This morning I tried something new: Spiru-tein protein powder in chocolate.
This is different from my typical chocolate whey protein because Spir-tein does not get it’s protein content from whey. Rather its protein comes from non-GMO rice protein, pea protein, and both non-fermented and fermented soy. I’ve noticed this particular brand on other blogs before, so I was curious to try it. I’ve tried TJ’s hemp protein before and found it rather gross and kind of gritty so I wanted a product I’ve heard good things about. Luckily, Earth Fare sales sample sizes. This stuff is a lot more expensive than my brand of whey protein if I had bought it at Earth Fare. It’s about $30 there, but I found it on Google shopping for about $15, which is a pretty good deal.
I used it to make a raspberry chocolate smoothie using:
-1 packet chocolate Spir-tein protein powder
-1/2 banana
-~1 cup frozen spinach
-~2/3 cup frozen raspberries
-1 cup of almond milk
I also added some Ezekiel toast smeared with strawberry jam and coffee of course.
Blended to smooth deliciousness.
So what is the difference between Spiru-Tein and my Met-RX whey protein?
Quite a bit. Just off-hand, I notice that Spiru-tein has a lot more ingredients. My whey protein has less sugar, but also does not have the amount of vitamins and minerals Spiru-tein has. Spiru-Tein also has more than double the sodium of Met-RX whey. One of the components of Spiru-Tein that they address on their website is the presence of chlorophyll because Spirulina (from plant algea is an ingredient). They discuss the benefits of green foods with chlorophyll here on their website. Another major difference is the fact that whey has fat (don’t fear the fat!) and also has one gram of saturated fat. Now, while this may be alarming to some, I believe everything in moderation is okay. I never have more than one serving (if that) of whey protein a day so I am in no danger of raising my cholesterol due to whey protein intake.
The stevia in the whey protein makes it taste sweeter without adding to the sugar content. My smoothie this morning was slightly less sweet since I used the Spiru-Tein. I think stevia is okay in moderation and I think I actually like the taste of the whey protein better. I like the smaller ingredient list and I don’t think one gram of saturated fat from this product is going to negatively affect me.
If I were vegan, Spiru-Tein would be a good choice for me since it contains no whey. However, after this quick taste-test this morning, I think I’m going to stick with the whey.