Pure Protein

I got my protein powder in the mail already! I ordered it two days ago!

I have only tried the Meal Replacement so far. I'm not sure that the flavor is a favorite. It's very different. The aftertaste reminds me of halva. And if you don't know what halva is, you've come to the wrong place to find out. I have NO idea how to describe it properly. It looks like a hunk of cheese, swirled like a marble cake. Has sort of a grainy texture. Is very dense. Sweet, but not not really. It's just a very odd dessert. If your curious, you can get it in the grocery store. Ours is on the same shelf as the Cheese Whiz. (Ew. Don't even get me started on how nasty that $&!t is!)

Or maybe the aftertaste is like tahini (sesame paste). Which is probably why halva came to mind. Some halva has tahini in it. I used tahini to make vegan cheese once. Once. (Johnny Dangerously fans? Anyone?) Also hummus. Hummus is amazing.

Anyway, I feel it's going to be an acquired taste.

I may order from Prograde next, just to compare flavors. But it might have a similar taste being both are flavored with Stevia, and that can have a bitter or odd sort of aftertaste. It's definitely something I'm used to though because I've substituted stevia for sugar in many things for many years now. I started back when practically nobody knew what stevia was. I couldn't buy it in stores so I had to order it online. Now, it has really caught on, which was a wish of mine back in those days. I used to always complain, "why don't companies start replacing harmful synthetic sugar substitutes with natural stevia in their products???" - just ask my husband, haha. These days, stevia is pretty available.

So that's the skinny on OnlyProtein. I can let you know what I think about it after I've been drinking it regularly.

Protein Powder

I usually just get my protein powder from GNC. Their brand of 100% whey protein (chocolate is my favorite) is the only kind I've ever used. I have a Gold Card so every first week of the month, I go and stock up on my supplements and whey protein to save money. But after reading various blogs, I have come to find out that not all whey protein is created equal.

I was going to start ordering my protein powder from Prograde. I already get a few items auto shipped to me from them so I thought, why not. But, then I heard about Only Protein. I went to the sight to check it out. In terms of price it was actually even a little cheaper than Prograde. The protein grams in one serving is slightly smaller than what I'm using now (18g vs. 20g), but the calorie content is also lower. And the really cool thing is there are no fillers.

It's organic, hormone-free, pollution-free whey from New Zealand grass fed cows.  It has 3 types of protein so muscles get an immediate feed, a medium feed and up to a six to seven hour feed. There are no artificial sweeteners, they use cellulose free fiber, quick digesting enzymes and inulin, which is a pre-biotic.

click to go there now - Only Protein

However, Prograde's protein powder is also hormone-free, gluten-free, no artificial sweeteners, only 2 carbs and 24g protein (although that is in 2 scoops which will make the container empty quicker, which means you spend more). However, I don't know how big the containers are in comparison to the Only Protein containers. It probably wouldn't take much to find out, but I'm too lazy.

click to go there now - Prograde Nutrition

I've been using protein powder to supplement my healthy lifestyle for a number of years now, but I'm fairly inexperienced in the different brands out there. I'd be interested in hearing what you use and why you like it. Feel free to comment!

Oh, by the way, I had to share this with you because I found it to be INCREDIBLE. I have discovered a way to eat chocolate ice cream guilt free. Yay! My summer won't be ruined! Here's how: in a bowl, mix a scoop of protein powder with unsweetened almond milk (pour slowly, you don't want much) until it's about the consistency of a runny pudding. Put in freezer for a bit. And BAM!

Here's a tip though, I've only tried this with vanilla whey powder and I really dislike the vanilla flavor. So I add 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder & a bit of xylitol before I pour in the almond milk. It comes out the perfect consistency of ice cream with a rich chocolate flavor that I would compare to chocolate frosting. I can't wait to try it with chocolate whey!!