First, a quick reminder that Dr. Jillian's 10-Day De-Bloat program goes away tonight at midnight, so be sure to grab it now + you also get my 4 Weeks to Tight Core Training program, as a free bonus :)

Next, I get asked all the time about my favorite protein shakes and bars. As many of you know, I don’t like to cook and so a lot of how I eat is based on convenience and ease. I make fast meals at home like scrambled eggs, protein shakes and ready-made proteins and veggie meals. I dine out a lot or get the salad bar at Whole Foods. In short, I don’t like anything that takes longer than 5 minutes to prepare or involves dishes, ha!

And so, it’s natural that I would eat a protein shake every day – it’s probably the easiest “meal” on earth, it’s fast, high protein and the way I make it keeps me full for a long time.

I am big on satisfaction. In fact, the #SatisfactionFactor of the meal is the #1 consideration for preventing feelings of deprivation later (and thus, overindulging), so I am always concerned with if my meals taste good. I want to enjoy the heck out of them.

And so that means finding a way to make my shakes enjoyable and more importantly, LAST a while. I am a volume person. I choose foods based on how long they take me to eat, and for those people who simply mix 1 scoop of whey with water in a shaker and chug it? Noooooooo. No. How is that satisfying? If you’re doing that, you are probably starving 30 minutes later.

I need my shakes to be enjoyable and basically be eaten with a spoon. And so, the key for me is 1) Lots of ice (offset by stevia because too much ice waters down the flavor) and 2) Finding a way to curb cravings using the taste. So, I’ll choose chocolate and peanut butter over berries, since the former makes me feel like I am eating dessert.

My fav shake (yes, I know I am super boring, I'm okay with it):

Yes, I eat this with a spoon and it usually takes up two shaker bottles. Now you try!

I use the following powders all the time, depending on the taste I want and the circumstances under which I am doing my shake.

For example, after a heavy lift, I will choose whey powder (eaten usually within 30-90 minutes of my lift – I don’t stress about it). Or if I am not exercising that day, I’ll choose a vegetarian or vegan powder because I don’t necessarily want the insulin response that I get from whey. Or if I am just having a shake for dinner – not necessarily post-workout – I’ll choose vegetarian/vegan also.

I don’t do soy protein, but I like whey, hemp, pea/rice and egg white options. You can Google any of these and order them online, and many of them are available at Whole Foods or Vitamin Shoppe.

1) Vega Sport, in chocolate (pea/rice blend) – This is my #1 favorite choice and I will do this post-workout half the time. The taste and mixability is awesome, and it contains BCAAs and L-glutamine for recovery. At 25g protein and very little carb and dietary fat, it’s a simple vegan choice. Naturally sweetened with stevia and erythritol.

2) Isagenix Isalean Pro, in chocolate (whey/meal replacement) – This is my favorite-tasting whey powder. Yes, Isagenix is a multi-level-marketing company, which I am not involved in, but in the name of honesty and integrity, I wanted to share that I love the taste and mix-ability of this option. At 280 cals, 21g carb (6g fiber) and 36g protein, this is more of a meal replacement. I usually don’t add anything additional to this shake, just stevia to sweeten. I’ll do this after a hard and heavy lift, plus a leisure walk.

3) Onnit’s HempForce, in ChocaMaca (hemp) – I have tried almost every hemp protein on the market and in general, bleh. But Onnit sent me some free samples, and wow, I was impressed with both the mixability (usually it’s really grimey) and the taste (usually it’s really chalky). It tastes VERY close to cocoa powder, super chocolate-y, which I love. At 200 cals, this vegan powder has 15g protein and 7g fiber and is fortified with omega-3s and is naturally sweetened with stevia. I’d use this for a non-workout day or a non-postworkout time of day.

4) Jay Robb Egg White Powder, in chocolate (egg white) – By far the best tasting egg white powder I have found, it has the distinct salty taste that all eggs have (they are naturally high in sodium) so don’t let that throw you. I personally think Jay Robb’s products are some of the best tasting in the industry, including his whey. I’ll add 2 TB peanut butter to this shake, and it tastes divine. Again, this vegetarian, naturally-sweetened option is best for non-workout days or times of the day that are not post-workout.

If you have a dairy allergy, then obviously #s 1, 3 and 4 will work. Stay away from whey and casein, which is even more hyperallergenic than whey.

First, I believe that protein shakes are the #1 “No duh!” piece of the lean lifestyle puzzle. They are convenient, yummy and keep you satisfied once you find that magic combination of powder, ice and additions.

Second, knowing what powders work best for YOUR body is critical. I know so many women who cannot tolerate dairy. That’s important to know. And it’s also important to actually like the powder you choose. Your food needs to be enjoyable. If you dread it, you will never keep doing it.

Once you have the right powder, you know that it’s doing your body right. Protein shakes, if done correctly, can be a hugely helpful part of staying light, lean and satisfied without a ton of cals. My shake I listed at the beginning is about 300 cals and it keeps me full for hours. I also feel light and energized. Super important.

Let me know if you have any questions! And have fun taste-testing those powders!

Xo,

Jill