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Protein Powder Alternatives

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You know we have a no judgment policy around here. I fully comprehend that protein powders are an attractive option, particularly for busy professionals. Despite the fact that it’s not my bag (see?), I’m not here to express displeasure about your leans. Rather, I’ll celebrate our diversity.

Still, what kind of partner would I be to you if I didn’t offer you an alternative or two?

This morning at 5:30am, I received this text from an ambitious friend:

Morning! Question for you…What do you think of protein powder? Do you like it or do you consider it processed food?

Clearly, my friend doesn’t follow the blog. Otherwise, she’d know that the powders are among our most heavily processed options and are often laced with the most artificial of ingredients. Even the most “natural” of powders has been altered to isolate the proteins and is delivered in a way your body doesn’t recognize.

The conversation can always end with the identification of the issue and without a suggested solution. Zzzzzz. Those types of interactions are exhausting. We aim to inspire and be inspired.

Without further ado, here are a few ideas for you to a) optimize for efficiency and b) riff on in the comment section below.

  • Cut a huge salmon filet into five pieces. Coarse sea salt, paprika, lemon, cayenne pepper, olive oil. Hot grill, three minutes each side. Into foil, into fridge. One piece for 5 days.
  • Whole Foods (I hate that I’m selling a corporation…ugh) has whole, organic, prepared chickens seasoned only with salt and pepper. Now, I’ll admit I’m a bit of savage. Let me preface what I’m about to say with a) I’m not afraid of germs, and b) this method isn’t for everyone. I suggest ripping off random chunks of flesh in random proportions in lieu of blending artificially flavored beverages. Eat the bones. They rule. It takes some practice, but I’ll take down a chicken in roughly 2 days.
  • Season some grass fed, organic ground beef with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Shape into patties. Cook in a pan with some olive oil and coconut oil.

You don’t have to fall for the marketing idea that protein must be delivered in precise intervals. And though we’re all busy, these ideas require no more time or effort than blending up the powder into a shake. Your body will be happier. So will your wallet. Plus, with all the added benefits that come from eating real, whole foods, you can toss out the fish oil supplements you’ve been washing down with the protein shake.

Be well,

Kap

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  • Tanyon Sturtz

    Do you weigh the pieces of chicken? How much would equal 30 grams of protein?

    • Chester

      I think it’s about 30g of protein per approximately 4 ounces of chicken breast.

    • Nathan Wynn

      7 grams of protein per 1 ounce of meat. So roughly 4 1/3 ounce of boneless, skinless chicken to get your 30 grams of protein.

  • Chester

    In addition to Kap’s advice, some quick alternatives include: Sardines/Mackerel in a can; Organic jerky (a buddy makes his own from his downed game); bean burro; buffalo meat patty with chile powder; eggs, etc.
    Watch out for the soylent green (er — I mean protein powder — of course I had to be obnoxious didn’t I?)

    btw Kap thank you for the eggs & yam breakfast suggestion — truly a new staple in our kitchen.

    • Nathan Wynn

      Eggs and yam breakfast is outstanding. Feel free to forward any of that unwanted downed game jerky this way. I find that Duck jerky is a ‘hit’ due to it’s ultra dry consistency. Try it out some time. It took over venison as the ‘lead off’ in our ‘lineup’.

  • Stan Mickus

    Kap, I asked you about this month’s ago and now I get my protein from a couple or more scrambled or over easy eggs in the morning per your suggestion (you mentioned hard boiled). Local farmer sells them to me each week for $10 for three dozen - great deal! I never hesitate to eat beef, chicken or fish in the morning especially after a tough workout.

  • Kendall

    I recently ditched the powder and have just been doing the chocolate milk thing mixed with BCAA powder after workouts and have just been trying to get more protein from other sources (avocados, peanut butter, meats etc). Thoughts, particularly on the chocolate milk post workout?

  • Dorny

    Kap, Do you ever just say “fuck it” and crush a large pizza and wash it down with a few Buds?

  • Msquared

    So wait, we can text you at 5:30am when we have questions?
    WTF, I thought this was only an option for “open thread”??

  • Chris

    Nathan,

    If you’re a reader of Kap’s blog then you’d know that your effort is fruitless (does that count as a “see?”moment?…processed foods are out natural whole foods are in, period.

    • http://kaplifestyle.com/ Stephanie St Amour

      Yes, yes it does count. Bravo.

    • Nathan Wynn

      Brother, I am a follower & I “see”. Fruitless as it may be, I have a valid point. I have the only product, processed or not that can do what it does. We take everything OUT of it, no preservatives, flavoring, dfillers, allergens or binders. Not much different than trimming the fat off of steak. I don’t think it gets any more whole & natural than pure. How else would a lactose intolerant, diabetic, gluten or dairy allergic consumer be able to ingest a pure whey protein & amino supplement. Real science, real results. We kinda ‘knocked it out of the park’ with 30 grams in a single tablespoon you can mix with a fork in your water, coffee or herbal tea without changing the flavor or consistency. You can even cook with and ‘serve it up’ on a ‘dish’. Sometimes it pays to keep an open mind is all I’m saying. I’m not discounting eggs, lean meat, swordfish or otherwise. Just don’t ‘knock it’ if you haven’t tried it. Period. DOT.

      • Chris

        My mind is open to many things. However, if I can’t pick it off a tree, dig it up, hunt it, catch it from the ocean etc. I don’t need it. The only time the lab interests me is if Walter White (or Kap making soap) is behind the goggles.

        • Nathan Wynn

          Chris, I hunt, fish, grow & pick fruit from trees as well. I respect that. I subscribe to it. But I dont get hung up on the word “process”. It is a “process” that rips flesh from the bone, another to prepare it on a stove or open flame (so long as it is not a microwave). I’m not so blind as to recognize addition by subtraction. Did you wash your food before you consumed it? That too, is a process. Did you cut it up to break it down? That is a process. Do you consume dairy for protein? I do, but I also require more than what I can drink from the cow whether or not I am the one that “squeezed” the tit or not. I prefer to supplement my intake with a CLEANER option for of the same milk that came out of the same damn cow. I didn’t add a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. I took all the BS out of it. There are people like my son, who are allergic to the milk from the cow which carries the protein he needs for his body. I’m proud as a father to give him the good & take away the bad. My kid goes to the plate everyday with a full count. Food allergies & scoliosis are just two of the strikes, the rest are just foul tips. The process doesn’t scare me. I educated myself to provide a better option for him. Yes sir, it is a process that made it possible. What’s the shortest distance between two points in a swing? A straight line. I take the Ted Williams approach to hitting in life as I did through college. Less is more sometimes brother. Open your eyes and see the pitch. Don’t get caught up in the motion.

        • Harrison

          hahaha Kap making soap! yes!

  • Chris

    Tanyon,

    Isn’t your last name spelled “Sturtze” or did Kap knock the “e” off in 04’?

  • Ed H

    Not to mention, the body was designed to extract it’s own protein from food. It may not be “efficient”, but that’s part of the point. Say what you want, but the body doesn’t want food that’s “efficient”. It causes over doses…

    • Nathan Wynn

      SORRY KAP, please don’t kick me out for this but……..

      “….the body doesn’t want food that’s “efficient”….” HUH? “It causes overdoses”? WHAT?!?!?!?. ED, anything in excess has the ability to overdose the system. But let’s be reasonable here. I haven’t given you my company name, or product name. My purpose wasn’t a ‘pitch’ (see?). Merely to open your mind to the probability of advancement in the field and the hint of evidence that not all ‘processes’ are the devil. I used my protein merely as an example. It’s sad to see the world shut down upon key words that don’t properly represent the product they are meant to endorse. My protein is medical grade and used and endorsed by doctors, nutritionists, dietitians, hospitals, cardiac surgeons, bariatric groups and professional athletes because of it’s process & purity. We have won Bio-innovation awards in the first year of our existence from our work with the product. I give my 2 year old daughter her 30 gram serving in her chocolate milk every morning & she has yet to grow a horn from her cranium and is physically advanced for her age.

      • Ed H

        How difficult is it to crack an egg? Don’t want fat? Scoop out the yolk. Most supplements are meant to earn money, not save the world. If yours saves the world, you better expect skepticism. Good luck to you, but I’ll stick to food.

        Too efficient? Yes. Your body expects to work to extract nutrients. Nutrient assimilation is a multistage process that requires the body to perform work during each stage.

        • Nathan Wynn

          Love eggs, with yolk preferably. This isn’t about money either. I still have my day job. Lord I wish it was about money in that respect, we would’ve cashed out & sold our patents and cashed out a while back. We haven’t created a cure for cancer but we have been able to help protein deficient patients raise protein levels in their blood to qualify for surgery. There are actually “needs” for supplementation. But this isn’t about that either. It’s about thinking outside of the ‘box’ (see?) when addressing the labels you put on ‘processing’ or ‘powders’ or ‘supplements’. It’s similar in that respect to today’s post about labels. The human body is well adapted to take in protein through absorption. It wasn’t created on a Microsoft based platforms that crashes when foreign SOP’s are administered. It reacts to what you put in it. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous. On another note, not everyone is as physically blessed as Kap who can afford the time, expense & effort to achieve their nutritional intake. That’s one of the reasons I started following this forum. The insight has enriched my life for sure. I expect scrutiny, welcome it. It drives me to be better, acknowledges my short comings & ultimately makes me a more productive & efficient human being. Opposed to processes; eat the egg raw, with yolk and shell. I’ll stick to the process. I’m not asking you to take in my protein powder. Just keep an open mind. That’s all. I respect the abscence of GMO foods in your diet. We have 29 products that I cannot begging to endorse on this site. What I can tell you is that as a business, we develop high quality, designer products with high purity raw’s manufactured in a cGMP FACILITY, for those who do utilize supplementation. We also have families and a conscience, our flagship product was our protein. We may not save the world, but we’ll leave it better than we found it.

          • Ed H

            Here’s my open mind…. There are situations that call for supplementation, whether it be protein or vitamins or fish oil.

            To comment about a raw eggs with the shell is out of line and classic. The context of “processed food” as it relates to healthy eating does not mean any process that deviates from the original. It means a process which substantially modifies it from the original nutrient foot print. Anybody who justifies a processed food based on the literal definition of process is playing games to confuse the audience. Soaking oatmeal is processing, cutting, carrots etc….Literally,

            I won’t continue to argue with a con. I just don’t have the experience to win.

          • Nathan Wynn

            I’m sorry to have crossed the egg & shell line in the sand. I was making a point that you literally did not get. I have to laugh however at you referencing me as a con. You really don’t have the experience to win anything by calling names, taking your ball & going home. Perhaps you should visit Kap’s posts pertaining to managing stress & anger. Maybe some on sportsmanship. It’s going to take a higher degree of intelligence to insult me properly & engage your hostility. God bless Ed.

          • Ed H

            I wasn’t insulting you. I was describing you. Your word games just don’t score points.