Ok, I'm new to the whole protein thing. So far I have tried the premier protein in chocolate and the muscle milk pro series in knockout chocolate. The premier protein was way too sweet for my taste, but the muscle milk was okay.

Do any of you drink these pre-packaged protein drinks, and if so, which do you prefer. Any suggestions would be great!

I like the EAS French Vanilla even though I'm not typically a vanilla person... I also like the EAS Dark Chocolate because it's not too sweet.

Is this guy serious? Drinking too much protein just leads someone to gain fat not muscle. If your body doesn't need it, it will convert to fat. You need to be working out nonstop to make that amount of protein work.

I use biochem 100% whey protien, powder. I mix it with unsweetened almond milk. I actual get the natural flavor and then sweeten it with Liquid Stevia, so that I get the right amount of sweetness.

Road2lane.... Thanks for the suggestion! I will look for that brand next time I'm at the store.

Justicejr.... What guy are you referring to? I'm confused.

Seana.... Thanks! I'm still learning about the protein drinks and using a powder is a bit intimidating for me at this point. I do what to make some of those protein pancakes though! Lol

I actually use the GNC brand, they have a natural, sugar free, soy free mix that's pretty solid. I use it post-workout and for a meal replacement if I've worked out that day.

I also use the GNC women's vitamin/daily powder combo for breakfast sometimes.

Overall, I'd rather eat an actual meal but I do see the benefits to it for a supplement or a meal-in-a-pinch.

The drinks work for me because I'm not usually hungry in the mornings and I know I need to have something with some sort of nutritional benefit. I can drink one and it holds me over until lunch time.

For me the protein shakes are my snack as opposed to a meal. My day is pretty hectic, and if I sip on one in the morniing and the afternoon, I am much less likely to be ravenous for my meals. I also tend to add a serving of some kind of nutbutter to my shake, for the protein and healthy fat.

I might also do a shake if I work out in the morning. I don't want to eat anything heavy, but I need something in my stomach.

I used to have the EAS.

Then I moved on to Isoflex and mixed it myself.

Then I realized I was wasting my time and just eat real food instead.

So instead of having a shake, I might eat a can of fish or a couple of hard boiled eggs.

And, no. The body has a very hard time converting protein to fat. The process is extremely unlikely. Which is why I eat a lot of protein!

I like the Core Power protein drinks. The chocolate one tastes like chocolate milk, and it's not got any strange chemical ingredients in it.

Aren't you missing out on the other nutrients etc that you would get if you were using a meal replacement shake rather than a protein shake? You guys are naming brands my husband uses and he goes to the gym and works out and lifts weights and is not on a diet like me..

I would think if you were trying to replace an entire meal you should have the nutrients and balance of a meal replacement shake.. if you need to add more protein to your diet, then you do a protein shake to help supplement, like he has to do?


I assume you are trying to use them to replace a meal, not to help with your weight lifting workout stuff right?

There is generally no substantial difference nutritionally between shakes marketed as protein shakes and shakes marketed as meal replacements.

In fact, some companies simply change the label (not the ingredients) and sell the exact same shake under three different labels - one like Slim Fast a meal replacement for weight loss, one like Ensure for children and elderly who need to maintain their weight, and one like Muscle Milk as a protein shake for athletes to bulk up.

Read the labels and you'll see that the ingredients and nutrition between protein shakes and meal replacement shakes are similar and very often IDENTICAL.

Some are more nutritious and some are higher in calorie than others, so you need to read labels but the name the drink goes by (protein drink/shake, meal replacement drink/shake, weight loss drink/shake, nutritional supplement drink/shake) has almost no bearing on the nutrition of the drink.

There are a few weight gain shakes that have insane calorie counts due to added fat and sugar, but for the vast majority, those under 300 calories with more than 10g of protein, how you use it is the only difference.

Weight loss - drink in place of some or all meals and keep calories low enough to lose weight

Weight maintenance - drink in place of some or all meals and keep calories at a level that prevents weight gain or loss.

Weight gain (including muscle gain) drink in addition to regular meals to gain weight and bulk up.

Thank you all for your comments! It seems that there is a good deal of controversy surrounding these protein drinks and who should have them and who shouldn't. Like I said, I'm new to this, but I think I'm gonna try them for a few weeks and see what happens.

I'm a weightlifter and use protein shakes as a snack when I do a serious workout after work and sometimes for a quick breakfast. I far prefer the flavor of powders over ready-to-drinks. Unfortunately for me, my very favorite brand has been discontinued (BSN Lean Dessert Protein.) I tried another BSN variety, Syntha-6, but it's not as good. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey is pretty good and I've heard good things about Muscle Tech so I may try that next.

The thing about protein shakes, though, is taste is a really personal thing and then within the same brand flavors can vary. I love GNC wild berry but hate their chocolate. A lot of weightlifters swear Gaspari Myofusion tastes like heaven; I think it tastes pretty meh. *shrugs*