Protein powder that's not disgusting?

[echelon_john]

Can you fine folks recommend a protein powder that isn't super gritty and doesn't taste like ass when blended with almond milk/soymilk?

Looking for recommendations for both after-workout and meal replacement.

Lots of scary & conflicting information out there; looking for firsthand recommendations.

Thanks!

[Brandon White]

The only one I've had that I can easily drink is Vega Sport Vanilla.

A friend who is a pretty successful trainer and is around a lot of nutritionists has switched to hemp/plant protein exclusively.

[vertical_doug]

Hard boil eggs and eat the egg whites. Throw away the yolks. Grill some chicken.
You are better off with real food

[Octave]

While I currently get all the protein I need from my diet, during a heavier-training and more supplement-oriented period of my life I played with a ton of different proteins. For a while these were mostly from dairy sources, I've been vegan for several years and have used a big variety of non-dairy derived proteins.

If you're on the dairy-side, I can tell you that while expensive, Syntha-6 makes some of the best tasting powders on the market. They're actually too good. Seriously, the cinnamon-roll powder is one of the best things I consumed in college. And you can cook with their stuff, too. It holds up remarkably well to heat so if you're looking to bake with it (check out ProteinPow for some creative uses..) that's the go to.

On the less-expensive, less-marketing side for both dairy and soy based, my vote definitely goes out to Optimum Nutrition (ON). They make really solid, simple protein powders that do the trick, dissolve really well and can be done with water or milk.

Personally, aside from the vegan aspect of things, as a nutritional geek I'd definitely err on the side of plant-derived proteins - just do your research and make sure it's a complete protein. The Vega stuff is alright but for the price I'm not sure. There's still a tad bit of chalkiness in there that I wouldn't expect at >1$ per serving. If you're going soy, stick with ON. For their dairy-based proteins they even have a line that's 100% naturally sweetened, naturally derived with a pretty short ingredient list.

I'm sure you've considered this already, but I'd add my 2c that in the end you're better off getting your protein from your diet. Save for a few, most supplements (including protein powder) are at best overrated/overused and at worst a great route to depriving your body of a lot of nutrients, phytochemicals and useful enzymes.

[David Tollefson]

I did a long search some time back to find one that mixed well, tasted good, and didn't cost a fortune. The stuff from Optimum Nutrition worked very well, and I was getting it in 6lb tubs from a place in Portland. Now you can get it in 5lb bags from Costco in vanilla and chocolate.

[s_curran]

I like the Fluid one, and Infinit Repair maybe a bit more. I need to find a more budget option for when its not race season though.

When I have time I try to do real food or a good smoothie with a smaller amount of protein added.

[suhacycles]

Anybody here try branched chain amino acids? More bioavailable I hear...

Eggs are great but don't throw away all the yolks! =)

[echelon_john]

Thanks. I'm definitely focused on real food as well; these will be supplemental, and I want something quick to make, that travels well, and contributes to a protein-rich diet.

[NYCfixie]

Can you fine folks recommend a protein powder that isn't super gritty and doesn't taste like ass when blended with almond milk/soymilk?

Looking for recommendations for both after-workout and meal replacement.

Lots of scary & conflicting information out there; looking for firsthand recommendations.

Thanks!

Sorry for thread drift because my trainer just advised that I star using a "whey protein" so I would like one that does not taste terrible either but I always find it funny when people say something tastes like "ass" because I always want to know, "How do you know what ass tastes like"?

[Octave]

Anybody here try branched chain amino acids? More bioavailable I hear...

BCAAs are excellent, but don't have all of the same effects as supplemental protein powder. It's a big body of literature, but suffice to say they are for slightly different purposes. BCAAs can reduce muscle fatigue, stimulate muscle fiber growth and induce protein synthesis (depending on which amino acids are included, they do vary) but do not have the same impact on growth hormone production or muscle fiber conversion.

Side-note: you probably don't need nearly as much protein as you think..

[Matthew Strongin]

Side-note: you probably don't need nearly as much protein as you think..

This was what I found out. I was using protein powders and other supplements. Got lazy and found that I didn't have any trouble keeping muscle or recovering with just dietary protein in regular quantities.

[dashDustin]

not sure about meal replacement, but if i know it's going to be a while till i eat after a ride, i grab some Gu Recovery in chocolate. i tried researching various powders and came away more confused than anything and finally just said "screw it...what do we stock? ok, that's good."

[Carbon_Cowboy]

From a purely organoleptic viewpoint BPI whey and Optimum Gold 'taste' the best. <- my opinion

Make sure you are adding the powder to the liquid...there are so many guys that do it the other way around and are always dealing with clumping etc.

However, after your workout your glycogen stores need replenishing so feel free to get creative to flavor your shakes. For example I love the berry flavored Vega + skim milk + 2 spoonfuls of blackberry jam or chocolate whey + crushed oreos + skim milk. Post workout nutrition is more timing than anything.

I just received some Strengthlete Repair, which I'm excited to try. I've heard good things from people I trust.

[rmplum]

The only one I've had that I can easily drink is Vega Sport Vanilla.

A friend who is a pretty successful trainer and is around a lot of nutritionists has switched to hemp/plant protein exclusively.

I've been almost exclusively using this stuff for 6 months now? in my smoothies.

Spinach, cucumber, celery, frozen berry mix, Vega vanilla, some peanut butter and a little cocoa powder. My go to breakfast/meal smoothie.

[boots2000]

Is taste/texture more important than quality?
In my experience the best tasting powders also have the most crap in them.
So you need to decide:
1.) Your tolerance for additives, flavors, preservatives, artificial sweeteners (or real sweeteners), etc.
2.) You base protein source. Is whey or casein ok? Or does it need to be vegan?
Right now I have a jug of "Naked" protein- you can get it on Amazon. It is plain and pure whey, from happy cows and all that horseshit. Tastes good mixed with Yogurt and some flavoring- tastes like ground up drywall by itself.

[false_aesthetic]

Hey,

I just tried this: Diesel by MP Hardcore at Bodybuilding.com - Best Prices on Diesel! and found it to be quite tasty with cow juice, vanilla soy + plain kefir. Not sure how it pairs with almond nectar.

I like trying new things so this is next on the list: Pro JYM by Jim Stoppani EXCLUSIVELY at Bodybuilding.com

[Beans]

I'm about to drop some knowledge here. I work for Feedthemachine.com and have been handling new brand acquisitions and ecommerce management. I spent several years working with student and amateur athletes at the University of Oregon Bowerman Sport Science Clinic developing performance profiles and helping adjunct professors with tests. Although I graduated from the business school, my interests in sport medicine and performance have led me into the field and given me some insights into the supplement market.

Most people believe that they need much more protein than what their body really requires on a daily basis. I recommend looking at your diet and substituting or adding certain foods like eggs, fish, broccoli, kale, spinach, beans, and nuts. Don't dive straight into eating a large quantity of meat and dairy because your body will have to work harder to break down the meat (reason for meatsweats) and some people are sensitive to lactose (gas and bloating).

For intensive cardiovascular and resistance training, you may very well need to supplement with a protein drink. There is a major point of divergence because some of the best protein powders on the market "taste like ass". Hammer Vegan Protein is some of the cleanest protein on the market in regards to ingredients and uses a variety of ingredients (chlorella, brown rice, alfalfa, spirullina) to provide about 20g of protein (moderate amount compared to whey). CarboPro Interphase is very bitter and gritty but at ~200 calories per serving, it packs 32g of protein. It's a favorite among Marines and ultramarathon runners alike, which I think speaks volumes about the product's efficacy.

The second point of divergence is whether you intend to use this protein as a nutritional supplement or for post workout. Many post workout/recovery whey blends have a great deal of sugar, some in excess of 50g per serving, whereas nutritional supplements have significantly less (<1g). If you intend to use the protein less than an hour after a difficult workout, sugar is not a problem because your body is most capable of accepting sugar(carbs) to replace lost glycogen within one hour of training. Using a recovery drink casually would typically result in unexpected weight gain. Using a nutritional whey protein as recovery is not a problem but if you are putting in serious work, you might want to eat a meal in addition to the drink so you get those additional carbohydrates.

BCAA's are a great way to go for recovery since your body is breaking down the whey into amino acids anyway. These are easier to absorb and don't contain any calories but the drawback is that they taste terrible and they do nothing to address post workout hunger.

The nutritional supplement market is not regulated by the FDA which has made it incredibly easy for companies to sell fake supplements made with substandard ingredients. I can totally understand why people would be skeptical of all products but people should know that you are what you eat and what tastes best might not be the best.

sorry if this is a TL;DR post

[echelon_john]

Thanks for the knowledge drop! ; )

From my original post it probably seemed like ALL I care about is taste/texture; sorry. What I'm really looking for is something that's very palatable as a meal replacement, that doesn't have a lot of junk in it.

The responses so far have helped clarify that I'm looking for 2 very different products; one for protein-rich meal replacement, and another for post-workout.

I'm about a month in to a weight loss regimen that's both calorie and content-based. I'm a big dude (6'6", too heavy) so I think there's room for me to supplement protein both to help with the protein/carb/fat ration in my diet and also as a snack/meal replacement that satisfies hunger. This is my primary and immediate need.

Second is the need for post-workout, which I understand is going to be sweeter and contain more carbs.

I appreciate the very specific information!

I'm about to drop some knowledge here. I work for Feedthemachine.com and have been handling new brand acquisitions and ecommerce management. I spent several years working with student and amateur athletes at the University of Oregon Bowerman Sport Science Clinic developing performance profiles and helping adjunct professors with tests. Although I graduated from the business school, my interests in sport medicine and performance have led me into the field and given me some insights into the supplement market.

Most people believe that they need much more protein than what their body really requires on a daily basis. I recommend looking at your diet and substituting or adding certain foods like eggs, fish, broccoli, kale, spinach, beans, and nuts. Don't dive straight into eating a large quantity of meat and dairy because your body will have to work harder to break down the meat (reason for meatsweats) and some people are sensitive to lactose (gas and bloating).

For intensive cardiovascular and resistance training, you may very well need to supplement with a protein drink. There is a major point of divergence because some of the best protein powders on the market "taste like ass". Hammer Vegan Protein is some of the cleanest protein on the market in regards to ingredients and uses a variety of ingredients (chlorella, brown rice, alfalfa, spirullina) to provide about 20g of protein (moderate amount compared to whey). CarboPro Interphase is very bitter and gritty but at ~200 calories per serving, it packs 32g of protein. It's a favorite among Marines and ultramarathon runners alike, which I think speaks volumes about the product's efficacy.

The second point of divergence is whether you intend to use this protein as a nutritional supplement or for post workout. Many post workout/recovery whey blends have a great deal of sugar, some in excess of 50g per serving, whereas nutritional supplements have significantly less (<1g). If you intend to use the protein less than an hour after a difficult workout, sugar is not a problem because your body is most capable of accepting sugar(carbs) to replace lost glycogen within one hour of training. Using a recovery drink casually would typically result in unexpected weight gain. Using a nutritional whey protein as recovery is not a problem but if you are putting in serious work, you might want to eat a meal in addition to the drink so you get those additional carbohydrates.

BCAA's are a great way to go for recovery since your body is breaking down the whey into amino acids anyway. These are easier to absorb and don't contain any calories but the drawback is that they taste terrible and they do nothing to address post workout hunger.

The nutritional supplement market is not regulated by the FDA which has made it incredibly easy for companies to sell fake supplements made with substandard ingredients. I can totally understand why people would be skeptical of all products but people should know that you are what you eat and what tastes best might not be the best.

sorry if this is a TL;DR post

[Carbon_Cowboy]

I'm all about taste/texture. If you are buying from reputable brands, proteins are almost identical. I'm not talking about recovery or post-workout blends. The difference between the amount (mass) of protein is mostly a factor of serving size. For example the Hammer Vegan mentioned above only has 20g of protein while the Interphase has 32g...well the the Interphase serving size is 50g while the Hammer Vegan is only 31.6 if you standardise the serving size at 50g they have the same fat, 1g difference in carbs and 2.4 g of protein. Another thing I noticed about the Interphase is their claim that it has: 55% Ion-exchange crossflow membrane un-denatured, instantized whey protein isolate for FAST-RELEASE. None of those words are in regards to bioavailability...they're terms about the physical extraction and treatment of the whey. Instantized is just a word old food scientists used to describe putting some lecithin on a protein to make it dissolve better in water (lecithin is on the ingredients list). It doesn't have anything to do with how fast the protein is absorbed.

Personally I'd stick to pure whey and dress it up accordingly (i.e. post workout or meal replacement). Don't get caught up in labeling claims they don't mean anything....high fructose corn syrup can be labeled 'all natural'. Always get the isolate, the hydrosolates are bitter crap.

[Beans]

I would recommend trying out SFH Fuel as a meal replacement protein. We sell them in single servings so you can try it out before committing to a bag. Fuel has pectin, and coconut fat to help satiate hunger. I usually blend a scoop in a shake or make a concoction of whey, oatmeal, and coffee because just the shake isn't enough to keep me going to lunch at noon if I drink it at 7-8am.

Post ride I take Hammer Vegan Protein with some CarboPro BCAA capsules.