Back when I was a lil’ baby post-op, there weren’t that many options for coffee flavored protein drinks. Thankfully I was born into a few, but nothing like the explosion we’re seeing now. Today, post-ops have:
- Click
- Big Train’s Fit Frappe
- Chike Protein Iced Coffee
- Nectar Cappuccino
- ProJoe
And probably 17 others I haven’t mentioned but that you all swear by! At the beginning of my WLS journey the best way to get protein coffee you liked and that mixed up well was to just make it yourself. But times, they have a’changed!
I often get asked to compare what I call “The Big 3.” That is: Click, Fit Frappe and Chike.
And I always give what I imagine is a very frustrating answer but it’s the 100% truth. It’s apples and oranges.
I’m being for real, here! The only thing these three products have in common, in my Foodie brain, is that they attempt to deliver you good protein with coffee flavoring. But in playing with my food (and drink) I personally think the similarities end there. So I’m going to break each of them down for you. Where I think they have strengths, where I think they have weaknesses and help you decide if you want to try any or all of them!
Let’s do it.
Click Espresso Protein
Cost: $17 - 21 per tub (14 two-scoop servings), depending on where you get it.
Stats: 120 calories, 1.5g fat, 12g carbs, >1g fiber, 6g sugars, 15g protein
Type of Protein: Casein(a milk-based protein)
I suggest mixing it with: Milk (of some sort) for cold drinks/Frapps, water if mixing it hot or in a shaker bottle.
This product shines as: A snack protein drink. Its calories and protein are commensurate to the perfect post-op snack! In Frappes it blends up very smooth and creamy. In hot drinks, when you use the proper amount of powder to water (I suggest 8 oz. water for every scoop) it is not thin but not thick and has a very defined coffee flavor.
What you might consider “pro’s”:
- Great taste (Its flavor is very unique. I can’t describe it other than to say it’s Clicky. And good!)
- Mocha comes in DECAF!
What you might consider “con’s”:
- Out of the three, this one is highest in sugars, although they come from fructose (fruit sugar), which does not cause the same reaction as sucrose.
- Many folks are of the school of thought that whey isolate is the king of all proteins and Click has casein. But the reality is that casein is a perfectly good protein that our bodies can and do use.
Fit Frappe
Where to find it: On the Big Train website OR Amazon
Cost: $44.50/tub for either 38 eight-ounce servings or 19 servings of 16 oz.
Stats: Vary based on flavor but can be found here.
Type of protein: Casein (a milk-based protein)
I suggest mixing it with: Milk (of some sort) for a Protein Frappe!
This product shines as: A Frappe-style drink (hence the name) used as a meal replacement! It blends thick and creamy (not frothy) shake and is FILLING!
What you might consider “pro’s”
- There are two suggested serving sizes and nutritional information for both on the packaging! (For those of us who have not advanced to the “mega-shake”)
- The sheer variety of flavors + two NON-coffee based options for those who can’t or don’t do caffeine.
What you might consider “con’s”:
- For a 16 oz. espresso-flavored shake, for instance, it has 24g of carbs, 14 of which come from sugar alcohols. Granted the alcohol used is erythritol, which generally doesn’t have that big of an effect on the body (I’m sensitive to “SA’s” and I’ve never reacted negatively to Fit Frappe), but your mileage may vary.
- It’s one of the more pricey options on the market at about $40/tub BUT if you drink the 8 oz. servings you get 38 servings per tub which works out to be $1.05/serving so that might put things in perspective a bit!
Chike Protein Iced Coffee
Where to find it: On their website or on Amazon
Cost: About $33.50 (not sure the # of servings per tub)
Stats: 130 calories, 2.5g fat, 9g carbs, 0g fiber, 2g sugar, 20g protein
Type of protein: Whey protein isolate/whey protein concentrate
I suggest mixing it with: Water, the coffee flavor holds up fine on its own! Note that this is JUST coffee flavored. It has a slight vanilla twinge but not enough to be called a vanilla latte or anything like that.
This product shines as: A snack as well. It mixes up fairly thin with water, no froth (yay!) and goes down easy. For more mature pouches this may simply be a beverage with protein. For newer pouches it could be a meal. Go with what YOU feel!
What you might consider “pro’s”
- Chike is the ONLY coffee-flavored protein powder I’ve ever tried that blends perfectly in a blender bottle with absolutely NO lumps!
- This is the only of the three I’ve listed here (not of all coffee protein!) that contains whey isolate so if that’s important to you, that could be a plus!
What you might consider “con’s”
- I had to dig deep to find a potential con (to be fair) but here it is. It’s sweetened with sucralose (one of the ingredients used in Splenda) so if you are not a sucralose user (or if it bothers you) this might be a concern.
- I tried…I got nothing else!
No comments:
Post a Comment