Protein drinks, green smoothies, and other healthy nutrition

[Yvonne Smith]

I have read that some of the nutritionists are in favor of adding whey protein drinks and some think it is not good; so the opinions are both ways. We make protein drinks with added cottage cheese or yogurt when we make ice cream in the Ninja Creami. Bobby makes protein drinks every day.
I have decided that I am going to start having them more often also, and especially as the weather warms up more.
Wintertime is just not when i want something icy cold to drink !

Anyway, summer is coming, at least I hope so.
I do add the whey protein to my morning coffee sometimes , too, and maybe a protein bar for breakfast . I don’t think that they are a good meal substitute, but they are much better than eating an apple fritter, for sure .
I just tried my new Ninja Blast Max blender, and it did a great job of blending up my protein drink this morning. I am not sure how well it will do once I add some greens, but if it doesn’t blend them enough, I can always use the large Oster blender, and it will blend the greens.

 

[Ed Wilson]

I've been getting a gallon of apple cider from the nearby orchard and drink a glass every day. It probably has the same nutritional value as an apple, and you know what they say about an apple a day. It has to be better than a soft drink for sure.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I've mentioned my bags (and bags) of fried chickpea "snacks" before.

This Winter I was often making "cup o' soup" out of boiling water, half a bullion cube, freeze-dried spinach powder, and canned tomato sauce. Often I run freeze-dried carrot through my coffee grinder and add that. Typically I add a little black pepper and garlic powder.

Grinding some of those chickpeas and adding that works too, adds some protein, but can really over-thicken the soup if too much is added. It can easily end up as thick as mashed potatoes in the cup.. or cement in extreme cases.


This has evolved from making "hot tomato juice" from tomato sauce as an alternative to coffee. I'd gotten a huge deal on cases of 8 oz cans.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Yesterday I bought some high protein drinks, Ensure and Boost, I know they aren't natural, but I do need protein to work out and diet for diabetes, and I don't like meat, some fish and eggs, but not meat.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

Yesterday I bought some high protein drinks, Ensure and Boost, I know they aren't natural, but I do need protein to work out and diet for diabetes, and I don't like meat, some fish and eggs, but not meat.

I also have some of the ready to drink protein drinks, @Marie Mallory . I know that some of them are nothing but high fructose corn syrup, seed oils, water, and vitamins, but some of them are low carb and high protein.
You just have to read the labels and see what the first three ingredients are, and you can pretty well tell if you have one that is beneficial or not.
They are handy to take along if we go to the fitness center, and I can have some after my workout, and also they are good in my morning coffee, and no blender needed to make them.

Otherwise, we just get the Walmart brand whey protein, Six Star Protein, and blend it ourselves.
However, it does not have all of the vitamins that some of the more expensive brands have, which is important if a person is not getting enough vitamins and minerals from other supplements.
I have been thinking about looking at one of the meal replacement shakes, which does also have the vitamins and minerals, but they cost a lot more per serving.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

@Yvonne Smith -- don't some people freeze protein drinks to process in the Creami? That might be an easy way for @Marie Mallory to make "ice cream." I don't buy protein drinks so I have not tried this.

 

[Marie Mallory]

@Yvonne Smith -- don't some people freeze protein drinks to process in the Creami? That might be an easy way for @Marie Mallory to make "ice cream." I don't buy protein drinks so I have not tried this.

We are getting around to try the coconut nondairy ice cream, soon as we can take time to do so.
Meantime, I was going to freeze some of the protein drinks. I figure I can put hole in top of one, 'stick a fork in it' and it's done.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I also have some of the ready to drink protein drinks, @Marie Mallory . I know that some of them are nothing but high fructose corn syrup, seed oils, water, and vitamins, but some of them are low carb and high protein.
You just have to read the labels and see what the first three ingredients are, and you can pretty well tell if you have one that is beneficial or not.
They are handy to take along if we go to the fitness center, and I can have some after my workout, and also they are good in my morning coffee, and no blender needed to make them.

Otherwise, we just get the Walmart brand whey protein, Six Star Protein, and blend it ourselves.
However, it does not have all of the vitamins that some of the more expensive brands have, which is important if a person is not getting enough vitamins and minerals from other supplements.
I have been thinking about looking at one of the meal replacement shakes, which does also have the vitamins and minerals, but they cost a lot more per serving.

Yvonne, I also bought them because I read protein also helps muscle heal faster. Plus when I work out I'll drink one a while before I begin.
They are low carb and high protein specifically for diabetics.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

We are getting around to try the coconut nondairy ice cream, soon as we can take time to do so.
Meantime, I was going to freeze some of the protein drinks. I figure I can put hole in top of one, 'stick a fork in it' and it's done.

I don't know if I would freeze them in the container they come in, Marie. Sometimes the liquid expands and could explode in the freezer, so use caution. You wouldn't be able to process that in the Creami, either... the stuff has to be frozen in the Creami container that fits the machine. Just FYI!!

 

[Marie Mallory]

I don't know if I would freeze them in the container they come in, Marie. Sometimes the liquid expands and could explode in the freezer, so use caution. You wouldn't be able to process that in the Creami, either... the stuff has to be frozen in the Creami container that fits the machine. Just FYI!!

Beth we just cleaned the freezer out a day or so ago. So I'll take a drink first then freeze it.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

Beth we just cleaned the freezer out a day or so ago. So I'll take a drink first then freeze it.

I hope it works for you, Marie. I know you love ice cream.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I hope it works for you, Marie. I know you love ice cream.

Thanks Beth, and I do love ice cream, although the dairy is turning on me.
First time no ice cream purchase at grocery store.
I did buy my usual real fruit bars for oat meal though, real strawberry and coconut.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

@Yvonne Smith -- don't some people freeze protein drinks to process in the Creami? That might be an easy way for @Marie Mallory to make "ice cream." I don't buy protein drinks so I have not tried this.

Yes, you can absolutely do that, and I have tried it , I think I just poured an Atkins shake into the Creami container and froze it overnight. It comes out rock hard, so no way you could just eat it after freezing, but the Ninja Creami turns it into an ice cream dessert.

However, I think it makes a better one when you add something thicker and richer, like cottage cheese or thick Greek yogurt with the protein drink, so I add that in and blend it all up together.
You can also add fruit for flavor if you are using vanilla protein drink.

Bobby likes cottage cheese, but not yogurt; so adding the Greek yogurt to the smoothie is a good way for him to get more probiotics, too.
I am adding some MSM powder to my morning protein smoothie because my hip has been bothering me lately, and I have been hobbling along when I am walking.
The MSM has the same healing properties as DMSO, but you can take it internally, and it really helps with any kind of joint pain.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

Thanks Beth, and I do love ice cream, although the dairy is turning on me.
First time no ice cream purchase at grocery store.
I did buy my usual real fruit bars for oat meal though, real strawberry and coconut.

You can actually make your own fruit bars with the Ninja Creami, too, @Marie Mallory . I have not done that, but there should be directions with the Creami manual, and also you can find videos on YT where people have done this.
Basically, you are just pouring the fruit juice or blending it with some fresh fruit, and then freezing it in the Creami container and spinning it into a frozen fruit smoothie.
I remember seeing one video where someone just poured a can of pineapple into the container, froze it overnight and then blended into a frozen pineapple sorbet dessert.

 

[Marie Mallory]

You can actually make your own fruit bars with the Ninja Creami, too, @Marie Mallory . I have not done that, but there should be directions with the Creami manual, and also you can find videos on YT where people have done this.
Basically, you are just pouring the fruit juice or blending it with some fresh fruit, and then freezing it in the Creami container and spinning it into a frozen fruit smoothie.
I remember seeing one video where someone just poured a can of pineapple into the container, froze it overnight and then blended into a frozen pineapple sorbet dessert.

Yvonne, soon as I get over this injury I plan on doing more.
Yesterday was a lot of improvement so I'm getting there is I don't mess something else up first.
Most of the pain that was shooting thru my calves, knees, thighs and buttock is gone now too. Leg would just go out and almost fell.
Nobody would ever think something as simple as a squat could do so much damage.till it does!

 

[Yvonne Smith]

I am glad that you are feeling better again, finally, @Marie Mallory . This has been a long healing process for you from doing those awful squat exercises .
My hip has been giving me trouble for a while now, so I have been hobbling around, too, and it is no fun.

I kept forgetting to take the MSM capsules, so now I have started adding the MSM powder directly into my morning protein drink, and also being more consistent about using the vibration plate, and i am slowly starting to walk better now, too. Even sleeping has been hard because my whole leg from hip to foot hurts unless I am lying just right.

With the warmer weather, I want to go outside and do stuff in the yard really bad, so really need to get this hip working better again. I am going to see if I can find a good ripe pineapple when we go to Kroger today, and then i can cut it up and add some of that to the protein drink as well as the MSM.
Pineapple is one of the best things for me because it is so anti-inflammatory, plus has a natural pain-killer ; but it has to be fresh and raw, and sometimes it is hard to find a good one at the store because they ship them so green.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I am glad that you are feeling better again, finally, @Marie Mallory . This has been a long healing process for you from doing those awful squat exercises .
My hip has been giving me trouble for a while now, so I have been hobbling around, too, and it is no fun.

I kept forgetting to take the MSM capsules, so now I have started adding the MSM powder directly into my morning protein drink, and also being more consistent about using the vibration plate, and i am slowly starting to walk better now, too. Even sleeping has been hard because my whole leg from hip to foot hurts unless I am lying just right.

With the warmer weather, I want to go outside and do stuff in the yard really bad, so really need to get this hip working better again. I am going to see if I can find a good ripe pineapple when we go to Kroger today, and then i can cut it up and add some of that to the protein drink as well as the MSM.
Pineapple is one of the best things for me because it is so anti-inflammatory, plus has a natural pain-killer ; but it has to be fresh and raw, and sometimes it is hard to find a good one at the store because they ship them so green.

I have pineapple in the freezer we cut up lasy month or so.
I'll have to get some out and eat them after my protein drink? Or should I eat them together?

My hips hurt too, but second to the muscle.
I'll only walk a little way on trail today, it did negatively affect the soreness. Jake been taking care of garden getting ready for plant time.
I do the house work and most cooking.

 

[Don Alaska]

I am glad that you are feeling better again, finally, @Marie Mallory . This has been a long healing process for you from doing those awful squat exercises .
My hip has been giving me trouble for a while now, so I have been hobbling around, too, and it is no fun.

I kept forgetting to take the MSM capsules, so now I have started adding the MSM powder directly into my morning protein drink, and also being more consistent about using the vibration plate, and i am slowly starting to walk better now, too. Even sleeping has been hard because my whole leg from hip to foot hurts unless I am lying just right.

With the warmer weather, I want to go outside and do stuff in the yard really bad, so really need to get this hip working better again. I am going to see if I can find a good ripe pineapple when we go to Kroger today, and then i can cut it up and add some of that to the protein drink as well as the MSM.
Pineapple is one of the best things for me because it is so anti-inflammatory, plus has a natural pain-killer ; but it has to be fresh and raw, and sometimes it is hard to find a good one at the store because they ship them so green.

Some places allow you to subscribe for pineapple shipments @Yvonne Smith. We have considered it for the Maui Gold since the core is soft and edible and doesn't need to be removed. There may be a similar thing for the Caribbean which would be closer to you. The subscription ships directly to your door, but it does cost considerably more than Walmart.

 

[Don Alaska]

I have pineapple in the freezer we cut up lasy month or so.
I'll have to get some out and eat them after my protein drink? Or should I eat them together?

My hips hurt too, but second to the muscle.
I'll only walk a little way on trail today, it did negatively affect the soreness. Jake been taking care of garden getting ready for plant time.
I do the house work and most cooking.

Fresh or frozen pineapple has an enzyme--bromelase/bromelain--which will digest the protein in your drink and may make it thinner. Just sayin'

 

[Yvonne Smith]

Some places allow you to subscribe for pineapple shipments @Yvonne Smith. We have considered it for the Maui Gold since the core is soft and edible and doesn't need to be removed. There may be a similar thing for the Caribbean which would be closer to you. The subscription ships directly to your door, but it does cost considerably more than Walmart.

Since most of the best bromelain enzyme is in that core, what i usually do is separate that and put it through the blender or food processor and then I can add it to a smoothie with no problem. Sometimes, I crush the whole pineapple, and then it can go in with cottage cheese or yogurt or in a smoothie. Either way, I try to save the core and blend it so that it is not too hard and woody to eat.

When I am having pineapple because of some kind of body or joint pain, I usually just eat nothing but pineapple (pineapple fast) until I start to feel better and the pineapple gets rid of the pain. But now, I am just going to get it all chopped up and put in a jar and then add some to my protein drink each day, more of a maintainence schedule than just a pineapple fast.