Can a fella get a protein shake in here?
July 12, 2011 1:33 PM
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.
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
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