Dairy-free protein shakes: product review and recipes Part I

As a weight lifting enthusiast, I can really appreciate the nutrition and convenience of protein shakes. Only problem is that most popular protein powders are made with whey or casein, which is derived from cow milk. Luckily, the protein powder marketplace has expanded over the years to include our needs. There are powders made from soy, egg, rice and hemp. Not all of them taste great without a little help. Here's a guide featuring some protein powders I like. 

Jay Robb Egg White Protein. If you can tolerate eggs, Jay Robb makes an excellent product. It is fairly low in carbs and is one of the best tasting powders out there. It comes in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and unflavored. The unflavored works well in soups or oatmeal especially in the middle of winter. The last thing I want on a cold Chicago morning is an icy protein shake. Burr . . .

Nutiva Hemp Protein. Hemp protein has a slightly nutty taste. It may have less protein per gram but it has a lot of fiber, which may be better digested by the body. It’s honestly not great tasting on it’s own and needs a little extra help from perhaps additional agave nectar, cocoa powder, or frozen fruit. Trader Joe’s just started putting out an excellent hemp protein powder as well.

Vega by sequel naturals is described as a “complete whole food health optimizer, an all-in-one, natural, plant-based formula that provides 100% RDI of vitamins and minerals per serving”. Personally, I don’t find it that delicious on it’s own but with the help of a frozen banana and maybe a dash of cocoa powder it can be a tasty smoothie.

Advantage Pea Protein. Pea protein is chock full of amino acids. What is great about this protein is that it has 25 grams of protein and lots of fiber. Again, this is another protein powder than in my opinion needs a sweetener.

While there are many soy protein powders out there I have never personally found one that deserves my thumbs up. Nature’s Plus Spiru-teen brand makes a cookies n’ crème protein that is okay. You might be better off just getting a generic soy protein from the bin section at Whole Foods or try Trader Joe’s brand.

There are also a number of brown rice protein powders from brands like Nutribiotic or Yarrow that are healthy and taste well healthy. In my next post I will post some tips and tricks to disguise the taste.