The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: HeidiO on July 07, 2012, 12:29:01 AM
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I've seen the recommendation come up multiple times to eat protein powder instead of meat for frugal reasons, and I wanted to ask people's opinions on it. Considering I am allergic to milk, and I am hesitant to eat that much soy, I imagine egg would be the best. Do people have suggestions for egg or other non-whey, non-soy protein powders that taste good, are inexpensive, and not full of artificial sweeteners?
I already eat 2 eggs for breakfast almost everyday. Lunch is usually my biggest meal, and sometimes I just eat fruit for dinner. I am imagining I could drink a smoothie with protein powder for dinner. Or should I just make a smoothie w/ that pastuerized egg product in it? But doesn't this defeat the whole attempt to eat less processed foods?
Heidi
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I'm lactose intolerant and therefore go with soy protein powder. I haven't found any adverse effects (43 year old female) consuming one shake a day. I buy my powder from Trader Joe's.
I eat protein bars for snacks, egg whites for breakfast, and lots of tofu and beans. We forget how nutritious and inexpensive beans are.
I buy my meat, chicken and fish at an ethnic market (Mexican or Chinese) where the quality is better and the price much lower than the chain stores that cater to the average white suburbanite.
With those efforts, my food bill is quite manageable, I eat top quality food and get my protein requirements. Good luck!
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I've tried all kinds of protein powders, and I can't stand any but whey. Then again, most of my non-whey powders came from truenutrition, so maybe different brands are better. I've tried soy, gemma (pea), pea/rice, and casein. Now I just stick with tried-and-true Optimum Nutrition whey. I'm pretty sure it is lactose free (a lot of wheys are).
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You might want to try hemp protein.
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Fellow Lactose Intolerant here... I use this stuff:
http://www.amazon.com/NUTRIBIOTIC-VEGAN-RICE-PROTEIN-Vanilla/dp/B00014DLC4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341675475&sr=8-1&keywords=nutribiotic+rice+protein+powder
It's not sweet, so set your expectations accordingly (that's a pro, for me, though).
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You might want to try hemp protein.
Seconded.
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I've tried all kinds of protein powders, and I can't stand any but whey. Then again, most of my non-whey powders came from truenutrition, so maybe different brands are better. I've tried soy, gemma (pea), pea/rice, and casein. Now I just stick with tried-and-true Optimum Nutrition whey. I'm pretty sure it is lactose free (a lot of wheys are).
+1 to this. Optimum nutrition gold whey is lactose free. They also have a "natural" version of this kind that has no artificial sweetners.
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I've tried all kinds of protein powders, and I can't stand any but whey. Then again, most of my non-whey powders came from truenutrition, so maybe different brands are better. I've tried soy, gemma (pea), pea/rice, and casein. Now I just stick with tried-and-true Optimum Nutrition whey. I'm pretty sure it is lactose free (a lot of wheys are).
+1 to this. Optimum nutrition gold whey is lactose free. They also have a "natural" version of this kind that has no artificial sweetners.
The kind I have has lactase and something else added, so that lactose-intolerant folks can enjoy the best powder available.
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Rice protein powder is another option. It tends to be better for people who have food allergies or sensitivities. I can't tell you about the taste because I camouflage it with fruit.
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Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I am not lactose intolerant, just allergic (gives me migraines, sinus headaches, congestion) so it isn't the lactose, it's the actual milk protein I can't tolerate. The rice or hemp protein sound like a good idea. If I use the hemp, I won't test positive for THC, right? I am subject to random drug tests at my job.
Heidi
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Hemp has no THC. I think hemp is a better option because the organic version is cheaper than organic rice protein and hemp has a more complete protein profile. Furthermore, hemp contains a lot more nutrients than rice protein.