Plant-based protein powders are vastly widespread proper now, and never simply amongst vegans. Whey protein might be onerous to digest, which suggests even omnivores could choose to complement their diets with vegan protein.
Whether or not you’re full vegan or simply making the change for digestive causes, you’ve in all probability already observed that vegan protein has a selected texture and taste that isn’t, let’s assume, “interesting.” (Having tried each, I can say that I strongly choose vegan powders to whey on style alone, however that’s not saying a lot.) Fortunately, that’s fairly simple to vary. Right here’s how.
Use the precise instruments
Plant-based protein powders are notoriously gritty, so your common shaker bottle in all probability received’t lower it. Use a blender or stick blender as an alternative—they’ll dissolve each final little bit of powder so your drink is completely clean. When you’ve got one, a digital kitchen scale can also be clutch. Vegan protein powders are lots clumpier than whey, which suggests these pre-measured scoops aren’t tremendous correct. A scale helps you nail the dose each time and alter it to fit your wants.
Purpose for a chilly and chug-able protein shake
It sounds counterintuitive, however the best option to make protein shakes style higher is to deal with temperature and texture. Fragrant compounds are much less noticeable once they’re chilly, so when you’re actually fighting the flavour of your protein shakes, strive making them as chilly as attainable. Mixing in a number of ice cubes or simply pouring the completed drink over ice each work nice. Don’t attempt to blitz up ice cubes along with your stick blender, although—it’ll explode throughout your kitchen.
Texture additionally makes an enormous distinction in how palatable one thing is. Vegan protein drinks are nearly all the time thicker than their whey-based counterparts, and personally, I can’t cling. Thick, sludge-y textures make me gag, so I exploit nearly double the beneficial quantity of water. Should you’d somewhat drink a small quantity of one thing thick, simply use much less water. It’s all about what’s best for you.
Add some actual sugar to your protein shake
The worst a part of flavored protein powders is the stevia used to sweeten them, at the least for my part. It provides a lingering aftertaste that I actually don’t take pleasure in, and the simplest option to cowl it up is by including some precise sugar. I normally use a couple of tablespoon (or 16 grams) of brown sugar per roughly 40-gram serving of powder, however you possibly can—and will—alter it to style. White sugar, powdered sugar, honey, or maple syrup would all be good, too.
Add salt and citric acid to your protein shake
Salt could not resolve each culinary downside, but it surely’s not far off. I season my protein drinks with a beneficiant pinch every of salt and powdered citric acid, and I like to recommend doing the identical. These two actually clean out the tough edges, so to talk, however you possibly can add some other seasonings you want. Should you normally purchase vanilla-flavored protein, strive a splash of precise vanilla extract; when you choose chocolate, add some further cocoa powder. The extra you experiment, the better it’ll be to search out your excellent mix.