Anthony’s Premium Pea Protein, 2 lb, Unflavored

Much like my adventures in trying pre-made pea protein drinks, finding a similarly, well-made and fine tasting product led me to try Anthony’s Pea Protein. I was already familiar with Anthony’s products having purchased their Acacia Senegal powder which I mix with water and juice to calm my IBS (Irritable bowel Syndrome). If you ‘re having issues with either constipation or diarrhea (or both), Acacia Senegal powder is what you need to be taking. People with IBS cannot tolerate soy or milk products and that is the reason why pea protein is an ideal substitute for whey and milk-based protein powders.

I had been buying a different brand of pea protein powder up until few months ago when the seller no longer stocked it, which is why I went looking for a suitable replacement. My three requirements were (1) good tasting with none of the gritty and harsh consistency of other powders, (2) thoroughly and easily mixable with almond or cashew milk, and (3) sizable quantity at a sizable savings. Anthony’s Pea Protein met all three with flying colors.

I make my shakes in a 14-speed Hamilton Beach blender that I bought at Wal-Mart for under $20. Besides being inexpensive, what I like about this blender is its self-cleaning function: you fill it with water and press the button marked “Self Clean,” rinse and repeat two more times and you’re done. I fill the blender with either organic spinach or kale and add about a cup of unsweetened almond milk. I run the blender on PULSE for a few times until the greens start to get chopped up then push the SMOOTHIE button to liquefy it. I remove the center cap and pour in two cups of Wyman’s frozen Wild Blueberries ( which have 2x the antioxidants of regular blueberries and a 3lb bag costs me $13) . After letting that liquefy, I then drop in a ripe organic banana. Sometimes I add other fruit like strawberries or a honey mango but usually it’s just the blueberries and banana. Lastly, I take a measuring cup that was left over from my last container of whey protein, fill it to the brim with Anthony’s pea protein and carefully but quickly pour it into the blender.

If I had to name the only downside to using this protein is that the powder is extremely fine – like the consistency of baby powder. If you’re not careful, you’ll be wearing some of it. What I’ve done when the contents get low is to cut off the excess top of the bag so that I don’t have to navigate the scoop up and out of a tall bag. Since that also cuts off the resealable strip, I use a chip clip (or any spring-loaded plastic or metal clip will also work) to keep the bag tightly closed. I let the blender run on MIX which is like the 2nd lowest setting for about 30 more seconds before stopping the blender and pouring it into one of the containers left over from my Ninja Bullet blender that died a year ago.

I forgot to mention that the powder does not have any flavor of its own, so keep that in mind when you make your smoothies. You might wish to add some sweetener to it which I do if I’m using kale as my greens. That’s another thing worth noting. I buy Erythritol which is the only sugar alcohol (stuff that end in “ol” like Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol, etc.) that is not metabolized in the colon. In fact, very little winds up in there having first been processed by the liver and kidneys. This is also why it’s a safe artificial sweetener to use…in moderation. Here’s the product that I buy on Amazon. A 3lb bag costs only $14.99:

Erythritol Sweetener Natural Sugar Substitute 3lb – Granulated Low Calorie Sweetener High Digestive Tolerance Suitable for Diabetes Keto and Paleo – Baking Substitute Non GMO
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079X4G97G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have started my healthy eating journey and a big part is more protein. Whey tends to make me a little bloated so I was searching for alternatives. This, in my opinion is not an alternative as a full protein replacement when making shakes. It requires some work to use and figure out. I tried a smoothie with only 2 tbsp and it was gross and I could feel the texture throughout. BUT if you blend it in soup it is perfect as long as the soup has a strong flavor itself like one with turmeric, curry, ginger, strong spices, then you can easily add half a cup. Take 8ox of hot liquid, mix it with the powder in a blender for 1 minute and it is smooth and non grainy. An extra minute and it is silky. It makes soup very cream and rich, I love it. For drinks I did figure out if you mix it with hot water and put it in the blender then use strong flavored additives like cocoa or peanut butter, you can’t taste it and you have a very creamy shake. After trial and error, I love it and will continue to buy it! My stomach doesn’t hurt when I drink a chocolate shake now.