Whey protein tends to be about the best available for those of us with re-arranged guts after weight loss surgery. And typically, you don’t have to worry about the chemicals and GMO issues that tend to come with soy based proteins. And if you’ve read any of my other posts on protein powders, you should know one of my personal favorites is the unflavored, unsweetened Whey Isolate CFM from TrueNutrition (formerly TrueProtein). They recently put together this nice video explaining the difference between the more popular forms of whey proteins and the filtration types.

Don’t forget, if you order from them, use my discount code (RBP224) for 5% off your order!

I just placed another order of protein powder through trueprotein.com and decided to check out something new (well, new in that I just found it…).

I got my usual unflavored, unsweetened whey isolate cfm, and while I enjoy having the unflavored for cooking with and like making up whatever flavor shake I’m in the mood for, there are some flavors I just can’t really do on my own.

So if you’re like me, or just don’t like having a bunch of these HUGE jugs of protein around in order to have some variety, True Protein has you covered with flavor packs.

Their basic flavors include Banana, Cherry, Chocolate, Kiwi-Strawberry, Mango, Orange, Pina Colada, Pineapple, Strawberry, Tropical Blend, Vanilla and Wild Berry in either artificial sweetened (Aspartame) for $3.99 or Natural (Stevia). They say each packet is enough to flavor between 10-15 pounds of protein mix.

You can also get the premium flavors in artificially sweetened or natural for $4.49 for a 50g package. These flavors include Banana Bash, Bananas N Creme, Chocolate Banana, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Coconut, Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Citrus Lime-Ade, Coconut, Coconut Banana, Coconut Creme, Concord Grape Juice, Cookies N Cream, Creamy Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate Mint, Dutch Chocolate Fudge, Forbidden Fruit Punch, French Vanilla Creme, Kiwi Strawberry, Luscious Peach, Old-Fashioned Lemonade, Orange Creamsicle, Orange Juice Indulgence, Peaches N Creme, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Strawberries N Creme, Strawberry Banana, Tropical Hawaiian Punch, Very Berry Strawberry, Watermelon Wave, and Wild Berry Blast.

Yea, they do a lot of mixing of some basic flavors, but all in all that’s a lot to choose from.

You can also get a sample pack of premixed premium flavors to check out, and don’t forget to use the code RBP224 to get 5% off your order.

I’ll let you all know just how well this works when my Cookies N Creme gets here next week.

Protein, protein, protein. That’s one of the key mantras for a WLS post-op. Getting enough protein is a constant battle, and especially the first year or so it can be hard to do by eating alone.

Enter, the protein powder.

Finding a protein powder you like is key. If you don’t like it, you won’t use it. I tried a variety of stuff, found some I liked a lot, some I thought were ok, and some that were just plain nasty. Then I found trueprotein.com and discovered their unflavored, unsweetened, cross-flow microfiltered whey isolate protein. It’s been the only protein powder I have bought for the last four months now.

I like the fact that I don’t need to have a bunch of flavors around, I use this for everything from adding to my morning oatmeal to baking in to protein bars. Like I said, if you find one you like, buy it, but maybe give this one a shot, and if you do… I can get you 5% off your order.

Just use the code RBP224 at checkout.

Now, in the interest in full disclosure, if you make your initial order using that code, I get something out of it too. For every $300 in product that is bought using that code, I get 8 pounds of protein mix for free.

So please! Use my code… but I’ll even do you one better. If you contact the folks at trueprotein.com you can get your very own discount code.

See, the way this works, yea… I can use my own discount code and get 5% off, but it doesn’t count towards my earning free protein powder. So I use a code from another blog I found out about trueprotein.com from. So while you can get your own code, if you use mine I earn the credits, but you can publicize your code in the hopes of earning your own free stuff.

See… pay it forward.

And I’m not greedy either… I could see using some of the free protein I get for give-aways and such. Course, then I get ya hooked on it! heh. Oh.. this only works for new customers. Well, you can use my code to get the discount, but if you’re already a customer nobody gets the earnings off the code. Oh well.

Here’s a rundown on the stuff, 30g serving gives you bout 110 calories, 27g protein and 75mg sodium, and  160mg of calcium with no fat, sugars or cholesterol (in the unflavored, unsweetened version). There are a variety of sweetener options and flavors you can get, and they even have flavor additives you can get separately.  You’ll get about 15 servings per pound for about $11 plus shipping.

Their basic shipping is about $10, so even if you order just one pound, you’re looking at about $1.33 per serving. Order at least three pounds and that drops to under $0.90 a serving. If you really want to stock up, you’ll get another 5% off an order of 16 pounds or more and brings it down to about $0.70 a serving.

So check it out, if you decide to try it, don’t forget the code RBP224 to get your 5% discount, and feel free to get your own code and spread the wealth.

There are a LOT of different protein powders out there. A lot.

Some are great. Some not so.

The problem is, personal tastes are just that, personal. And on top of that, surgery can sort of mess with your taste buds to the point of things you liked pre-op you may not once you’re post-op. And personally, I’ve found very few pre-flavored protein powders that I liked.

So I was glad when I found trueprotein.com – they custom mix your proteins to the flavors you want, but on top of that they will mix up … well, unmixed protein powder for you. We’re talking unflavored, unsweetened, nothing but whey protein powder. Actually, if you mix it with some water it does have a very slight milk taste to it, after all it is whey protein… but it’s like if you were to stir a tablespoon of milk in to a cup of water or something.

I’m not knocking the various flavored powders out there – the biggest thing is to find one YOU like. Cause no matter what, if you don’t like it, you won’t use it, and that is no good.

Before I found trueprotein.com I was using a vanilla flavored powder. It was good, I wouldn’t drink it straight or anything, but it was a mild enough flavor and taste that I could mix it with just about anything.  And that’s basically what I do, rather than have an assortment of protein powder flavors around taking up space and needing a rather hefty investment, I am sticking with the unflavored, unsweetened, and mixing up my own flavors.

So I figured I would share some of my favorites for those that might want to try some. And like most of my recipes, these are more guidelines than rules, so feel free to experiment a bit on your own.

Fruit based shakes are my favorite. Last summer when different fruits were at their peak (and on sale!) I would buy a bunch and stock up by freezing them. So my “typical” shake is done with a cup of soy milk, maybe 1/2 a handful of frozen fruit, about 1/4 of a frozen banana, and a scoop of my protein powder. The bananas add a bit of sweetness, and when blended up in the Magic Bullet, they help thicken the shake up a bit. If you don’t want the calories from banana, try a tablespoon of Splenda or other sweetener… or sometimes whatever other fruit you are using may be sweet enough for your tastes. In the off seasons, buying frozen fruit is a good way to keep your selections stocked, they’ll actually taste better than buying “fresh” fruits that are trucked to you from half-way around the world.

Chocolate is always good too (and pairs very well with some banana!), but rather than keeping a chocolate protein powder on hand, I keep Sugar Free Nestle Quik in the cupboard. Besides shakes, I use it for baking and the occasional glass of chocolate milk. Oh… also try dropping in a tablespoon of peanut butter for a “peanut butter cup” flavor. Or add the Quik to either a cherry or strawberry shake for a “chocolate covered…” flavor.

Quick side note on milk. I had gone from using soy milk back to regular milk at one point because I didn’t see a huge difference between the two nutritionally, and figured I would save some money buying regular milk – but, I soon started getting a sort of mucussy cough. Personally, I’ve found if I drink only about 2-3 cups of milk a week, I don’t get the cough, but more than that (I often do 5-6 shakes a week) and I get this irritating cough. It basically makes me feel like I constantly need to clear my throat. Anyways, I switched back to soy milk and the cough is gone. Take that for what you will.

Dreamsicles are a great treat. I love that creamy-orange flavor. Some companies sell this flavor, and I wanted to see if I could duplicate it using my unflavored protein powder, and I think I found a way. Kool-Aid.

Every once in awhile I freeze some soy milk in my ice cube tray so when I do a shake without frozen fruit, I can pop one or two of these in there before blending. This helps keep the shake nice and chilled without watering it down using regular ice cubes.

So anyways, try half a packet of the unsweetened Kool-Aid mix (orange in this case) with your cup of milk (put the ice cubes in first, then add more milk to get to the 1 cup), and your protein powder. If you stock up when they’re on sale, you can often get the packets for a quarter a piece, that’s enough to flavor eight shakes for just a buck!

Most of the shakes I drink make use of my Magic Bullet to blend up. But what about if you don’t have access to a blender? Blender Bottles are a great thing, they’re shaker bottles with a wire ball that you use to hand shake your drinks. The wire ball helps mix things up as you shake, all but eliminating those nasty clumps of powder in your drink. I’ve found that in a pinch, sometimes just tossing in an ice cube or two works almost as well. I use the mugs from my Magic Bullet and the lids… just make sure it’s noe the shaker lid with the holes in it.

I’m working on some ideas for shakes that I can pack dry and take with me traveling, camping, on paintball days, etc. Something I can pour in to a bottle of cold water, give a shake and down for a tasty protein boost.

Using Quik to make chocolate is a no-brainer, but just the chocolate mix and water? eh.. no thanks. I keep powdered milk on hand for a variety of things, I use it in baking and sometimes even with my morning oatmeal. So try mixing a scoop of protein powder, a tablespoon or so of the Quik, 1/3 cup of powdered milk. Add this to a cup of water and shake it up good. If you don’t have Quik, I bet a packet of SF cocoa mix would work in a pinch too.

How about banana? Reach for the instant pudding, sugar free of course. They come in a variety of flavors… how about cheese cake? I often will take the powder out of the original package and mix up just a serving of pudding at a time (about 2-3 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of water), store the rest in a zip top baggie or something. Label the bag with a Sharpie so you don’t forget what flavor it is. To make a shake, at 1 tablespoon of the powder, 1/3 cup powdered milk, and a tablespoon of Splenda. I know, the pudding has sweetener, but sometimes it seems to need an extra boost. Your tastes may vary. You need to shake these up really good though, and right away. I’d add the pudding powder last, cause it will start to thicken on you in to little pudding drops otherwise.

Other things you can do to add some variety – try adding a tablespoon or two of malted milk powder (chocolate-banana malts, mmm!). If you’re a coffee drinker, use coffee instead of some or all of the milk. I’m not… so can’t really give you any tips here, but I have used both green and black tea – iced, not my favorite, but a nice change once in awhile. And of course there are the sugar free versions of the flavored coffee syrups. I have a berry one I keep on hand to add a little flavor boost if my fruit is a bit bland. Oh, and the caramel one is worth having on hand too.  I have used a packet of SF apple cider and some of that for a “caramel apple” drink.

Bottom line, don’t be afraid to mix and match either. Experiment with different combinations and such when you’re at home. Worst case, you don’t like it and have to start over… and if you don’t want to get the stuff at trueprotein.com, you stick with a basic vanilla that you like and build from there.

True Protein is having a “Black Friday” special where they are offering 11% off your entire order if placed this weekend…

Promotional Code: TURKEY09

Every order using promotional code TURKEY09 will receive 11% off of their ENTIRE purchase on top of any other bulk discounts!! So True Protein, why 11%?? Because everybody else gives 10%. This promotional code will expire at 11:59PM Sunday, November 29th, 2009.

They are out in CA, so that should be 11:59 PST, but don’t wait until the last minute to find out!

If you miss the promo, or just want a discount for your order after this, use my usual discount code of RBP244 for 5% off your orders.

I posted a while back in my pantry list about the protein powder I was using, the Champion Pure Whey was good stuff, but I came across another that I think is gonna be my powder of choice and I got it over at trueprotein.com

True Protein literally has dozens of different protein powders you can get, from beef and soy and all sorts of other sources, and you can even custom mix your own … well… custom mix. Whey protein seems to be one of the best options for WLS types so I went for the unflavored, unsweetened, cross-flow mircrofiltration mix. In a 30g serving you get 27g of protein with 110 calories and 45mg of sodium. There’s no fat, no sugars, no cholesterol.

True Protein has dozens of different protein powders to choose from, from beef and soy to egg and whey. They even have some pre-set mixes that are geared towards bariatric patients, but the Wehy Protein Isolate seems to get recommended a lot, so I went for that. I tried the Whey Protein Isolate (CFM) Cross-Flow Microfiltration – here’s how it’s described on their site:

Whey Protein Isolate Cross-Flow Microfiltration (CFM) is an instantized whey protein isolate extracted from sweet dairy whey. Proprietary membrane techniques are used to yield a highly pure, nutritionally superior and undenatured isolate. Whey Protein Isolate CFM goes through an instantizing process that allows it to disperse easily in beverages and solutions. Its low flavor profile, high protein content, and low lactose and fat levels make it the protein of choice for many beverage applications.

Country of Origin: USA.

Melamine-Free!!

Allergen Warnings: This product contains trace elements of Lactose and Soy Lecithin. This product is entirely Gluten-free and is not processed in the same working environment as any shell fish or nuts of any kind.

When you order, you can choose to get unsweetened, or have the sweetener of your choice added. Your sweetener options are sucralose, stevia, aspartamane, or acesulfamane k (which I’ve never heard of). You can also get unflavored or chose from dozens of flavors. All your standards are there, from vanilla to chocolate, banana to strawberry as well out of the ordinary like peanut butter and jelly or kiwi.

I’ve tried half-dozen different brands of protein powders that are pre-flavored. For the most part, none of them have done much for me. There just doesn’t seem to be any way around the fact that they taste… fake. I’ve also tried a couple of “unflavored” protein products, and they all have some sort of after-taste. Not so here. When they say this stuff is unflavored, they mean it.

Ok, it’s not 100% flavorless, don’t know that anything is. I mixed a spoonful in a half glas of water and there was a very slight milk-like flavor, but I could drink a glass of this with no problems. But… why drink it like that when there’s so many other options. I typically us it in shakes; a cup of soy milk, some frozen fruit and sometimes a bit of Splenda or SF syrup along with a scoop of powder. But I’ve also mixed a spoonfull in to pudding mixes, my oatmeal and of course my oatmeal pancakes.

You get about 15 servings per pound of their powders (based on a 30g serving size), and for the unflavored/unsweetened powder you get 110 calories (none from fat), 75mg of sodium, 160g of calcium and 27g of protein. That’s it, no carbs, no fiber, or other stuff. Pretty typical numbers.

If you’re in to flavors, they have a sample pack – $12 for eleven, 50gram samples (just under 2 servings) and they use the Whey Protein Isolate Cold Filtered protein for the samples. They were pretty good, but like I said, none of them really did anything for me. But by getting the unflavored/unsweetened, I can do whatever I want with it. For me it’s typically a cup of soy milk, some frozen fruit, and sometimes a bit of Splenda or some SF flavored syrup.

Their shipping options are pretty basic. $10.50 for standard UPS ground and it goes up from there if you want it real quick like. The protein powders range from under $10 a pound and up. The stuff I’m getting is $10.49 a pound, and if you want to really stock up you get a 5% discount if you order 16pounds or more. Yea… I know, that’s a lot, but once you get to the check out, enter the code RBP244 RBP224 and it will take 5% off your order, and not just once, every order. So jot the code down.

I’ll even let you in on another way to save. While it would be just spiffy if you told everyone you know about my promo code, you can get your own. Cause the way it works, not only do you save 5%, but once folks using my promo code order $300 worth of product at trueprotein.com I get 8lb of protein mix for free. You can also get your own promo code and earn your own free protein mix, and even get the 5% discount, but since your own purchases don’t count towards the $300 needed for the free mix, I hope you’ll continue to use my code for your orders. A sort of pay-it-forward sort of thing.

So check out trueprotein.com – and besides the whole protein powder thing, they have other supplements, shaker bottles, scales and even t-shirts. Then stop back here and share your favorite shake or other protein powder recipes.