I’m still on the look out for a decent, well rounded protein shake that tastes good and to be honest, I don’t think it exists. lol. I recently have been trying different brands. Thankfully Whole Foods sells single packets for me to sample so that I do not have to commit a whole, expensive container.

Today I will review Spirutein protein powder – Chocolate flavor. If you are searching for a dairy-free protein supplement, this is an option for you. Spirutein, made by Nature’s Plus, gets its protein content from non-GMO rice protein, pea protein, and both non-fermented and fermented soy. Each scoop offers up 14g of plant-based protein which is good for someone looking to get an adequate protein boost to their diet. If you are an athlete or working out more strenuously, you may be better off with a supplement that has higher protein content. There is also a serving of Spirulina, which is a supplement that is said to have antioxidant properties, but they package or website doe snot state how much Spirulina is in a scoop of Spirutein. The shake is sweetened with fructose, which some people try to avoid due to a lack of insulin release when our bodies consume fructose. This can be bad for a couple of reasons:

• fructose is processed by the liver, if it is overcome with too much fructose, it will convert it into fat and send it off into your blood stream as triglycerides (a risk factor for heart disease)
• Since Fructose isn’t regulated by insulin, it circumvents the normal appetite signaling system, so you may still feel hungry even though you have eaten enough food.

There is 7 grams of sugar in Spirutein, which is approximately the amount in 1 teaspoon of honey, so please keep this in mind if you decide to add fruit, milks, or any other sweeteners to your shake.

Now for the taste. 🙂 I drank half the packet with a cup unsweetened almond milk. It tended to clump first when mixing it in my blender bottle, but after 30 seconds of vigorous shaking, it was blended quite well. It definitely has a chocolatey taste, which is good, and no strange aftertaste, which is another plus. When drinking, you could dectect a bit of a gritty consistency due to the plant-based protein, but it wasn’t so bad that it was a deal breaker.

Later in the day, I mixed the rest of the powder with water, psyllium husk, and a 1/2 teaspoon of PB2. It yielded similar results, though I definitely prefer it with the almond milk than water.

In my opinion, Spirutein is a good supplement, especially if you are looking for a plant-based protein option. It comes in numerous flavors as well, but I don’t recommend that you try the Cherries Jubilee flavor. Blech.

🙂