Powdered Protein Shakes and Powdered Reishi Mushroom/ Maca, etc.

[strawberryfields]

So...I am going to the gym and need some extra protein in my diet and I want to take a dairy free, soy free, etc. plant protein powder and use some orange juice instead of almond milk. Is this accepted in Whole30?

 

Plus I have powdered Reishi mushroom and some powder Maca that I want to use. Is that also accepted? I know there are some people out there who are asking the same question so I want to know the answer for myself and for them also!

 

Reishi and Maca are not found as whole foods at my local super markets (I don't know where to even get real Maca root) so I can't just go and buy them unprocessed.

[ShannonM816]

The official word on protein powders, from the Can I Have list:

 

Protein Shakes: Almost Always No

Almost all protein powders (like whey, casein, soy, or pea) contain off-limit ingredients. Besides, anything you can get from protein powder (except maybe chemical extractives, added sweeteners and strange-sounding isolates) you can get from whole foods during your Whole30. In addition, formulated and processed meal-replacement shakes like Shakeology or Visalus are always off-limits. These products don’t even come close to our definition of real, whole food—and they’re packed with off-plan ingredients like pea protein and stevia.

However, protein powder from approved ingredients like crickets (in Chapul bars) or 100% egg white are allowed on the Whole30, provided they contain no sweeteners. As always, though, liquid food is still not encouraged. Got it?

Tip: We want you to spend a month learning to appreciate real food, how it tastes, the work it takes to prepare, and how it works in your body. You can have your shaker cup back in 30 days; for now, focus on starchy veggies and lean protein after a workout. Hard-boiled eggs, compliant deli meat, smoked salmon, or tuna are easy, portable protein sources to take with you to the gym

 

 

We really, really want you to eat real, whole foods. It's only 30 days. Put the powders away and eat vegetables and protein and healthy fats and see what happens. If, after that, you want to include these things, that's your call.

[Tom Denham]

It takes a little more planning to show up at the gym with lean protein in the form of real, whole food, but it is actually easy to do. I typically take a can of tuna packed in water with me to the gym and eat it when my workout is complete. You can be lazy about organizing to eat real food at any time except during a Whole30. During this 30 day period, just do it!

 

If you want to use your mushroom powder or maca powder as a spice or flavoring, go ahead. Just don't count them as a real serving of veggies. 

[strawberryfields]

It takes a little more planning to show up at the gym with lean protein in the form of real, whole food, but it is actually easy to do. I typically take a can of tuna packed in water with me to the gym and eat it when my workout is complete. You can be lazy about organizing to eat real food at any time except during a Whole30. During this 30 day period, just do it!

 

If you want to use your mushroom powder or maca powder as a spice or flavoring, go ahead. Just don't count them as a real serving of veggies. 

Thank you so much, I understand that during this time I have to eat whole foods, I put aside my protein shakes and my powdered veggies. It's just so rare to find maca and reishi mushroom in their whole form and they have benefits but I know that there are other veggies and fruits that may not be so potent but good enough for my good health. Thank you so much!!

[strawberryfields]

The official word on protein powders, from the Can I Have list:

 

 

We really, really want you to eat real, whole foods. It's only 30 days. Put the powders away and eat vegetables and protein and healthy fats and see what happens. If, after that, you want to include these things, that's your call.

Thank you so much for the reminder. It put me back to the right track! Thank you!!

[AmyS]

Thank you so much, I understand that during this time I have to eat whole foods, I put aside my protein shakes and my powdered veggies. It's just so rare to find maca and reishi mushroom in their whole form and they have benefits but I know that there are other veggies and fruits that may not be so potent but good enough for my good health. Thank you so much!!

 I would suggest approaching any food that's promoted as a super food with a healthy sense of suspicion. There's no one food that will do wonders for you. Look a little deeper into any food touted as a super food this year (or last, or next - they change every few months) and you'll find folks who want to make a profit. That's certainly their right in any capitalist society. But it's also our right as consumers to look in depth into their claims and do the best for ourselves.

 

And there's just never been any science that disputes that eating real whole food in healthy amounts and proportions and in variety, is the best way to eat. It's hard to market, impossible to package, and it doesn't hit us in the instant gratification spot, but it's really true. Real food wins hands down over any claimed power food, super food, or powder/pill/potion/bar/juice/etc. made out of said super food. Really.

[Robbone]

Well, this is bad news for me. Out of convenience I make a smoothie in the morning w unsweetened coconut or almond milk, a scoop of unflavored Plant Fusion, a scoop of Green Vibrance, 1 Tbs. Flax oil, 1/2 banana and a handful of berries. I find that I am so busy in the am, if I don't make myself a smoothie for breakfast, I turn around and it's lunch time!!! You really can't beat 22 G of protein per scoop with only 2 G of sugar and I'll just bet that is from natural fructose from plant sources. The Green Vibrance is non negotiable. It has good stuff in it that my body NEEDS like probiotics and all those magical green vegetables that are REAL food. Read the label and you will see why this supplement is irreplaceable. No one could eat enough greens to get all that nutrient bioavailability! I have powdered egg whites but I doubt it will have the same texture or mix-ability in a smoothie as does Plant Fusion. :<( How much powdered egg white equals 22 G protein? Please don't say a bucket full......

[Robbone]

 I would suggest approaching any food that's promoted as a super food with a healthy sense of suspicion. There's no one food that will do wonders for you. Look a little deeper into any food touted as a super food this year (or last, or next - they change every few months) and you'll find folks who want to make a profit. That's certainly their right in any capitalist society. But it's also our right as consumers to look in depth into their claims and do the best for ourselves.

 

And there's just never been any science that disputes that eating real whole food in healthy amounts and proportions and in variety, is the best way to eat. It's hard to market, impossible to package, and it doesn't hit us in the instant gratification spot, but it's really true. Real food wins hands down over any claimed power food, super food, or powder/pill/potion/bar/juice/etc. made out of said super food. Really.

That may be true but in real life, you need an option that is NOT grab a sweet roll or a bagel. If properly constructed, a smoothie can be a gr8 option!

[jmcbn]

That may be true but in real life, you need an option that is NOT grab a sweet roll or a bagel. If properly constructed, a smoothie can be a gr8 option!

I'm a single mum of two, working full time, and training on average six days a week and I've yet to find myself in a situation where a smoothie is my only option. It's all about the planning.

[AmyS]

Well, this is bad news for me. Out of convenience I make a smoothie in the morning w unsweetened coconut or almond milk, a scoop of unflavored Plant Fusion, a scoop of Green Vibrance, 1 Tbs. Flax oil, 1/2 banana and a handful of berries. I find that I am so busy in the am, if I don't make myself a smoothie for breakfast, I turn around and it's lunch time!!! You really can't beat 22 G of protein per scoop with only 2 G of sugar and I'll just bet that is from natural fructose from plant sources. The Green Vibrance is non negotiable. It has good stuff in it that my body NEEDS like probiotics and all those magical green vegetables that are REAL food. Read the label and you will see why this supplement is irreplaceable. No one could eat enough greens to get all that nutrient bioavailability! I have powdered egg whites but I doubt it will have the same texture or mix-ability in a smoothie as does Plant Fusion. :<( How much powdered egg white equals 22 G protein? Please don't say a bucket full......

 

 

That may be true but in real life, you need an option that is NOT grab a sweet roll or a bagel. If properly constructed, a smoothie can be a gr8 option!

Robbone, since our position on smoothies/protein drinks is new information for you, you might want to take a gander at our Can I Have article, linked here: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/

 

Here are two relevant quotes from that article:

 

Protein Shakes: Almost Always No

Almost all protein powders (like whey, casein, soy, or pea) contain off-limit ingredients. Besides, anything you can get from protein powder (except maybe chemical extractives, added sweeteners and strange-sounding isolates) you can get from whole foods during your Whole30. In addition, formulated and processed meal-replacement shakes like Shakeology or Visalus are always off-limits. These products don’t even come close to our definition of real, whole food—and they’re packed with off-plan ingredients like pea protein and stevia.

However, protein powder from approved ingredients like crickets (in Chapul bars) or 100% egg white are allowed on the Whole30, provided they contain no sweeteners. As always, though, liquid food is still not encouraged. Got it?

Tip: We want you to spend a month learning to appreciate real food, how it tastes, the work it takes to prepare, and how it works in your body. You can have your shaker cup back in 30 days; for now, focus on starchy veggies and lean protein after a workout. Hard-boiled eggs, compliant deli meat, smoked salmon, or tuna are easy, portable protein sources to take with you to the gym.

 

 

Smoothies: We’d rather you didn’t

This is a very popular question, with a very unpopular answer. Smoothies (generally made using lots of fruit) are technically compliant on your Whole30, but we strongly recommend against it. Food that you drink sends different satiety signals to your brain than food that you chew. So when you drink your meal, your brain isn’t getting the feedback it needs to tell your body that it’s had enough of what it needs. Plus, smoothies are generally really fruit-heavy, and starting your day off with a liquid sugar-bomb sets you up for cravings, hunger, and volatile energy levels throughout the day. In summary, we’d rather you just eat the food, and skip the smoothie.

 

 

 

The idea behind Whole30 is to eat real food for 30 days. Specifically, this:

1. 1-2 palm-size portions of protein

2. 1-2 or more thumb-size portions of fat

3. 1-3 cups of veggies

 

Do that three times a day, the first time within an hour of waking. Each meal should satisfy you for 4-5 hours. If, between meals, you feel hungry, eat a mini-meal of fat, protein, and veggies.

 

If time is short at the start of the day, batch cooking is your friend. Many Whole30ers swear by large egg/veggie bakes that are made over the weekend and reheated on the way out the door on busy weekday mornings. Others of us are really into leftovers for breakfast. There are all sorts of possibilities - if you google Whole30 breakfast, and come to these forums (not stopping by unofficial sources), you'll see that Meal One is the most discussed meal of the day for many Whole30ers. There are lots of tips for preparation, eating, time management, recipes, and just about anything you can think about.

 

If you do consider your drink non-negotiable, that's fine, of course, but if you decide to do a Whole30, you'll be eating your breakfast. And your other meals.

[GFChris]

Well, this is bad news for me. Out of convenience I make a smoothie in the morning w unsweetened coconut or almond milk, a scoop of unflavored Plant Fusion, a scoop of Green Vibrance, 1 Tbs. Flax oil, 1/2 banana and a handful of berries. I find that I am so busy in the am, if I don't make myself a smoothie for breakfast, I turn around and it's lunch time!!! You really can't beat 22 G of protein per scoop with only 2 G of sugar and I'll just bet that is from natural fructose from plant sources. The Green Vibrance is non negotiable. It has good stuff in it that my body NEEDS like probiotics and all those magical green vegetables that are REAL food. Read the label and you will see why this supplement is irreplaceable.

I read the labels online.

Besides the posts above explaining why smoothies are discouraged, both products are not compliant for a Whole30.

The PlantFusion product, per their website, contains several off-plan ingredients, including fructose, stevia, pea protein, amaranth and quinoa. Green Vibrance contains rice bran and fructo-oligosaccharides (sweetener): additional no nos.

[SpinSpin]

If your morning is so busy that you are unable to prepare a breakfast in the am, look at having leftovers or making one of the several egg bake/frittatas/crustless quiches that about here on the forum and on line. Those would be a better choice. My husband--who is a trucker and can not stop for regular meals--takes the egg bakes and cuts them into bite size cubes and eats them along with leftover roast veg (carrots, brussel sprouts, sweet and white potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) as he goes along. If you need those lovely probiotics, I would suggest raw sauerkraut, fermented pickles and other veg, and drinking the brines of said fermented foods, and have some olives or avocado for healthy fats. You could also add canned coconut milk to your egg bakes for extra fats as well.