I (Meghan) recently made a commitment to eat more protein and pay attention to the actual nutrients I'm consuming as opposed to just going with "I'm eating healthy because I eat lots of fruit, veggies and whole foods." Since that time (about 5 months ago), I've discovered that eating protein is more difficult than I had thought. In order to eat protein in every meal and have it as a main source of my snacks, I had to prepare and think ahead (a lot!) about my food.
I turned to protein powder because 1) it's easy and quick and 2) it can be used in smoothies and baking. I experimented with a few different protein powders, from store bought to order online, cheap to expensive. I found that the more expensive ones are worth it. They taste less powdery and processed and I found I had better results - less hungry and improved athletic performance. Also, I was able to use the more expensive protein powders more than once in a day. My favorite is the Vanilla Collagen Sport by Neocell Sport.
Pros:
- Tasteless
- contains L-glutamine, an amino acid that is crucial in the muscle recovery process.
- contains 30% of daily vitamin and mineral needs
Cons:
- Have to order it online and it arrives via FedEx which requires a signature for delivery (which, if you live in NYC without a doorman, you know how annoying that is!)
- Expensive (compared to going to your local grocery store/GNC)
How did I use all this protein powder?
I made smoothies. My favorite ingredients for smoothies:
- Bananas
- Mango (frozen)
- Spinach
- Blueberries
- Flax seed
- Peaches
And I made muffins and pancakes! Thanks to Pinterest and the gluten-free craze, I was able to find lots of great recipes that replace flour with protein powder. I used protein powder, eggs and bananas as my base and added in flax seed, cinnamon, blueberries, stevia and applesauce.
What's your favorite protein recipe? Share in the comments section.