Those use natural unflavored protein powder, what do you put in it?

[ilovethe80s]

My favorite pp - American Whey - I have been searching for a week to order from them but everywhere is out of stock. I love their stuff - you can get it in big 25lb bins and the only sweetener used is natural fructose. Come to find out they were busted for rats and unsanitary conditions. Ew!

So I've been searching for a new powder. I'm really interested in this one by a reputable manufacturer that comes in a big 50lb bin. It is unflavored. I think unflavored is my only option for bulk protein without artificial sweeteners.

I'm not someone who is looking for an olfactory sensation every time I have something, but I don't want my shakes to be a miserable experience.

They sell flavor packets at the same manufacturer's site, but they are made of stevia. I know it is not technically an artificial sweetener, but I too nervous to use it since I don't know all the facts about it (overcautious I know). I have been researching and still undecided, so I'll skip that for now. What else can you use to flavor unsweetened protein? Could I order some fructose and mix that in, would that do the trick? I see dextrose mentioned often but not sure what that does though. Maybe just cinnamon? What do you use?

[ananke]

Though I love Biochem Vanilla, this past year I've gotten only unflavored whey: a container of whey isolate and another one of whey concentrate, both with no other ingredients. Personally, I LOVE the stuff. Usually I mash up a banana with them and it sweetens and thickens my shakes so nicely. Other times I throw some dates in my shakes. It's good for cooking 'bread', 'muffins' etc. But really, its the banana+unflavored/whey that i love the most - with cinnamon and orange peel and some spinach for the added fiber kick and vanilla essence if i'm feeling vanilla'ish :-)

[ilovethe80s]

Though I love Biochem Vanilla, this past year I've gotten only unflavored whey: a container of whey isolate and another one of whey concentrate, both with no other ingredients. Personally, I LOVE the stuff. Usually I mash up a banana with them and it sweetens and thickens my shakes so nicely. Other times I throw some dates in my shakes. It's good for cooking 'bread', 'muffins' etc. But really, its the banana+unflavored/whey that i love the most - with cinnamon and orange peel and some spinach for the added fiber kick and vanilla essence if i'm feeling vanilla'ish :-)

cool, thanks. is vanilla essence the same thing as vanilla extract? Is it a powder, or liquid like the extract is? I just throw my protein powder into a shaker cup and add water when it is time so the banana and orange peel might not fare too well in there, but the vanilla sounds great.

[bearybear]

Oh god, what don't I put in it! I've tried everything from teaspoons of instant coffee and cocoa powder to fresh berries depending on my mood. I get bored of having the same flavour far too easily so I try and keep it varied (only thing I can't have is banana because I'm allergic to it ); maybe you could try some peppermint essence or fresh mint blended in. My favourite at the minute is strawberry with a few drops of vanilla essence.

[ilovethe80s]

Oh god, what don't I put in it! I've tried everything from teaspoons of instant coffee and cocoa powder to fresh berries depending on my mood. I get bored of having the same flavour far too easily so I try and keep it varied (only thing I can't have is banana because I'm allergic to it ); maybe you could try some peppermint essence or fresh mint blended in. My favourite at the minute is strawberry with a few drops of vanilla essence.

cocoa powder is a great idea - maybe even chocolate milk powder in there for post-workout. And the coffee would be awesome for an extra kick pre-wo. Yeah anything in powdered form is ideal since I chug these on the road on a shaker and don't blend. The smoothies I'm not too worried about since they get lots of flavor from fruits and whatever else is going in there, but the likely scenario is me on the road with a shaker cup and some water. I wonder how the extracts would mix with the powder, of I could pre-mix that at all or if it would only work if a liquid was mixed at the same time? I think I am going to put coffee in my pre-wo shake today actually - great idea!

[Rowyn]

I use Bob Mills whey protein, it is only whey protein, nothing else. The thing about it though is that it is a whole different animal than the usual protein powders that contain crap to help it dissolve quickly and all those things. It just tastes like powdered milk, really. It doesn't dissolve as readily as most, its best to blend with whatever you add. I use a natural sweetener made with stevia that is liquid and comes in flavors (vanilla creme, lemon, chocolate raspberry)... If you are going to buy dextrose/fructose, you may as well put regular ole sugar in there unless you have a particular reason for the dex (it is the most powerful insulin spiker food you can eat, which is really only helpful post workout. Not good at other times of day).

I put chocolate cocoa and instant cofffee in there sometimes, yum.

As for your previous protein powder supplier....which is worse, rats or cadmium, lol? Did you guys see the new info on all the heavy metals in protein supps?

[ilovethe80s]

I use Bob Mills whey protein, it is only whey protein, nothing else. The thing about it though is that it is a whole different animal than the usual protein powders that contain crap to help it dissolve quickly and all those things. It just tastes like powdered milk, really. It doesn't dissolve as readily as most, its best to blend with whatever you add. I use a natural sweetener made with stevia that is liquid and comes in flavors (vanilla creme, lemon, chocolate raspberry)... If you are going to buy dextrose/fructose, you may as well put regular ole sugar in there unless you have a particular reason for the dex (it is the most powerful insulin spiker food you can eat, which is really only helpful post workout. Not good at other times of day).

I put chocolate cocoa and instant cofffee in there sometimes, yum.

As for your previous protein powder supplier....which is worse, rats or cadmium, lol? Did you guys see the new info on all the heavy metals in protein supps?

I did see that - with the arsenic and metals and everything else in there. Yea, after seeing that the rats poop wasn't looking so bad, it's organic at least? lol. The products in questions seemed to be those whey drink mixes with all the stuff in them. it seems they plain regular whey is fine.

Hmmm, I knew that fructose wasn't too far off from sugar, thought it might have been slightly better, or more sweet for the amount used? It was the ingredient used in my rat poop whey, I saw it being sold online in powdered form, so I thought I could sort of recreate it using that. I actually have no problem with just a little sugar, there really isn't much of it in the rest of my diet other than a bit of fruit. Can't be adding any more sugar than there was already in what I was having since it contained fructose? yeah I looked up the dextrose and saw it had a GI of 100 and nearly fell off my seat. Thank you for mentioning that, I had no idea. I know I had seen it mentioned no bodybuilding forums, just didn't know what it was for.

[ananke]

cool, thanks. is vanilla essence the same thing as vanilla extract? Is it a powder, or liquid like the extract is? I just throw my protein powder into a shaker cup and add water when it is time so the banana and orange peel might not fare too well in there, but the vanilla sounds great.

Why not mush the banana with a fork into the shake and make a pudding with the protein+banana? mmmm

[ilovethe80s]

Why not mush the banana with a fork into the shake and make a pudding with the protein+banana? mmmm

my mouth and inside of throat swell up from bananas (allergy? kiwi, bananas and soymilk all do that to me) A pudding is a great idea though. Yum. Maybe with sweet potato or pumpkin post wo, or coconut milk at night. I don't know what this stuff tastes like yet, Rowyn said hers tastes like just powdered milk so maybe it won't be as tough to get down plain as I am imagining. I am dying to try it now with all these great suggestions. Thanks!

[Rowyn]

I did see that - with the arsenic and metals and everything else in there. Yea, after seeing that the rats poop wasn't looking so bad, it's organic at least? lol. The products in questions seemed to be those whey drink mixes with all the stuff in them. it seems they plain regular whey is fine.

Hmmm, I knew that fructose wasn't too far off from sugar, thought it might have been slightly better, or more sweet for the amount used? It was the ingredient used in my rat poop whey, I saw it being sold online in powdered form, so I thought I could sort of recreate it using that. I actually have no problem with just a little sugar, there really isn't much of it in the rest of my diet other than a bit of fruit. Can't be adding any more sugar than there was already in what I was having since it contained fructose? yeah I looked up the dextrose and saw it had a GI of 100 and nearly fell off my seat. Thank you for mentioning that, I had no idea. I know I had seen it mentioned no bodybuilding forums, just didn't know what it was for.

Some bodybuilders believe in creating an insulin spike with dextrose immediately post workout with protein/carb added. According to older literature, there was reasoning for that. However, now it seems that some consider it broscience to use dex post-workout. Its not really broscience per se, since there WAS some data and research done on the efficacy of creating an insulin spike like that when depleted after workouts. The newer info though says that that research was done on fasted atheletes with very different work requirements than bodybuilders and that "we" don't really need that. At least, that's what Alan had said. And of course on this site, what he says goes, lol. People clearly still use it though, so who knows.

[-Pandora-]

I would suggest true protein dot com. They have "recession whey" discount deal - 25 lbs, 50 lbs of wholesale unflavored whey. You can also order a flavor sampler pack with one serving of a variety of flavors to try. They have premium flavor options etc. Highly recommended by Lyle Mcdonald.

[ilovethe80s]

I would suggest true protein dot com. They have "recession whey" discount deal - 25 lbs, 50 lbs of wholesale unflavored whey. You can also order a flavor sampler pack with one serving of a variety of flavors to try. They have premium flavor options etc. Highly recommended by Lyle Mcdonald.

I'm so glad you mentioned this - this is the site that I was referring to and that is the protein I am getting! When I had originally entered the name of the site, it came out all stars, so I guess urls are not allowed. I was just getting ready to place my order this morning, so glad to hear that you have used them and like their products.

[-Pandora-]

I'm so glad you mentioned this - this is the site that I was referring to and that is the protein I am getting! When I had originally entered the name of the site, it came out all stars, so I guess urls are not allowed. I was just getting ready to place my order this morning, so glad to hear that you have used them and like their products.

Yeah they are excellent - Premium dutch chocolate fudge is the best whey i've ever tasted by a long shot. You can also make your own custom blends with a variety of options - whey, casein, lipid blends, carbs etc.

[chilon1]

Any vanilla whey protein that uses real vanilla beans? thanks.

[Miranda]

i used unflavoured protein powder to bake bread and thicken hearty soups - there's no need to go the 'sweet' route with the stuff.

[ananke]

I have been adding orange essence to my frozen-spinach+banana+cinammon+vanilla whey protein shakes and I have GOT to say: MMMMM!!! Try it try it try it!! MMMM!