Can a fella get a protein shake in here?
July 12, 2011 1:33 PM Subscribe
What's the best value in pre-mixed protein/diet shakes?
I've been on a lower-carb, mostly-paleo (which is to say pretty much paleo except for the protein shakes, the cheese, and the not exercising very much) diet for about 6ish months.
I like it, I'm losing weight, etc. However, I seem to do best when I have a mid-afternoon protein shake to stave off hunger until dinner time. I've tried a variety of other afternoon snacks, and found that they just didn't give me the same hey, I just stopped thinking about food for 2+ hours effect.
Space and kitchen limitations at my workplace make mixing a powdered shake impractical, so I'm specifically looking for shelf-stable, pre-mixed shakes. My local stores pretty much only stock EAS Myoplex Carb Control and/or Atkins shakes. I find both palatable enough–if not actually delicious–but a little pricey (roughly $1.50/shake, which adds up fast). Is there a scrumptious and/or less expensive alternative of the pre-mixed, pre-packaged variety (bonus points if it's available via Amazon Prime)?
FWIW, I'm partial to chocolate, but can be sold on an excellent vanilla product.
I've been on a lower-carb, mostly-paleo (which is to say pretty much paleo except for the protein shakes, the cheese, and the not exercising very much) diet for about 6ish months.
I like it, I'm losing weight, etc. However, I seem to do best when I have a mid-afternoon protein shake to stave off hunger until dinner time. I've tried a variety of other afternoon snacks, and found that they just didn't give me the same hey, I just stopped thinking about food for 2+ hours effect.
Space and kitchen limitations at my workplace make mixing a powdered shake impractical, so I'm specifically looking for shelf-stable, pre-mixed shakes. My local stores pretty much only stock EAS Myoplex Carb Control and/or Atkins shakes. I find both palatable enough–if not actually delicious–but a little pricey (roughly $1.50/shake, which adds up fast). Is there a scrumptious and/or less expensive alternative of the pre-mixed, pre-packaged variety (bonus points if it's available via Amazon Prime)?
FWIW, I'm partial to chocolate, but can be sold on an excellent vanilla product.
Best answer: Also, if refrigeration is an issue for the workplace mixing, how about soy or almond milk in TetraPaks? The latter is pretty tasty.
posted by Madamina at 2:36 PM on July 12, 2011
posted by Madamina at 2:36 PM on July 12, 2011
Biotest lowcarb metabolic drive is pretty awesome but expensive. It doesn't clump at all when using a shaker bottle.
I've been using ON Gold Standard Casien for awhile now and I like it although it tends to clump if you like thicker shakes. It's much better than what you are currently digesting though.
If you subscribe to it on amazon prime a 4lb container will cost 39.80. It has 54 scoops in that container with each scoop coming in at 120 calories.
A double scoop shake takes you down to 27 servings which makes each shake cost $1.47.
posted by zephyr_words at 4:11 PM on July 12, 2011
I've been using ON Gold Standard Casien for awhile now and I like it although it tends to clump if you like thicker shakes. It's much better than what you are currently digesting though.
If you subscribe to it on amazon prime a 4lb container will cost 39.80. It has 54 scoops in that container with each scoop coming in at 120 calories.
A double scoop shake takes you down to 27 servings which makes each shake cost $1.47.
posted by zephyr_words at 4:11 PM on July 12, 2011
And I know you said you don't want to mix a powdered shake but it's the best option. I ate nothing but protein shakes for a month and managed to never miss one. I mixed them even while I was out skiing all day so I don't see why it's so hard in the workplace.
Keep 5 ziplock baggie servings in your desk or scoop some protein into a shaker bottle every morning. Fill it up with some water from the cooler\fountain\bathroom and you're done. It's simple.
posted by zephyr_words at 4:15 PM on July 12, 2011
Keep 5 ziplock baggie servings in your desk or scoop some protein into a shaker bottle every morning. Fill it up with some water from the cooler\fountain\bathroom and you're done. It's simple.
posted by zephyr_words at 4:15 PM on July 12, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks, all. Sounds like my suspicion was right: I'm just not going to do much better than $1.50/serving on the pre-mixed stuff, or stay near that price for a higher-quality shake.
In the absence of a cheaper/better pre-mixed product, I really like the single-serving tetra-pak almond/soy/whatev milk suggestion in tandem with the shaker bottle (side question: does anyone know of a decent coconut milk that comes in single-serving tetra-paks?), and a decent protein powder.
zephyr_words, the complications at work include very little storage space, no reliable refrigeration, shoddy plumbing (i.e. gross water), and an ancient and filthy sink. Hardly a mountainside, but still a less than desirable shake-mixing environment. Incidentally, I use ON Gold Standard Whey protein at home, and am quite fond of it. I'm pretty ignorant of the difference between whey and casein proteins, though; is there a significant reason you prefer the casein?
posted by willpie at 6:37 PM on July 12, 2011
In the absence of a cheaper/better pre-mixed product, I really like the single-serving tetra-pak almond/soy/whatev milk suggestion in tandem with the shaker bottle (side question: does anyone know of a decent coconut milk that comes in single-serving tetra-paks?), and a decent protein powder.
zephyr_words, the complications at work include very little storage space, no reliable refrigeration, shoddy plumbing (i.e. gross water), and an ancient and filthy sink. Hardly a mountainside, but still a less than desirable shake-mixing environment. Incidentally, I use ON Gold Standard Whey protein at home, and am quite fond of it. I'm pretty ignorant of the difference between whey and casein proteins, though; is there a significant reason you prefer the casein?
posted by willpie at 6:37 PM on July 12, 2011
At trueprotein, you can get Gemma Pea Protein, which IMO is pretty tasty unflavored, for ~$5 a pound. Add a flavor and it's $6.
Casein protein is slower digesting. It has the highest likelihood of causing digestive distress among the various cow milk-based proteins. The least likely to irritate would be a whey isolate.
You could take a shaker bottle filled with dry powder and a bottle of water to work. Mix when ready.
posted by blargerz at 8:40 PM on July 12, 2011
Casein protein is slower digesting. It has the highest likelihood of causing digestive distress among the various cow milk-based proteins. The least likely to irritate would be a whey isolate.
You could take a shaker bottle filled with dry powder and a bottle of water to work. Mix when ready.
posted by blargerz at 8:40 PM on July 12, 2011
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Could you reconsider mixing your own? If you've never tried a shaker bottle, you should. It really does mix the shake well with minimal clumping. Dessert Protein is a good one, with 18 servings for $16 or so.
I went on a few extended business trips last year and took my shaker bottle. I washed it out in the hotel room sink every night. So, it possible to do even without a kitchen, but I can also understand feeling like its too much bother.
posted by cabingirl at 2:31 PM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]