I wrote about this a few years ago but I think it's about time for an update…
Ever since I had my weight loss surgery in 2006, my diet has changed. My consumption of protein has gone way up and my taste for sweet things has gone way down. I can't recall the last time I had a cookie or a piece of candy or cake but it's been at least five years. I've also given up all beverages except water and a very small amount of milk, plus two drinks made with water. One is True Lemon Lemonade and the other is my daily Jay Robb protein drink. Both these drinks are sweetened with Stevia because I've never been able to stand artificial sweeteners. And anything with more than a small amount of sugar is too danged sweet for me.
Jay Robb does not make the cheapest protein powder you can buy but I was drawn to it because it uses Stevia instead of those other sweeteners I don't want. Back in '06, I could only find three brands that weren't loaded with Aspartame or Sucralose. I tried all three and settled on Jay Robb's as the best. The other two seem to have gone out of business since and I haven't found any others. Then again, since I've been perfectly happy with Jay Robb, I haven't looked very hard.
Jay Robb Protein used to come in three kinds — Whey Protein, Egg White Protein and Rice Protein. I thought the rice was awful and I must not have been alone in this opinion because they no longer make it. Of the other two, I have a mild preference for the Whey.
It comes in these flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Piña Colada and Tropical Dreamsicle, the last intended to emulate orange/vanilla ice cream. Since Piña Colada is a flavor I never liked in any form, I've never tried it. I haven't tried their Unflavored, either.
Of the rest, the Chocolate is my favorite by a wide margin. The Vanilla is okay and I drink it occasionally just as a change of pace. The Strawberry would probably be great if you blended in fresh strawberries and the Tropical Dreamsicle would do well with some orange juice…but without added fruit, those two flavors are pretty bland and uninteresting. With added fruit, they'd be too sweet for me.
Before you take my taste recommendations to heart, remember that I'm a guy who doesn't like ice cream, pie, cake, cookies, candy or fresh fruit. So I might not listen to me if I were you.
You can make your protein drink with water or milk. I found the best combination for me is ice water and a splash of milk. And the colder the water, the better.
When I started on Jay Robb protein, it came in neat plastic canisters and there were also individual servings in envelopes. You can still buy the envelopes and that's a good (though expensive) way to sample the different varieties. The best way to purchase these is to go to a Whole Foods Market or a health food shop that carries them.
For bulk purchases, the neat plastic canisters have been replaced by more disposable, environment-friendly bags which I find awkward to use. They're also wasteful because it's hard not to spill powder when you mix drinks out of them. Fortunately, I saved some of those neat plastic canisters so now I buy the bags online — Amazon's prices are as low as anyone's — and transfer the powder into them.
When traveling, I take along the overpriced envelopes and a good shaker bottle for mixing. At home, I use the Magic Bullet® which is the only thing I ever bought off a TV infomercial that worked as advertised and has proven valuable in my life.
And I think that's all I have to say on the topic. After the last time I covered this, several people wrote to thank me and one or two wrote to say they didn't like what I liked. That's kind of how it works in this world.