Smoothies & Whey

pmacaula · Post by **pmacaula** » February 10th, 2009, 12:55 am

Have been erging since September. Since ramping up training volume to 6 days/week & after losing about as much weight as I wanted to, I started to make fruit & yogurt smoothies as a post-workout recovery drink.

After a bit of experimentation, I found 200mL of plain yogurt plus frozen berries (blue, straw, rasp, ...) and a fresh banana mixed up nicely and tasted great.

Feeling a bit low on power (relative to endurance), I thought it would be time to try adding some protein to the smoothies as a first step (yes , will add weights at some point, but not now) to building some muscle.

Bought a tub of Whey powder - apparently vanilla flavoured.

Added the recommended 35g scoop to my smoothie.

Gag ! Kak ! Retch !
It tasted so vile, I had to dump the whole smoothie down the drain.

Not having had any previous experience with any supplements of any kind, I am wondering if I am doing something wrong or am missing something basic.

The product is Vanilla Flavoured Essential Whey from Precision Sport Supplements.

Given the tub cost C$45, I would prefer to make at least some use of it, even if I do not ever buy the stuff again.

Any help/guidance/hints greatly appreciated.

Cheers. Patrick.

badocter · Post by **badocter** » February 10th, 2009, 2:36 am

I have tried a number of powdered whey products from myprotein.co.uk and some taste better than others. Surprisingly, I liked the unflavoured a lot better than the vanilla flavoured.

At the end of the day, unflavoured whey is pretty neutral in taste when mixed in in milk because it essentially is powdered milk minus the fat and lactose and casein (the other protein in milk). Which brings up another point - you can get "milk protein concentrate" that has both the whey and casein and is a bit closer to neutral tasting than whey by itself. The casein is also slower absorbing.

The unflavoured is what you want for making smoothies with fruit IMHO. Like you I thought smoothies with the vanilla was pretty bad. As other flavors go choco-mint flavoured stuff was delicious by itself and truely killer with a banana blended in.

The other thing that can throw off the taste is if you got a product that is more than just whey and casein...if you got one of the products with creatine or HMB or some other supplements mixed in, the taste can be pretty foul.

PaulH · Post by **PaulH** » February 10th, 2009, 5:36 am

As an alternative to your smoothies, you can try mixing a teaspoon of the powder into a yoghurt - you won't get through it too quickly, but it adds up and shouldn't make you want to hurl

pmacaula · Post by **pmacaula** » February 10th, 2009, 11:19 am

badocter wrote:...unflavoured whey is pretty neutral in taste when mixed in in milk...The unflavoured is what you want for making smoothies with fruit...The other thing that can throw off the taste is if you got a product that is more than just whey and casein...

BA - Thanks. Will check to see if there is something else in the mix, though I am pretty sure it is just whey plus flavouring. Certainly don't want any other supplements.

PaulH wrote:...try mixing a teaspoon of the powder into a yoghurt...shouldn't make you want to hurl.

PaulH & BA - Thanks for the suggestions. Will do a few trials with milk and with yogurt.

If that doesn't work, could go back to the old protein standby from my single days - peanut butter & rice. Would have to find the long-hidden rice cooker.

When newly married, my wife watched in horror as I glopped PB onto fresh-out-of-the-cooker rice, mixed it into a gooey ball & ate with a fork. The next day, couldn't find the cooker. That was almost 13 years ago...

Cheers. Patrick.

PaulH · Post by **PaulH** » February 10th, 2009, 11:22 am

It's clear your wife is a most wise and insightful person...

M. Podolsky · Post by **M. Podolsky** » February 10th, 2009, 2:35 pm

I was going to suggest that you could use the whey powder as fertilizer if the melamine content is high enough, but I decided against posting if all I could offer was a smartass remark. However, now that you mention peanut butter and rice, I can recommend an alternative that your wife may (or may not) find less disgusting. Crack a raw egg onto the rice and mix it up thoroughly. It's better than it sounds.

Kevlar281 · Post by **Kevlar281** » February 10th, 2009, 11:29 pm

After I get done lifting I take New Whey 42 from IDS. Just twist the cap and slam it. It's a bit pricey but to cut cost, you can take half of it or buy it in bulk.

It comes in four flavors...

Orange
Grape
Fruit Punch
Blue Raspberry

/edit: so I just re-read your post and realized that you were seeking advice on how to save yourself from eating the cost of a $45 tub. My advice that you wont like but that has worked for me in the past is to cut all the shake buisness and just mix it with water. It will be a lot less thick and you will be able to chug it fast. Pinch your nose if you half to.

pmacaula · Post by **pmacaula** » February 12th, 2009, 11:13 am

PaulH - you are right, my wife has more sense in her little finger than I do in total. Sadly for her, she is now the mother of 3 boys (+1 one infantile husband).

MP - Might try your egg idea, though the rice cooker is still AWOL

I still like peanut butter (despite the salmonella scare).

Kevlar - I have tried out your/PaulH/BA suggestion/s about other ways to consume this guck. Have tried both with milk & with water. Neither is great, but as you say, just slam it back & hope:
1. it doesn't trigger the gag reflex
2. the aftertaste doesn't stick around too long

More importantly, smoothies are no longer to be corrupted by whey.

Thanks all for the guidance & suggestions.

Cheers. Patrick.

Nosmo · Post by **Nosmo** » February 12th, 2009, 2:32 pm

... she is now the mother of 3 boys (+1 one infantile husband).

She is the mother of one infantile husband

Do you have any idea if you are getting enough protein otherwise? I think now many people feel that a little protein after and even during exercise helps, but you have that with the yogurt. If you are getting enough protein in general you probably don't need the whey, at least until you start weight training. You might want to keep track of what you are eating for a while and see how much protein you are getting

Deewen · Post by **Deewen** » March 29th, 2009, 4:33 pm

Hi, I'm new to the forum, and thought I'd write down what my breakfast smoothie contains. I've been having a smoothie for breakfast for the past couple of years and think it's heavenly, especially after my morning workouts.

1 cup (250ml) kefir (cultured milk)
3 tbs plain half fat yoghurt
3 tbs plain full fat yoghurt
1 banana
2 tsp flax seeds (added for fiber and healthy fat)
2 tsp pumpkin seeds (extra protein, plus they contain healthy fat)
1 1/4 cups frozen berries (usually blackberries, blueberries or raspberries)

I've read in a few books that most people don't need extra protein unless they are doing some serious weight lifting. However, my main point with my reply was to show that I use milk, yoghurt and seeds as protein sources for my smoothie.

Hope this is of some help, although this thread might be "cold" by now...

Deborah

Chai Cat · Post by **Chai Cat** » February 24th, 2010, 11:57 pm

I know this is an old post revival, but I wanted to talk about favorite powdered protein drinks and what you make with them. Some are just downright nasty tasting and I wouldn't consider any of them to be so delicious that I'd crave them but I've found one that I really like.
My favorite is Elite Protein in Chocolate Mint flavor. I haven't tried their vanilla or chocolate yet but I will.
Sometimes I want something sweet and not so good for me so I came up with an idea. I'd heard of "protein pancakes" before so decided to make my own version. I think it is pretty good so I'm going to share it with you and maybe some of you have some other good ideas you'd be willing to share.
Here's mine:

1 Scoop Elite Mint Chocolate Whey Protein
1 Large Egg White
1/8 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Splenda
Water
(You may also add extra powdered baking cocoa if desired but increase Splenda if you do)

Mix all of the above ingredients together with water to the consistency of pancake mix. Spray a small nonstick pan with cooking spray. Cook over medium heat until edges look done and flip to cook other side.

When that is done, spread No Sugar Fat Free Chocolate Jello Pudding on top and top that with a couple of Tbsp's of Fat Free Reddi-Wip. A few fresh raspberries on top and there you have it.

It's not a double fudge brownie but it is pretty decent and a great way to get 24+ grams of protein in a snack.

What do you make with your protein?

jamesg · Post by **jamesg** » February 25th, 2010, 1:25 am

If you want the right balance of protein, fats, sugars, salts and water, all you have to do is drink milk. Add on bread and plenty of fruit and veg and you have the perfect diet.

Dried whey protein (albumin=egg-white) comes from milk anyway, via industrial drying. Ricotta is cheaper and doesn't taste so awful as it hasn't been through that, it's made by just heating the whey to precipitate the albumin (hence the name). Whey of course is what's left over after making cheese or butter. AKA pig-swill, as pigs are good at turning it into ham.

Chai Cat · Post by **Chai Cat** » February 25th, 2010, 10:40 am

Hi James, thank you for your info about milk and good fresh foods!

I myself am not a milk person so, for my own personal nutritional goals, I try to find a way to get a certain amount of protein without having to eat too many calories or getting more sugar carbs than I want. I find protein powder works quite well to fill that need. I'm just looking for some ways to have it as more of a fun treat than mixing it with water and drinking it. I love variety!

Maybe you have a great smoothie recipe you would like to share that you make with milk and fruits? One could always add to that protein content with an unflavored whey powder if they so choose. Or depending on what type of fruit ie: bananas, chocolate would be good.

As for the ricotta, I'll definitely eat that...low sugar, super high protein, low carbs but watch out for the fat content as it is pretty high unless you get "skim".... but oh yes....yum!

Happy Rowing!

bloomp · Post by **bloomp** » February 25th, 2010, 10:46 am

The smoothies I make when I'm home from college are like this:

1 cup egg whites
Various fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, pear, mango) really whatever I find.
Ice
1/2 cup non-fat yogurt

Egg whites for protein, plenty of nutrients in the fruit, and some carbs and more protein in the yogurt.

Steelhead · Post by **Steelhead** » February 25th, 2010, 1:40 pm

bloomp wrote:The smoothies I make when I'm home from college are like this:

1 cup egg whites
Various fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, pear, mango) really whatever I find.
Ice
1/2 cup non-fat yogurt

Egg whites for protein, plenty of nutrients in the fruit, and some carbs and more protein in the yogurt.

My afterwork out smoothie this morning was 1 lb of frozen brocolli, 1 lb of frozen blueberries, and a little agave nectar, blended in a Vita-Mix. 375 calories, 15 gms protein, 83 gms carbohydrate, 4 grams fat, 44% of vitamins and 47% minerals.

My during workout drink (weight lifting and erg) this morning was 10 oz. Hi-Ball Sport Drink (80 mg. caffeine, 10 calories, B-3, B-5, B-6, B-12), 2 cups pomegranate juice, and added water to equal 32 oz: (316 calories, 5 g protein, 75 g carbohydrates, 43% vitamins, 15% minerals).

Total morning calories: 691 less calories expended from erging 6800 meters, and lifting weights for 1 hr 45 min.