How do you make your protein or MRP shake taste better?

**e_dawg** · 01-07-2003, 05:58 PM

What I like to do is get the Chocolate flavour, mix it with 1% milk, and (this is the secret ingredient) 1-2 heaping teaspoons of cocoa.

I'm not talking about regular hot chocolate mix, Hershey's / Brown Cow / Nestle Quick, or any other mega-sugar chocolate powders or syrups (just look at their labels -- sugar is always listed as the first ingredient), but pure cocoa powder like Fry's. This adds a rich chocolate flavour that masks the whey but doesn't make it too sweet. I was surprised at the difference this makes -- from something bland and whey-like to something that could be mistaken for a chocolate milkshake or chocolate milk.

Adjust the amount of cocoa depending on personal taste and serving size. (oh, and if you gotta have your sugar to make it taste more like chocolate milk, then get some Quick as well and add one teaspoon each of cocoa and Quick).

In fact, during the winter, you may want to have a hot chocolate protein shake by using hot milk instead of cold.

**einherjar** · 01-15-2003, 02:27 PM

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I tried it for the first time last night. Worked wonderfully. It completely took away that awful taste.

**e_dawg** · 01-15-2003, 05:04 PM

Glad you like the results.

I noticed that there are 2 types of cocoa out there:

- non-alkalized process cocoa

- Dutch process / European style alkali processed cocoa

I think the Dutch process style is supposed to be used for beverages and the non-alkalized style is for baking, but I have only tried the Dutch process so I can't comment beyond that.

http://hersheykitchens.hersheys.com/products/cocoa.asp

**RWHJR3** · 01-15-2003, 05:42 PM

Just get Muscle Milk, dont be Skeptical about the fat content, it has no effect on ya. Get like a huge cup of ice cubes, 10-12oz skim milk, and any flavored Muscle Milk (they all taste incredible) put in a blender and mix like a shake, and your golden.

**e_dawg** · 01-15-2003, 06:44 PM

True, Muscle Milk is awesome. I use the chocolate flavour with water and I it tastes better than most powders with milk. But this tip is for people who want to make other less tasty protein / MRP shakes better.

**newlifter87** · 01-17-2003, 01:33 PM

does cocoa have calories and or any bad effects or ingredients?

**e_dawg** · 01-17-2003, 02:34 PM

Good question. I just assumed cocoa was chocolate without the added cocoa butter, sugar, and sometimes milk, and was therefore healthier.

Have a look at this comprehensive article from USA Today. Everything you need to know about chocolate/cocoa. Unfortunately, you have to use Google's cached copy because USA Today removed this page from their site:

http://www.google.ca/search?q=cache:...hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Here is some additional info on cocoa I pulled together from various sources:

% of calories from saturated fat: 24
% of calories from monounsaturated fat: 14
% of calories from polyunsaturated fat: <1%
% of calories from protein: 37
% of calories from complex carbs: 24
% of calories from simple sugars: 1

For a typical serving size of 5 g (~2 heaping teaspoons):

Saturated fat: 0.32 g
Monounsaturated fat: 0.19 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.02 g

Protein: 1.16 g
Complex carbs: 0.76 g
Simple sugars: 0.02 g

Total energy: 12 kcal

Theobromine: 120 mg
Caffeine: 25 mg

Potassium or Sodium: 210 mg (depending on whether they use potassium or sodium carbonate in the alkali process)
Magnesium: 24 mg

Source: http://www.gerkenscocoa.com/pages/nu...owderdp70.html

FYI, theobromine is a caffeine like compound that is a mild stimulant and smooth muscle relaxant. It has about 20% the potency of caffeine, so the 120 mg of theobromine combined with 25 mg of caffeine is equivalent to about 50 mg of caffeine per serving (which is the amount of caffeine found in half a small cup of coffee).

Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity

Dark Chocolate 13,120 (ORAC units per 100 g)
Milk Chocolate 6,740
Raisins 2,830
Blueberries 2,400

Source: http://www.chocolatenecessities.com/...formation.html

Chocolate (and therefore cocoa) contains high levels of catechin flavonoid polyphenols, which are potent antioxidants and have been shown to have protective effects on your cardiovascular system

Source:
http://www.intemperantia.com/healthbenefits.htm

**e_dawg** · 01-17-2003, 03:12 PM

This is another excellent and balanced article on cocoa:

http://www.immunesupport.com/library...e.cfm/ID/3464/

**Vehementi** · 01-26-2003, 12:52 PM

How about mixing Ovaltine in with your whey? I got the idea today but haven't tried it yet.

**e_dawg** · 01-26-2003, 02:38 PM

You could do that too, but why add all the extra stuff like malt, sugar, and whatever else Ovaltine contains? All you need is cocoa IMO.

**Vehementi** · 01-26-2003, 08:14 PM

Wouldn't unsweetened cocoa taste really bitter? Is there something I'm missing from this? Without having tried I wouldn't know - but unsweetened cocoa is the worst!

Ovaltine has alot of vitamins and iron and might be good...

**e_dawg** · 01-27-2003, 01:57 AM

I'm not telling you to eat the cocoa powder straight... if you dump a scoop in with your protein/MRP powder, I guarantee you it will taste awesome, not bitter.

I wouldn't use Ovaltine for health benefits, despite the tiny amount of vitamins and minerals it hs in it. And it tastes kinda weak as well -- probably not strong enough to mask the whey flavour of protein/MRP powder.

Anyways, go ahead and try both and report back. My bet is that you will like the cocoa powder better... but then again, everyone has different taste (and I must confess that I am not a big fan of Ovaltine straight up as a warm beverage, never mind using it in a protein shake).

**Vehementi** · 01-27-2003, 05:01 PM

Man, that's GREAT.

It really does the trick in masking the chalky taste, and it's not bitter as hell as both my parents and I thought. I won't use Ovaltine, this is all I need!

I did have a problem when mixing it however. Since I'm at home I used a glass and a spoon, not a mixing bottle. The cocoa really didn't like the milk and neither did the protein. This normal? Will it be better in a mixing bottle? It also stuck to the sides of the glass, so I just poured in another glass of milk and downed that. It's only my second shake, the first was plain whey in water! Ugh.

That was really good man, thanks for the tip.

**e_dawg** · 01-27-2003, 08:08 PM

Glad you like it.

You're not using unflavoured whey, are you? If so, you really gotta use chocolate flavour. Plain whey tastes awful. Even cocoa powder and milk can only do so much.

[edit: actually, if you are using plain whey, you could use Nestle Quick or some other chocolate milk powder instead of cocoa... basically you need a lot of cocoa and sugar to make plain whey taste decent (Nestle Quick is half cocoa powder, half sugar)... cocoa and sugar are the two main ingredients that give chocolate flavoured whey its taste]

Using a spoon to mix any kind of protein/MRP shake with or without cocoa powder is a disaster. You must have a shaker bottle or a blender. You can buy a shaker bottle from your local GNC or fitness club store, but they will probably charge you $6-7 for it. I would just go to the supermarket and get one of those 1 quart / 1 liter Rubbermaid "Chuggables" or Sterlite leakproof plastic bottles with a wide-mouth and screw-on cap. Pour the powder into the bottle, add a scoop or two of cocoa powder, and fill it with 1% milk to 500 mL or whatever is appropriate for your shake. I like to add 50-100 mL of water so it's not as thick. Shake that mutha hard 20-30 times and you got yourself a well-mixed shake. Remember to clean out the mixer bottle ASAP otherwise it will be much harder to clean. At the very least, fill it with water if you don't have time to wash it right away.

**Vehementi** · 01-27-2003, 09:58 PM

Nah I'm using chocolate whey.

I found that out on my own, hehe. I'll be sure not to use a spoon anymore. I ordered a mixer bottle yesterday, should be here maybe tomorrow or the next day.

Thanks again.

**Liquid** · 02-01-2003, 08:47 PM

lol, theres actually a thing called a 'mixer bottle'?

ROFL

whats the difference between a reg bottle heh

heres what i use
rofl, dont laff
i made a funnel out of one of those little spring water bottles you buy in the 24 pack.

and have been using it to funnel my whey into other water bottles form the 24 pack (after i drink teh water ofcourse)

hehe, so instead of throwing away the bottle right after i use it, i reuse it

i never looked at it in this way, but now that you guys are talking about "MIXER BOTTLES" and stuff, i feel so primitive
LOL

**Billy Ocean** · 02-02-2003, 06:57 AM

EAS simpley whey, with skim ands pb makes a tastey shake.

**RippedUp** · 02-02-2003, 07:02 AM

Originally posted by Billy Ocean
EAS simpley whey, with skim ands pb makes a tastey shake.

- Simply
- Tasty

**atticus_a** · 02-02-2003, 03:28 PM

I use Safeway non-fat, reduced calorie yogurt to hide the flavor. I stir the powder in. It isn't the healthiest option but for those of us that don't like chocolate and don't drink milk we have to be a little creative.

**Gator Alum 03** · 02-02-2003, 05:31 PM

The best tasting shakes ever (In my opinion)...
Half a glass of skim milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, half banana, 3 ice cubes (that is the key) and 1 scoop of my chocolate optimum pro complex.

Use to be the manager of the local Smoothie King. I've had my practice.

**Biggin** · 02-02-2003, 08:37 PM

Probably the cheapest way to quickly affect and improve the taste of any mrp or post workout shake in my opinion is to just add cinnamon. Spices are great ways to change **** around and keep things new. Right now I put ground cloves and cinnamon in things and am loving it, so the key is don't be afraid to experiment.

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