Favorite Protein Shake

What are some are your favorite Protein Shake creations? In the summer, I would make a shake using soymilk and extra powder to make the shkae really thick and freeze it for a few hours to make it taste like icecream.

I was thinking of starting up the powder again, but want more variety instead of soymilk. What do u think of using fruit juice? Is that a good combo? I have a juicer, so I was thinking of juicing apples, pears, oranges and/or carrots and mixing in the powder. WOuld that taste nasty? lol

I have made shakes with chocolate soy powder, with a few spoons of cocoa, a few spoons of peanut butter, soy milk, and a little sugar. That's awesome. I think that adding fruit flavours to the powder would make me sick, especially if they are citrus. Maybe it'd work with strawberries or bananas, but I don't really like either of them.

Why would adding fruits to protein powders not be a good idea? I just made one today with OJ... it was delicious! From what u wrote, though, I hope it doesn't cause me tummy problems later!

It might make it taste better. In my opinion soy protein tastes super nasty.

well the type of protein i get is like powdery thick stuff. It works in a milkshake, which is thick anyway. But if I put it with orange flavour, it'd be a bit sick I think. Like a orange milkshake, doesn't seem right?

If people are tired of Soy Protein (and to some degree...who isn't?), try hemp protein, rice protein, pea protein, or just eat more whole foods that are protein-rich.

Hemp protein may be the best for us and for the planet, but there are many alternatives to soy. I still use some soy protein, but I cut down on it, just because I used it primarily for 5 years and wanted to do something else. Just like when I got off the cruise ship where I ate rice 3 times a day, I didn't touch rice for about a year! I just needed a break and to go a different route.

Change is good and highly encouraged as long as it is moving forward.

-Thin Thin Supplement Him

I'll second Robert's comments on hemp protein. Shelled hempseed, with its high content of essential amino acids and essentail fatty acids is quite possibly the most nutritious plant food found in nature. The total amount of nutrients deemed "essential" is almost two-thirds of the entire hempseed! Does any other food have such a high density of nutrition? Perhaps only chlorella does.

Higher in protein than meat, fish, eggs or milk, hemp has exceptionally high quality, highly digestible protein owing to its globular edestin and albumin variety. Unlike soy, hemp is free of trypsin inhibitors and oligosaccharides (long sugar chains) which impair protein absorption and cause digestive problems, respectively. Also, whereas soy is common food allergy and is raised as a GMO to a significant extent, hemp is rarely allergenic and is GMO free.

Here's an interesting comparison of the essential amino acid profile of hempseed with egg whites (which mainstream body builders seem to heap so much unwarranted praise for):

In mg/g

hempseed / egg whites

leucine 18.80 / 9.50

lysine 9.10 / 6.48

threonine 10.30 / 4.77

phen+tyro 21.90 / 6.89

valine 14.20 / 8.42

meth+cyst 9.60 / 4.20

isoleucine 11.40 / 6.98

tryptophan 3.90 / 1.64

Nothing has enabled me to gain muscle mass like hemp has. I value it so much that I generally purchase 25 lbs of whole hemp seed at a time from a vendor in NYC.

What's the cost per protein gram on hemp seed?

Or even just the cost of a decent sized amount?

I purchase 25 lbs unshelled for about $85.00 when shipping is added from Galaxy Global Eatery. This is the most cost effective means of purchasing hemp through this company (and the best I've seen anywhere) but I must admit a preference for the higher priced shelled hemp which I can add to a high power blender and make great tasting hemp milk. Here's their site:

http://www.galaxygloblaleatery.com

Hey Michael,

Thanks for all the info about Hemp. Too many people overlook the power of hemp. Some people discovered it a while back and now use it as their primary protein source.

Vega is also hemp based. www.myvega.com for those interested.

I'm there are plenty of cool companies that sell hemp protein in various forms. I may do some searching and post more links later on.

Go Hemp Go Hemp Go Hemp Go Hemp Go Hemp Go Hemp Go Hemp

Heh. It's a shame I just dropped $250 on a year's supply of the builder bars.

But this stuff looks good. I'll have to keep this in mind when I need a break from bars. Ty for the heads up : )

Sorry, I messed up the link with a typo. The correct address is:

http://www.galaxyglobaleatery.com

Check out the link on books written about hemp--it's amazing that there are several titles out there praising the medicinal/therapeutic value of a food product the majority of people are completely unaware of...and yet it predates the use of soybeans by several centuries.

Richard Rose, founder of HempNut, Inc. and food entrepenuer who has made a living creating many innovative soy based foods over the last 20 years has recently focused his interest on hemp exclusively, calling it "the soybean of the 20th century". When that happens of course, the disinformation campaign by vendors hurt by soy product sales will have switch gears and find something about hemp to malign. I can see it all now--how they'll be claiming it's marijuana in disguise...

Sorry, I messed up the link with a typo. The correct address is:

http://www.galaxyglobaleatery.com

Check out the link on books written about hemp--it's amazing that there are several titles out there praising the medicinal/therapeutic value of a food product the majority of people are completely unaware of...and yet it predates the use of soybeans by several centuries. For protein assimilation, hemp is the clear winner over soy, and like Robert, I've noticeably de-emphasized my soy intake since discovering hemp. If anyone ever gives you any guff about how vegetarians don't have a bona fide protein source that can compete with meat, whey or whatever, you can tell them that the very best protein source hails from the plant kingdom after all!

Richard Rose, founder of HempNut, Inc. and food entrepenuer who has made a living creating many innovative soy based foods over the last 20 years has recently focused his interest on hemp exclusively, calling it "the soybean of the 20th century". When that happens of course, the disinformation campaign by vendors hurt by soy product sales will have switch gears and find something about hemp to malign. I can see it all now--how they'll be claiming it's marijuana in disguise...

Regarding Vega, I noticed on Vegan Essentials that one of the reviews was "well it tastes like it's good for you". Does this mean it's really ick tasting?

I don't like to drink shakes. If it tastes bad, I know I won't do it (then I have wasted my money and have no gains). Is there any hemp shake that is tasty?

To be honest, Vega is kind of hit and miss with a lot of people. Some love it, and some don't love it. Only a few I've heard say, "It's ok" like that had no opinion. I prefer the Vega Bars, I eat them all the time. The powder I don't use as much. Topher likes the powder better than the bars, but I think 9 out of 10 people prefer the bars over the powder.

So yeah, it can be hit and miss, but worth a try since it is probably the healthiest and has some of the best ethics behind it.

-Rob

I like nutribiotic rice protein. Depending on the flavour i mix it with bananas, rice milk, cocoa powder or vanilla extract or berries and usually a scoop of a green supplement like barely green or something and some ground flax seeds. I use hemp protien once in a while but its pretty grainy. Vega's not too bad, i tried a sample. If i could afford it I would love to get it because of all the great stuff it has in it.

I swear sometimes I think I am from a different planet than all other people.

Am I really the only one on this board that thinks Pure Trim tastes amazing for a vegan protein powder?

I guess my tastebuds are freaks.

CG, I'll be letting you know soon. My Pure trim is on the way!

Rice protein tastes nasty! it tastes like a$$

My vote goes to Vega (berry). i add it to my smoothie and it tastes awesome.

I like all the protein powders i've had except for one I think its Genisoy its 100% pure soy protein and their all veg protein is terrible too. I really dont know how i finished those 2 canisters but it took a whole semester. The plain genisoy protein that has no flavor (green can) lasts about 2 weeks. I like the nutribiotic rice protein just to have a different flavor. The genisoy brand tasted a little sweet to me the first time, but subsequent tastings have let me down. If hemp powder wasnt so expensive i'd have it more often, its great on bananas. Lately i mix it in with some soy milk, grape nuts, any fruit I have around, and some flax meal. I'm with Nat I like pure trim better than vega, but i will consume either one since neither are bad.

Right on man,

Yeah, sometimes I just take whatever I can get, as long as it is vegan. It depends on where I am, how much money I have, etc. For example Genisoy is far cheaper than any other kind I've found so at certain times when I'm out of money that is what I go for.

There are some out there that I have a really heard time getting down, but sometimes just bite the bullet and go for it and then shove some berries of something like that in my mouth to diffuse the poor flavor of the protein. I guess you could call it a chaser or something. Juice works well, fruit, even peanut butter, just something to toss in my mouth after drinking some of the poor-tasting supplements. It's worth a try if you want the extra protein in powder form and don't like the taste.

-Rob

Some of the stuff like the veg made me sick to my stomach. I found that i could tolerate small amounts in the watered down pasta sauce they serve in the cafeteria, actually made the sauce a little thicker, though tasted pretty bad. Nice thing about vega and pure trim is they are great on their own just in water.

Is Vega available in stores? Never seen or heard of it until now. How many grams of protein are in a serving?

Hey Shelby,

Here is some info from Brendan, the formulator of Vega. It was from another thread in this section about supplements:

Hello,

Just thought I’d clear a few things up myself. I did formulate Vega; it’s not something I just endorse. I’ll admit that $80 Canadian is much too high. There should never be a store in Canada that sells it for more than $75, that’s suggested retail. Most sell it for $67, that’s standard. Here’s one selling it for $69.99 CDN:

http://www.aviva.ca/shop/products.asp?itemid=2309&catid=268

A serving is 500ml, a pint. So it’s really quite large, most people will be full on ½ a serving.

Its price is also a reflection of attention to detail and quality. It’s certainly not just a protein. It eliminates the need for several products. Many people have indicated that they no longer want to take several pills a day. It eliminates that need and provides food-sources nutrients in a convenient form. It also has 2.5 grams of maca which is an excellent vegetable for the adrenal glands to provide energy by nourishing the adrenals as opposed to stimulating them which refined sugar and caffeine does. I used to buy all of these foods separately and blend them together – now that was expensive and time consuming. However it was worth it since my performance improved dramatically.

Also, where else can you get a ready-to-eat nutritionally complete meal with 25 grams of protein from five sources (hemp, pea, rice, flax, chlorella - synergistically combined to create a “flat line” amino acid profile), 7 grams of essential fatty acids, 9 grams of fibre, enzymes, probiotics and a berry complex from antioxidants for lest than $5? A starchy muffin and a coffee cost that. I’m certainly not suggesting that everyone must consume Vega to be healthy or perform well, but as with all premium foods – especially in a convenient form – the price will be higher than some. In Canada many health food store workers are reporting that one of its biggest selling features is that it is considerably cheaper than buying all of what it replaces. One can certainly take the time to make healthy meals, but not every one has that option – Vega is one solution.

As far as supporting athletes such as Robert by providing them with product; it’s something I’m happy to do. As a professional athlete I appreciate how long it takes to get to a high level. It’s a way for me to give back to sport in general. When I see someone like Robert who puts so much time and effort into his training and promoting a vegan lifestyle, I like to be a part of it and support it however I can. Plus of course it helps spread the word about Vega.

I know I’m going on here but…

You may be interested to know that it’s been reported that between 70%-80% of regular Vega users have replaced their whey-based meal replacements or protein drinks. I’m sure I don’t need to explain the environmental implications of that. Not to mention the “real cost”, referring to the amount of energy needed to produce the ingredients. Hemp (the number one ingredient in Vega) is an extremely efficient crop and is the 2nd most efficient way to produce protein known. It is followed only by chlorella, an algae from Japan that quadrupeds every 24 hours and is 70% protein. One bottle of Vega contains 42.5 grams of it. It’s being studied by NASA for astronaut nourishment during extended space flight since it does not require soil to grow, just water and sun. No soil also means it does not stretch out already “tired” arable land further. Meaning that it is also not subject to low nutrient levels produced by over farming – big bonus. Anyway, its monetary cost is in sharp contrast to its “real cost.” I write about this in detail in my book Thrive: A guide to optimal health and performance though plant-based whole foods. (the Vega formula was actually based on my book http://www.brendanbrazier.com/book/index.html ).

By supporting the kind of agriculture that I have chosen to do by formulating Vega, it will bring the future cost of these “undervalued” crops down, so will actually make them more available. Yes, this is still a ways in the future but within 25 years these high-end ingredients will be cheaper than the “artificially” cheeped commodity prices charged for soy and whey. Big companies would not take a chance because the margins are so low, but I did. Someone had to do it.

That’s it for now…

Brendan

Wow, that Vega stuff looks really beneficial! It's quite expensive tho. Is it really worth the price? Also, for those of u who use it, which flavor do u recommend?