I’ve been drinking protein shakes for years. I started lifted weights when I was 10 year old, a habit that persisted as I started life as a sprinter in secondary school.
But my first experience with protein powder came when I was 17.
The protein powder came from Weider and was packaged in a black tub with a yellow lid. It did not come with a scoop; it came with a shovel. It would have been impossible to mix in a modern-day shaker. One ‘scoop’ of the powder would have easily filled half a shaker!
I was convinced that you needed a cement mixer to mix the protein powder.
Fortunately, all I needed was a blender. But protein powder has come a long way since then. Nowadays, scoops are really scoops. When I bought some ‘modern-day’ protein powder, I was pleasantly surprised that the scoop looked like a scoop for infant formula and not a shovel for mixing cement.
That seems much more reasonable to me.
Over the years I have tried several brands of protein powder. But two brands have left a lasting impression on me, GNC and Optimum Nutrition.
I consumed GNC’s whey protein for years, an act I greatly regret. GNC’s whey protein did not mix well and left me feeling bloated. I would drink the protein shake at night, and in the morning, I would burp and get a reminder of how bad it tasted.
It mixed so poorly and tasted so bad I called it ‘sludge’.
When I entered the Army, I mixed around with several weight lifters and body builders. There, I came to learn of Optimum Nutrition (ON). Tired of consuming sludge, I decided to give ON a try.
ON was a dramatic departure from GNC. It mixed well, tasted better and didn’t leave me feeling bloated.
I have read rumours that ON is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for GNC. I initially feared that ON’s product would be exactly the same as GNC’s. But after years of testing both products, I am certain that both offer clearly distinguishable products.
Thus far I have tried ON’s “cookies and cream”, “double rich chocolate”, “rocky road” and “delicious strawberry”. Cookies and cream is my favourite flavor.
Delicious strawberry is a parity of GNC’s strawberry flavoured protein powder. I do not like it. It tastes horrible.
If you’ve refrained from taking protein powder due to poor taste or mixability, I recommend that you five ON a try. It mixes well, taste great and is competitively priced.
Now if they could only make protein powder that’s Milo flavoured…
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