I have been working out at a functional fitness gym for about four years and I have been using protein powder to supplement my protein needs for just as long. I have tried dozens of protein powders over the years, and I will share my favorites. But first let’s quickly cover why the human body needs protein and how it helps you meet your fitness goals. 

A note before we begin: For the sake of clarity, CrossFit is a functional fitness brand. There are many functional fitness programming brands and gyms, but since CrossFit is the most well-known. From this point forward in the post I will refer to these types of workouts as “CrossFit”, functional fitness athletes as CrossFit athletes ect.. because everyone knows what that is. Moving on… 🙂 

**A few disclaimers, I am not a doctor! Talk to your doctor before starting a fitness program or starting a diet or supplement of any kind. Yes, protein powder is considered a supplement, check with your healthcare provider. I do not work for, represent or am in anyway affiliated with CrossFit. As I said, using the term CrossFit to encompass the broader functional fitness approach because it is familiar to the masses. Lastly, there will be some affiliate links with the protein…you dont have to buy it but if you do, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.**

CrossFit training requires specific fuel and nutrition to help with muscle recovery and muscle growth. I am not as hardcore as many of the CrossFit athletes in my life. I would consider myself amongst the CrossFit enthusiasts. I workout because it’s fun to push myself, I missed competition in my life, I want to stay strong, and because it does wonders for my mental health. I workout so I can still be jumping off docks and having adventures with our grandkids someday, but I am not headed to the CrossFit games. And even with my somewhat casual approach to CrossFit, I still aim for 140 grams of protein per day.  I try to get most of my calories and protein from whole foods but sometimes I need to support with dietary supplements.  Meaning, very limited ultra processed foods, foods closest to their source, limited sugar, alcohol ect… Protein is what I am currently focused on most. Me and everyone else on the planet, it seems. And with good reason! It helps with blood sugar regulation, cognitive function, maintaining lean muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis, (which is where your body converts essential amino acids and into muscle repair and building muscle).  In my opinion, and that of several doctors I have read including, Dr Gabrielle Lyon, maintaining muscle mass and muscle strength is a key to longevity as we age. Translation: Protein is important for everyone but it’s SUPER important for anyone who falls into the master’s division/ CrossFit masters whatever you want to call it. Aka, anyone over 35, listen up! 

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon states it like this “Protein is essential for virtually every one of your cellular functions. Most people, when they think of protein, think of building muscles, but there’s much more to protein than merely muscle. You need protein for the structure, metabolic function, and regulation of all tissues and organs, including muscle. Every cell in your body is full of enzymes, which are proteins that control your metabolism. Protein is also important for neurotransmitters which are responsible for mood and even sleep. Your bones, your ligaments, your tendons, your liver, your brain, skin, and fingernails are all built from proteins. To truly understand protein, we must first understand that proteins are built from amino acids, which are the foundation of how we will build our diet.” 

I have really enjoyed learning from Dr. Lyon, I listen to her podcast and have read two of her books: Forever Strong and Forever Strong: The Playbook. Forever Strong helped solidify my already shifting framework that the standard American Diet is not working for a lot of people. Carbs as the main source of energy usually left me feeling not great. Keto also doesn’t really work for me, I usually feel horrible on it. Dr. Lyon’s recommendations hit the sweet spot for helping hit my nutritional needs. In both books there are charts of how much of a certain protein source you would need to eat, or in combination with others, to make sure you were hitting your essential nutrients. People on plant-based diets can hit protein goals, but it will take intention and she talks a lot about that. If you are on a plant-based diet, I would high suggest reading Forever Strong for a detailed account of how you can mix and match plant-based protein sources to ensure you get what you need. 

 By getting your protein intake correct, you will get your amino acid requirements correct. 

There are 20 amino acids; according to the Cleveland Clinic, 11 of them are produced by your body. The remaining 9 are called essential because it means you must get them from your diet. Protein amino acids play a crucial role in many areas of the body and not just muscle building! Cleveland Clinic says it best: “There are 20 different amino acids your body needs, and they each have different functions. For example, the amino acid histidine helps make histamine, which plays a big role in your body’s immune system. The amino acid valine is involved in muscle growth, tissue regeneration and energy production. Tryptophan makes the brain chemical serotonin, which regulates your mood, appetite and sleep. Click here to read their full post. “

Here are some whole food proteins I eat on a balanced diet, prioritizing protein, fat and fiber. I try to get as much protein as I can from whole foods:

Beef: Steak, roast, burgers…you get the idea. I eat ground beef with roasted sweet potatoes on repeat.

Chicken- I like to make this chicken salad for breakfast and eat it with crackers. Chicken breast, chicken thighs, I roast whole chickens that we raise…I am not picky.

Dairy products such as greek yogurt, cottage cheese (good culture cottage cheese is my favorite) and higher protein milk. PS Aldi now has a FairLife dupe, and the chocolate milk is 5 stars.

Fish-we love salmon in this house and there is about 20 grams of protein per 4oz

Beans- I like to make a large batch of black beans or garbanzo beans and just toss them with my salad, mix into ground meat that I’m eating, make rice and beans, bean salads and so on. Beans have protein, but I focus on them more for their fiber which helps keep me full and is good for the gut.  

I do try to eat a variety of nutrient dense foods to ensure that I am getting necessary nutrients and eating enough to maintain proper energy levels while strength training. Maintaining muscle mass is a key to long term health, especially in women. I am almost 40 so I have begun really prioritizing adequate protein in my diet. Meat is probably my favorite high-quality protein source however; it is not always feasible to just cook up some chicken while on the run.  This is where protein shakes and protein powder comes in. I started drinking protein shakes when I was having trouble getting enough protein in my diet. I had chronically under eaten and for almost two decade and increasing my protein intake became especially important once I began CrossFit workouts. 

1) Blood Sugar Regulation: Protein supplements can help in maintaining your blood sugar levels. If you are under-eating, you are more likely to have blood sugar crashes. And ironically, once your blood sugar is in the pits, the last thing you feel like doing is eating. I have used a protein shake to reregulate my blood sugar after a crash many times. If I am really low, I will eat a tsp of honey while making the protein shake or smoothie. The honey helps pull the blood sugar back from the depths and then the protein shake helps to even it back out to a healthy level. 

2) Great for busy mornings and calorie control. Sometimes you just do not have time to make a full meal, especially breakfast. And even if you have the time there is an advantage of starting the morning with a protein shake, and that is calorie/nutrient control. In her book Forever Strong, Dr Lyon has some great protein shake recipes and I began really enjoying the method of getting a lot of nutrition in one shake. A morning protein shake or smoothie has really helped me with getting enough protein and fiber specifically. Chia seeds are a great addition if you are looking for protein and fiber! I like knowing if I make a hard hitting protein shake in the morning, I am a third of the way to my daily goal. 

3) Skipping a meal is likely not in your best interest. Unless you are purposefully fasting, it is likely that skipping meals is not great for your metabolism. Especially if you have a blood sugar problem like hypoglycemia or diabetes. (see point number 1) If you are so busy that you are about to skip a meal but you know it is going to lead to a blood sugar crash or binge eating or less than awesome food choices in a few hours, do yourself a favor and put a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder and some milk in a shaker bottle. Protein powder or shakes are for sure better than fast food. You know how it goes, you’re not hungry now but then you’re out doing errands and then suddenly you’re ravenous. You would be hard pressed to find a protein powder that is worse for you than fast food. 

 **Drum Rolllllll** 

My Favorite Protein Powders Are

Just Ingredients

I love the chocolate but they have many different flavors. 

There is often push back for supplements because they are not monitored by the FDA (United States’ Food and Drug Administration). However, in the case of this protein powder, it does not bother me because I can read all the ingredients and have consumed them individually with no ill side effect. That can not be said of all protein powders but that is honestly one of the biggest draws for me.

Ingredients: Grass-fed non denatured whey protein isolate, organic coconut milk, organic cocoa, organic pea protein, organic pumpkin seed protein, grass-fed collagen, organic chia seed protein, sea salt, organic stevia leaf extract, organic monk fruit extract 

Amount of Protein: 24 grams per scoop

Equip Protein

(also in chocolate) 

We recently found Equip Protein Powder because our son is on a very strict allergy diet and we were having trouble getting enough protein. Equip is by far the best option we have found for allergies. Its dairy-free, whey-free, soy-free, and nut-free. (Obviously do not buy a peanut butter flavor if you need nut free.) 

The ingredients in the chocolate flavor are: Grass fed beef protein, cocoa powder and stevia leaf extract. 

With my son unable to eat whey protein or soy protein that rules out a LOT of protein powders. 

Amount of Protein: 21 grams per scoop

Jocko Molk

This is by far my husband’s favorite. I enjoy it as well, though I particularly prefer the Jocko Molk premade shakes. This is also coming in at the most reasonable price point, AND you can buy it at most Walmart stores. I really appreciate how this brand has made itself accessible to everyone, and didn’t position itself amongst the outrageously priced proteins. And with Jocko’s influence, he probably could have. 

Ingredients: Jocko Protein Blend: (Whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, micellar casein, egg white protein) alkalized cocoa, natural flavors, Jocko Good Sweetener (Allulose Reb-M, Monk Fruit Extract) guar gum, acacia, xanthan gum, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, potassium chloride, L. Acidophilus, Prohydroxy (amylase, lactase, lipase, protease 1, protease 2)

Amount of Protein: 22 grams per scoop

I think these 3 are great options with clean ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and great protein content for the price.

Here is where I become your bossy big sister: 

 If you are not sure where to go from here: Step 1: Determine how much protein you need per day and how much you are currently already eating. Be honnnneeessssttttt. That Cleveland Clinic article I referenced above recommends .36 grams of protein per pound of body weight as a bare minimum. Bare. Minimum. Like if you are just existing and not working out. Ask your doctor or dietician if you aren’t sure. 

Reminder that you are a grown adult: to function like it, you must eat like it. Grown adults say yes to what they need, (protein, fat, fiber) and no to what is not good for them (too much sugar, empty carbs and booze). They also eat more than toddlers, so if you are a grown adult still eating 1,000 calories because a teen magazine from 2002 told you that’s all you needed…talk to your doctor or registered dietician because that is teetering on or squarely within eating disorder territory. I know this because it was me. If you need help getting help, email ouranchoragehouse@gmail.com and I will send you some resources. Skinny is out, strong bodies and strong minds are in. 

Leave your favorite protein or any questions in the comments. 

Lauren.