Protein Powder

[dflocco]

I recently finished my first whole 30 and want to do it again but really miss a shake in the morning. I used to have 1 scoop of Cystosport protein with kale, pear and celery. Can you recommend a good protein powder if I wanted to add one in?

[MeadowLily]

No.   None of them are worth a hoot and a hollar.  I speak from being a smoothie queen for a decade.  All of these powders are highly engineered in a lab and manufactured in a plant.   They're made of denatured proteins.  Your body can't recognize or utilize them.   The good results are similar to the placebo effect.

 

Pea and brown rice proteins jack up your blood sugar as do many of the others.  There's not any real protein in these products.   Think of the lab and plant stamping the cans out..one by one...filled with pinecones, lawn clippings, grasshoppers and old shoes.  You really have no idea what's in those cans and there's so little regulation.   It could be almost anything.  

 

So if you want your good results to continue, stick with your newly formed good habits.  I'm going to keep dancing with the one who brought me.  I've danced from Diabetes into good health.  It took much longer than 30 days to get there.

[kirkor]

I'm on my phone right now so it'd be a pain to link you, but there's a reddit thread about the heavy metal content in many popular brands. It's worth reading about the analysis results.

That being said, what is it you've been missing about your morning shake? Convenience? Speed?

[Allia]

I don't think this is suitable for Whole30 because most protein powders are made with noncompliant ingredients and it goes against the Whole30 philosophy of no processed foods. Seems more like something to have after Whole30.

[Lainey]

What about gelatin or collagen powder? Or just skip the powder completely.

[dflocco]

Thanks- I love my eggs but sometimes want something else and not lunch for breakfast maybe I will try using the coconut crème in place and just have a few hard boiled eggs on the side. I do miss having the shake as it tasted good in my new Vitamix blender. Any other breakfast ideas?

[jmcbn]

Coconut cream is a fat which should be avoided postWO as it slows down the absorption of valuable nutrients needed for muscle growth & repair. If you're opting for eggs you should also avoid the yolks postWO.

How about a blended soup made from roasted root veg with some portable protein on the side...?

[Britishgal]

Probably the most groundbreaking thing I learnt during my first whole30 was to eat breakfast...even as a child I'd resisted eating in the morning. The best way is to stop thinking of breakfast and lunch and dinner...they are all just meals and you can eat anything at any time. Don't think "I don't want lunch for breakfast", rather "what can I have for my first meal today?"

I eat leftovers mostly...

[ultrarunnergirl]

Regardless of the quality of the protein powder, it will never hold a candle to meat or eggs.

 

We also strongly discourage drinking your food. Liquefying your food causes it to digest much faster and you'll be hungry again sooner. It's also difficult to compose a shake/smoothie that meets the meal template of protein, veggies and fat without getting too much sugar from fruit.

 

Velvety Butternut Squash and homemade sausage patty with an egg or two work great if you don't want "lunch for breakfast".

 

Made ahead frittata or egg & veggie muffins work great for grab and go.

[Seank91]

What about hemp protein powder?

[ShannonM816]

What about hemp protein powder?

 

This is what the Can I Have list has to say about protein powders:

 

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.

 

[NonaVictora]

I found a product called Paleo Protein Powder that only has egg protein and beef protein as ingredients. Would this be ok? I had gastric bypass over a year ago and can't eat really eat enough, so I use the protein shake to supplement. I make sure to add a fat (coconut butter or almond butter) and some spinach along with fruit.

[robinfowler2]

what about hemp powder (for example) in things like protein "balls": you know, process dates, almonds, cacao, etc in food processor and roll into balls. Some of these recipes call for protein powder.

 

I'm just fine leaving out protein powder. Can you tell me how or if it will affect the end product?

 

Thank you!

[GFChris]

what about hemp powder (for example) in things like protein "balls": you know, process dates, almonds, cacao, etc in food processor and roll into balls. Some of these recipes call for protein powder.

 

I'm just fine leaving out protein powder. Can you tell me how or if it will affect the end product?

 

Thank you!

Mixing fruit with cacao is off-limits for a Whole30, sorry, per the Can I Have Guide:

"Cacao (or 100% cocoa) is great when used as a savory spice (our Mocha Steak Rub, found in It Starts With Food, is a great example), but you can also feel free to add it to your coffee or tea, or brew it Crio Bru-style. But per the rules of the program, it’s not okay to add cocoa to dates and other fruits to make chocolate-y confections. Read our Great Cocoa Debate for details."

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.GW9dsG0b.dpuf

Instead of making protein balls, follow the meal template recommendations of protein and optional fat pre workout and protein and optional carb, post workout. No fruit in either. 

[missmary]

I found a product called Paleo Protein Powder that only has egg protein and beef protein as ingredients. Would this be ok? I had gastric bypass over a year ago and can't eat really eat enough, so I use the protein shake to supplement. I make sure to add a fat (coconut butter or almond butter) and some spinach along with fruit.

 

NonaVictora, sorry we didn't see this earlier. If the powder has no off-plan ingredients (usually protein powders have sweetener of some sort, like inulin or stevia), then it is permitted but not encouraged on the whole30. 

 

Yours is one of the few cases where we might suggest going to a shake. Most people do not have a pre-existing health condition that warrants this. Depending on your context, you might be able to do smaller solid food meals instead. If that's the case, I would encourage that over a shake even for you. Blended soups are also a great option.

[4windsrider]

I buy a protein powder that has one ingredient. "Organic pumpkin seeds"..

[GFChris]

I buy a protein powder that has one ingredient. "Organic pumpkin seeds"..

Seeds are a fat on a Whole30, not a protein. Like nuts, they are recommended to be limited.

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Again, smoothies are discouraged (for good reason), but *sometimes*, if I do a big morning workout (with pre- and post-WO snacks per the template; usually 1/2 baked chicken breast pre- and the other 1/2 post plus some bites of squash), then my first template meal will be two eggs, spinach, compliant salsa and a (gasp!) smoothie with Bulletproof Beef Collagen Protein Powder (+ 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup OJ, frozen banana).  That's pretty fruit-heavy, so you'd have to see if you activity level warranted it and whether you personally would have any "sugar crash" after.  The other option would be to use a bunch of veggies in the smoothie, but as per other comments, always better to actually eat them on your plate.  Notice that I am consider my smoothie as part of my template meal, but you could argue that I'd be better off with just an additional egg or two and more veggies on my plate.  It's the next frontier for me to break through.

 

Cheers,

 

-Lauren (GGG)

[missmary]

 but you could argue that I'd be better off with just an additional egg or two and more veggies on my plate. 

 

yup.

[eileen speranza]

Can you have Dr Axe collagen protein powder?

[jmcbn]

Can you have Dr Axe collagen protein powder?

Yes - provided you're not adding in to your smoothie 

[ladyshanny]

Can you have Dr Axe collagen protein powder?

I looked at this online and couldn't find an ingredient listing. It listed on teh package what isn't in it but it doesn't actually show what is in it. If you have this product and can post the ingredients list, we can help determine.  Chances are there is a sweetener of some type in it.

 

That said, we strongly discourage drinking any sort of protein supplement and in particular, collagen protein is not a good choice if you are trying to use it post-exercise.  If you are looking for something to have after a workout, stick wtih eating some lean protein and some starchy veggie (tuna/chicken breast and sweet potato are good and popular choices).

[jmcbn]

I was guessing (albeit foolishly!) that there were no sugar/sweeteners due to their being no carbohydrate content.

>This link< shows no artifical colours, flavours or preservatives, no gluten, dairy or soy - but yeah, no mention of sugar or sweeteners here either.

And funnily enough when asked by potential customers on their FB page no-one responded.

 

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Again, smoothies are discouraged (for good reason), but *sometimes*, if I do a big morning workout (with pre- and post-WO snacks per the template; usually 1/2 baked chicken breast pre- and the other 1/2 post plus some bites of squash), then my first template meal will be two eggs, spinach, compliant salsa and a (gasp!) smoothie with Bulletproof Beef Collagen Protein Powder (+ 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup OJ, frozen banana).  That's pretty fruit-heavy, so you'd have to see if you activity level warranted it and whether you personally would have any "sugar crash" after.  The other option would be to use a bunch of veggies in the smoothie, but as per other comments, always better to actually eat them on your plate.  Notice that I am consider my smoothie as part of my template meal, but you could argue that I'd be better off with just an additional egg or two and more veggies on my plate.  It's the next frontier for me to break through.

 

Cheers,

 

-Lauren (GGG)

As an update, I successfully made it through my Whole30 with only one smoothie (when I was sick with bronchitis).  I'm now 18 days post-Whole30 and I still haven't had one!

 

And I also learned that while collagen does have some benefits for digestion and joint-health, it is NOT good for post-workout muscle protein synthesis (MPS).  Whole food protein sources (like chicken breast or egg whites) are still the best way to go!