Protein shakes: helpful or harmful?

Recently I was asked about protein shakes. This question is a common one, especially at this time of year, so I thought I would share it!

"I had found a basic whey protein shake that was not so expensive, with very few listed ingredients, and was taking that to kick start my metabolism in the morning. I am NOT a breakfast eater, at least not until being up for a few hours, but I could do the shake before leaving work. I was seeing some weight loss results, directly due to that or due to overall better eating habits is not certain. My problem is that the store does not seem to carry that particular one anymore, and so my research into another brand started, and ended in confusion. Do you know of a brand that would suit my needs and not empty my pockets? Or do you have any other advice?"

--Jane

Jane is absolutely right: there are ok and not so ok brands or types of protein shakes out there. 
I think she is going in the right direction with the search for a smaller ingredients list. Some shakes have added fat and calories (they are usually marketed as weight gainers) which most people are not looking for. For regular people who exercise, the type of protein will not be particularly important whereas if you are an elite athlete, then the type of protein will matter. 

To address this issue more generally- my major issues with ptn powders is the cost, the fact that they do not make a balanced meal and the taste. However they are convenient!
 These powders are crazy expensive where as alternatives such as cottage cheese, milk powder, regular milk and even greek yogurt give you the same results (and they have way more vitamins and minerals). The also taste much better. Again, if you are an everyday person who exercises, the type of protein will not make a difference. 

A protein shake made with water or even milk does not make a balanced meal since it lacks 1-2 food groups (fruit and grain products). You can actually make a balanced shake by combining milk, cottage cheese or yogurt (to up the protein content a bit), oats, fruit and even throwing in some sliced almonds. If you really want to use the protein powder, you can add fruit, milk and 1/4 cup of oats to make it more balanced. I would use a scoop that gives the equivalent of 14-21g of protein. Sometimes the companies suggest you add more than that, and there is no need to exceed 30g of protein. In fact, recent research has suggested that it is best to divide out your protein intake over the day into 30g chunks. This helps the body more efficiently use it to help build muscle, keep the immune function running well, etc. 

One last point- Jane mentioned that she wanted to "boost her metabolism". Protein and protein shakes do not "boost" anything. Eating breakfast can jump start your metabolism but there is nothing magical about protein powder. Jane'e weight loss cannot be put down to any one thing. Including breakfast more regularly, spreading calories more evenly through out the day, exercising more or paying more attention to what she eats could all be contributing factors. Protein shakes may help some of these factors come to life but she can make this shake out of real food and get the same results!

So called "healthy" habits

Nothing gets my goat like pseudo nutrition advice - and unfortunately the most damage is caused by people who are believed to be "experts" with no actual knowledge. Case in point: bodybuilding and workout "gurus".

In the past, I have been involved in the "workout" or "bodybuilding" world. I have since decided to focus on other domains of nutrition partly because somethings just never sat right for me with this area of "nutrition". 

Firstly, there is not much of an opening for dietitians. Too many trainers take over the role of dietitians, psychologist and even doctors. Unfortunately, they do not have actual knowledge to back up their advice. And no, anecdotal or single case studies do not count as science based facts. Because dietitians believe in balanced meals, the consumption of all 3 macronutrients and that all foods can fit into a healthy diet- we are less dazzling. We are less "interesting" than people who taut amazing, too good to be true, miracle, quick results and this is because dietitians are regulated by an Order that helps to ensure that we are qualified to give nutrition advice and that our knowledge is based on science. 

Secondly, for people who claim to love their bodies and want to be super healthy, its a mystery to me why they rely on so many powders (i.e. protein powders and so called "vegetable" greens), processed foods (meal replacement bars, protein bars, fibre bars), and unnatural "natural" supplements (garlic capsules and plant enzymes). Of course, not all weightlifters or bodybuilders use these products but many do and many more are being encouraged/pressured everyday. The money spent on these products is unbelievable. The worst part is, they are not regulated and often come with a bunch of untested health claims. It's beyond my comprehension why dietitian's suggestions to eat high fibre foods, add real garlic and food fats to recipes and to include lean protein rich foods daily is not taken more often. I can tell you that a glass of chocolate milk tastes better and is much cheaper than a protein powder drink.

Lastly, the lack of variety of the types of foods eaten continues to astonish me. Every book or diet warns of a different "bad" food and promises the superpowers of a different food. None of the diets admit to how crazy their recommendations really are and they all apparently have "proof" of how and why they "work". I compare this lack of insight to someone who believes in fairies finding the idea that Santa Claus exists ridiculous. In other words, with these diets you are merely trading one food myth/misconception for another. From a dietitians point of view, a healthy diet includes a variety of food from all the food groups. Boiled chicken, eggs, sweet potatoes and oatmeal are only a few of the many healthy choices. Anything otherwise is just untrue.