Make Your Own Plant Based Meal Replacement Powder to Save Money
Meal replacement drinks (such as Ensure or Muscle Milk) can be quite expensive at your local grocery or supplement store, so here’s a more affordable way to recreate the convenience of ready-to-drink supplements at home.
With regular use, ready-to-use dietary supplements (RTDs) at nearly $ 5 apiece can make your wallet look pretty damn sad in total. They also vary in price as you dive deeper into different types of protein (e.g. whey, casein, soy, hemp). Serum is the most common, but some disagree with it. Plant protein supplements made from non-animal sources such as soy, hemp, brown rice, peanuts, and peas are a great alternative for those who avoid animal by-products or simply don’t want whey or casein . As such, many brands of herbal supplements can usually be even more expensive. However, you shouldn’t skimp on protein , especially if you are physically active and intend to maintain and build muscle.
Back to Her Roots offers a recipe for a homemade plant-based meal replacement high in carbohydrates (although the blog calls it “protein powder”), using just a few common ingredients – oats, brown rice, and green lentils – and cooking equipment (in mostly coffee grinder) to make yourself a batch. You can even create your own flavors such as vanilla, cappuccino, pumpkin spice, and chocolate.
Keep in mind that the protein content will not be as high, especially compared to whey, as in the store varieties. (You can still add a variety of protein sources such as chia seeds, nuts, and tofu if you keep it vegetarian.) In addition, the presence of phytic acids in many raw plant foods may be a legitimate concern in some people, such as iron deficiency, indigestion, and almost exclusively raw foodists. For most of us who prepare balanced meals, this is not a cause for concern. If you’re concerned, try soaking raw plants (such as lentils, nuts, and beans) overnight and letting them dry before turning them into powder.
Check out the blog and find out how you can play with ingredient ratios to potentially increase your protein content.
Homemade Vegetable Protein Powder | Back to her roots
UPDATE: We have updated the article to clarify when it makes sense and to address inaccuracies and issues in the original post.