Here, a person with many years of hard-won personal experience and much trial and error will share everything he has learned. Click here for details.
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As a writer who covers fitness and someone who loves working out, I consume a lot of protein (especially protein powder), but my protein intake is nothing compared to that of my brother and sister-in-law. There is no such thing. They love high protein foods and are always telling me about new snacks and powders they’ve tried. In fact, most of their pantries are filled with shelf-stable protein powders and snacks. (They mostly make and eat regular meals with real food. They just like to add these snacks in between meals.) They also, I know, Some of the most active people are: Gian is a weightlifter, a lifelong martial artist who practices Muay Thai, and a martial artist in general. Although Ilana likes to stay in shape, Ilana is a gym rat who is always finishing her workouts or about to finish her workouts. (I don’t think they’ve missed a 7 a.m. workout in years.) I asked them about their menu and the snacks that are currently in their rotation. I’ll also include a list of their favorite protein powders.
I’ve known for a while that you both exercise a lot, but please tell me why you especially eat high-protein meals.
Gian: I’ve been into weightlifting and working out since high school, and supplementing with protein has always been a no-brainer. If you lift weights, you need to consume protein to get the benefits. And I’ve watched protein powder evolve from something you chug in the morning to now literally a dessert you eat every day. And since I’ve been taking this for so long, I feel like I know all about the new innovations and flavors in the protein powder world.
Ilana: My approach to protein intake is to generally eat healthier rather than trying to consume a certain amount to maximize muscle gain. I love carbs like bagels and pasta, so if I have something else that’s more filling, like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or fruit, I’ll add that to my main meal. And supplement with protein from time to time, such as protein snacks or protein shakes.
How much protein should I consume per day?
Gian: About 200 grams.
Ilana: 75-80 grams.
Has protein powder gotten better since you started taking it in high school?
Gian: Yes. My friend and I used to buy something called Value Whey at GNC. I think it was probably $20. I don’t know if it was vanilla or chocolate, but it wasn’t very tasty. And even when blended, it was always really lumpy. There were air bubbles inside. It was like taking a drug. I would mix this with as little water as possible and chug it down like a shot. I think the biggest leap forward[in flavor]was when Syntha-6 came out. I thought, “Oh my god, this tastes like a real milkshake.”
“Probably my number one snack that I eat three times a day is a mix of protein and yogurt. It’s a 50-calorie yogurt cup that has 12 grams of protein. Add half a spoon of vanilla protein powder. That’s a 125 calorie snack and 25 grams of protein. It’s more filling for me than just drinking a shake. ”
“This is a mixture of powder in a cup, and you add water, mix it, and heat it in the microwave.My method is to add a little more water and heat it in the microwave for about 50 seconds, so it’s a little Then you add a spoonful of protein powder on top and it’s like drinking a la mode, it’s a little sticky and the bottom is raw, but when you mix it with the powder it tastes really good. It’s my favorite food.”
“The Cookies and Cream flavor has the lowest calories (150) of the Hero Bars. And for me, it’s also the sweetest, which I love. It’s also one of the bars that isn’t chewy, so I like it. It’s not like a rice crispy candy, but I think it’s like the rice is hardened and coated with icing.”
“This is my favorite snack when I want chocolate or something sweet like that. This combo is crazy.”
“I’d like to eat protein chips more often, but they’re a bit pricey. But these are another treat. They’re very flavorful, with a combination of sweet and salty, a strong flavor but with a maple-like taste. It’s great because it does.”
“Vienna’s Ranch flavor has the most seasoning, but I also love the Everything Bagel flavor, which has sesame and poppy seeds, garlic and onion powder.”
“I love these for the same reason I love ranch chickpea snacks: they’re loaded with seasoning and delicious. They also add a little crunch to salads.”
“I think this shake tastes like a milkshake. Everyone has different levels of what chemically tastes like. I think this shake has zero chemical taste. There are thick milkshakes and malty milkshakes, but this one is light and just the right amount of sweetness.”
“That’s why I love Oreos, and these are essentially the Oreos of the protein cookie world. And I think the flavor is really, really good. I wouldn’t say it tastes exactly like an Oreo, but I think it’s pretty close. And they’re better than other Oreo-like cookies. I’ve had Newman’s Own, but I don’t like them. Catalina Crunch also has a protein version of these sandwich cookies. , Lenny Cookie and Larry Cookie are better.”
“We’re probably their best customers. We just stock them up. We literally buy them wholesale. We don’t go on their website, we just send them an email. , they send us their own links as if we were a bar or something.”
“They’re frosted and soft and have little sprinkles on them. I like to eat these when I’m craving something sweet and don’t actually want to eat just candy. You can buy them at Bodega, 7-Eleven, and GNC. ”
“This is another snack that I tried once and liked it so much that I’ve been stocking up on it. It’s like a chip alternative, but it’s made from fava beans so it’s high in protein. Onions and mustard The sweetness is probably the best flavor. It tastes like Snyder’s pretzels.”
“I don’t eat them very often because I have to choose what to stock up on at home, but I like the taste. They’re similar to Pop-Tarts, but the texture is different. They’re a little softer.”
“I’ve always been a cereal person. I can eat cereal all day, every day. I love all kinds of cereal. I like plain things. I like sweet things. Magic. The Spoon nails it. The fruity flavor is similar to Trix. I’ve had Trix before and it’s delicious. The only reason Magic Spoon isn’t available in large quantities is the price. It’s not that these protein snacks are super cheap, but they’re just not used to paying $10 for a box of cereal.”
“Catalina Crunch isn’t very nostalgic and tastes like the cereal you used to eat as a kid, but if you’re looking for a high-protein version of Special K, this is a good one.”
“Barebells does a great job of mixing textures. Most protein bars are a little bit chewy, maybe with chocolate on the outside, but it’s just a chewy paste or something like that.” It’s just made of something. But Barebells has a lot of different types of layers. The outside is coated with chocolate and there’s a little bit of rice stuff on top, but the inside is probably more. It’s nutty.”
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