(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best sports nutrition protein powder blends

part 2/2

One of the things you have to do is decide where you want to draw the line for your own personal definition of the word "raw". A commonly-accepted definition of following a raw diet is that at least 75% of your food is either raw or is cooked at temperatures below 104F to 118F. Some people go 100% with no heating at all. This is really important to figure out because you have to decide how stringent you want to be. For example, "raw almonds" aren't actual raw, because current laws require pasteurization of all almonds in the United States - so no almonds, no almond butter, no almond milk, etc. if you are truly 100% raw. Two additional things to consider are dehydration & pasteurization:

• Dehydrators can go from pretty cheap ($40) to expensive (hundreds of dollars, like the Excalibur models). These are useful for drying fruit, making crackers, and so on. Whether or not a dehydrator fits into your own personal definition of "raw" is up to you, but it does open a lot more doors for food options without having to actually "cook" the food like normal. You can do things like banana chips, zucchini chips, kale chips, fruit rollups (pureed fruit cooked on something like a Silpat or ParaFlexx sheets), "breads", cookies (macaroons etc.), and so on.
  
• Milks are a nice option to have. You can do plenty of cold-pressed milks (ex. almond milk in a blender & strained with a cheesecloth), but for things like soymilk, you'll want to cook them. SoyaJoy has a nice milk-maker machine that does both raw & cooked (it handles grinding & boiling, right in the kettle). This again depends on the percentage raw you want to go. Whereas a dehydrator can cook low & slow safely, for stuff like soybeans, you have to soak them, grind them, and cook them to deactivate the enzyme inhibitors. So the machine does a 180F hot soak to get rid of the beany taste, grinds between 180F to 190F, and then cooks between 200 to 210F. Things like apple cider (in terms of raw apple juice) are typically also sold pasteurized, for food safety purposes. Again, it depends on where you want to draw the line, and what percentage raw you want to strive for.
  
  Fourth, I'd recommend picking up the Thrive Diet book by triathlete Brendan Brazier. This book contains many raw vegan recipes. These are high-energy recipes as well, as the book is oriented towards athletic performance.
  
  Fifth, you may want to look into growing & fermenting your own foods. A few starter ideas:
  
  
• Orta seed starters
  
• LED indoor herb gardens
  
• Microgreens starter kit
  
• Sprouting kit
  
• Fermentation kit (can be done both raw & boiled)
  
• Read up on Pickle Science
  
• Read up on the Quickle
  
• Vacuum-sealed Sauerkraut & Kimchi
  
  Sixth, it's worth building up an inventory of great ingredients & recipes. A few starter ideas:
  
  
• Raw vegan protein powder. There are a variety of brands & flavors available, such as this one with greens. It's an easy way to get protein into your body & hit your macros, especially when you don't have time to shop for fresh foods.
  
• Aquafaba. This is the leftover goopy water from soaking beans. Raw note, as beans in cans are cooked, this is not a traditionally "raw" ingredient, so you'll either have to raw-soak the dry beans yourself, or if you're doing like 75% raw, you can include canned beans or say Instant Pot-cooked beans in your diet to get the aquafaba from that. Aquafaba kind of acts a bit like egg whites, which you can use to make butter, mayo, whipped cream (replace the sugar with raw cane sugar, for example), meringue cookies (read up on the notes about sugar in that recipe), etc. Note that if you want to stay ultra-raw, you'll want to use cold-pressed oils in conjunction with those recipes.
  
• Apple cider vinegar is super easy to make
  
• Bliss balls (lots of flavor options - cashew cacao, pink berry, salted caramel coconut, etc.)
  
  >I just threw out a bag of chips and decided it would be my last time ever buying anything like that. I don't want to buy anything processed again (after I eat up these remaining veggie dogs).
  
  Food & health isn't so much of a destination, as a journey - learning what works best for your body, finding new ingredients, recipes, and tools, etc. Defining what path you want to take is important because that's what guides your day to day eating decisions, and also results in how good you feel, energy-wise. People generally go vegan for two reasons:
  
  

1. A love for animals
   
2. For health purposes
   
   What often happens, in reality, is that people buy highly-processed fake meats (burgers, dogs, etc.), snack foods (potato chips, etc.), and junk food (dairy-free ice cream, candy, etc.) & then wonder why they don't feel good. Only you know how your body feels, so you have to figure out what works for you, which means trying new things, defining what your diet entails, learning about macros, and so on.
   
   I've tried a variety of dietary approaches over the years (keto, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan, fruitarian, etc.), all with pretty good results. One of the biggest things I've discovered is that having a meal-prep system in place is critical to success, unless you have a lot of energy, free time, and a strong love of preparing food. I like to work in the kitchen...when I'm in the mood. The rest of the time, I need to feed my body my macros so that I feel good, look good, and am healthy, and really, I just need to fill the void when I get hungry & want something tasty.
   
   So hopefully this gets you started in the right direction...there's an infinite amount of resources out there on the Internet, from raw vegan cheesecakes to walnut taco "meat". It also helps tremendously to eat according to your macros, and to figure out your eating schedule, which enables you to figure out a meal plan every week, instead of just winging it on a daily basis & struggling with being consistent & having consistent energy as a result.

I've never been injured due to running. Maybe I'm just lucky? Is this a thing? Or maybe it's because I've never done anything longer than 12k, and I don't do tris: but I did spend an entire summer doing nothing but running, rowing, and surfing. Frankly, I didn't even do very much to get into that awesome shape.

I'm only doing 24-30 mi/week, although I'm in the process of ramping up to 30-40.

Honestly, beyond hitting your macros in your diet I'm not sure what other advice there is to give. I did cut out all junk food a few months ago and started restricting calories and it's made me healthier, slimmer, happier, and I feel awesome. I found some awesome dietary supplements which have made it easier to balance out my diet:

• Phood protein. I put that into a smoothie with some fruit and soy milk. It's my daily breakfast, run or not (extra scoop for the run).
  
• Simply Bar. These bars have the highest protein to calorie ratio out there (for vegan bars). They're not candy, but taste as good as Clif bars (IMHO) without the extra calories and sugar.
  
  Over the past decade+ my effort into running and diet have waxed and waned but I always feel the best when I'm exercising more and eating better (DUH).
  
  I hope that was at least somewhat helpful....
  
  

So for both whey and casein, I prefer Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard or Dymatize Elite / Iso 100. My favorite flavors are:

Whey:

• Optimum's Cake Batter -- 5lb tub for under $60.
  
  
• Dymatize Iso 100's Birthday Cake -- 5lbs for under $65 more expensive than Optimum because it is Iso 100
  
  Casein:
  
  
• Dymatize Elite's Cinnamon Bun -- looks like Amazon is out of the 4lb tub, but I can usually get a 4lb tub for less than $50 and it is tasty AF.
  
  
• Optimum's Chocolate Peanut Butter -- slightly more expensive than Dymatize, but still a 4lb tub for $55.
  
  One thing to keep in mind with respect to whey and casein protein powder tubs is that although $45-65 seems like a lot of money, gram for gram it is still generally a way cheaper protein source than even chicken breast. It is just a larger cost up front.
  
  With respect to pre-made protein shakes, I love Core Power and Muscle Milk:
  
  
• Core Power with 26g protein and 26g carbs -- I like this mostly for when I am drinking only this as a pre or post-workout thing.
  
  
• Core Power with 42g protein and 13g carbs -- I prefer this as a pre- or post-workout when I am mixing with another carb source (like pouring it over sugary cereal).
  
  
• Muscle Milk Protein Smoothie -- I love the creamy texture of this, and macros are pretty good at 25g protein and 25g carbs for 230 cals.
  
  Premade protein shakes are definitely more expensive gram for gram than chicken breast, etc. But you pay for the convenience.

Personally my favorite was Garden of Life, Raw Meal. The flavor and texture aren't the best I've had, but it was solid enough for me to enjoy. The big reason I like it is that since it's basically just blended sprouts, it's high in fiber and sits very solid in your stomach. You walk away feeling like you had a light salad. Fiber is pretty great to have when dieting and skipping meals. Also, I had better luck with hunger and satiation with it than other drinks, and it was lower in sugar.

It's not for everyone though, as the flavor is mild, bitter, and earthy. It's really just lightly flavored sprout powder. If you're the kinda person who drinks their coffee strong and black, you might be good with it. If you mostly drink sweetened products, I'd try whey first. Whey drinks are often far better flavored and mix smoother.

I used to be absolutely horrible about eating, in that I'd be too lazy to make actual food and allow myself to go full days barely eating anything (save maybe some quick fast food or junk food) because it was easier to let "the Adderall stomach" take care of my hunger than to, y'know, actually feed myself. Bad News Bears. It wasn't until I weighed myself and realized I was underweight for the first time in my life that I was shocked into making big changes, especially knowing that eating right would help my focus and energy. What helped me immensely at first was protein/meal replacement shakes (I love this brand and particular powder especially]. Being able to throw stuff in a blender and then casually sip on it throughout the day and fulfill all my calorie and nutrition needs was amazingly simple. After developing an appetite, eating schedule, and desire to eat healthy, I started learning to make other healthy but simple recipes, like salads, healthy veggie/fruit meal replacement smoothies, quick baked sweet potato recipes, etc. and now my friends are shocked by how healthy I've become. It is true that junk food is addictive so you kind of have to will power through it, but I hope any of this helps! Good luck!

One of the best bread alternatives I have used on a low carb diet is actually made from Quest Multi-purpose powder. I have made "rolls" with this and then eat it like a sandwich or have made breakfast sandwiches with it or even slapped a hamburger in it. You will definitely need to add some spices to it so that it has a little flavor because otherwise it is pretty bland. You can Google a ton of recipes.

Another option would be to buy those huge butter lettuce leaves and do a sandwich or burger between a couple of them. Jimmy John's actually offers something similar to this called an "unwich".

For pasta- check out zoodles or spaghetti squash. I prefer the spag squash and I often make chicken meatballs in marinara over spag squash and it is delish. I usually have a salad with it to help fill me up because a huge salad with a ton of lettuce & greens are volumous and filling.

For rice- cauliflower or broccoli rice are decent substitutes. But I will be honest, I am a huge rice lover and these don't really do it for me. I would almost rather go without. I make my own version of Chipolte bowls and what I typically do is a combination of real brown rice and caulirice. So if I want a cup, I will do 1/3 brown rice and 2/3 caulirice. Then I throw on a little bit of black beans, chicken, salsa & guac. AND I put the whole thing over a huge bowl of lettuce.

Beans are great sources of protein, and you might be amazed at how much protein is actually in produce. Spinach, mushrooms, and sprouts are all great. In fact, spinach has more protein per calorie than steak.

However, if you're after more, there are some really great vegan protein powders out there that are soy (and gluten) free. I use this one. It's so freaking good with almond milk and a banana blended with it. Mmm.

Now, I don't use it, but many might suggest seitan, a wheat gluten substitute for soybean based protein products. Tons of good recipes, and seitan seems to be low in fat.

Hope this helped.

( Per calorie is not to be confused with by weight or by size.)
Edit: I forgot to add, somehow, that I avoid soy products as well. Welcome to the soy-less club! High five.

Here is the recipe, it was super tasty

- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup frozen dark sweet cherries
- 1 packet frozen Acai from Trader Joes
- 1 scoop Vega protein powder vanilla, pretty sure it's this one
- 1 scoop Perfect Keto collagen powder (I try to get as much collagen in, I was watching some Thomas DeLauer videos and he mentioned that high collagen intake can help with saggy skin when losing weight)
- 1 Tbsp Maca root
- 2 Tbsp ground chia seeds
- 1.5 cups almond milk (I think, or 1 cup. I honestly can't remember now)
- Water for consitancy

I eat a lot of tempeh. It has 20 grams per serving. I probably eat 2-3 servings of it per day. Other than that I usually make a smoothie in the morning and put in a scoop of protein powder. I use Sunwarrior personally, but any vegan protein powder would work. I also track my nutrition with CRON-O-Meter. I eat around 3000 calories per day and get around 125 grams of protein per day (which is more than enough for how much I weigh - 150 pounds / 68 kg).

Seitan is also a really great protein source and is extremely cheap if you make it yourself.

Anyway, good luck and I hope you achieve your goals!

I use this protein:

MRM All Natural Veggie Protein, Vanilla, 2.5 Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L9KL1CQ/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_82vQwbEFR0AR2

I find it has a nice blend of vegetarian proteins for amino acid ratio (including hemp), sweetened with a little xylitol and stevia instead of artificial sweetener or sugar, enzymes for proper digestion, and as a bonus it includes a small amount of fruit/vegetable powder with some good ingredients for your health (mostly berries and cruciferous veggies).

And it tastes really good.

Sounds about right. I can eat all the shit in the world and not gain a pound, I have to eat a truly ridiculous amount of food to gain. It's definitely a matter of personal preference but this banana cream flavor mixed pretty well on the taste front.

"Really don't feel like prepping" means I go as simple as possible.

Rice

4 cups of white rice in a rice maker

2 bags of frozen mixed veggies

Fry desired amount of bacon; Fry desired amount of shrimp; Put it together, season with salt/pepper or the grease from the above frying.


Sausage and peppers

2 packages of premio hot and 2 packages of sweet peppers

4 or 5 bell peppers

You're preferred amount of white onion (I'd use 2 for 6 containers)

Fry peppers according to packaging, remove and slice, add to diced peppers put in pot on low with about a half inch of water, season with garlic, cayenne, salt, pepper, paprika. Cook on low until desired texture (just before carmelized for me) is achieved. Separate, let cool.


Smoothies.

I don't measure my smoothies out, so bear with me.

Fill mason jars with fruit

~ a banana

A hand full of strawberries

A hand full and a half of blueberries

Add a half cup of milk

Pour contents of mason jar into blender

Blend.

Put a serving of your preferred protein powder. Mine is this

Blend more. Pour back into mason jar. Seal,

Eh. A bunch of blog articles by people who had no medical backing, but it got me curious enough to look at Amazon for supplements. There were a lot of people in the reviews mentioning skin elasticity. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014UCH88/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

But I guess gelatin is pretty much the same thing as hydrolysed collagen? It's just that some people digest one better than the other? So theoretically the benefits of collagen are also present when taking gelatin supplements.

Again, I can't say for sure whether my skin is better, but I do have less joint pain -- which is kind of funny because I'm definitely not old enough for joint pain. But I'd still notice that my knees hurt occasionally, especially when working out? Anyway, I realized the other day that it's been months since I've had that happen. I think it's the gelatin.

Quest! It's quite good! The nice thing about Quest Protein is that it is good for baking. I use it in pancakes, cookies, cupcakes, whatever. Holds up very well. Some protein powders break down and lose their value when exposed to high temperatures. Quest can handle 350F which is what most baked goods require.

I love smoothies! But, uh, mine're usually almost all fruit. >.>

But I will say, I've been buying this protein powder (in chocolate and Tropical and Vanilla) and really liking it a lot. :)

Great work. I've lost nearly that much myself and its awesome to see others succeeding as well. It took me a quite a bit longer to lose my weight, but I can tell you that the loose skin definitely gets better with time (and I suspect being a few years younger will help as well). I don't know if it is just a placebo, but taking gelatin and going out of my way to stay hydrated seems to have helped.

I (and by "I" I mean I mix it up for my boyfriend) use a mix of NutriBiotic organic vanilla rice protein powder and Garden of Life organic greens protein powder. I also like Sunwarrior and MRM Veggie Elite powders!

I think they all taste great or like nothing at all, especially when blended with fruit or other flavors. If you're worried about palatability then just to them in the blender with some bananas and your favorite nut butter and you won't notice the powder at all.

How about a protein shake? My bf and I really like the Muscle Pharm brand Banana Cream flavor. Tastes just like banana cream pudding. The other flavors are delicious as well.

Link

Carbquik and Quest Multi-Purpose Powder both make keto baking amazing. Carbquik makes better biscuits, Quest makes better bread, have yet to try cookies/cakes/muffins.

As of this writing people have down voted this comment, but it's right. The kids' drinks Pediasure are good for weight gain, too (in the baby food section usually between the formula and the food). My (9 year old) son is clinically underweight and his endocrinologist "prescribed" two of them per day. You can also buy Benecalorie, which is something you can add to savory foods that adds a lot of calories & some protein:

Benecalorie, 1.5-Ounce (liquid) Cups (Pack of 24) by Benecalorie http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001W6RHOS/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_2yQetb1CMC7EH

depending on how much time you have to prepare food everyday, may I suggest /r/keto and all that jazz, last time I hopped on it, with exercise I lost 40 pounds in like 2 months, I got hurt and had to stop due to weight lifting, but that shit is interesting if your cholesterol isn't high and your kidney/liver function is good. they sell cookbooks for that and everything.

I found aesics running shoes, love them to death, if you want to walk for an extended period of time, or run for a bit, they are comfy as hell.

for supplements, I take http://amzn.com/B001F71XAI once a day.

I also supplement meals with protein shakes, but there's 2 different types, http://amzn.com/B002DYJ0M0 is good for like slow digestion, when you go to sleep and stuff

I drink http://amzn.com/B0013OWAB4, it blends very well and it taste pretty decent.

I lift regularly, have for the better part of 7 years or so. I only became vegan about 9 months ago. I was worried about it, because no more whey protein... what am I supposed to do post workout? Well I bought a container of Lifes Basic Plant Protein, and I swear Ive gotten better results with it than whey. Also, it tastes like 100x better. edited for link

I like to take Silk's Protein Nut Milk and mix it with this Vega powder and a bit of cold coffee for an afternoon boost. It comes out to 25 grams protein and ~200 cal. It's been perfect for the 2pm drag on long office days.

Orgain makes a non-dairy, non-soy shake. They can be hard to find in stores, but you can find them online. Also more expensive than something like Carnation or Ensure.

This is one of the few protein shakes brands that doesn't upset my tummy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CWLA57S/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I used their non-vegan mix b4 I transition to vegan. The vegan one is even better! I mix it with a nut milk & a couple ice cubes. Pop it in a lunchbox or a fridge at work & remix it with the cubes later. It also works well with a banana blended in btw. The chocolate one is so good!

Orgain Organic Vegan Plant Based Nutritional Shake, Smooth Chocolate - Meal Replacement, 16g Protein, 21 Vitamins & Minerals, Non Dairy, Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Kosher, Non-GMO, 11 Ounce, 12 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JTX7SH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GOnWCbCXTW6DM

If it's just about trying bugs, you can find what you seek on Amazon.
There's cricket flour, which you can buy as an ingredient, or products featuring it.

If you want to eat whole bugs, amazon will also have you covered from sweet foods like suckers featuring crickets, mealworms, and scorpions to savory foods like "roasted" mealworms and crickets. (search Hotlix on amazon- they've been making that stuff forever, and are the brand in the museum gift shop).

If you want some more interesting options, www.edibleinsects.com has a lot of unique offerings, as well.

In terms of getting "normal" dishes served with insects as a protein, the only time I've ever seen that done was the entomology club at NCSU serving bug food in one of the chow halls on campus around hell week, but that was over 10 years ago so I don't even know if it's still a common practice / offering.

You should give bugs a try. From a sustainability standpoint entomophagy is likely an inevitability and products like cricket flour are actually pretty innocuous even for picky eaters.

when i was in college, i would study for an hour, close eyes and relax 10minutes, study for an hour, and after 3-4hours, i may then sleep 30minutes and then go do some exercise (lift a few weights, etc), then return to the same pattern.

i have the same issue.... i liked casein protein shakes.... i could mix it with water, so i would bring a shaker bottle to college and a baggie full of chocolate casein protein and a tablespoon, measure it out, and consume 20gm or so of casein protein (now foods dutch chocolate is good) every 3-4 hours....

ADDED: OOPS, optimum nutrition https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYJ0M0/

i would only eat a full meal of whatever i wanted after i was done studying or before college (eggs usually)

If you're looking for a powder solution, you should consider Garden of Life products, like their [Raw Meal Replacement]
(http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Chocolate-Powder/dp/B00CLD71X8?ie=UTF8&keywords=B0031JK95S%7CB0031JK96C%7CB007S6Y6VS%7CB007S6Y74O%7CB007SYSQ7K%7CB007SYT7LO%7CB00CLD71X8%7CB00CLD728C%7CB00CLD72GO%7CB00CLD7354%7CB00CLD74U8%7CB00CLD74VC%7CB00CLD74WQ%7CB00GV8GIDI%7CB00R06N59K%7CB00R06N6DK%7CB00R06N7BG%7CB00R06N8G0%7CB01A7N9KPK%7CB01A7OCSRG%7CB01A9IFE8K%7CB01ABWFJIE&qid=1464677779&ref_=sr_1_10_a_it&sr=8-10). It's a little cheaper than Soylent, and if you mix it with Orgain Unsweetened Vanilla + Protein, you'll have your protein and basic vitamins covered. You can add the superfood powders you mention, complex carbs like grains or simpler carbs as fruits. Personally, I wouldn't do it that way, but as you said, it would be better than a lot of people's diets these days. IMO, Soylent's missing more than the things you'd add and shouldn't really be considered a full food replacement.

Favorite mix:

MRM Veggie Protein + Amazon brand Whey Isolate + sprinkle of cinnamon + some ground psyllium husk

It is like drinking a cinnamon roll

During the week, I have this Orgain Meal Replacement Shake for breakfast, but my weekend breakfast staples are:

• gluten-free oatmeal with berries
  
• gluten free muesli with unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  
• eggs, potatoes, and bacon
  
• bacon and egg sandwiches

These are the three I use. Mixed with some almond milk, the shakes will add a couple hundred calories to each meal, plus 20-30 grams of protein. Soylent is another good option for a quick on-the-go meal. There have been a few days where I went out, and just brought a bottle with me to drink. I left my trays in, and swished really well with water afterwards. I definitely don't do that often, but it works in a pinch!

https://www.amazon.com/Naturade-VeganSmart-Plant-Based-Nutritional/dp/B00CWLA57S/ref=sr_1_10_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1520989546&sr=8-10&keywords=vegan%2Bprotein%2Bpowder&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Plant-Based-Soy-Free-Vegetarian-Chocolate/dp/B00FD2WKQM/ref=sr_1_17_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1520989546&sr=8-17&keywords=vegan%2Bprotein%2Bpowder&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Sports-Protein-Powder-2-Pound/dp/B001DB4MFO/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1520989675&sr=8-3&keywords=pea+protein

Best bedtime snack ever.

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B002DYJ0M0/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1501797310&sr=8-1&keywords=on%2Bgold%2Bstandard%2Bcasein%2Bchocolate&th=1

I work out a lot so I take Paleo Protein. It has a lot of cocoa in it, but it's far better than other protein powders with artificial sweeteners and whey-based protein.

Hello,

We used to use these, they are small and helpful

https://www.amazon.com/Boost-Calorie-Complete-Nutritional-Vanilla/dp/B00CJB9JHI/ref=sr_1_3?crid=SRRFAL9YTA62&keywords=high+calorie+drinks+for+weight+gain&qid=1555364366&s=gateway&sprefix=high+calo%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-3

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001W6RHOS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I made peanut butter cookie bars last night and they were thebomb.com.

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
4 oz cream cheese

Melt in sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk together.

Add 4 tablespoons of natural peanut butter, a dash of vanilla, and 2 scoops of [quest peanut butter protein powder.] (https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Nutrition-Protein-Powder-Peanut/dp/B00PDV0OHA)

Mix it all together and flatten into a 8x8 pan. I lined mine with parchment paper. Throw that sucker in the fridge to firm up then cut into 12 bars. With the ingredients I used it came out to be 157 calories per bar with 2 carbs.

They taste like soft batch pb cookies with a cheesecake finish.

I call them, stoners delight.

Looks like Amazon has a few brands https://www.amazon.com/Cricket-Flour-American-Crickets-Recipes/dp/B010VTRH5U/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=cricket%2Bflour&qid=1563327977&s=gateway&sr=8-4&th=1

I'll chime in on the protein powder. I like this stuff. I blend it with a frozen banana, vanilla, soy milk, and some peanut butter. It is very tasty. It has 10 g of protein and 85 calories per scoop.

I find that making a bunch of chicken breasts at a time and storing them for later really helps my breakfasts as I can just pull a piece out and eat it on its own if I'm not particularly hungry. If not that then I also premix a protein shake at night for the next morning (I'm up way before my room mate and try not to wake him with the blender that early) that, while not a full 30g of protein, is close enough to get me going some days.

I use this Paleo Protein that fits the slowcarb diet and is much easier on my stomach than whey protein. The chocolate and vanilla both mix well with coffee and ice. I've also used Hemp protein powder mixed with iced green tea in the past that worked with SCD but was much less filling.

https://www.amazon.com/Orgain-Organic-Nutrition-Chocolate-Packaging/dp/B00JTX7SH2/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1505015692&sr=1-6&keywords=orgain&th=1

Closest I have found with good ingredients and cheap and convienient. Not enough calories and lacking in 3 vitamins.

https://www.jimmyjoy.com if you can handle whey.

You might want to get some soilent and give it a try. there are also other products on the market. The one I use is "Garden of Life" It's been around for longer than Soilent and you mix it with Almond Milk. They also have different flavors as well. But you might want to do a taste test.

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Meal-Chocolate/dp/B00CLD71X8/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1414605529&sr=1-1&keywords=garden+of+life

Not affiliated with the product just use it.

I find a casein Shake before bed helps with soreness the next day.

I've tried pretty much every vegan protein powder out there, and my top favorites are Garden of Life Greens & Protein and Orgain Organic Protein-- both in chocolate. I've tried Aloha recently and was not thrilled with the flavor or texture at all, so I'd skip that brand. Vega is okay but is more expensive than the rest and is not organic, so I just crossed it out on my list.

If you need to add more protein and require a vegetarian option, I'd just suggest quinoa, beans, legumes, eggs, and nuts. I've been a vegetarian for more than half of my life, and those have always been my go-to's. But if having issues eating in general is hard, just do a double serving of protein powder a day (in a green smoothie for extra calories/nutrition) to meet those goals.

Just got this garden of life stuff. They have it sweetened w sugar and another variety w stevia.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01A9IFE8K/ref=mp_s_a_1_12_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469039136&sr=8-12&keywords=vegan+protein+powder

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00L9KL1CQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?qid=1463904435&sr=8-1&keywords=veggie+protein+powder&pi=SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=41hNFUXLlKL&ref=plSrch

http://www.amazon.com/Sunwarrior-Warrior-Blend-Protein-Natural/dp/B00GXX3BRC

I'm not the OP but I went to get some for myself. Here you go.

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Protein-Chocolate-Supreme/dp/B002DYJ0M0

you can buy a 31oz tub on amazon for $42, that's 20 servings which comes to $2.10 a serving. That's right in line with soylent and most other competitors.

I just finished 7 days of a pseudo water fast yesterday. Some days I had nothing, some a 0 calorie pickle or broth, two days I just had MCT oil with a serving of this https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Greens-Protein/dp/B01A9IFE8K?th=1, and one morning I had 3 eggs with coconut oil. I went from 243->230. I am male/30s. Most of the 13 lbs. is water weight and emptying out digestive tract.

Have you possibly considered Quest Multipurpose Mix? I haven't bought it personally (yet) but I imagine they made it for the exact reason you're looking for- no flavoring but used as a baking base. Amazon Link

https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Meal-Replacement-Gluten-Free/dp/B00CLD71X8/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=garden+of+life+protein+meal&qid=1571850417&sr=8-5

I always add a scoop of this to my oatmeal in the mornings and it adds an extra 20g of protein to my day. The ingredients are stellar, I don’t think there’s anything in there that isn’t directly sourced from a plant, other than maybe probiotics.

You could throw it in a smoothie too! Drinking it on its own certainly isn’t my favorite, but you may disagree!

Alone-
Pill and [Powder] (https://smile.amazon.com/Vital-Proteins-Pasture-Raised-Grass-Fed-Hydrolyzed/dp/B00NLR1PX0)
Edit bc I forgot how to format links

BCAA's are just specific amino acid chains (specific proteins) for building muscle.

Honestly, if you aren't using weights yet you really don't need to worry about them, something to look at in a year or so.

When people talk about protein drinks for working out they are usually talking about one of two things. The first is Whey Protein Isolates (WPIs). This is concentrated protein from whey, which is from milk. WPIs digest quickly, and would not help very much in the way of a meal replacement.

The second is Casein which is also derived from milk, but a different part. This is much thicker and digests slower. I have used it as a sort of meal replacement to help with hunger.

Both of these though are just a way of easily getting more protein into your diet. As a guy trying to build or maintain muscle while resistance training, you want a fairly large amount, some say (.8)*(your lean body weight in lbs) = (# of grams of protein to eat). It can be hard to get that much protein from normal foods especially on a deficit, or you get tired of eating a lb of chicken a day, so drinking a protein shake or 2 and getting 25g of protein for only 120 calories is useful.

Also what I linked you are not any dangerous supplements or anything if anyone tries to fear monger them, they are literally just concentrated parts from milk.