Making my own Pro Joe
So, okay. Up to now I've been ordering Pro Joe from Bariatric Advantage for my daily protein drink. Yes, it was expensive, ($3+/bottle), but as long as Butch was working, I figured we could afford it. I ordered 5 cases (or 60 bottles at a time). However, I was in the auto refill program which meant that I wasn't being charged shipping. Well. They sent me an email informing me that from now on, I would have to pay shipping, which was about an extra $50!!!
Anyway, I decided to cancel my standing order for Pro Joe and try to make my own. I'm still tinkering with the "formula", but my first attempt isn't too bad. I haven't figured up calories or grams of protein or anything like that yet, but here it is:
1 c. chocolate almond milk
1 c. vanilla coconut milk
1/2 c. non fat chocolate dairy creamer
1 c. black coffee
2 scoops whey isolate protein powder.
Whir it all up in a blender. Makes 5+ cups.
A girl's just got to have something to get her started in the mornings, right?
Do I like them...no. But we gotta do what. We gotta do!
Susan
I've tried a couple of different things. I don't mind the Atkins cafe caramel shakes ... they are not too bad. Also, EAS Carb Control cafe caramel shakes are decent for RTD protein. Since I got this stuff from the company on the banner ad below that says stop paying for protein drinks, I tried the OptiSource caramel. Not sold on it, but I've managed to make it palatable using it in my coffee (although today it didn't agree with me). I also did something last night with it: instant coffee crystals, the protein shake (which is awfully sweet to me), some ice, shake it up. It was pretty decent. The coffee taste tones down the sweetness, which helps.
Yes, Judy is right, we don't need the protein drinks. I use them because I don't like to make anything in the morning ... I need my coffee. That's why I started using a coffee protein drink. But the Pro Joe/Believe shakes are too expensive for me, so I started seeking alternatives. One of my recipes was a scoop of protein, tbsp of instant coffee, some SF kahlua, and whatever SF flavoring you wanted (I liked caramel), along with 1/2 milk and some ice cubes. Put in a blender, whip it up. It was pretty good. It was just for one drink, of course. I did make it once with dark chocolate almond milk, but that had a lot of sugar, I thought. It was awfully good, though.
Vickie....until I have a place of my own I just drink Calorie Smart Boost in the morning....it is only 16 grams of protein but only 2 grams of sugar and low fat as well....I just can't eat in the mornings...I have all I can do to get that down. Your recipe sounds good....let us know when you get the stats on it.
My surgeon says NO protein drinks as well. He agreed that I can have one in the morning because I can't eat. He wants most of my protein from food. He said liquids just run on through. We don't get all the protein from them that we need. Guess all doctors are different.
Hugs and love .....connie d
Well, my doctor says the same thing. You don't need a protein drink. I understand the reasoning behind it. But I have to have something in the morning! For decades I drank Coke as my wake up drink. Obviously can't do that anymore. And I never could stand to drink coffee unless it was completely dolled up with cream and sugar. Well, what's the point of that? All those calories and no protein or vitamins either. So I decided that one protein drink in the morning isn't all that bad, especially if I can get a little caffeine in with it. But Pro Joe is just going to be too expensive with the shipping tacked on. I need to come up with a cheaper alternative. I've tried some things from the grocery store, like EAS and others, but don't really care for them. I'll keep tweaking my recipe until I get it right for me. Thanks for all the input, sistas!
Vickie-
I've been using the EAS Dark Chocolate and a packet of instant coffee at times. It's pretty good. I'm still ordering Unjury protein packets and blending with fresh fruit also. One of my favorites is Strawberriy Sorbet with fresh strawberries. Season is over for fresh strawberries so back to other fruits and combinations. I've also used Muscle Milk with instant coffee. It's a bit sweet in comparison to the EAS Dark Chocolate.
My surgeon and nutritionist discourage liquid protein as they say it doesn't keep you full. I'm like everyone else in the morning I don't like eating a lot or cooking so protein drinks are convenient.
Cindi