Battle of the Whey!

When you're a girl that's getting ready for a figure competition, your food choices are non-existent limited. You cannot walk up the refrigerator, open it, and just pick out anything to eat. Some days that really really sucks! Some days it's nice to not have to think about what you're going to eat and just pull a Ziploc container out of the refrigerator and know that it's prep-approved!

Protein is a definite must-have, not only for those preparing for a competition but for the "average" person as well. According to Harvard School of Public Health's article "Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage", lack of protein can lead to loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, and weakening of the heart and respiratory system. In other words, protein is a MUST-HAVE!

Currently, my protein sources are consistent but boring :) My daily meals usually have a serving (4-5 oz) of chicken, white fish, sirloin, or protein powder (1-2 scoops) in them. I do my best to keep my food tasty while still staying within the parameters of the my diet. Food items that are multi-purpose make my heart & tummy happy in addition to keeping things interesting!

One such multi-purpose item is whey isolate protein powder! Let's be honest, drinking a shake can get boring really quickly! Drinking a shake made from the same protein powder you use day in & day out can push you to the brink of insanity. On the border between "I Can Do This" and "I'm About to Lose My Damn Mind" is where I was when I was presented with the opportunity to try out a new protein powder.  

*cue the choir of angels*

New versus old ;)

I was thisclose to finishing my current container of chocolate whey isolate from Body Fortress when I received a package from Muscle Gauge Nutrition. The package contained a tub of their Pure Isolate Whey Protein in Vanilla. I couldn't wait to use this powder, not only because I was growing weary of my current flavor, but because I was truly intrigued by some of the information the company provided about this particular powder. This isolate powder, according to their website, has been filtered twice through the most advanced micro-filters separating/isolating it from its impurities. In one scoop (30g), there are 25g of protein and only 110 calories! It is also lactose-free, fat free, and sugar free. Can you see why I was excited about it??

In the past 3-4 weeks since I've received the powder, I have used it in various ways. I decided to use it for protein pancakes for The Princess. The recipe is one I'm sure you've seen before --> 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup of oats, 1 scoop of protein powder, dash of cinnamon (optional).

Protein pancake topped with some cinnamon sugar and a side of turkey bacon

Gobblin' up her protein-packed breakfast!

She approved! I asked her what she thought of the taste and her reply was "I like these better than the other ones, Mom". The other ones were made with another vanilla protein powder...cough cough...Dymatize..cough cough... ;)

Simple but filling meal #1

My first meal of the day (on my low carb days) has been 1/4 cup of cream of rice and 1 scoop of protein powder. I like my cream of rice with extra water and I was initially concerned that the Muscle Gauge protein powder may not mix well in the hot excess water. That was a silly thing to worry about because there were very few clumps when I added the protein powder after cooking the cream of rice. There is an element of sweetness to this protein powder that worked perfectly with my cream of rice and oats (on my high carb days).

Declumpers (?)

I also used the powder for the standard protein shake made with 1 scoop of powder and 10 oz of cold water. A few times, I forgot my "declumper" (that's my name for it..lol) and I had some small clumps of powder in my shaker bottle. It wasn't a huge deal on the days I had a spoon with me but on the days that I didn't, I did make an "eww" face when I tasted the powdery clumps.

All in all, I have to give this powder two thumbs up. The Princess liked it, I was able to use it successfully in a variety of ways, and it made me do my "this is tasty" wiggle - what more do you need?? :) Definitely consider Muscle Gauge Nutrition the next time you need to restock your supply of protein powder!!

Disclaimer:

This product was provided to me for review purposes.
All opinions expressed are my own.