Homemade Vegan Protein Powder Review!

I was just starting to get into protein powders when I decided to go vegan. My husband Brett would always have some protein powder mixed with water after an intense workout so I figured I'd join in. But when I stopped eating dairy, I realized that all the protein powders we had, and most on the market, had dairy in them. So, just as I stopped eating animal products cold turkey, I stopped having protein powders. I hoped that eventually after some research I'd be able to find a protein powder that was dairy free and tasted good.

With all the traveling I've been doing this past year, it was hard to find time to research and test out different protein powders. So far I've only tried out two kinds: Arbonne and Trader Joe's Hemp Protein. One of my friends heard I had gone vegan and sent me two packets of Arbonne Essentials Protein Powder Shake, one chocolate and one vanilla. Other than the price, I love this protein powder! It tastes great and I love the list of ingredients. You can read up on my full review here. 

The first time I tried TJ's Hemp Protein was in some plain oatmeal. Dirt. That was my initial thought on the taste. It's not very sweet and there isn't a ton of protein per serving compared to other powders. I found I could enjoy it in smoothies, but on its own it's not my favorite.

So, I still hadn't found a protein powder that fit into my budget and that tasted good. 

The search continued.

Last week, however, my friends who actually played a big role in my going vegan shared with me a homemade vegan protein powder recipe that they had found on The Daily Garnish. They gave me a batch of some they had already made so that I could try it out before I bought the ingredients to make it myself. 

The ingredient list is awesome. 

• hemp protein powder
• PB2 powder
• ground flax
• maca powder
• chlorella powder
• spirulina
• cinnamon
• stevia

So many of these ingredients like the maca powder, chlorella and spirulina have been on my list of things to purchase and try, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. So that's a win.

The smell is similar to algae due to the spirulina, but I chose to not let that phase me.

The first time I tried it was with frozen banana chunks, strawberries, blueberries, almond milk and kale. I wasn't sold on the taste after the first sip, but the more I kept drinking it, I grew to like it more and more. I has a subtle seaweed taste but the taste of peanut butter has a stronger presence which I really like. 

Even better are the stats and price it cost to make this powder:

In 1/4 serving with 104 calories there are: 

• 4 grams of fat
• 9 grams of carbs
• 7 grams of fiber
• 11 grams of protein

The cost to make this protein powder at home is only $0.53 per serving! Now that's a steal. 

The full recipe for this homemade vegan protein powder can be found at The Daily Garnish. Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

I'd also love to hear of any other vegan protein powders that you know of and love!

   

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Arbonne Protein Powder Review

Yet again I am on the road. On Tuesday all my coworkers and I made the 11 hour drive to Gaitlinburg, Tennessee for our annual team retreat in the mountains. We initially thought the whole week was going to be in the 20s, but the weather has turned out to be beautiful. Today we played ultimate frisbee and I was even able to squeeze in a 30 minute run on a trail. Tomorrow we'll hit the trails again for a hike which should be a good time. 

The view the morning of our drive.

My travel buddies for the road trip.

Before I left I made sure Brett had a lot of good, healthy food to eat: curry quinoa, an apple walnut lentil loaf, veggies and chicken for fajitas and veggie burgers. Turns out he's been sick the whole time I've been gone which is a bummer.

Since I'm traveling I don't have any new recipes for you today, but I do have a review on Arbonne Protein Powder. Not long after I started this blog, a friend from college messaged me saying she had recently found out about some vegan protein powder and wanted to send me some samples to try. I was so excited because I have yet to find a protein powder that I like (mainly because I haven't had time to do research and try out different flavors and brands.) 

She sent me the Arbonne Essentials Protein Shake mixes, one chocolate and one vanilla. I actually found these in the mail on Christmas right after Brett and I had gone on a trail run, so it was perfect timing to try them out.

I tried out the Chocolate flavor first and loved it! All you have to do is mix the powder with 8 ounces of cold water and you're all set. As I mixed, I was excited to find that the mixture gets really thick so that it really looks and tastes like a shake. It was delicious and filling. 

I did some research on the nutrition of one packet and was excited about what I found out.

Nutrition summary:

Calories 160

Fat 3.5g

Carbs 15g

Protein 20g

There are 160 calories in a 2 scoops serving of Arbonne Chocolate Protein Shake Mix.

Calorie breakdown: 18% fat, 35% carbs, 47% protein.

Other Ingredients: Arbonne Protein Matrix Blend (pea protein isolate, cranberry protein, rice protein), 

sugar cane, cocoa powder, natural chocolate flavor, sunflower oil, corn starch, inulin, xanthan gum, stevia leaf extract, flax seed, gum acacia, guar gum. 

Arbonne Protein Powder is high in protein for the amount of calories in each packet and I love that the protein source are plant based coming from peas, cranberries and rice. While it does have 9 grams of sugar per serving, I've found that that is necessary for protein powders that you are going to drink plain. 

My one complaint with Arbonne powders is that they are expensive. It's about $4 per serving. I'll have to keep looking to see if I can find a powder that is just as delicious, hight in protein and more affordable.

If you've tried Arbonne Protein Powder before, I'd love to hear your review!

Who Am I?! (Plus a Mocha Protein Smoothie Recipe)

Before I get to the deliciousness that is in that mason jar I have to talk about something.

Last night I wanted to do a spin class.

WANTED. Even after running five miles already in the morning. Who am I??

I hate spinning. It is my least favorite form of exercise (at least until after it's over when I love how I feel). I am so bad at it and the entire 45 minutes is agony. It takes a lot to get me sweating, but after five minutes in a spin class I am sweating from my shins, forearms, nose...it's painful.

But for some reason I felt the need to get out some more energy after dinner so I went to the last class of the night at our gym which was spin. I didn't hate it either! We'll see if I go to another class anytime soon though. Don't get your hopes up.

Like I mentioned, I went for a five mile run yesterday morning. I would love to run a marathon this year, but I know I'm prone to injury so I'm working on changing my form.

The first mile I ran in Nike Frees which make me land on the forefront of my feet instead of heel striking. I always feel so light and quick when I run like that, but you have to start with short distances to build up your feet strength and calf muscles. 

I'm glad I was only going a mile and then switching shoes because it was quite chilly here in Florida yesterday. As in 45 degrees with decent wind. After my first mile in my Nikes I came back and put on my Asics, grabbed ear warmers and headed back out for four more.

I'm hoping to build up more endurance in my Nike frees so that I can run longer distances with less chance of injury. We'll see how it goes!

Now onto the deliciousness. During my run I was thinking about what I wanted to eat once I finished. Anyone else do that? Our good friend Garret had just stayed the night and had made a ginormous pot of coffee even though there were only three of us. I was trying to think of how to use up all that extra delicious, Starbucks coffee and decided I should try out a mocha smoothie using my new Hemp Protein Powder from Trader Joe's. 

This smoothie is super easy to make and will definitely give you your daily dose of caffeine. You can use any kind of chocolate protein powder that you have on hand too.

Mocha Protein Smoothie

(Makes 1 Serving)

 Ingredients:

· 1 cup strong brewed coffee

· 1/2 cup almond milk

· 1/2 frozen banana

· 1 serving chocolate protein powder

· 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

· 3 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

2. Enjoy!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith