I know I’ve lamented on the annoying-ness of getting asked “but how do you get enough protein?” before, and I truly believe that you can easily get enough protein from vegetarian sources, without having to use protein powder. There are so many amazing plant based sources of protein, you just have to be aware of what you’re eating. (And shouldn’t you do that anyway?)
But lately, I have been using protein powder, something I wasn’t a fan of before.
I didn’t use protein powder because:
- I thought it tasted gross
- I wasn’t trying to “bulk up”
- I didn’t have any trouble getting enough protein from plants!
As it turns out, protein powder can be quite tasty, particularly when its mixed into other things. Protein powder will not make you “bulk up” but it can help build lean muscle! While I can get protein from lots of plant sources, sometimes protein powder is just more convenient!
Which protein powder should I get?
It’s up to you! I prefer the taste of whey protein, but when I was a vegan I tried rice protein (I wasn’t a fan) and soy protein. It’s definitely worth spending $20 on protein powder you love, than $10 on protein powder you’ll never use.
My favorites are About Time, Jay Robb, and Designer Whey. You can order these online, or at the regular grocery store.
What do I do with it?
To be honest, I don’t like drinking it plain. I think its more fun to spice up other things with it!
- Mix it with greek yogurt
- Add it to a “milkshake”
- Make these protein packed muffins
Apple Cinnamon Protein Muffins
Makes 6 large muffins or 12 mini muffins
- 1/3 cup apple sauce
- 1/3 cup egg whites
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1 and 1/2 scoops protein powder (any kind would work, but I used vanilla!)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup sugar free vanilla syrup (or 6-8 packets of stevia, or 1/4 cup honey/agave)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Heat oven to 350. Mix everything together (doesn’t matter the order) until well combined. Line your muffin tin, preferably with foil liners (they won’t stick so much) and add about 1/4 cup batter to each muffin liner. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. These muffins will be super dense and moist, thanks to the applesauce and yogurt. And the egg whites and protein powder give it a little kick of protein! They’re really dense, but also filling and delicious!
Each full size muffin only has 60 calories + 5g of protein. Not bad, right?
Oh man I could have written this post myself! Although I know that I could meet my protein requirements through food alone, I genuinely enjoy the taste of protein powder (Vanilla Sunwarrior)! I love it mixed in yogurt, stirred into overnight oats, and blended in my iced coffee!
Yum!! I love the idea of blending it into iced coffee!
This recipe is just what I needed! Definitely making these soon
I don’t know what I would without protein powder. My favorite is Sunwarrior regular or warrior blend – it’s the tastiest raw/vegan powder I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot!). I probably use at least 2 scoops a day to get in all my protein requirements. I love making chocolate protein pudding with cocoa powder, protein powder, greek yogurt, and a splash of almond milk!
I’ve heard SUCH good things about Sunwarrior! I definitely need to try it!
I don’t consume protein powder too often, mostly becasue I don’t think of it! However, I do like adding it to baked goods like here, smoothies, and oatmeal as well!
This may be the single most question I HATE getting asked by people when I tell them that I’m a vegetarian. I’ve been really good at incorporating protein powder into my breakfast and post-workout meals. The Tone It Up protein pancakes are my favorite, but these muffins look delish. I’ll have to give them a try
Oh man…those muffins sound great!
I don’t have any on me at the moment, but I’ve had some before that works well in oatmeal. Gives it a little flavor…
I loveee protein powder! Whey is definitely my favorite. I tried a raw kind once and didn’t like it. And I most definitely agree that it’s worth the extra money to buy a great kind!
I’ve never tried the raw ones! I didn’t like rice or soy… but whey seems to be the best tasting in my opinion!
I do use protein powder, and I love it–although I agree, it’s not a big deal to get enough protein from plant sources alone. It’s great in smoothies, as it makes them a complete meal. I love sprinkling hemp protein powder on salad, as I love the taste and, again, just makes it a little more complete. Tasty in baked goods too, and what’s wrong with more justification for that extra muffin? ;D And ugh, rice protein powder alone? Awful. But combos that have rice/hemp/pea/etc. proteins are typically much better.
Great call on the use of protein powder! Truthfully I am not a huge fan of the powders, something about the shelf stability? I do notice when I am low on protein as I don’t feel as powerful. It is super important on a plant based diet – and this looks perfect!
i just bought protein powder for the first time and it remains unopened in my pantry because i don’t drink smoothies and i don’t know what to do with it! now here’s an idea! also love the idea of adding it to my yogurt.
Adding to yogurt is delicious! I’ll be posting a “doughnut” recipe soon, using protein powder!
I like putting protein powder in smoothies mostly, but even then it can be a little chalky (especially brown rice protein). I have tried it in pancakes too, and those were pretty good! Your muffins look delicious! I’ll have to try putting protein powder in muffins now
I definitely think the rice ones can be chalky. Bleh! It’s definitely worth the investment in a better tasting powder!
what a fun and healthy blog you have here! love it!!
I’ve used protein powder in the past but not all the time, I don’t mind adding it to smoothies and things like that. One thing I can NOT get on board with is the whole protein pancake thing. Those are not pancakes, I don’t know how people scarf those down and pretend like they are
I’ve been incorporating protein powder into my homemade granola bars and muffins. Recipe to come but Monday I made some amazing protein powder muffins where I used the powder in place of flour. The little things pack a punch and have been keeping me going this week during a crazy busy work week.
i use protein powder ALL THE TIME!! i use it for meals, for snacks, and for desserts!! cake batter is my absolute favorite flavor!!
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment! I’m a SunWarrior fan too. My favourite way to use this powder is to make pancakes: I whisk 2 eggs with 2 scoops of protein powder and a splash of water. This makes two large fluffy pancakes that I serve with some berries and a big dollop of greek yogurt.
I just started using it again. I bought a really gross cheap brand awhile ago and struggled to finish the tub until I came across the idea to mix it with Greek yogurt (yummy!). I finally finished the tub and replaced it with a different brand (Sun Warrior, which is a rice protein) and I like it a lot better. It’s such an easy way to get in protein, especially in snacks.
I’ve never really got into using protein powder, although I used to love Chocolate Covered Katie’s chocolate protein cake… having said that, I could easily get into it if these muffins were on offer, they look great
These muffins look awesome! You cannot beat apple and cinammon!
Wow, those muffins look incredible! I’ve never really used protein powder but not because I wouldn’t like to – I’m just a poor student and find it difficult to spend any money on things that aren’t completely necessary (unless they’re shoes, of course)
what a great post! i love this recipe! i’ll have to give it a try. thanks for sharing! i love your blog! so glad i stumbled on it!!
I love protein powder! I just wish the soy versions would taste more like the whey. I miss how delicious whey protein always was.