Using Whey Protein

[Jehosephat]

Does anyone have suggestion for adding whey protein to my diet? I have 'vanilla' flavored powdered whey protein but I can't find anything to add it to without it tasting terrible. I've even tried adding it in much smaller ratios, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. I'm wondering if I'm just not choosing the right things to add it to. Any ideas?

[Athena]

Use rice protein! It's much better and cleaner, and tastes a lot better than whey.

nutribiotic is a great one.

[tropicality]

Originally Posted by Jehosephat

Does anyone have suggestion for adding whey protein to my diet? I have 'vanilla' flavored powdered whey protein but I can't find anything to add it to without it tasting terrible. I've even tried adding it in much smaller ratios, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. I'm wondering if I'm just not choosing the right things to add it to. Any ideas?

Yea whey is a hard one so I'd suggest trying the rice or soy protein as Athena suggested.

However while you have the whey, try adding milk. Or else make shakes and add milk + fruit + ice or icecream etc.

[Lucinda]

^^ Don't use soy. It is not a health food, and also a poor source of protein.

I think rice is better than whey. But hemp is the best, although you might not like the taste.

[DavidH]

I typically will make a little fruit smoothie with the protein that contains rice milk, frozen mixed berries, a bit of honey, and some crushed ice.

peace
DavidH

[ViceVirtue]

It may be worth trying a few different brands. Some taste better than others. I can tolerate the flavor of many things, but whey can definitely be hard to stomach - I can't describe it well, but it's that characteristic dairy-based smell and taste that just turns me off. The best whey protein I've had and currently use, both based on taste and ingredients is GNC Whey Iso Burst.

Currently I add a scoop of a Super Green Formula which completely ends up masking the whey taste and makes the shake taste more like... uh, grass. Actually, it's not half bad!

Also, as far as whey vs. other proteins being "best"... - "best" at what, exactly? I'm quite sure whey has been proven time and again in studies that it is the best source of protein if your purpose for using is to build/rebuild muscle for athletic/bodybuilding reasons. If that's not your purpose or you have specific allergies, etc. then perhaps something else is best for you. Otherwise, my vote is with whey.

[Lonewolf]

Protein powders are a waste of money and one of the biggest rorts in the bodybuilding industry. You are much better off drinking skim milk (from powder). It is 1/10 of the cost and has a good ratio of carbs to protein with very low fat levels.

[kahless]

The vanilla protein powders have always tasted like chicken feet to me. And I don't like chicken feet!

I recommend the chocolate version. You can even use the powder you have now and just add a spoon of powdered cocoa (the plain non-sugared kind). If you read the labels, you'll find that's the only difference between the vanilla and the chocolate anyway.

Makes me remember gagging down the stuff they sold 30 years ago. Yech, much better choices now.

[Jehosephat]

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I did just pick a crappy brand or something. I'll try some of these suggestions.

[Athena]

Originally Posted by ViceVirtue

It may be worth trying a few different brands. Some taste better than others. I can tolerate the flavor of many things, but whey can definitely be hard to stomach - I can't describe it well, but it's that characteristic dairy-based smell and taste that just turns me off. The best whey protein I've had and currently use, both based on taste and ingredients is GNC Whey Iso Burst.

Currently I add a scoop of a Super Green Formula which completely ends up masking the whey taste and makes the shake taste more like... uh, grass. Actually, it's not half bad!

Also, as far as whey vs. other proteins being "best"... - "best" at what, exactly? I'm quite sure whey has been proven time and again in studies that it is the best source of protein if your purpose for using is to build/rebuild muscle for athletic/bodybuilding reasons. If that's not your purpose or you have specific allergies, etc. then perhaps something else is best for you. Otherwise, my vote is with whey.

by best, that is, what is best for your body and for the earth.
I dunno about you, but I'd prefer my protein from a clean plant source, not from dairy by-products or from any kind of support for the dairy industry. I definitely believe in protein portions and macronutrient ratios, and to be health and earth conscious then is to choose the cleanest source.

major points for the green superfood, but umm, Whey Iso Burst with artificial flavor and aspartame?

no thanks!

cleaner is always better!

[thadroe]

Why not just eat larger quantities of healthy food that's high in protein if you really feel you need more? ....Like beans, green vegetables, and nuts. Spending money on protein supplements seems like such a waste of money and a bit excessive.

Thad

[moltar]

I second nutribiotic! Here is an example of my shake, you can adjust and modify it as you wish. There isn't a single recipe, I change mine all the time too.

Vanilla Nutribiotic Protein - 100g
Banana - 1 large (~ 120g)
Sunflower seeds - 40g
Soy Milk (plain, non-sweetened) - 500ml
Stevia natural sweetener ~ 2 tsp

I blend it all together with a good blender. Good blender is really important. I have one of those that can blend ice into dust.

[Razzmatazz]

As mentioned already try going for a good brand when choosing a protein shake and they will taste better. On the whole, supplements found in high-street health stores are not very good (I can only speak for the UK) and you're better off ordering online from a specialist.

I drink Reflex Instant Whey (choco-mint), you can mix it it with water or skimmed milk. Nice tasting, no bloating, no chalky after-taste and no need to run to the toilet after downing it! It is also reasonably priced as I know some of the branded stuff can be extortionate. I drink it with water but it does taste better with milk.

[Athena]

Originally Posted by thadroe

Why not just eat larger quantities of healthy food that's high in protein if you really feel you need more? ....Like beans, green vegetables, and nuts. Spending money on protein supplements seems like such a waste of money and a bit excessive.

Thad

bc neither are rich in protein. vegetables are primarily a carb source and nuts are a fat source.

..you'd have to eat 20 cups of green beans or 2 cup of walnuts to have the protein in balance just for 1 meal.

[thadroe]

Originally Posted by Athena

bc neither are rich in protein. vegetables are primarily a carb source and nuts are a fat source.

..you'd have to eat 20 cups of green beans or 2 cup of walnuts to have the protein in balance just for 1 meal.

I say that because most vegetables, nuts, and beans contain between 25-50% protein in terms of calories.

I believe nature puts things in the right proportions for our bodies and many people already consume unhealthy amounts of protein. It's just not necessary. When trying to build muscle mass, the need for protein goes up, but so does the need for additional calories...so by default, protein consumption rises as more food is eaten.

There aren't too many of our muscular cousins in the animal kingdom shopping at GNC for protein supplements.

Also, I have yet to see any substantial evidence that consuming protein supplements is beneficial. Ultimately, I believe those supplements do a better job of feeding our toilets rather than feeding our muscles.

Thad

[Athena]

This is for getting adequate protein, not excessive amounts.

I feel best when I have 80g protein per day, especially while weight training. Since I'd rather not eat meat, I use vegetarian source protein instead.

Vegetables and nuts are great, as carbohydrate and fat sources, and I think it's important to balance the macronutrient ratios with high quality protein, in optimal amounts for proper balance.

[thadroe]

I still don't think it's necessary, even for getting adequate protein. Again, I feel nature packages things in the right proportions.

I've just had very good success getting plenty of what I need to build muscle from eating a natural vegetable based diet without those sort of supplements....tried it both ways and never noticed a difference.

However, I doubt there's a lot of harm being done with the vegetable based protein so if you feel better doing it, maybe it makes sense to stick with it...our bodies are not all the same, that's for sure.

Thad

[fballer11]

anyone know any whey protein brands that don't have asparatame/other crap? I have read lots on different types, and whey seems to be the best. Soy is probably the worst, it ferments too quickly.

[Athena]

First of all, I think plant source is better. You can try cleaner whey protein if you want, but try that, then you can try switching to rice protein for some time and see if you notice a difference.
If you want to start with a cleaner whey, my trainer (not a vegetarian) always uses Jay Robb protein. (For some reason, people in the bodybuilding/ health club circle seem to have some love of animal food??) It is a 'clean' whey, it has stevia in it as a sweetener.
I used to use the whey and egg protein I definitely felt better after cutting out the dairy and switching to rice protein.

I also once tried 'whey healthier', which is supplemented with vitamins, and that one is clean too (but is super sweet, like ice cream).

Whey is probably better than soy, bc soy is so sketchy.. but I think any complete plant protein, like rice protein, is the best of all.

[Lonewolf]

Originally Posted by thadroe

I still don't think it's necessary, even for getting adequate protein. Again, I feel nature packages things in the right proportions.

I've just had very good success getting plenty of what I need to build muscle from eating a natural vegetable based diet without those sort of supplements....tried it both ways and never noticed a difference.

I doubt that is correct for anyone seriously attempting to put on muscle - just the volume of eating is really difficult to accomplish without shakes. Once I started incorporating 2 or 3 shakes a day into a heavy diet I began putting on a kilo of muscle every month for the first year. I was using skim milk powder though, not this overpriced stuff.