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This week’s Today I Need A… post is all about protein powder. Specifically our favorite powder, Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein. Let’s talk about how we use it and why we love it. Before we start I need to let you know we are not nutritionists or doctors, this is only our opinion and not medical advice.

Why do we use protein powder in the first place?
Carolyn – I wanted to up my protein intake to help keep me fuller for longer periods throughout the day and to add a little extra support after my strength training workouts. I used to get hungry within an hour of breakfast if I chose to eat something that wasn’t high in both protein and fiber. Now, I make homemade protein bars that keep me full until lunch, I make shakes as afternoon snacks and add it to pancakes, muffins or anything else to add a little bit of extra organic plant-based protein to my recipes.

Nanette – Life is busy!! Getting enough protein during the day can be very difficult in our house, especially on hectic days. A bit of protein powder can get me through the morning – I’m not a big fan of breakfast as I don’t get hungry until later in the day. When the girls get home from school and need a snack to keep them from getting hangry before dinner (which can happen a lot) – I’ll just whip up a shake. They love concocting new crazy recipes. My husband uses protein powder before his workouts, especially before he jumps on the treadmill.

What protein powder do we use?
We both use the Orgain line of protein powders on a daily basis.
Orgain Chocolate Fudge – Carolyn’s Favorite but Vanilla and Peanut Butter are also available.
Orgain Protein & Greens Powder – Great way to give you or your kids an extra serving of green vegetables! Choose Chocolate (Nanette’s Favorite) or Vanilla.
Orgain Clean Whey – If you prefer an animal based whey protein. We haven’t tried this version.

Why we love it:
–Organic plant-based protein. Nanette and I both make a commitment to our health, as well as the health of our families, and we both strive to eat more organic foods and vegetables.

-Protein + Fiber in one. For those of you who are like me (Carolyn) and are constantly hungry, I find the combination of protein and fiber to be more satisfying and allows me to go a little longer without getting hungry between meals.

-Makes getting our daily intake of veggies easy!
With Orgain Protein & Greens Powder I can get my kids as well as myself to eat more veggies without really knowing it because it contains spinach, kale and broccoli in the powder! While I do taste a bit of the veggies, it’s tolerable to me, my kids don’t notice it when they also taste the chocolate and if I am just drinking the protein plain with milk I can always add some powder from the chocolate fudge flavor to help with the slight veggie taste.

How do we use it?
Carolyn – Each week I make a batch of homemade protein bars which I eat for breakfast almost every day. I include other healthy ingredients such as almonds, chia seeds and oats to get my day started on a positive note. I also make a modified version of protein bars and sometimes granola bars for my kids which they love! I love that they are getting some veggies in and they don’t seem to notice. Recipe for my homemade protein bars coming soon!

Nanette – Lately we have been obsessed with shakes in our house. My daughters’ pediatrician always reminds them to “eat their colors”, I love this saying! It means to eat different colors of vegetables and fruits everyday. If you have only eaten red (apple) today then you need to add some orange (carrots) and green (spinach). Shakes are really good way to do this and adding the Orgain Protein & Greens Powder helps them get their greens. We blend the vanilla with all different types of fruit like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Their FAVORITE recipe is Peanut Butter Patty: just mix Chocolate Orgain with peanut butter, banana and unsweetened almond milk. It really tastes like the Girl Scout cookie!

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