Cooking with protein powder

Content:

• Here's how versatile you can use protein powder for cooking
• First things first: can you cook with protein powder at all?
• Which protein powder is suitable for cooking?
• Cooking with Whey Protein
• Use protein powder with casein for cooking
• Multicomponent powder of Whey and casein
• Vegan protein powder
• Varied recipes for cooking with protein powder
• Protein rich pizza
• Crispy chicken nuggets
• Cooking delicious curries with protein powder
• Protein rich soups
• Sauces with protein powder
• Tips for cooking with protein powder
• Conclusion: Cooking with protein powder has many advantages for you

So versatile you can use protein powder for cooking

Anyone who pays attention to a sufficient protein intake in his diet, protein powder certainly immediately thinks of the classic protein shake. But even though protein powders are available in numerous flavors, the daily shake does get a little boring at some point, but going without your protein ration isn't the answer either. The good news: protein powders can do much more! While flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, banana or cinnamon are also used for baking in addition to shakes, the tasteless powder often comes up short. This is because this variant is best suited for cooking with protein powder, as it does not affect the inherent flavor of the dishes due to its neutral taste. Are you curious?

We'll explain how you can use protein powder for cooking and what you need to keep in mind. On top of that, we have put together a few recipe ideas for you.

First things first: Can you cook with protein powder at all?

Protein powder is ideal for cooking, baking or as a protein-rich additive in muesli or porridge. For example, you can replace part of the flour with high-quality protein powder when making dough.

In general, protein powder can be combined well with other ingredients, since especially powders with a neutral taste hardly change the inherent taste of dishes. Many people have long relied on protein powder for baking, but often hesitate when cooking with protein powder. Yet savory dishes work just as well as the preparation of cakes or other baked goods. The only thing you should keep in mind when cooking with protein powder is that the proteins denature above a certain temperature, i.e. change their structure due to the heat. However, it is a pure prejudice that the body can no longer absorb the protein this way. The effect of the proteins is not impaired, the powder can only flocculate unsightly. You can prevent this by adding the protein powder at the very end of the cooking process, stirring it thoroughly with a tablespoon and not bringing it to the boil.

Which protein powder is suitable for cooking?

Due to its good solubility, Whey Protein is very suitable for cooking and baking. Due to its creamy consistency, casein is more often used for the preparation of puddings and smoothies.

Basically, you can use any protein powder for cooking that you also use for mixing protein shakes, i.e. Whey protein, casein or vegan protein powder. Due to the different properties, however, not every protein powder fits every dish - just follow the recipe here.

Cooking with Whey Protein

Whey protein is very popular because it offers numerous advantages: Whey protein is not only easily digestible, but is also absorbed by the body particularly quickly and provides you with protein quickly after training, for example. In addition, whey protein powders contain little fat and carbohydrates, which is why they are well suited for dieting and muscle building. If you want to use your protein powder not only for protein shakes, you can also use Whey Protein very well for cooking. Due to its good solubility, Whey Protein can be optimally stirred into soups, stews or curries, but is also suitable for baking protein-rich pizza, for example.

Use protein powder with casein for cooking

Casein is also a high-quality protein powder that you can use for cooking. However, it has slightly different properties than Whey protein. The main difference lies in its absorption in the intestines. Casein is digested more slowly and therefore supplies your body with protein more slowly, but for a longer period of time.[1] In addition, casein is especially known for its particularly creamy consistency. For this reason, protein powders with casein are very popular for baking, because they give the dough binding and prevent it from drying out. In baking, casein is therefore suitable for particularly fluffy baked goods such as pancakes or cakes, such as cheesecake. If you want to use protein powder with casein for cooking, it goes well with delicious dishes with a creamy consistency, such as curry with coconut milk or even cream sauces.

You are looking for a high-quality protein powder with casein for cooking? Then try our ESN Micellar Casein protein powder!

Multicomponent powder from Whey and Casein

As the name suggests, multi-component powders are made up of different types of protein. The most common is the combination of Whey and Casein, because this makes the powder particularly suitable for muscle building. Protein powders from multiple components, such as our ESN Elite Pro Complex, combine the advantages of casein and Whey and provide your body both with quickly absorbable protein, but also guarantee a long-lasting supply...

You can also use multicomponent powders not only for delicious protein shakes, but also for cooking. Especially for doughs - whether for savory or sweet, protein-rich recipes - this type of protein powder is perfect, because it dissolves well and at the same time provides a loose consistency.

Vegan protein powder

If you're giving up animal foods, that doesn't have to limit your uses for protein powder at all. Because even vegan protein powder, such as our ESN Vegan Designer Protein, you can use very well for cooking. Vegan protein powders are in no way inferior to Whey and Casein in terms of protein content and can be a protein-rich addition to any dish. Different protein sources are used to make vegan powders, such as soy, peas, rice, or even hemp.

Protein powders based on soy provide a creamy consistency when cooking, similar to casein, and are therefore well suited for vegan sauces or soups, for example. Since powders with soy - similar to protein powders from rice protein - are rather neutral in taste, you can use them in cooking and baking versatile. With powders made from peas or hemp, on the other hand, you should bear in mind that they have a slight taste of their own. In combination with other ingredients, however, the taste should not be too noticeable.

Varied recipes for cooking with protein powder

Protein pancakes with bananas, apple-cinnamon porridge, delicious cakes or classic protein shakes with vanilla or chocolate - for sweet dishes you already know exactly how to use protein powder, but for cooking with protein powder you still lack ideas? No problem, because here too there are numerous ways to create protein-rich meals for every day, even from classic recipes. We've put together a few ideas for you, so cooking with protein powder is guaranteed not to be boring:

Protein-rich pizza

If you're watching your diet and making sure you're getting enough protein to build muscle, pizza probably isn't on your menu that often. Understandably so, since too many carbs and greasy toppings don't necessarily go well with a figure-conscious diet. So why not switch to a high-protein preparation of pizza and support your protein intake in an enjoyable way? If you make your own pizza, you can simply replace some of the flour in the dough with a protein powder of your choice and you'll have a delicious, protein-rich pizza. If you want to avoid too many calories, you can of course also choose the toppings in a figure-conscious way, so that your protein pizza contains fewer carbohydrates and fats than a standard pizza. Simply ingenious!

Crispy Chicken Nuggets

Do you like eating chicken and even more like crispy chicken nuggets, but prefer to avoid them because of the calories and nutritional values? Then watch out, because chicken nuggets are also available in a figure-friendly version: In our recipe for crispy chicken nuggets, we use protein powder for the breading and thus even provide you with additional protein. And best of all, it takes just 15 to 20 minutes to prepare. Cooking with protein powder can be so easy and delicious!

Cook delicious curries with protein powder

Whether Indian, Thai, vegetarian, vegan or with meat - curries are super versatile and usually prepared with just a few ingredients. And really good: no matter which curry variant tastes best to you, you can also easily use some protein powder for cooking and create a more protein-rich variant. Which protein powder you want to use for your curry is up to you. Our tip: Whey protein powder is ideal due to its good solubility. If you want a particularly creamy consistency, you can also use casein or a combination powder.

Protein-rich soups

Soup fans watch out: Protein powder is also great for cooking delicious soups. Whether tomato soup or cream soups, classic potato, lentil or pumpkin soup: a tasteless protein powder can be stirred perfectly into your favorite soup and gives the protein content another little boost. Our tip: If you don't want your protein powder to flocculate during cooking, simply stir the powder in thoroughly a few minutes before the end of the cooking time until it is well dissolved.

Sauces with protein powder

With pasta, as a dip or for bowls and salads: sauces are super versatile and refine even simple dishes without many ingredients. Again, you can modify your favorite recipes a bit and add some protein powder to your sauces while cooking. This works for hot dishes, such as classic pasta with tomato sauce, but there are also no limits to your imagination when it comes to salad dressings. With tasteless protein powder you do nothing wrong here. Our tip: With the Designer Whey Mango Lassi flavor you can create an exotic dressing that is perfect in all kinds of bowls. Try it out!

Tips for cooking with protein powder

Basically, cooking with protein powder isn't particularly complicated. However, there are a few tips you can keep in mind when preparing your recipes:

• High quality Protein powder

As with protein shakes and baking, you should make sure you use a high quality protein powder when cooking. Not only is it better for your body, but it can also ensure the success of your recipes.

• The right temperature

Protein powder can denature when cooked at a certain temperature. This refers to the structural change of proteins due to excessive heat. However, it is a prejudice that protein can no longer be absorbed as a result, because the body can still utilize the proteins without any problems. However, it may happen that the protein powder flocculates. Don't worry, this is not harmful for you, but it doesn't look nice. Therefore, you should not mix the protein powder into boiling food, but e.g. with soups wait until the liquid no longer boils and only then add the powder.

• The right protein powder

Whey, casein or both together - not all protein powders are the same. Not every protein powder is suitable for every dish. That's why you should follow the instructions in the recipe and use the right powder.

• The right flavor

Most often, neutral-flavored protein powder, like our neutral ESN Designer Whey, is used for cooking. Depending on the recipe, you can of course use a protein powder with a different flavor. The only important thing is that it fits the dish.

Conclusion: Cooking with protein powder has many advantages for you

As you can see, protein powder is anything but boring and by no means limited to preparation as a protein shake. As an addition to sauces, soups or as a proportional replacement for flour in dough, it is very easy and delicious to increase your protein intake. Due to the variety of recipes, it is also guaranteed not to be one-sided. Another advantage: protein powders are almost free of fat and contain almost no carbohydrates, so you can easily cook low-fat and low-carbohydrate dishes with protein powder. This is not only interesting for athletes, but also if you want to lose weight. Proteins not only contribute to the increase and maintenance of muscle mass, but also keep you full longer: One to two tablespoons of protein powder can provide a longer feeling of sat iety. It is therefore worthwhile to use protein powder also for cooking.