Don't forget your protein!

Maybe the reason I feel like iron-man is the fact that my Mom makes me drink 80-100g of protein A DAY! It sounds like a lot, but I love it and it keeps me healthy. She is a bit of a shop-a-holic and seems to give me a new flavor everyday. I'm not too picky, but some of them are just nasty -- so why not let you know my opinion?

Favorites:

Body Fortress - Believe it or not, this is a cheapie from Walmart but it tastes really good! It has 26g of protein in one scoop. My favorite is cookies and cream or chocolate in shakes. The strawberry is yummy in yogurt and so are the others. I hope she lets me try vanilla soon! Here are the stats.

Syntrax Nectar Latte Cappuccino - This is the one non-fruity flavor made by Syntrax and I love it. I especially like it mixed with about 4oz skim milk and 4oz water. It's really good in cold coffee too. I love that its only 90 calories and 23g protein. Vitamin Shoppe actually orders it for me and calls when it comes in - then I don't have to pay shipping! In a pinch, I'll grab it from Nashua Nutrition.

HealthSmart - Hot Chocolate, Cappuccinos - these are awesome! They only have 15g of protein but they are great little fillers for snacks. They dissolve right away into very hot water which is a bonus so they are great in coffee too. I love the Amaretto, Raspberry Chocolate and Cinnamon but I've tried them all and love em'. They come in really convenient packets so they are great to take on the go. These are mail order only from Nashua Nutrition.

BariatricAdvantage Meal Replacements - These are another favorite. I like that you can buy individual servings or a jug. I like to take the packets on trips or to work and this makes it really easy. For 140 Calories, 2g net Carbs and 27g protein you can't go wrong. These aren't available local but you can buy them right from BariatricAdvantage (they also sell great vitamins)

BSN Lean Dessert - I love this brand. So far we've tried Cinnamon Roll, Chocolate-Coconut, Banana Nut Bread and Vanilla - and I loved them all. I found these at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe so I can get it local - but if you can't, Nashua Nutrition is one of my favorite places to shop - they ship FAST and they have great prices. Here is a link to the Lean Dessert flavors. (Per Scoop: Calories 130, Carbs 7g, Sugar 3g, Protein 20g)

CLICK - This is great Espresso flavored protein powder. I like most of mine mixed with coffee and I don't need the coffee with this one. I haven't found it local yet, so I buy it here. (Per Scoop: Calories 120, Carbs 12g, Protein 15g) Due to the high carbs I don't get it often.

Matrix 5.0 - I love the Vanilla and Chocolate and can't wait to try the other flavors - Bananas & Cream, Cookies & Cream and Orange Cream. I hope they are just as good. This is another you can often find local at GNC/Vitamin Shopp - otherwise try here.

Muscle Milk Light - I love the Cake Batter and Peanut Butter best. I find them locally at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe which makes things easy. A lot of online shops don't sell the special flavors, just the Vanilla and Chocolate (which are great too). These have such great flavor you don't need the full 2 scoop serving either. I have ordered them from bodybuilding.com in the past and they carry tons of the flavors. (Per 2 Scoops: Calories 195, Carbs 11g, Sugars 2g, Protein 25g) Because of the carbs, I often just use one scoop.

Dymatize Whey Elite - I've only tried the gourmet vanilla but its quite yummy so I look forward to trying some of the others: Berry Blast, Cafe Mocha, Chocolate Mint, Orange and Banana. My local GNC/Vitamin Shoppe has a lot of these flavors but if not, I will order them right from here.

Body Fortress Liquid Protein Bullet - Fruit Punch - this bullet is yummy and its from Walmart! I thought some of the other were sooo sour or had a funny flavor I couldn't even hide with Crystal Light. This one tastes great and you gotta love being able to just run to Walmart for it and not pay any shipping. Here is more information..

OhYeah! - Vanilla or Chocolate - both are great! These are ready-to-drink shakes in a plastic bottles. I usually use them coffee creamer so a bottle lasts me a good day or two. They are also really handy to grab if you're on the go - and lactose free if that's an issue for you. You can get these at GNC/Vitamin Shoppe, or online here.

Protein Wealth - Pro-to-Go - This is about the only fruity drink I actually love! They come in plastic bottles without the liquid, so they are light and easy to mix when you're ready. I've only tried banana berry but it was great! I can't wait to try Creamsickle or Razz Chocolate Truffle or any of the others. (70 Calories, 15g protein) Can't find local, so check out all the flavors at Nashua Nutrition.

Maybe Later or Just Yucky?
(Don't like these much right now, but maybe in the future)

Syntrax Nectar - I'm not too fond of sweet things so maybe thats why I dislike these. I tried the Twisted Cherry first and the only way I can finish it, is by mixing in a lot of Raspberry Ice Crystal Light and diluting it. The Fuzzy Navel wasn't much better - an odd tasting tang. I think these just have an odd aftertaste. I tried these again at my 3 month mark and they are MUCH better now. I still don't think they are that great, but I can actually drink them which is an improvement. I buy them here.

Inspire - Cinnamon Cappuccino, Peanut Butter Cookie - these have a nice flavor, but only if you mix them with about a shot glass of water. I like my shakes big and cold and I want to sip on it for at least an hour! These both taste pretty good mixed in yogurt. The Peanut Butter doesn't taste much like peanut butter but its easy to doctor by adding some sf syrup. The biggest downfall is that its always out of stock or backordered so it often takes weeks to arrive. You can buy here - but note that your whole order will be backordered if one piece is out of stock.

Isopure Ready-to-Drink Bottles - Man I wish I liked these. It's easy to pick them up at GNC and they have so much protein and no carbs - but they are soooo sweet and sour! Even when I dilute them and try to hide the flavor with sweet-n-low or crystal light, it just doesn't work. I know a lot of people like these, but I just don't. Learn more about them here.

Whey Gourmet - We tried several of these and they all tasted pretty gross. They didn't make me sick or anything, but I sure don't want to drink them again! We tried Blueberry, Cookies & Cream, PeanutButter Chocolate and Orangesicle Swirl. How dare them give these icky drinks such yummy sounding names! If you just don't believe me, you can get it here.


NOTE: There are numerous places you can buy these, including Amazon.com. The reason I like Nashua Nutrition is because they ship the same day, they use fedex which is cheap and faster than other sites. They also offer free samples for orders over $49 -- or you can order various individual samples on their own. In addition, they have a decent return policy if you don't like something. (Most online companies have no policy like this). Oh you also get free shipping if your order is over $75. They should hire me as their spokes-pouch.