The truth about protein powders. Are they necessary?
When I was wee lad beginning my fitness journey, I went on a quest to find the best protein powder that would allow me to make the best gains possible. After trying dozens of protein powders, I concluded that you can’t rely on a powder alone to get you to your fitness goals. A protein powder should only be used as a supplement to your diet that consists of an adequate amount of protein, veggies, fruits and carbohydrates. I personally use protein powder as a convenient way to meet my daily protein intake, but just mind you a protein powder is not needed to reach your daily protein needs. You can easily just eat more chicken, red meat, soy based foods, or vegan alternatives instead of buying a protein powder.
Before we dive deeper into this subject, if you are looking for information on meal prepping read this or if you need some advice on beginner workouts click here.
My thoughts on protein powders
Out of all the workout supplements out there, I do believe that protein powder’s have their place in a well-rounded diet. There are a bunch of different protein powders such as whey, vegan, pea, brown rice, bone broth, egg white, casein protein etc. It’s all about finding one that agrees with your dietary restrictions and preferences. For me personally, I use a whey protein isolate powder and a veggie meal replacement to help me meet my daily protein requirements.
The normal amount of protein needed to fuel the body of an avid lifter or athlete is .8g to 1g times your body weight. For example, I usually go for 1g per pound of body weight and at my weight of 210 I need 210 x 1 = 210 grams of protein. Eating that much protein in a day through foods such as eggs and chicken is quite hard. I’ve done it before, but a whey protein isolate make’s it much easier to do so.
I’ve tried a ton of protein powders until I chose the two I currently use. Here are my recommendations:
Whey Protein – Isopure Whey Protein Isolate Dutch Chocolate. Mixes well, tastes great and works for people who are lactose intolerant.
Vegan Protein – MRM Veggie Meal Replacement Chocolate Mocha. I mix this into a pudding and it’s amazing. I switch between this and Isopure.
Egg White Protein – Julian Bakery Chocolate Egg White Protein. Tastes great and usually digests easier for those who have a problem digesting dairy products.
Bone Broth Protein – Ancient Nutrition Chocolate Bone Broth Protein. Even though this protein powder is quite pricey it’s probably the highest quality powder out of all the ones listed here. It tastes great like the others, but also provides other nutrients that you don’t get in your average diet.
My favorite protein shake recipe
Instead of having my protein powder with just water, I enjoy turning it into a healthy and delicious morning meal replacement that holds me over until the middle of the day. The recipe is:
-1 cup of honey bunches of oats. Can be substituted with granola, dry oats, or another healthy cereal.
-1 to 1.5 scoops of Isopure Whey Protein Isolate Dutch Chocolate (or your protein of choice)
-1 banana
-1 tablespoon of peanut butter
-2 cups of cold milk, almond milk, oat milk or water.
-Handful of ice cubes
-Feel free to add berries
-Add in half an avocado for healthy fats and texture if you have one on hand
Not only will you love this shake, but it is great to have as a pre workout meal that doesn’t bloat you or as a post workout shake to fuel recovery.
I hope that answered some basic questions regarding protein powders and provided you with a decent amount of recommendations to try. If you have any additional questions about this topic feel free to comment on this post or email thedailynook@gmail.com