Dancing with protein powder

While I’ve known for some time older adults need more protein in their diets, I assumed I was getting enough. But when I finally sat down to figure it out, it seems I was woefully shortchanging myself.

My physical therapist recommended 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. I weigh 135 pounds, which is 61.2 kilograms. In rough numbers, that means about 60 grams of protein per day. Other research says adults over 50 should average about 75 grams per day. 

I found it challenging to consume that much in my normal diet, so I decided to dance with protein powder. Ready-to-drink protein shakes are an option, but I avoid processed food. As for the powders, many are sweetened with Stevia, which gives me diarrhea. That’s why I went with the unflavored variety. 

There are different kinds of protein powder, and I choose whey isolate. From what I’ve read, whey protein isolate is considered the gold standard for muscle growth, as it’s a complete protein, and it’s quickly absorbed. I randomly picked this particular product, and I’ve been quite happy with it.

Although I love fruit, I didn’t want to fool around with traditional smoothies. The powder is pretty delicious just mixed with milk, vanilla extract and a little maple syrup. That’s about 25 grams of protein all by itself. I might have that if I’ve skipped lunch and need to eat something but don’t want a meal.

However, my favorite recipe is hardier and includes other ingredients that boost the protein count and add flavor and nutrients. I drink this maybe three times a week for breakfast. I’m still focusing on my complete diet because I love food and there are lots of tasty protein options out there. The powder is merely a supplement.

The two biggest variables in the drink are Greek yogurt and milk. I’m a big fan of whole milk dairy products and normally don’t worry about calories, but for something I’m going to consume frequently, I figured it was better to go with nonfat. Interestingly, nonfat Greek yogurt is slightly higher in protein than the 5 percent variety.

I include olive oil, because it’s good for you, and I like the taste. It adds calories, but I think it’s a worthy trade-off. You could easily omit it.

As for milk, all kinds work – dairy, soy, almond, oat. I’ve experimented with dairy and almond. I like them both. Dairy is higher in calories, but it’s also higher in protein. I’ve been defaulting to almond, but I might mix it up from time to time.

One of the things I love about the recipes without fruit is that I can mix them up quickly with an immersion blender and my favorite tall measuring cup. Seriously easy clean-up. I rinse the head off and let it dry on the rack. The cup goes in the dishwasher.

Here’s my go-to breakfast drink:

In a tall measuring cup add: 1 cup unflavored almond milk, 1 scoop unflavored protein powder, about 1/3 cup or 75 grams nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whiz with an immersion blender and enjoy!

My calculations put this at 470 calories and 38 grams of protein. Using dairy milk pushes it up to 515 calories and 45 grams of protein. 

As I said, I’m no expert and certainly don’t want to come across as preachy, but I figure most of us want to stay healthy and age well, and we can all learn from each other. I’m doing a lot of core strengthening exercises in my physical therapy, so presumably more protein will help me build muscle, but that will take time. Same with building bone density.

It seems like nothing good happens overnight, so I’m in for the long haul.