How To Make Protein Coffee
How I start my day with 20+ grams of protein without eating breakfast.
Does your energy crash around 3:00 p.m. on most days?
Mine did too.... for years until I overhauled my coffee!
Although, I knew I wasn't getting enough sleep, I learned that my lack of eating breakfast in the morning was a huge contributor to my afternoon energy slump.
I have been working with a nutritionist for a few months and one of the things she really challenged me on is getting protein in the morning. As I've shared before, I don't make the time to eat breakfast everyday - especially during the work week.
I have trained my body for over a decade to survive off my morning coffee. The downside to this bad habit is that I have been sabotaging my metabolism and energy levels.
After a friend told me how she adds a ready-made protein drink to her coffee, I started to experiment with it. I liked it, but I did not love it.
I felt like there had to be a better way to enjoy my coffee and get the necessary protein I needed in the morning.
I started adding protein powder to my coffee, but I'm not gonna lie. At first it was a disaster! Yuk.
After some trial and error, I have finally mastered the art of making Protein Coffee turning it into an almost latte-like experience!
The Best Way To Make Protein Coffee
- Start with a tall coffee tumbler. Mixing protein powder into coffee requires more room in your cup. For the longest, I used the disposable 16 ounce coffee cups so that I could drink on the go. This size works fine if you brew 12 ounces of coffee and still need room for creamer. Unfortunately, a typical 16 ounce mug or tumbler is not enough room for Protein Coffee. You will need a 20 ounce or larger tumbler to avoid making a mess.
- Start with about half-a-cup of milk and/or creamer. Protein powders are designed to mostly make smoothies, right? Smoothies have a high liquid content which creates a creamy health drink. To achieve a frothy, latte-like consistency with your Protein Coffee, you need to start with enough liquid. Too little liquid makes it difficult for the protein powder to dissolve.
- Add a scoop of protein powder to the milk or creamer. You may be wondering why I am encouraging you to mix the protein powder with the milk or creamer and not the coffee. It's simple, protein powders blend best in colder liquids. Hot coffee and protein powder do not mix well together at all. Plus it's easier to get burned if some of the hot coffee splashes out while you're mixing. This is also a good time to add other powdered supplements like collagen powder, mushrooms, and/or ashwaghanda powder. I like to store everything in these glass and bamboo canisters.
- Use a mini handheld mixer to blend. You will need one that has enough horse power to mix the protein powder with your milk or creamer. I learned that a normal frother does not have enough umph to get the job done. You also want one that is compact, so that it fits into a slender coffee tumbler, and it will need a wisk attachment. Here's the one I use. I ditched my frother for this one and now everything blends to perfection within 20 seconds or so.
- Brew your coffee. Once you're satisfied that everything blended smoothly - lookout for lumps - you can now brew your coffee as you normally would. I always brew 12 ounces of coffee. If you want a smaller drink, you will need to play around with your milk/creamer ratios. Also, I found that I like using the "strong" brewing setting for my Protein Coffee. The protein powder seems to weaken the strength of the coffee just a bit. If you like a darker coffee roast flavor, you might want to use the strong brew feature on your Keurig.
Protein Coffee+
My Must-Have Ingredients
Whey Protein Powder!
I have tried a couple of brands and found that Isopure unflavored whey protein powder blends the best and is completely taste neutral. I love that it delivers 25 grams of protein and zero carbs.
Collagen Powder!
Great for joint, skin, nail and hair health. Be sure to pick a multi-tasking one like Live Conscious which not only contains five different types of collagen, it's also packed with Biotin and Vitamin C.
Ashwagandha Powder!
This powerful adaptogen is an amazing, multi-functioning addition to your health regimen. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Ashwagandha may help lower cholesterol, increase cognitive function, and help manage stress and anxiety.
While I occasionally add other supplements like maca powder or a mushroom blend, these three ingredients are a daily staple in my morning coffee!
As always, be sure to talk to a licensed healthcare professional before making any dietary or exercise changes.
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