Gamer Food: Protein Shakes

Looking for a creamy, tasty, sinless addition to your diet?  Need to pack some extra protein in to hit your quota?  Want a great post-workout shake?  Maybe just some extra protein and calories to beef up your gain diet?  Look no further, my friends, because today on Gamer Food: Protein Shakes, we will be covering all this and more!

Concentrate vs. Isolate vs. Hydrolyzed

We covered this already in the gamer nutrition video (if you haven’t already watched it you really, really should), but we’ll go over it again real quick.  There are different kinds of whey protein shakes out there, and they come in the most common forms of concentrate, isolate, and hydrolyzed.  Basically, you can translate these words into fast, faster, and fastest, as far as digestion is concerned.   Concentrate is dried, concentrated whey protein.  It also contains about 5% lactose, so if you’re lactose intolerant, this is not the one for you.  Otherwise, concentrate should serve your purposes pretty damn well, as even in the slower digesting form whey protein still gets absorbed very quickly by your body.

Isolate and hydrolyzed are just broken down further via filtration and/or separation.  They do have the benefit of not containing any lactose, though, so if lactose intolerance is an issue for you, these are your guys.  Honestly, though, if you can find concentrate near you, just go with that.  The price difference makes it worth it, and unless you’re a professional bodybuilder, you’re not going to notice the difference.

This is the whey protein I buy.  It’s not pure concentrate(it’s concentrate and isolate mixed), but the price is good($10 a pound for the 5 pound tub is excellent), and Jackie and I both agree it’s the best tasting stuff we’ve tried on the market(we get the chocolate).  If you want to go with something else, that’s fine, but I do recommend checking online as the prices are typically better there than in-store.  Also, try to get a flavor you like, rather than plain.  It makes the shake more appetizing, and you don’t have to add extra sweeteners/flavorings.

Weight Loss Shake

The shake to please your inner assassin…  This shake is a great post-workout supplement for the people who are watching their calories and trying to shed the pounds.  It is not a meal replacement shake, and should not be treated as such, but it provides you with a big boost of protein for only 165 calories.

Equipment Needed:
Blender

Ingredients:
Whey Protein Powder(1 serving)
Fat Free Whipped Topping(1 serving)
Ice(3 cubes)

Preparation:
Add whey protein powder, whipped topping, and ice to blender.  Pour in 8-12  ounces of cold water.  Blend until smooth.  The ice and whipped topping help to yield a thicker, creamier shake, without adding much in the way of extra calories.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 165
Protein: 26g
Fat: 2
Carbohydrates: 10

The Fighter Shake

For all you fighters out there!  This is my typical shake right now.  It’s got a higher caloric load than the previous shake, but it also has more protein and fats in it.  The addition of milk and peanut butter also makes a creamier, richer shake.  I find it to be the best of both worlds.  Again, this is not a meal replacement shake.  It’s a good post-workout recovery supplement, though.

Equipment Needed:
Blender

Ingredients:
Whey Protein Powder(1 serving)
Peanut Butter(1 tbsp)
Fat Free Milk(8 oz.)
Ice Cubes(3)

Preparation:  Combine ingredients in blender.  Add 4-8 ounces of water, if you desire a higher volume, thinner shake.  If you don’t add the water, this will come out almost like an ice cream.  If you want even more of an ice cream rather than a shake, add an extra ice cube or two.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 330
Protein: 38g
Fat: 10g
Carbohydrates: 21g

The Gainer Shake

Alrighty!  You’re a tank at heart, and you want to get big!  This is the shake for you, sir or madame!  This could honestly be used as a meal replacement shake, if you’d like.  Just remember to take a good multivitamin with it(even just normal Centrum vitamins work), and don’t replace EVERY meal with this.  Packed with fats, protein, some carbohydrates, and calories, this sucker will help you pack the muscle on!

Equipment Needed:
Blender

Ingredients:
Whey Protein Powder(2 servings)
Peanut Butter(2 tbsp)
Banana(1 banana)
Olive Oil(1 tbsp)
Oatmeal(1/4 cup)
Whole Milk(12 oz.)
Ice Cubes(3)

Preparation:  Add the oatmeal to the blender first, and blend it down to as fine a powder as you can.  This will help integrate and suspend it in the shake, rather than have it all sit at the bottom in a sludgy mess.  Add the other ingredients.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Tastes kind of like a peanut butter and banana sandwich!

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 1025
Protein: 79g
Fat: 45g
Carbohydrates: 58g

So in closing, remember that whey protein shakes are a fantastic supplement for anyone engaging in physical exercise(as I’m sure you are).  You should always take in some easily digestible protein within a half hour of working out, and whey protein is some of the easiest digesting protein out there.  Also, the price per gram of protein is absolutely fantastic.  Whey protein is the only non-food supplement I endorse, and I can’t encourage you enough to add it to your daily routine in one of these three incarnations.

We’ll see each other again on Sunday, for our weekly fitness update, and then Monday is our next grab bag post.  Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome.

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace