What's the best protein for breakfast?

[ttkels]

Hi everyone and Merry Christmas! Just got my Fitbit Force and am wondering what's the best protein for breakfast? I make my own breakfast smoothies during the week and usually add protein powder to them. Right now I have Pure Protein Whey 25 mg, I bought this from Walmart. Is one protein powder better than the other? 

[SunsetRunner]

Another key to a good Whey Protein (which digests better) is that it should have less than 1 gram of sugar in it.  The more sugar, the poorer the quality of the powder..  

I still smoothie in the morning  with banana, greek yogurt, strawberries and almond milk for breakfast or juice. I only use protein powder once a day depending on how much I workout that morning.   I also eat cottage cheese or have an egg.  But, for me, I eat whatever I feel like that day!  I might eat my dinner at breakfast or my breakfast at lunch or whatever.  We are all so trained to eat certain foods at certain times of the day and I just like eating what makes sense and sounds good.  Just sayin.

[Ireneb]

I guess that is why there are so many different kinds of protein mix out there.  I have used the Body by Vi shake mix for 2 years and love it.  It is gentle enough for my 11 year old daughter to use it every day for her breakfast shake.  I did a lot of research before I decided to use the shake and the reason I love it so much is it is not full of garbage.  My 79 year old father has been using it for 2 years as well with his prostate cancer and the doctors gave it a big thumbs up when he ran it by them.  Regarding multi-level marketing, so is MaryKay and several other companies out there.  Has nothing to do with quality.  I am not here to cause trouble anyways or bash others.  We are here to support one another.  I think that is a much feel better way to be! Thank you!

[Amelia417]

I am in nutrition and know that Body by Vi is an inferior product.  It simply doesn't measure up to what is available in other brands.  If you like it, enjoy but realize that you're paying a premium for an inferior product. 

[badminton]

I eat an egg or thin sliced rye toast with a small amount <tblsp peanut butter. The eggs come from the hens in the backyard, and they free range, plus get flax and sunflowers seeds; I also like yogurt for brekfast with an apple. Here are two of my hens...

[dsnoey]

I like dairy for protein as well.  You don't need a lot of protein if you are doing mostly cardio; more if you are weight training.  I always have some kind of lowfat cheese and some fruit.  If I have a heavier workout I also add a VitaTop muffin, which has vitamins, protein and lots of fiber.

[maryc]

i alternate with a protein shake with mixed berries and carrot juice- or a poached egg on gluten free toast- and some mornings l like a mix of chia-hemp hearts and buckwheat with greek yogurt and dried fruit. or instead of yogurt a half cup of almond milk warmed up( the chia blend is like hot oatmeal then)

[Ukase]

I just read this - and I think, for clarification, it's important to say that there's no hard set limit to how much protein one person can digest/process in one meal. Certainly, there are some guidelines I'd suggest are fair to assume are true.

1. Someone who is larger - whether it be fat or muscle or height - they are more likely to be able to process more protein in one setting.

If we can agree on a value - say, .6 grams of protein per pound of body weight to maintain muscle mass - and that's easily the lowest figure I've encountered, and have seen as high as 2Xbody weight grams worth per day, then very muscular people like Lou Ferrigno in his prime, or Jay Cutler for a more contemporary example would be very hard pressed to maintain their size at just 20 grams per meal. Jay Cutler would have to eat maybe 10 times a day, possibly more.

With protein, what has worked for me is to start with the single serving (30 grams) and if I've got a great deal of flatulence, than odds are - even though I'm easily digesting it all, it may be more than my system can absorb for the use I intended it for. So, I cut back to three tablespoons (half a scoop) and built up to 5 tablespoons for 25 grams. Seems to work for me.

In general, I'd say you're absolutely right, but I wouldn't want someone to avoid protein just because they think they can't use more than 20 grams per couple of hours. They may very well be able to use it all and then some. Just depends on how much they need to recover and how much muscle they need to maintain, nails, hair and whatever else our body uses protein for.

[Ukase]

Sorry - but all protein powder is processed. Whey is whey, no matter what the cow was fed. Any difference for a person lifting to lose weight is so negligible, it makes the very heinous pricing of health food stores and organics way off the price point.

Is some whey better than others? Sure. Some have patented filter processes that provide a higher percentage of proteins, but for some reason, concentrate and isolate are still weighing in at 4 calories per gram.

Body Fortress, which is by far the cheapest protein powder I've come across, is found in Wal-Mart, and recently Winn Dixie. It has the same ingredients as those powders at the health food stores for less than half the cost in some cases. It mixes well, is low in sugar and carbs and tastes pretty good. (I've only tried the chocolate and vanilla)

Is it the best? No. But, for 15.98 per 2# tub, it's absolutely the best for the price.

Now, if you're going to be a serious body builder, I recommend you at least try it to see if you get results. Other brands and blends may work better for you.

Lean1 is a pretty good one, especially for those trying to lose weight. It has a pretty good ratio of 30-40-30. (fat, protein, carb) It has a lot of other things that I'd rather not have - like appetite suppressants and other odd addititives. And it also has some strange pricing. Some places sell it for less than 20 bucks, other for more than 40.

I do agree, though. If you can eat real food instead of a protein powder, why not do so? Whey Protein powder is best used for a quick recovery after lifting weights.

In some diets, protein powder is a much more efficient way to get those grams of protein with fewer calories than other ways, so I could see sticking with the powder.

Good luck with whatever you try.

[Ukase]

Not that I'm endorsing turkey bacon, but what do you have against sodium? There's nothing to suggest salt is bad for anyone who's healthy. It may retain water - but not forever, lol. When you hydrate, your body realizes you don't need all that and you'll release what you don't need.

[Ukase]

"Another key to a good Whey Protein (which digests better) is that it should have less than 1 gram of sugar in it.  The more sugar, the poorer the quality of the powder.. "

And you base this conclusion on ....what? I can't disagree with the notion that too much sugar is bad, but a protein blend can certainly have a gram or two of sugar and still be better than one that has less sugar. It's about the quality of the protein itself, isn't it?

[Mczoo59]

I find low fat cottage cheese is a great way to get protein.  I will mix 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with 1/4 cup of oatmeal and a teaspoon of ground almond for breakfast or lunch.  The oatmeal adds some fibre and helps to make me feel fuller longer especially if I have a busy morning planned.

[Jabrat]

Low fat cottage cheese is great - I fully agree!  I also like making my protein shakes with fat free milk and add my strawberries, blueberries, fat free Greek yogurt.  

[Discovery]

Scrambled eggs and yogurt with fruit are good.  Plain yogurt can be sweetened with stevia or honey.  Low-fat yogurt contains skim milk which is processed and some yogurts contain processed pectin.  Check the labels for ingredients and limit the list to milk and cream plus the active cultures.  Anyone allergic to glutamates, like me, can be especially sensitive to processed foods.  

I handle the fat by getting enough roughage in fruit and salad and not using much butter.

Two-ingredient cookies made of 3 bananas and 1 cup of quick oats are healthy and easy to grab in a hurry or carry along.  You can add cinnamon for more flavor and chopped nuts or peanut butter.

[Jabrat]

I also love my peanut butter - you can get the reduced fat kind!

[sl412]

protein for breakfast could be eggs or i like greek yougurt..ususally loaded with blueberrys.. when i do use a protien powder i use TLS protien shake.. loaded with vitamins and low in sugar smooth and creamy. I also use it in my coffee(the vanilla) I get it from www.marketamerica/sandywhitener..with all my other supplements...egg whites and turkey bacon is also a fav of mine with lots of peppers and onions....

[SunsetRunner]

Someone else had mentioned stirring protein powder into coffee a while back and I have been doing it ever since! I limit myself to two cups of coffee/day - breakfast and mid afternoon - each time with a scoop of protein powder. I find it really helps in keeping my sugar level and my appetite under control.

I use Glycemic Foundation (chocolate) from Ortho Molecular Products. This one works for me because I am gluten intolerant and have to watch my sugar levels. My doctor recommended it. You can find it on Amazon and elsewhere.

[midnight0300]

I add lentils, black beans, chickpeas, navy beans, etc. to my green smoothies for protien.  You can't taste them.

[Jabrat]

Forgot about my hard boiled eggs - had two this morning - the whites are a great source of protein - I eat two of the whites and only one yolk.  Gotta watch the cholesterol.

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@ttkels wrote:

Hi everyone and Merry Christmas! Just got my Fitbit Force and am wondering what's the best protein for breakfast? I make my own breakfast smoothies during the week and usually add protein powder to them. Right now I have Pure Protein Whey 25 mg, I bought this from Walmart. Is one protein powder better than the other? 

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[imma_ninjaaa]

Personally, I love the MRM Whey proteins! Look for the ones for low-carbs ones if weight loss if your goal. However, my all time favorite protein powders are definitely the ones by Vega One. Yes, they are a bit pricier but I think it's worth to try it because they have absolutely no junk! If you are getting tired to powders and want to switch things up, I'd recommend Quest bars. But again, they are expensive haha so I only treat myself to those ever so often. 

Honestly though, I think the best way to get your daily intake is through whole foods. Shakes are conveient, but why not try greek yogurt with fruits or an egg white omelette for breakfast? They are so easy to put together and you more of a nutrient boost out of it too! 🙂 Hope this helps! Good luck!

[malarkey]

One hard boiled egg. every morning.