A Guide to Protein Powders

As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity can attest, I like smoothies...a lot. They make for a satisfying midnight snack and the perfect accompaniment to my nightly blog reading. Part of what attracts me to these blender creations is that they provide a convenient way to sneak in an extra serving of fruit, dairy, and, most pertinent to this post's topic, protein. Not only does the added protein hit ensure that I consume adequate amounts of this very necessary macronutrient, but it also adds a lovely "shake-like" texture to my blended beverages.

Over the years, I have experimented with them all: whey, soy, rice, hemp, even pea proteins. Here is a brief review of my protein adventures:

Whole Foods Soy Protein Powder
Given my obsession with all things Whole Foods, it shouldn't surprise you that I have sampled their house brand of protein powder.
*I have come to prefer non-animal sources of protein, so I opted to use their soy variety; they also produce a whey formula.
*Just two flavors are available: chocolate and vanilla. Both are quite palatable and lend themselves well to a variety of flavors.
*Unlike some powders, they may simply be mixed with milk--and still be tasty. Often protein powders need other components such as fruit or non-dairy ice cream to mask an unpleasant "protein" taste.
*Each packet contains 110-120 kcalories, 24 grams of protein, and partial supplementation in a few vitamins and minerals.
*Also available in canisters. A formula with added spirulina is also sold in some markets.
Living Harvest Hemp Protein
Just like my pal VeggieGirl, I have a healthy appreciation for this brand of protein.
*Available in 3 varieties: original, vanilla spice, and chocolate chili. My personal fave is vanilla spice (especially with mango!).
*Hemp has a very strong and distinctive taste, so I recommend easing your way into using this variety of protein. Get acclimated to its taste in combination with other flavors (from fruit, for example) before trying it on its own. Lindsay had the brilliant idea to mix it with oatmeal!
*Each 4 tablespoon serving contains 120-130 kcalories, 9 grams of protein, and a surprising 8 grams of fiber.
*Available in packets or canisters from their online store, as well in some Whole Foods markets.
To see more of my Living Harvest creations, click here.

Nature's Plus Spirutein
This was my first protein powder obsession...I will always have a special place in my heart for Spirutein.
*Available in SEVERAL varieties:
-Fruity: Strawberry-Banana, Strawberry, Strawberry Shortcake, Pina Colada, Tropical Fruit, Peaches 'n Cream, Tangerine Dream, Cherries Jubilee, Blueberries 'n Cream, Nutty Berry Burst, Banana, Raspberry Royale, Exotic Red Fruit
-Non-fruity: Egg Nog, Chai Latte, Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Double Fudge Crunch, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies 'n Cream, S'mores, Cappuccino
-Flavors in italics are my favorites!
*Strawberry-inspired flavors are NOT good--their flavorings are simply not quite right. Think cough medicine.
*Spirutein develops a light and fluffy texture when whipped in a high-speed blender. Yum, smoothie "clouds."
*Select flavors are available in unsweetened varieties and are just as tasty!
*Nutritionals vary according to flavor, but most contain 100-130 kcalories, 14 grams of protein, and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. I like that each serving provides 300 mg (30% RDA) of vegan calcium.
*Available in canisters or packets from many online stores, but I choose to order mine from Lucky Vitamin for their wide selection of flavors.
*My girl over at Gliding Calm likes to add Spirutein to her oats every now and then!
To see more of my Spirutein creations, click here.

Alive! Ultra Shakes
These provide a nice alternative to your average protein powders--great way to eat your peas!
*Available in soy and pea-rice protein blends, in vanilla and apples & cinnamon.
*Don't be turned off by their green color! They taste delicious, regardless of their slightly off-putting hue.
*Similar to Spirutein, Alive! shakes develop a pillowy texture when blended.
*Each serving contains 130 kcalories, 15 grams of protein, and whopping amounts of vitamins and minerals. You might not want to consume these daily so as to avoid excessive supplementation.
*Available in canisters or packets at Whole Foods Markets.
To see more of my Alive! shakes, click here.

Nutribody Protein
I received a large canister of Nutribody to sample for VegFamily--it turned out to be a favorite. You can read my review of it here.
*Available in a single variety, original (but it tastes like vanilla to me!)
*Sweet-tasting, despite its 0 grams of sugar...no stevia here either. Luo han is the sweetening agent here.
*Protein is derived from brown rice, making it suitable for those allergic to soy.
*Each 4 tablespoon serving contains 124 kcalories, 26 grams of protein, and 1.3 grams of fat. There is no other supplementation. (Bummer!).
*Quite possibly the most versatile protein powder I have used--perfect for any smoothie.
*Available in canisters on the company website.
To see more of my Nutribody creations, click here.

Amazing Meal
I received these packets as a result of my position at VegFamily as well--I will definitely order these for myself in the future!
*Available in 3 flavors: Original, Pomegranate-Mango, and Chocolate; all three are excellent, but I especially liked the mango and chocolate varieties.
*Protein is derived from hemp & rice, but the blend also includes a vast array of superfoods such as wheat grass, kale, and goji berries!
*Each serving contains 120 kcalories, 10 grams of protein, and an impressive 6 grams of fiber.
*Available exclusively at Whole Foods Markets.

To see more Amazing Meal creations, click here.

Nutribiotic Rice Protein
This provides the perfect compromise for the soy-averse and those who do not like the taste of hemp.
*Available in plain, vanilla, chocolate, and mixed berry. Formulas with added flax and antioxidants are also available.
*This powder tastes sweet to me as well, but it is completely free of sugar and sweeteners.
*I suggest adding a scoop of cocoa powder for a deeper, more instense chocolate flavor; otherwise it lends a "milk chocolate" flavor to your shakes.
*Each 1 tablespoon serving contains 55-60 kcalories, 12 grams of protein, and little to no other supplementation.
*Works well in Gina's breakfast cookies!

To see more of my Nutribiotic creations, click here.

Nutiva Hemp Shake
Another hemp protein after my heart...
*Available in 3 varieties: chocolate, amazon acai, and berry pomegranate. The amazon acai is undrinkable, in my opinion.
*Again, this powder has a strong hemp taste that is almost spicy; proceed with caution if you're a hemp newbie.
*This powder does not mix well with ice--combine only with fruit, milk/juice, or non-dairy ice cream/yogurt.
*Each serving contains 80-100 kcalories, 6-9 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber. You're out of luck if you're looking for additional supplementation.
*Available online at many outlets, including Amazon.
To see all my Nutiva creations, click here and here.

-You can revisit my post devoted to smoothie makin' here.
-I also reviewed another brand of protein (rather unfavorably) here.


Whew! I think that summarizes my protein powder career. I welcome comments, questions, and suggestions for other protein products. Enjoy!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

After a few stints in various modes of transportation, I have finally arrived in DC for the weekend. Spring break has officially begun, and I have entered relaxation mode. Check out the view from our hotel room today at sunset:
What are you up to this weekend?

Backtracking to those last few days before freedom:

Wednesday
Those frozen artichoke hearts were calling my name again, so I made a quick pasta dish to incorporate them. Whole wheat angel hair pasta, artichoke hearts, pesto tofu, and minced garlic made for a delicious evening meal. On the side, I had some steamed snap peas and lots of greens with tomatoes. Can you tell that I was trying to use up my produce?!
The smoothie that evening was another peach-mango concoction using Nutribody protein. Tasty, as always.
Thursday
As you may know, I have a fondness for vegan French toast, particularly for Tofu-Banana French Toast from the Imus Ranch Cookbook. Indeed, half the reason for my enjoyment of the dish is for the batter itself--I could eat it with a spoon...so I did. (Since it is a vegan recipe, the batter is egg-free, so eating the batter does not present a threat of salmonella). Instead of using the batter for its intended use, I ate it as a pudding, into which I dipped some more of those blueberry mini waffles. I washed it all down with rice milk.
After my last class, I was in a particularly celebratory mood due to not having class for the next 10 days. I kicked things up with a BBQ veggie hash: chickpeas, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, and Whole Foods brand BBQ. I scooped it all up with baked blue corn chips, and I used up the rest of my fresh produce in a salad with cashews and a dish of grapes.
Then I packed up my suitcase for home...I thought you all would appreciate some of my "travelling essentials."
I also packed up dinner and a few snacks for my flights that evening. Dinner consisted of a veggie bologna sandwich, an apple, almonds, and raw veggies. For snacks, I brought along a light cheddar stick with rice crackers and a small container of TJ's trail mix.
Once at the airport, I picked up another small snack to nosh on while reading Shape. Mango? Yes, please.
I arrived home late, but I needed to pack up for DC before bed. Here's a glimpse at my reading material and my "emergency breakfast kit." What are some of your travel essentials for eating healthfully?
Finally, I got to sit down and read a few blogs with my nightly smoothie: Vanilla Alive! protein with blueberries, rice milk and Nature's Path cashew-ginger granola. Ah, the comforts of home.
Friday
Before heading out to the airport (again!), I had a quick breakfast: Rudi's bagel with Sunbutter, apple, and Friendship cottage cheese with apple pie spice. Oh Rudi, how I missed you.
By the time we arrived at the train station in DC, I was starving. Fortunately, there is a "grab and go" Au Bon Pain in the station, so I snagged a few items to eat: garden salad (with sprouts!), mixed nuts, vanilla soymilk, grapes, and whole grain bread. I didn't eat all this...but pretty close.

Next up was dinner at Nora, the nation's first certified organic restaurant. I was surprised to find that the vegetarian options were rather limited (read: only one entree was meat-free). Nonetheless, I had a fabulous meal. I ordered a spicy tofu hot pot with loads of veggies and soba noodles. I drained that bowl clean:) For dessert, I ordered the coconut sorbet, aka heaven in a martini glass. Everything I ordered was completely delicious, and completely vegan, as the waitress assured me.
Whew! I am spent from all that eating. It's so nice to visit a city where eating out is a delight and stress-free for vegan/vegetarians. What are your favorite cities for dining?

Before I sign off, I want to let you all know about a special giveaway over at Blue Plate Special. Anna is offering the chance to win Raising the Bar, a book about the creators of my beloved Clif bars. In case you missed it, I recently did a review of ALL Clif bars (minus the peanut flavors)--check it out here. Obviously, I am one of Clif's biggest fans:)

Good night, all!

Berry Tripping

Hello, all! I apologize for the delay--my normal midday posting schedule was side-tracked due to a dining committee event. We're hosting a "berry tripping" event on Thursday night for which I was selling tickets. What is berry tripping, you ask? It all centers around the "miracle fruit," a berry grown in West Africa that alters your taste sensations. A glycoprotein present in the berry makes sour things taste sweet: just imagine sucking on a lemon that tastes like lemonade, or guzzling Guinness that tastes like a milkshake.

Check out this video from the NYT for an inside look at this food trend.

What do you think? Would you be brave enough to go on a berry trip?

Anyway, here's what I've been chomping on since my last post:

Monday
Inspired by my recent purchase of frozen artichoke hearts (from TJ's), I decided to whip up a vegan spinach artichoke dip. I based my version on the recipe from the Chicago Diner Cookbook, which includes vegan mayo, artichokes, garlic, and spinach. To make a completely dippable meal, I also served up some hummus with sliced olives on top. I used some more of those fab baked blue corn chips to shovel in the tastiness. Oh yeah, some salad a few grapes added a little more nutrition to the meal.
Following my dining committee meeting, I made another mock tuna melt, using my standard chickpea mixture as the "tuna" and melted provolone for the "melt." The end result was much better than last time--sliced cheese is much more melty than a chopped up cheddar stick. I also had a big salad from the salad bar with Annie's Balsamic Vinaigrette, plus a dish of melon.
For my smoothie that evening, I whipped up a frothy peach-banana combo with Nutribody. Sadly, I am nearing the end of my Nutribody AND my Cascadian Farm granola...looks like I'll need to go shopping for smoothie supplies soon:)
Tuesday
I've had this "People's Choice" yogurt by Stonyfield sitting in my fridge for a while--since it was so "special," I felt like I should use it creatively. In the end, it formed one of the components of my blueberry-pom parfait. I layered TJ's High Fiber cereal, said yogurt, blueberries, and almonds to make it. The yogurt tasted mostly like blueberry to me, but it was tasty, nonetheless. I really like this cereal though--it's like a gloriously aspartame-free Fiber One. I am also mildly obsessed with its cereal cousin, TJ's High Fiber Fruit and Nut Medley. Hmm...perhaps these will appear in future product reviews?
After my test, I came back to the apartment for a little comfort food...which has come to mean Goddess Garbanzos. I put the delicious mess in an Italian herb wrap with mixed greens and served it alongside a salad with 'shrooms and chopped apricots, plus grapes and steamed sugar snap peas.
I was stuck at home doing homework last night (rather than attending the basketball game against FSU), so I treated myself to an old fave while watching it on TV: scrambled tofu. I included zucchini in the mix for this one and served it with a whole wheat mini bagel, Brussels sprouts, greens, and an orange.
My nightly blog-reading was accompanied by a fab shake: strawberries, banana, soymilk, dark cocoa powder, and chocolate rice protein. A few more of those Annie's Bunnies decided to take a swim.
Wednesday
I am trying to whittle down my cereal selection (what? 8 boxes is too many?), so I opted for a hot bowl of Autumn Wheat today. I also had a banana with some Cinnamon Swirl PB.
Today's lunch was a double-salad: Waldorf salad, plus herb/greens mix with chickpeas. How can you go wrong with almonds, raisins, and apples? I also had a few crackers on the side.
There are a few giveaways in blogland that I wanted to let you all know about.

Olga from Healthing It is giving away a gift certificate for Me & Goji cereal. I've never tried it, but I love the idea of fully customizable cereal! Enter by March 9th!

Katie from Chocolate-Covered Katie is giving away Jocolat bars. I love me some Jocolat bars! I reviewed the chocolate mint variety here. Contest ends March 19th.

That concludes this installment of the Broccoli Hut adventures. Next post will be from DC!