Premier Protein: Simple Protein for a Complicated Life. (Product Review)

This review was sponsored by Premier Protein, and I was provided with free product for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.

I sorta feel like I'm preaching to the choir about Premier Protein. So many of you already use it! In fact, the sheer number of you who use it prompted me to want to give it another try. I tried the shakes at the very beginning of my post-op life and I liked them well enough, but then I started playing with protein powder and making recipes and...we all know where that went. 

So here I am again trying Premier Protein. If you all follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know they sent me a lot of product. Like...a lot. I think it's because they want me to share it with you. I intend to! After the grad school semester from hell ends. Until then all you'll get is procrastination and empty promises and, really, who needs that? 

Anyway, let's get on with the review!

This review will cover the shakes. They sent me lots of bars as well and I think that may need to be its own blog review! Look for it coming soon. 

So the shakes come in three flavors: Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla. The stats on them are pretty much all the same:

Here's some other important information:

• Premier uses a blend of whey isolate and whey concentrate
• It also contains sucralose (an artificial sweetener used to in Splenda)

Packaging

Yes, I start from the beginning, Foodies! But I think Premier's packaging is worth talking about. It's very convenient for a few reasons. Firstly, the shakes are shelf-stable so you don't have to keep them in the fridge. For those of you who work in places where you don't have a fridge, that might be very convenient. It also has a sturdy, "twist on/twist off" cap. As I was reviewing these shakes I can't tell you how many times this saved my shirts! 

Taste/Texture/Yadda

Like I said in the title, it's simple protein for a complicated life. One thing I like about Premier Protein is that they keep their flavors clean. Each flavor tasted like what it was supposed to taste like. I was a bit put off by the fact that the strawberry was an off-white but then as I thought about it, that means there's no red dye in it, which is a good thing! But just to give you my initial impression (I actually wrote these phrases down as I tasted these):

• Chocolate: "Tastes like a Yoohoo." (Do they still make those, by the way?)
• Strawberry: "Takes me back to elementary school and those little cartons of strawberry milk." (Do they still make those, by the way?)
• Vanilla: "Must Triple X this...would make an awesome thick vanilla shake!"

Which brings me to my next point. The shakes aren't super thick. (Newbies may disagree.) They pour easily. There are a few bubbles when you pour but nothing too serious. For the pics above I fanned the cups with a piece of paper and the bubbles dispersed. In all reality, most of you will drink this from the carton anyway. I will admit I didn't shake them first. They seemed fine even still.

So...was there an aftertaste? For this one I had to go outside myself. I've been on artificial sweeeteners and protein supplements for so long I don't think I could tell you even if the aftertaste tapped me on the shoulder and introducted itself. I had my oldest daughter (the "Picky One") taste it (I had to pay her to do it - the little extortionist!). She said there is no aftertaste. Then she asked if she could have the rest of it. Ba-da-bing.

Final Verdict

Well you all know me. I like to play with my food.

Here's one way I played with my Premier Protein Shake. Click here to get the recipe. There will be other ways!

Of all the flavors, I'd likely do the chocolate and vanilla most often. I'm not a big fan of strawberry anything, although I didn't mind testing out this flavor at all. I see that they are available all over. Check out this page to locate them near you. So they are convenient, affordable and not a special purchase.

So I think my final verdict would be to give them a try. It's good protein, for a good price, and easily accessible (check out the "Where to Buy" page on their website to find it near you). Especially if you are a person who doesn't need a fancy shake, you just need a good shake, with good flavor, and a good protein count, Premier has got you covered.

#PWYF

Foodie Review: Trader Joe's Vanilla Soy Protein

Trader Joe's Vanilla Soy Protein

by Traci McGowan, Foodie Review Correspondent

I have taken some sort of protein supplement every day since my RNY surgery.  From the weight loss doctor’s office to the gym, from Wal-Mart to the internet, I have tried more protein powders and bars than I have fingers ‘n toes: Body Fortress, Cytosport (AKA: Muscle Milk powder), Eas AdvantEdge, Met-Rx , Click, Pure Protein, Lara Bar, Atkins, Optimum Nutrition, Isopure, Quest, ViSalus, Power-Something (I really can’t remember the name).

Being the technology freak that I am, I just assumed it was a given someone somewhere would create a protein supplement that didn’t taste like it had been scraped off the bottom of a hoof. Almost all of those supplements I tried (almost, not always) would have that horrible whey aftertaste, and I had pretty much given myself over to the thought I would spend the rest of my LIFE resisting the urge to hurl after each “meal”. 

That is until one day when I trolled around Trader Joe’s in my hometown and on the top shelf of the supplement aisle discovered a modest display of protein powders. I almost walked away until I saw “Vanilla Flavored Soy Protein Powder”. I picked up a canister and figured I had nothing to lose. Trader’s has a money back guarantee, so at the least I wouldn’t be stuck with two pounds of powder.

I have been SO unbelievably happy!! This stuff has:

• No whey aftertaste. None. Nada. Zip.
• No stinky whey smell.
• No farting (well, that’s probably MY issue alone).

I have added (contaminated) items to my shakes, but my favorite way to drink them is to put 2 scoops of powder (which is one serving) into my Ninja along with 8 ounces of vanilla soy milk and a little bit of sugar free pudding powder (flavors vary) and whip that sucker for two minutes (see Nik’s Triple X Method for blending thick protein shakes). The shake thickens up just enough for me. It’s really tasty. The vanilla flavor does not overpower the shake, which is good news for those of us with uber sensitive pallets post-op.

You can add fruit, ice, sugar free syrups (caramel is the BOMB!), Splenda, Greek yogurt…whatever your little heart desires.

The stats are pretty decent:

Calories  120

From fat   10

Total Fat 1.5g

Total Carbs    1g

Protein     25g

There’s a flood of vitamin information on the label, but the thing which stood out to me the most was the ingredients list. My trainer gave me a great rule of thumb: the shorter the list the better it is for you. I found with the other protein supplements I would get very nauseated. 

Verdict: Foodie Says...Fabuloso! Trader Joe’s has made a great product which works fantastic for us bariatric patients!

About Traci
Traci is 14 months post-op from RNY Gastric Bypass. As of the publishing of this newsletter article she's down 145 pounds.

In her spare time, Traci enjoys number crunching, spin class, nurturing her burgeoning tech addiction and hoarding Kleenex (and no, she's not kidding). 

Have a question for Traci about this review? Or perhaps you'd like to request a review on a product you want to try. Either way, email her at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com with the subject line of "Foodie Review." While she can't guarantee she'll ever review the product you suggest, it's good to put this stuff out into the universe, no?