:

    https://www.strongerbyscience.com/research-spotlight-collagen/

    but then again it may be a perfect fit for ya!

  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    edited June 2022
    JBanx256 wrote: »
    There is beef-based protein powder as well (Muscle Meds is one company that makes it) and Redcon1 makes a whey-free protein powder called MRE Lite (they have an "MRE" too but it's way too high-cal for me to consider personally) that is made from a combination of beef/salmon/chicken/egg proteins.

    Thanks I will look that up, the only been protein ones I've seen before were "mass gainers". I appreciate the suggestion!

    Aw man, the third or fourth ingredient is 'Whole Milk Powder" - may not have whey, but it isn't dairy free!
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member

    Aw man, the third or fourth ingredient is 'Whole Milk Powder" - may not have whey, but it isn't dairy free!

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah *KITTEN* sorry! :(

  • paints5555
    paints5555 Posts: 1,233 Member
    I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

    Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!

    Just remember that collagen is a very poor quality protein. It is missing several essential amino acids.
  • azuki84
    azuki84 Posts: 212 Member
    edited June 2022
    bummer. i eat 500g yogurt every day and my skin is smooth/good in my opinion, or at least my mom says so (LOL). pea protein does suck i agree, taste is vile. i think soy would be my choice, in terms of flavor (loved Vegemil Black Bean Soymilk growing up- then i realized how much sugar they put in that sh** lol)
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    paints5555 wrote: »
    I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. It is flavorless so I add it to my morning coffee and it provides 18g of protein.

    Thanks! I'm going to try this! No sweeteners!

    Just remember that collagen is a very poor quality protein. It is missing several essential amino acids.

    Just can't win.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    azuki84 wrote: »
    bummer. i eat 500g yogurt every day and my skin is smooth/good in my opinion, or at least my mom says so (LOL). pea protein does suck i agree, taste is vile. i think soy would be my choice, in terms of flavor (loved Vegemil Black Bean Soymilk growing up- then i realized how much sugar they put in that sh** lol)

    I wish I knew what it was like to have smooth skin! Mine is the best it's been since I was a young teen or before, but it isn't 100% clear - and my back/chest still have spots. It's so frustrating.

    Right now I've lost most of my sense of taste due to covid, maybe I could have the pea protein for now...
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 456 Member
    I can't digest most dairy and have a legume allergy. I use hemp protein. Hemp has a distinctive flavour, which I don't mind (I drank hemp milk for years) but the dehydration to make it into powder makes it really strong, so definitely not for everyone. The one I use is unflavoured and unsweetened.

    Nutrition panel:
    p93d22gn7aio.jpg
  • avatiach
    avatiach Posts: 298 Member
    There are some protein bars that are dairy free and rely on fruits as a sweetener. Maybe you could try one of those.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I found plain egg and rice protein (with nothing else) available online - I think I'm going to try those.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,611 Member
    How about a different tack: I know you mentioned the cost of fresh protein (chicken cost rocketing at the moment!) but how do you feel about tinned fish? It can be a lot cheaper than fresh, you can get a wide variety to minimise exposure to the higher levels or mercury etc in tuna. In the UK sardines and mackerel are relatively inexpensive and pack a reasonable amount of protein. They’re not as easy as just drinking a protein shake but might at least not cause skin problems?
  • CrunchityFrog
    CrunchityFrog Posts: 7 Member
    So I just came off of an elimination diet (the FODMAP diet for my IBS) and one of the things eliminated was lactose. And one thing I learned on that diet is if that one can eat hard cheese even if you're lactose intolerant because the process of making hard cheese somehow kills the lactose... or something? Anyway, google "hard cheese and lactose" if you're interested.

    Also, I use peanut butter powder to add a small bit of protein here and there to my diet. It's not a lot, but every little bit helps, right? I usually sprinkle it into my cereal or my yogurt.

    Speaking of yogurt, sheep's milk yogurt is pretty good, as is goat's milk yogurt. But they're a bit pricey. And yogurt is something one can have in moderation while avoiding lactose -- with live bacteria -- because the bacteria kills the lactose.

    I had to do a lot of research about this while on that diet. It was a killer elimination diet. :s
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,757 Member
    So I just came off of an elimination diet (the FODMAP diet for my IBS) and one of the things eliminated was lactose. And one thing I learned on that diet is if that one can eat hard cheese even if you're lactose intolerant because the process of making hard cheese somehow kills the lactose... or something? Anyway, google "hard cheese and lactose" if you're interested.

    Also, I use peanut butter powder to add a small bit of protein here and there to my diet. It's not a lot, but every little bit helps, right? I usually sprinkle it into my cereal or my yogurt.

    Speaking of yogurt, sheep's milk yogurt is pretty good, as is goat's milk yogurt. But they're a bit pricey. And yogurt is something one can have in moderation while avoiding lactose -- with live bacteria -- because the bacteria kills the lactose.

    I had to do a lot of research about this while on that diet. It was a killer elimination diet. :s

    I don't think the op is lactose intolerant, I think they don't do dairy period for other health reasons. They won't use whey protein, which has no lactose, because it's dairy.
  • CrunchityFrog
    CrunchityFrog Posts: 7 Member
    I don't think the op is lactose intolerant, I think they don't do dairy period for other health reasons. They won't use whey protein, which has no lactose, because it's dairy.

    My bad, I coulda swore I read somewhere upthread she said she was lactose intolerant.

  • georgieamber2
    georgieamber2 Posts: 229 Member
    Try soy protein isolates? Pea and rice I find to be disgusting and so chalky! Also soya yoghurt as good macros, same with nutritional yeast which gives a good cheesy / nutty flavour! Also try some higher protein pastas / spaghettis to bump up the protein! 🤍