Protein Drinks

[Fosgate]

Oh man I miss sports drinks, aloe vera drinks, LaCroix Carbed Water etc. (LaCroix Cherry Lime with a shot of Zaya Solera Rum is the bomb.) You know stuff that was refreshing AND tasted good. I love Bai Coconut flavors (Hate coconut water) but hard finding cases in stock. Not to mention my wife tears through them like a woman fresh out of the hot desert dying of thirst. Anyway. I tried the Gatorade Protein, Protein2O and a couple others. The thing I find common about everything I have tried specifically about refreshing protein drinks, while they are not that bad....they are not that good either. One thing I notice, they all seem to have that odd super sweet artificial sweetener flavor. Hard to explain other than dump some splenda on a dish cloth that has been wet for a couple days and lick it. Either way, the artificial sweetener is potent anyway you put it with a heavy after taste. Even the crystal light and other artificially sweetened water additives gets to me after awhile. Aside from Bai (Which is not a protein drink) has anyone else found something with protein or even without that actually tastes beyond the "not that bad" and actually tastes good?

 

[WazzuCoug]

Nope. I found a brand of stevia drops that I like so can control the level of sweetness in drinks at home. I'll use that to make my own drinks such as iced tea w/lemon or water with some fruit essence (from real fruit). I find most store-bought drinks cloyingly sweet and way too artificial. I like the Bai "tea" drinks, but they are definitely at the limit of sweetness for me. Other protein drinks and such, like you wrote, never seem quite right, PLUS the artificial sweetness.

 

[NewChallenge]

I am with you. I have not found something I like to drink when I just need something other than water. I do put fruit/veggies in my water. or some tea that I just make at home. I have mostly been making my own protein drinks now as they are better for me and most of the time they are better.

 

[3momchaos]

I still like the premixed premier protein, but only chocolate and cafe latte. I find the others too sweet or have a bad aftertaste.

 

[NewChallenge]

I still like the premixed premier protein, but only chocolate and cafe latte. I find the others too sweet or have a bad aftertaste.

Have you tried the fairlife 30 g protein. I do like this one Vanilla I add sometimes to my tea it is like a treat. I only do the premixed a few times a month because Life happens and I may need to get shopping

 

[Bill sperry]

same here 3momchahos premier protein cafe latte and chocolate. Also chocolate peanut butter cup and birthday cake when I can find them

 

[KarenWV]

Sam's club carries Caramel Premiere Protein shakes that taste really good w/o any aftertaste. I prefer Fairlife Chocolate protein drinks over the Premiere Protein chocolate shakes. I'm glad for the heads up about the Member's Mark protein shakes. I don't want to spend money on something that tastes bad. Yuck!

 

[Fosgate]

Sam's club carries Caramel Premiere Protein shakes that taste really good w/o any aftertaste. I prefer Fairlife Chocolate protein drinks over the Premiere Protein chocolate shakes. I'm glad for the heads up about the Member's Mark protein shakes. I don't want to spend money on something that tastes bad. Yuck!

I'm with you on the Fairlife. I pickup one of their Strawberry 46 every once in awhile, so good but $$$.I had one case of chocolate that must have been a little old. Had to vigorously shake to release what I call the scum ring around the top and mix it well. Otherwise you go to sip and it's like you get a protein worm of that ring breaks loose from the edge.

I've got cinnamon roll, chocolate and caramel premier protein right now. I've tried their apple cinnamon Oats that was good in the morning. Banana cream was good. Pumpkin spice was bomb but you could give me pumpkin spice anything. I want to try their peach flavor and birthday cake.

I'm an unsweetened iced tea freak. I forgot about the Thai tea Thai Iced Tea, I prefer just to step it using a cotton dip bag in a pot, chill it and keep it for later but not add sugar and cream to make thai Iced tea. It's got a good strong refreshing flavor with a hint of natural sweetness. Hot summer days I'd say when it's ice cold and I come out of working in the hot sun it seems as refreshing as an ice cold beer. I've also got some Mango Ginger tea that is pretty good chilled too.

Speaking of tea, I wonder if the Vanilla Chai or Rooibos Chai tea I usually have with a cigar would do well with a spoonful of unflavored protein powder. Chai usually does pretty good in a protein smoothie with a bit of peanut butter. Wonder if an extra shot of vanilla might be able to balance the protein powder and smooth it out. I might have to try that.

 

[Book1sh]

Oikos is good too. But anything I find too sweet I just add water until it tastes good to me.

 

[Turtle]

Oh man I miss sports drinks, aloe vera drinks, LaCroix Carbed Water etc. (LaCroix Cherry Lime with a shot of Zaya Solera Rum is the bomb.) You know stuff that was refreshing AND tasted good. I love Bai Coconut flavors (Hate coconut water) but hard finding cases in stock. Not to mention my wife tears through them like a woman fresh out of the hot desert dying of thirst. Anyway. I tried the Gatorade Protein, Protein2O and a couple others. The thing I find common about everything I have tried specifically about refreshing protein drinks, while they are not that bad....they are not that good either. One thing I notice, they all seem to have that odd super sweet artificial sweetener flavor. Hard to explain other than dump some splenda on a dish cloth that has been wet for a couple days and lick it. Either way, the artificial sweetener is potent anyway you put it with a heavy after taste. Even the crystal light and other artificially sweetened water additives gets to me after awhile. Aside from Bai (Which is not a protein drink) has anyone else found something with protein or even without that actually tastes beyond the "not that bad" and actually tastes good?

Yeah that fake sweet aftertaste is the killer, once you notice it you can’t unnotice it lol. I had the same issue, most of those “refreshing” ones taste like chemicals after a few sips. What worked better for me was going simple, unflavored or lightly flavored whey isolate and mixing it with cold water and a splash of real juice or lemon, way less weird aftertaste. Also some of the clear protein drinks are a bit better, still not amazing but more drinkable. Honestly though, most of them live in that “fine, I’ll drink it” zone, not actually good.