Whey protein: Good or Bad?

Whey protein, something my friends and family are always asking about “Do you really need it?”. My opinion is if you struggle to get enough protein from your diet alone for your activity level then you may need it. If you have a high volume of muscle mass you are also likely to need it as eating your whole protein requirements can be quite difficult and time consuming compared to drinking a protein shake. I would always say try as hard as you can to get your protein from food sources and not supplements. Use supplements as a last resort! If you rely too much on whey protein you are likely to be causing unnecessary deficiencies such as calcium, iron and  B vitamins all found in food protein sources such as eggs,meat and beans. Do Not use them as a meal replacement!

Remember building muscle or getting “toned” takes effort in the gym. Taking a protein supplement alone will not do this and will be a waste of time.

I usually only consume whey protein on a day that I know I am going to be training, or a recovery day after I have trained as I need an increased protein intake for muscle repair. I am not a huge fan of protein shakes and prefer to add whey protein to my porridge in the morning to increase the protein content of that meal.

Anyway, enough of the important facts and more about my favourite whey proteins!

My favourite brand is muscle food as they also sell other branded products like my fav nut butter so I tend to try and save money and buy all these things in one order. My favourite has got to be Cherry Bakewell. Keeping in the theme of a previous blog post I do love cherry bakewell flavoured products and bakewell tarts as a treat! I also currently have Unflavoured which I sometimes use for baking or is great with porridge and some honey. I also have Cappucino which is tasty but slightly sweet for my liking.

My second favourite brand is good old Myprotein. Chocolate peanut butter is by far my favourite flavour of theirs! It contains flavours of my fav foods so I knew it was likley to be a winner before even trying! Myprotein also have Stevia options instead of sucralose if you prefer the taste or prefer a natural sweetner.

Before you buy whey protein think if you really need it or could you get protein from more food sources in your diet? Speak to your GP/ dietitian if you are unsure.