Homemade Whole-Food Protein Powder

There’s pretty much no way I was ever going to let a “bulk” protein powder into my kitchen or pantry, much less into my meals.

Protein powder is made by extracting protein from plant or animal-based sources. Naturally occurring carbohydrates, minerals, fats, fibers are removed while supplementary nutrients and even sweeteners may be added. This means that the proteins (such as yellow pea protein, whey, brown rice protein, casien, egg white to name a few) are all PARTS of a whole food. The protein of yellow peas has been removed, the entire yellow pea isn’t included, with all of the fiber, minerals and nutrients that make it complete. The same is true with egg white – this is PART of an egg, but its not a whole food.

“And what’s wrong with that?” you might be asking.

Why make your own protein powder?

Maybe nothing, for you. But in my opinion, eggs, yellow peas, milk (where we find BOTH casein and whey proteins) are perfect foods as they are, and they certainly don’t need me messing with them to “meet my protein needs.” Why would nature design foods that don’t suit our nutritional needs? Why would my nutritional needs REQUIRE me to extract “just the important stuff” from these gorgeous foods. Isn’t all of it “good stuff?”

From an Ayurvedic perspective, eating fractioned foods – or engineered foods, which these protein powders qualify as since we’ve messed with them – isn’t the way we want to fuel our bodies. This ancient wisdom, with great application for modern life, recognizes that the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. That perhaps the casein and whey are more nutritionally sound when consumed TOGETHER instead of apart. As an example, while egg whites ARE high in protein, they are essentially devoid of all other nutritional benefits. Meanwhile, the egg yolk contains a grand majority of gorgeous minerals, nutrients, vitamins, healthy fats…all of the things that life needs to grow and thrive. Don’t we WANT those things in our diets?

Even if “we” don’t, I DO.

This is where homemade protein powder comes with a positive light.

In protest of all of the protein powders I could find, I decided to make my own ‘protein powder;” an easy-to-make blend of nuts, seeds, legumes and grains that are high in minerals, vitamins, and nutrients my body needs AND protein too. A 1/4 cup serving contains 8 grams of protein, which means that adding a little scoop of this homemade protein powder to just about anything is a nice little boost that helps you reach your recommended daily allowance.

Where I use this protein powder

I’m getting nearly all of my recommended daily allowance of protein from real, whole foods and so using a protein powder like this is just a little supplemental boost. As such, I add it to oatmeal and porridge, I stir it into quickbreads like this and this. I add it to these protein bars, and even date shakes, cookies, and anywhere else I want to add a little beefyness to whatever I’m eating.