Whey protein chocolate: which one is worth buying? – 04/16/2024 – Food
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Gone are the days when whey protein was something restricted to bodybuilders and only sold in specialized stores — which people without toned bodies didn’t even dare to enter.
Now, it is possible to find products with whey protein in different formats and colorful packaging that appeal to various audiences and in any market. Proof of its success is the fact that Google searches for “whey protein”, the technical name for whey, grew 387.5% between 2019 and 2023.
Ready-made protein drinks are sold with suggested daily consumption — which is not a necessity from a nutritional point of view, but there are also usually no contraindications. Cases in which products should not be consumed are related to allergies to milk or dyes that are part of the composition.
The recommendation of nutritionists consulted by Sheet is that consumption by the general public does not exceed a daily portion of these drinks, which is on average 250 ml. The product can, for example, replace a snack after a workout at the gym, but it should not be the only source of protein consumed that day.
In this edition of Folha Prova, journalists and nutritionists tried ready-made chocolate-flavored drinks from eight different brands, all with between 12 and 15 grams of protein, which can be found in common establishments or ordered online.
Journalists from the Sheet Bruna Borges, Camila Marques, Patrick Fuentes, Victoria Damaceno and Vitória Macedo, as well as nutrition professors Driele Cavalcanti, from Anhembi Morumbi University, and Karina Dantas, nutritionist and professor at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie.
The result is not a ranking, but a list that evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the products.
Italac Zero Lactose
The jury highlighted the drink’s texture as a positive point. For Bruna Borges, the viscosity, “not too thick nor too thin, makes it easy to drink on a daily basis without becoming sickening.” The flavor of the product was considered subtle by Driele Cavalcanti, who said he tasted cocoa and did not notice any residual sweetener flavor, another positive point. The three main ingredients of the drink are milk derivatives — powder, whey and protein concentrate — followed by alkaline cocoa, noted by the teacher. In addition to thickeners and stabilizers, the product contains sucralose, which serves to sweeten the drink. Even with so many dairy ingredients, the result is a lactose-free product due to the addition of lactase enzyme in the composition. A 250 ml package has 118 calories, 13 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of protein.
Itambe
For Vitória Macedo, “it doesn’t taste much like cocoa or chocolate, and the result is very sweet.” This detail noticed by the reporter may be caused by the way the product is flavored: not with cocoa itself, but with syrup made from the ingredient. For Karina Dantas, the creamier texture of the drink can help with the feeling of satiety for those who consume the product, but the aftertaste displeased the teacher. The product uses sucralose to sweeten the mixture and lactase to become zero lactose. The 250 ml box contains 15 g of protein, 8.8 g of carbohydrates and 118 calories.
More Mu
The main ingredients of the drink are milk —reconstituted skimmed milk, reconstituted whole milk and whey protein concentrate— followed by cocoa powder. Sucralose, as a sweetener, and lactase, which makes the mixture lactose-free, are also part of the composition. The result is a product with 12 g of protein, 8.3 g of carbohydrates and 100 calories per 250 ml. Camila Marques evaluated the product as average, with “a watery texture, which is not unpleasant, but with a flavor that does not stand out”. Macedo, on the other hand, noted that what stands out about the product is “a very artificial taste”.
Not Milk High Protein
Unlike other lactose-free products, this one does not need the lactase enzyme because it obtains proteins from plant foods. The drink’s three main ingredients are water, soy protein and pea protein. This is an option not only for the vegan community, who do not consume milk or dairy products, but also for those who are allergic to dairy products or have difficulty digesting them. The drink’s flavor stood out as one of the sweetest in the test, with “a rancid residue” in Dantas’ opinion. A 250 ml serving has 15 g of protein, 3.5 g of carbohydrates and 106 calories.
Piracanjuba
The chocolate drink is available in boxes with one liter or 250 ml — in both cases, a 250 ml portion contains the same nutritional values, which are 15 g of protein, 20 g of carbohydrates and 155 calories. Cavalcanti highlighted that the viscosity of the product gives it a balanced texture, easy to drink. During the tasting, the judges’ consensus was that the flavor was more like a dessert made with chocolate than the ingredient itself. This characteristic may be due to the cocoa syrup contained in the product. What was considered cloying by Victoria Damaceno was considered a good choice for Borges — “not to drink every day, but when you want something sweeter”, according to her. The enzyme lactase and the sweetener sucralose are also used to prepare the drink.
Três Corações – Ready Cappuccino
The most different of the products tried had coffee in its composition — which had a great influence on the judges’ approval or disapproval. For those who like the mix, it is a good option to alternate with chocolate drinks. Caffeine was also a point highlighted by Patrick Fuentes, who recalled the possibility of the drink providing more energy to those who consume it. As for Dantas, the flavor of the product was considered very strong and the smell very artificial, “but the texture is light and pleasant to drink”. A 260 ml serving of the drink contains 15 g of protein, 19 g of carbohydrates and 166 calories. The product is sweetened with sucralose and contains the enzyme lactase.
Green Field
While the samples were served, the judges highlighted the pleasant aroma of the drink, which generated anticipation. But for most of them, the good looks and smell don’t match the taste. “It doesn’t have the sweet flavor that the aroma suggests. In fact, it seems like something salty,” said Macedo. Unlike other products, this one does not contain sucralose, but the plant-based sweetener known as stevia. The drink contains zero lactose due to the presence of the lactase enzyme in the composition. A 250 ml portion of the product contains 14g of protein, 18g of carbohydrates and 139 calories.
YoPro
One of the best-known brands in the protein drinks market was also one of the ones that performed best in the blind tasting. For Cavalcanti, the first sip surprises the consumer because “despite having a more liquid, watery appearance, it has a very satisfying texture.” Marques considered that the result of the product is “neutral enough to drink every day without becoming sickly”. The 250ml packaging of the product offers 15g of protein, 21g of carbohydrates and 172 calories. The product is sweetened with sucralose and contains the enzyme lactase.
Glossary
- Sucralose is a sweetener made from the modification of sucrose molecules. The product has a sweet taste without adding calories to it. The recommended consumption, according to the WHO, is 15mg/kg of weight. This corresponds to approximately 10 g per day for an adult
- Lactase is an enzyme found in the intestine of mammals, which digests lactose. When added to food, the lactose content present must be below 0.1% to be classified as zero lactose.
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