Protein powders can make a great addition to your diet and help you cover your nutritional needs in terms of protein intake, minerals, vitamins.
The downside, more often than not, is that commercial protein powders, the all-natural ones, can be outrageously expensive and may include ingredients and flavors you don’t like. Not to mention that the affordable ones are usually packed with many ingredients and chemicals whose name you can’t even pronounce, which does not exactly make them trustworthy.
The solution: you can make your own protein powder at home.
Why is homemade protein powder a good option?
First of all, as I’ve said before, commercially manufactured powders can leave quite a hole in your wallet. If you purchase the ingredients that your need in bulk, you can make a month’s supply of powder and save a lot of money in the process.
Another benefit of homemade powder is that you control the type and amount of protein, flavors and other ingredients that you want in your powder. And least but not last, there’s no right or wrong way to make a protein powder, so you can experiment with different recipes until you find the one that suits you best.
That being said, let’s see the recommended steps for homemade protein powder.
Step 1: Select your protein source
First thing you should do when making your own protein powder is to choose the type of protein you’re going to use. You can opt for milk-based whey or casein or egg-based, which seem to have the best results in terms of muscle growth, muscle recovery and weight loss.
If you’re a vegan, then plant-based soy, hemp or rice are the appropriate options for you. These types of protein sources have to be blended into a powder and for that, you can easily use a coffee grinder or a blender.
As a general rule, it’s better to cook or toast any raw ingredients you might want to use, before grinding them.
Step 2: Add your favorite flavors
Now that you have your powder, it’s time to spice it up a little bit!
Although many people like it plain, as they can add flavoring when using the powder for shakes or smoothies, it’s usually more convenient to flavor the powder from the beginning.
In this case, sky’s the limit! Just think of anything you’d like in your powder and simply add a few tablespoons of it. You can use powdered chocolate or grinded vanilla beans to satisfy your sweet tooth, fruit-flavored powder extracts or dried spices for a savory touch.
To sweeten it up, in case it’s not sweet enough, you can add stevia, a natural, nonnutritive sweetener which may appeal to your weight loss goals.
Step 3: Enhance its nutritional value
Apart from including ingredients that add flavor, pick ingredients that will also enhance the powder’s nutritional value.
For example, whole grains, such as oats, are a very good source of fiber, rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Nuts are also a good addition to the powder, providing extra protein and pairing up quite well with the chocolate-flavored powders.
Including nonfat milk powder is a great way to increase the protein quantity even further and add some calcium into the mix, to help your bones stay strong. Powdered matcha tea or spirulina are packed with nutrients and antioxidants and can help you burn more calories, so adding them to your powder can be extremely beneficial.
Step 4: Make small quantities
The good thing about homemade protein powders is that you decide what ingredients to add, and usually they do not contain any preservatives or other unhealthy ingredients to extend their life. The bad news is that your protein powder may degrade faster, if you don’t comply with some basic storage rules.
For example, ingredients such as nuts or wheat germ may go rancid and deteriorate if kept in warm places or exposed to moisture or light. That’s why it’s highly important to store your protein powder in airtight containers, keep it in the refrigerator or even in the freezer for a longer period of time.
Step 5: Enjoy!
For inspiration, check out my favorite protein powder recipe:
Required ingredients:
- 3 cups (2300 gm) nonfat dry milk, divided
- 1 cup (80 gm) dry oats
- 1 cup (140 gm) almonds
- Sweetener (vanilla or other sweetener of your choice)
Instructions:
Add 1 cup of dry milk, 1 cup of oats, 1 cup of almonds in a blender. Grind them all together until you get a smooth texture.
Add remaining dry milk in the blender and mix thoroughly. Pair with vanilla extract for extra flavor.
Put the powder in an airtight container. Keep at room temperature to be used in maximum 2 weeks. For longer use, store in the refrigerator.
If you want to find out more about protein powders consumption, check out this article which successfully provides all the information you need. See for yourself!
