Protein Powders Explained: Best Tastes, Benefits, and Meal Replacement Tips

Discover the ultimate guide to protein powders, including flavor reviews, health benefits, and tips for muscle building and meal replacements. Learn how to choose the right protein powder for your fitness and wellness goals.

We have a full transcript of the video below

Wellness Wisdom Episode 7: Protein Shakes

Jonathan: Hi, I'm Jonathan Tessier, and we're back with another one of our Wellness Wisdom series, but it's a little different this time. We're here at our little cafe here and we're going to be trying some protein. So how are you doing, Rebecca?

Rebecca: I'm good. I'm back in my old kind of, place, if you will, at 76 steps. It feels pretty natural back here. It's kind of like no time has passed and I'm excited to try some different protein powders. Some I've tried, some I haven't. How about you? Are you a big protein powder?

Jonathan: I've tried a few of them, not all of them. So I'm-- I'm definitely down to try some new ones

Rebecca: Just to start, I wanna give my background again. So I'm a nutritionist. I graduated from my nutrition program at IN in 2019 and I did some practicing in between then and now. But now I'm the store manager of the Lindsay location.

And also I get to do fun things like this with Jonathan once in a while. So, yeah, let's try some protein powder.

So when you have had protein powder in the past, what kind of made you pick that up also?

Jonathan: So there were times where I was working out. So, you know, you got to work out. You need more protein in your body. So that's just natural kind of way you go.

Rebecca: Yeah, that's good. That's where a lot of often how a lot of people kind of come to try protein and. It's so important, especially when you want to build that muscle mass that's kind of your building blocks of your muscle mass.

So you want to be able to give your body that and see the results of what you're working so hard for in the gym and your longevity. Especially for women, I mean men of course too, that muscle, maintaining that muscle mass is just so important long term. So cool. OK, so the first one we've got is our. Good protein peanut butter one right here. This is a favorite already. I think we know we're going to like this one. Yeah. I haven't tried the peanut butter by itself yet, so we'll see. But I'm a big fan of the strawberry and the chocolate and the vanilla, so let's give it a try and find some cups, actually.

There we go.

And we've got this one mixed with the coconut, the silk coconut here.

And anytime you're mixing up a protein powder, if this is something you haven't done before, one of these shaker cups is super helpful. One of the little brothers is like even more helpful with the little battery operated brothers. Or of course, you can just give it kind of like a good whisk if you're just using what you've already got in your kitchen. But if you know it's something you're going to be doing long term, shaker cups are really important, just wash them out as soon as you finish.

There you go. OK. Cheers.

Jonathan: Yeah, actually tastes pretty good. I like that one.

Rebecca: They do such a good job. It's so smooth. They're protein powders, I find, even mixed with water. We didn't have cold, cold water this morning, so we went with milk, but even mixed with water, these ones do really well. What's great about them is they're like an all-in-one superfood protein powder.

Right. So you can kind of use it as a meal replacement maybe once or twice a day and then protein content. So we've got per scoop you have 21 grams of protein per scoop you're 13 grams of carbs. Again, this is a meal replacement shake. So you want a little bit of those carbs in there, 7 grams of fiber and just one gram of sugar in here, which. Great they're notes about this one is it's it's a vegan shake. It's gluten free as well. Keto made in Canada, which of course we love that too.

Jonathan: You say that it's a meal replacement, So what exactly does that mean to like, I don't have to have dinner, I can just have this? 

Rebecca: Yeah, that's a great question. I don't know about replacing dinner. That's something I would kind of work with a health professional on to see kind of what works best for you. But often, like, you know, it can be like a really good snack or maybe like a breakfast or lunch replacement, depending if you're on kind of a weight loss protocol or something like that, right? What your goals are. So if you're like really don't have a lot of time in the morning, you need something to eat, you could take one of these. Yeah. And just like so quick, so easy, you don't need a lot of time. It can even like kind of throw it in your bag and have it on the go too. That's where these shaker cups are super helpful too.

But one thing that's really cool about them is they bought like a pro. Probiotic and enzyme blend in there. Sometimes protein powders can just be difficult on our digestive system and that's what I really love about certain companies. They're going to put some things in there to help help that along.

And you've got, it's just a single stream probiotic, but it's really nice to have that addition, just a good general probiotic that helps with kind of, again, minimizing any digestive discomfort thing. So another really awesome note about the good protein. I think this might be a favorite.

Jonathan: I think so.

Rebecca: OK, so now we're going to try the Botanica. So Botanica perfect protein. This is a really nice simple vegan protein. And apart from the good protein, this one is not a meal replacement. It's really just like a protein shake.

What's really nice about this is there's no pea protein in it. A lot of people have become sensitive proteins, right? They're they're using it more and more as like an additive in foods. And just when that happens and we're exposed to things over and over, we just become sensitive to it, right? So that's what's nice about this. If you found that you are sensitive to pea protein. No protein in here, but still a really awesome vegan protein powder and is a complete protein which we can kind of talk about what that means.

Easily digestible for sure. But the other thing I really like about this one is I'm, I'm a little bit of a little picky about stevia and like the types that they use, right? They sweeten this with my fruit, which is really nice. And I just find it to be a smoother sweetener.

So the body needs about 20 different proteins or amino acids to function properly and nine of those amino acids are called essential amino acids, so we need to get those from diet; they're not produced naturally in the body. So that's what you're looking for in a protein powder: that they have those nine essential amino acids.

That's where they work together: they put brown rice in there, quinoa, and coconut, and then there's some vanilla and monk fruit. So together, the quinoa and the brown rice, those two grains with the coconut, make a complete protein. Really important to look for that if you are investing in a protein powder. 20 grams of protein per scoop in your vanilla, 14 grams of carbs. It's vegan, so there's some grains in there, which will give you some of your carbs, 3 grams of fat, and then you've got 5 grams of sugar, 4 grams of fiber in there. So that's your breakdown for the Botanica protein. The chocolate is pretty similar, a little bit different, but similar for the most part.

The other thing I wanted to talk about: do you know how much protein you're supposed to have?

Jonathan: No idea.

Rebecca: A safe upper limit would be about 3.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, but that is a lot of protein to have in a day. You'd be looking at an athlete or a really endurance or strength trainer. Older adults need a little bit more: 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram.

You're minimum you're looking at is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. You can Google that and do the math to see if that works for you and maybe creep yourself up a little higher than that minimal amount.

Jonathan: Just one question: is there a time where you can have too much protein?

Rebecca: You want to watch for your kidney health. Sometimes having too much protein, if you have any kidney disease or weakness, can make it a little more difficult. But for most healthy people, you're unlikely to hit that too-high amount of protein.

Let's mix up another one. Should we try first? We've got our egg white protein and our Real Easy meal replacement. We'll do Real Easy. Perfect.

This is an all-in-one shake similar to your gut protein, which is awesome. It's like a meal replacement. One big difference about this one is the addition of PGX, which is a fiber that can help you feel a lot more full. Really great for cholesterol, lowers cholesterol as well. So that's why this is a really nice meal replacement. Makes you feel nice and full, like you've had a meal, which is really important.

Normally, for a serving, you're going to do 2 scoops, but we're just doing a small amount, so I'm going to do 1 scoop. These come in multiple flavors, not just chocolate. You've got strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. They also have a whey version right now for meal replacement, but they have a vegan version as well for those who need that. A difference between vegan proteins and whey protein is whey is absorbed quite quickly, which is nice, especially post-workout. It's a little more difficult to digest and absorb vegan proteins, but a lot of them have added enzymes to help with that.

Outside of the gym, some other people who often need higher protein, specifically the elderly population, may find it harder to digest meat proteins or lose their appetite for meat. Protein powders can be nice to maintain muscle mass.

Jonathan: Never had that one—very good.

Rebecca: Almost like a little milkshake. Really good, especially if you blend some ice in there. That's your Real Easy by Natural Factors. Protein content: 25g per two scoops for your serving. Carbs: about 22g, as this is a meal replacement. Fat: 7g, fiber: 4g (from PGX, keeps you feeling satiated). Very tasty and lowers cholesterol as well. Great-tasting shake, even more of a favorite over the good protein, though whey is a little easier to get flavors.

Last one: egg white protein. Becoming popular, especially for keto, low carb, no sugar, 1g carb per scoop.

We need 20 different proteins for our body to function, and essential ones must come from our diet. Three are branched-chain amino acids, great post-workout. Egg white protein is awesome, rich in BCAAs, comes in vanilla, chocolate, and unflavored. Super versatile.

Cheers.

Jonathan: Very interesting. Definitely different from the others.

Rebecca: Froths easily, 24 grams of protein per scoop, 1g carbs, no sugar, no fat. Handy to have around.

Jonathan: A lot of people might be intimidated by protein powders, but really it's simple: put powder and milk together and mix.

Rebecca: Super simple. Some trial and error with flavor and texture, and you may need to test whey versus vegan. Some protein powders have sample packets. Staff can help guide you on different options.

Jonathan: We have a lot of great protein powders available, and you can always ask an associate for help to find what best suits your needs. Thanks for watching. We'll be back with another one soon. Have a good day.