OK, so I’ve decided to get back into shape. Started running at lunch and lifting every other day. I’m also going to give up the fast food lunches I was eating WAY too much, and am looking at going the protein shake route (for a while anyway). So, I bought a mix from the health food section of a local grocery store and tried it today.
Delicious, if you like cat vomit. It literally took me almost 45 minutes to choke this thing down.
Anyone know of a good protein shake/drink? I did a net search for reviews, and wouldn’t you know it, they all highly recommend whatever it is they’re selling. So I turn to you good people for unbiased consumer information. I mean, it doesn’t have to be $5 milkshake good (though if you know one like that, please do tell), but something that’s somewhat palatable would be nice.
Biotest’s Grow, only available through their website. It’s $3 milkshake good, is a whey/casein blend rather than straight whey, and costs $23 for a 3 lb. jar. Give it a try.
I’ve had good results from the GNC Brand Mega-Whey. Not overly cheap, but compared to MetRx and EAS it’s a bargain. The Strawberry is good, though it can be a little bit of a love-hate thing. The Vanilla is the best way to go if you plan on mixing in fresh/frozen fruit which I reccommend. The only downside I’ve found is that it can tend to not mix well if you just use a spoon. I always use my blender, so it works great. The high-end MetRx stuff is a little more mixable, though it’s not worth paying the premium to me. However if you’re looking to just do a quick stir-in at the office or something where a blender is a no-go, it might be worth trying both for comparison.
A more ready to-go alternative is the EAS AdvantEdge Low Carb shakes. They are a excellent way to get a quick post-workout lunch. They actually taste decent by protien shake standards and can be gotten reasonably priced if you buy in bulk at Sams/Costco and/or watch for sales.
I’ve recently switched (though I’ve been a lazy, fat-ass for the last 3 months or so) to EAS Myoplex Carb Sense bars. Great protein source and better for on-the-go eating than even pre-made shakes. The Apple-Cinnamon is actually tasty (though almost jarringly chewy) and the Cookies-N-Cream is decent, though not great.
I personally like Met-rx. The ones in the boxes and not the horrible gruel that is sold in the plastic canisters. They aren’t that expensive. I just bought 2 boxes today on sale for 24 bucks a piece. 20 in a box. Seems GNC has sales on them all the time.
You can add all sorts of funky stuff to it. I add a banana and some graham crackers. Throw it all in a blender and its damn good.
Keep one thing in mind while shopping. It’s not always clear if they are selling meal-replacement mixes, or protein mixes. The MetRX ones that Burrido is talking about are the meal-replacement shakes. They generally tend to be tastier and mix alot better than the pure protein powder. They also however are way lower in protein and have alot of carbs/calories in there. Nothing inherently wrong with that if you do truly want a meal in a shake, just something to watch out for. If you opt for the meal-replacement type ones and add fruit, yogurt, ice cream and other mix-ins you could be creating a pretty calorie laden supplement without nearly the protein kick you’d expect.
I use 100% Designer Whey Protein (or something like that), of the vanilla persausion. I mix it with milk, which is really actually kind of gross, but the trick is to mix in a healthy amount of strawberry syrup. Then, it’s pretty good. And good for you!
[QUOTE=jk1245]
OK, so I’ve decided to get back into shape. Started running at lunch and lifting every other day. I’m also going to give up the fast food lunches I was eating WAY too much, and am looking at going the protein shake route (for a while anyway). So, I bought a mix from the health food section of a local grocery store and tried it today.
Delicious, if you like cat vomit. It literally took me almost 45 minutes to choke this thing down.
I had gastric bypass surgery in November, and use protein supplements. I can’t abide most of the powders, so I use GNC’s liquid protein. I am not sure of the exact product name, but it comes in a brown bottle and tastes (allegedly) like fruit punch. Sour cherries is closer to the truth. It comes in a syrupy form; you can mix it with water, or put in Crystal Lite or GatorAde or something. I chug it straight; 3 tablespoons has 18 grams of protein.
You can also try Carb Countdown milk; the one in the green carton has 12 grams of protein per 8 oz. serving. Hope this helps.
I get protein isolate from Allthewhey.com. Pretty cheap. It mixes well, tastes pretty good (it’s flavored with splenda…the vanilla’s my favorite) and doesn’t give me gas. Can’t ask for much more than that.
I tend to mix 2 scoops with a couple cups of water and a bit of sugar-free jello or pudding mix for flavor.
My son swears by the Opticen powder from atlargenutrition.com. He says it’s easier to mix, silkier, and better-tasting than most meal-replacement powders.
I’m going to second Myoplex. I had to take protein shakes for a while and found it to be the most tasty. Some were downright repulsive. I preferred to add fresh fruit to mine to give it some flavor, it even comes with a little packet of recepies to try out.
I use the whey protein (banana creme flavor) from GNC and mix in a blender with yogurt, oats, frozen fruit and berries (usually a peach, some blueberries, and strawberries), a kiwi, and a banana. It tastes great.