Veganish Dot World

So today I went to Target and bought this Orgain Plant-based protein powder. For some reason, I thought I saw it had 25 servings so I thought I was getting a good deal for about $21 but when I got home, I saw it only has 10 servings. California Performance sells vegan whey protein powder for $25 a bag if you get a 3-pack and has 15 servings a bag. I have read some things that suggest we absorb whey protein better than most other forms of protein, plus I believe it has all the essential 9 amino acids. Of course, vegan protein powders can also have all the amino acids, like the Orgain, if they derive protein from more than one source. However, I think whey powder, from what I remember, has a better taste than some vegan sources. I actually don’t mind soy but most brands brag about being soy-free and opt for ingredients like pea protein which I find don’t taste so great. I don’t mind pea protein in savory foods, like in snack foods or Beyond Meat but I find it kind of gross in sweet stuff. Orgain primarily uses pea protein but I actually thought it was pretty good! Maybe they use a pea protein from a less bitter strain of pea or maybe they know how to mask the flavor. I don’t know, but I’ll enjoy my shakes. In the past, I did enjoy the Ripple chocolate pre-made protein shake when I needed to visit a family member in the hospital and didn’t want to miss out on protein, but they were pricey and had plastic bottles. I can usually make my own in a blender so no need for that. But I’ve had other brands, like Vega, Now pea protein powder, and Evolve where it tasted like someone straight-up put Harvest Snaps pea crisps in chocolate and stevia. Ugh!

For my lunch shake, I put in a cup of Westsoy plain unsweetened soymilk and ice with the 2 scoops of Orgain. This Westsoy doesn’t have any fortification so don’t rely on it for calcium or vitamin B12. So that shake was 30 grams of protein with 250 calories. I ate some veggies for lunch too. I just steamed some potatoes and cabbage in a little microwave steamer I have and seasoned it with Everything But the Bagel and a shake of nooch. Yeah, I could see some people thinking that was a sad meal but I was totally fine with it! Then for my afternoon snack I had a shake with 2 scoops, half a cup of Westsoy, some chilled coffee, and ice. That made it 200 calories and about 25 grams of protein. I wasn’t feeling very inspired in making dinner so I just cut up some Lightlife hot dogs and fried those with noodles, onion, and cabbage and seasoned it with a little nooch, garlic powder, and caraway seeds. Anyway, I got 100 grams of protein with 1300 calories today and I’m not hungry so I think this protein trick might work.

However, I am seriously considering a non-surgical bariatric procedure. I know if I do decide to do it down the road, I’ll have to be on a liquid diet for 2 weeks pre-op and have to stick with an all liquid diet for a month after the procedure. And that diet has to be primarily protein. So I figure I need to get acquainted with it. I want to give myself a few months of this before I make any decision. Thankfully, it looks like I can order the Orgain plant-based powder at Sam’s Club for cheaper, at about $31 for 27 servings. If I like the vegan whey protein powder, I’ll use both powders.