Protein is a critical part of a healthy diet, it is essential to building and repairing muscle, and is a foundational building block in hormones. It also has the added bonus of making you feel full. When appropriately added to meals and snacks can be very helpful, especially if you have a weight loss goal. A simplified target for daily protein intake is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, however many people fall short of this daily goal.
So, what about protein shakes to help you get to that daily goal of 1 gram per pound of lean body mass? Well, if you’re recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic, or are concerned with your blood glucose levels and/or losing weight, protein shakes may not be the best choice for you. Why is that? It’s a common misconception that only carbohydrates raise your blood glucose and stimulate your body to release insulin. However the other macronutrients, protein and fat, will trigger insulin release, but usually to a lesser extent than with a high carbohydrate only meal.
When thinking about your daily intake, it’s important to think about how many calories are coming from liquid sources. Shakes, smoothies, juices and all liquid forms of calories are already partially “digested” by the way it’s prepared, when it’s either blended or pressed. Which is to say that the way a liquid food source is prepared makes it much easier for your body to access the carbohydrates, proteins or fats. Therefore your body is able to absorb those nutrients far faster, likely raising your blood sugar faster than if it were not as processed or “digested” into the liquid form. Ie: drinking a glass of carrot juice will raise your blood sugar much faster than eating all the whole raw carrots it took to make that glass of juice. This is the same with protein shakes, so if you’re concerned about spiking your blood glucose, you should be avoiding liquid meal replacements.
Additionally, if your goal is weight loss, then avoiding drinking your calories is an important way to help you stay in a caloric deficit that helps you lose weight. When we drink our calories in the form of juices and shakes, the food does not stay in our stomach as long, because our body doesn’t have to work on breaking it down as much, and does not give us the same sensation of feeling full that we would get with a meal that is make of whole unprocessed foods. So, you’ll tend to ingest more calories over the day, because you don’t feel full. A good example of this: either you drink a 8 fl oz protein shake w/one scoop of standard protein powder versus eating 4 ounces of chicken breast. Both contain 25 grams of protein. However, that chicken breast is going to take a lot longer for your body to break down into something it can use for fuel, so you’re going to feel fuller for longer. You’re also going to see a slower increase in your blood glucose over more time, in contrast to the protein shake, because your body is absorbing the nutrients from the chicken breast meal more slowly as it breaks it down.
Many times we are reaching for protein shakes due to convenience; you have little time to make food or even to eat. However, it’s very important to consider what your personal goals are. If your goal is improving your blood sugar, reversing pre-diabetes or losing weight, a protein shake may not be the best answer for you. Instead, set aside 15-30 minutes each week to make some “on the go” snacks that you can grab on days when you’re low on time. Some ideas for “on the go” snacks that are high in protein: low fat cheese, low carb jerky, deli meat, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs. Pro tip: if you pair these items with a pre-cut veggie you can increase your fiber, slow digestion and help you feel fuller for longer.
Lastly, if you’re trying to figure out how to meet the daily 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass; shoot for 15-25 grams of protein per snack and 30-50 grams of protein per meal. Changing your habits and the way you eat takes time, so be patient, but work on finding ways to add whole protein sources you like to your routine and soon you’ll be at your 1gram/pound of lean body weight!
Coach Sarah, FNP-BC, MSN