Last week I shared some functional smoothie recipes and protein powder was one of the ingredients included.
These supplements can be a real useful way to get a shot of protein into your diet, but you need to be careful when choosing which one.
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It’s worth saying that the best way to get protein is via whole food sources rather than through supplements. Protein powders are usually highly processed and many people are sensitive.
Real food such as grass-fed meats (or vegetarian/vegan alternatives), organic vegetables and fruits and healthy fats, nuts and seeds is always the best choice.
But there are times when protein powders can be a convenient or only option, for example, if you’re a vegetarian or if you’ve got a poor functioning digestive system.
Sometimes after a workout, a protein powder smoothie is the easiest way to get the necessary nutrients for recovery, for example, if you are going straight to work or want something lighter before bed after evening training.
In these cases, a whey protein powder is an easily digestible form of protein and might be a good thing to look into, but take care with your selection.
What to look for on the label
- Sugar: Try not to go above 1g per serving. The nutritional information is often listed per serving and/or per 100g so be careful which one you look at. Sugar can come under names such as glucose, maltodextrin and fructose. Steer clear of any product using artificial sweeteners, but stevia is fine as it is plant based and does not contain sugar.
- Protein quality: You want the whey to come from grass-fed hormone/chemical-free animals for the best quality of protein, fats, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. If you can’t find this information on the packaging, check out the website and reviews, although if it isn’t clearly disclosed, it probably isn’t any of the above.
- Lecithin: There are all sorts of reasons why you may want to avoid products that contain soy lecithin and these will normally be clearly itemized on the label. Soy and GMO foods are hotly debated subjects so you can read up about them and make up your own mind. If you can avoid them, do, if only to try to avoid putting toxins into your body, albeit a small amount.
- Under 5: Keep the list of ingredients to less than 5 with whey protein being the first. Natural flavourings such as stevia, cacao and vanilla are also fine, together with wholefood such as crushed flaxseeds, coconut and nuts.
- Milk solids: These are sometimes used to bulk up a product. You want whey protein only.
- Vegetable oils: Another controversial subject and again, you can read up about it on the internet, but anyway, it is superfluous to requirements in a protein powder, so avoid.
The best
Organic Vanilla Bean Whey Protein Powder is available in the UAE via Desertcart.ae. It’s organic, comes from grass fed animals, is minimally processed and is produced without artificial sweeteners, flavours, colours, GMO’s or preservatives.
There are so many to choose from here in the UAE and the best way to decide is to spend time checking out the labels online or in the store. Reviews are fine, but remember that taste and texture are personal preferences. It’s quality ingredients you need to check first and try them out yourself to decide whether or not you like them.
Josie is a health, fitness & lifestyle adviser & a Pilates & yoga instructor with 30+ years experience. http://www.bodysoulwell.com Follow me on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Josie.McKenlay/ & Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JosieMcKenlay