Latest / The Unsexy Businessmen / Our Top 5 Grab-and-Go (Sort of) Protein Products For GAINS!
Transcript
- Alex: Welcome to another edition of the Unsexy Podcast where we talk about the unsexy side of everything. Today we are chatting about what you all care the most about. And I gotta admit, Aaron is going to be much better at this than I am. We are talking our favorite go-to protein snacks. Really quick here. In order for this to work, you can't do any of the making of it. So, as an example, we have eliminated protein powder from this because. You have to scoop it, put it into something, and in theory, like make it make it yourself. and I know there's some people who are gonna be like, I just mainline it or I just eat it. That's not the point of this. The point of this is almost like could be just a grab and go type of snack. that's that's the point here. So we're just gonna go from our favorite to least favorite, and I know that we're least favorite to favorite, and I know that Aaron: Gonna go l least favorite to favorite. Yeah. Alex: we're going to have Aaron: Similar ones. Alex: Some crossover. Aaron: Yeah. Alex: I'll go first with one that I know is not going to be a crossover. Not a great source of protein, but a source of protein that I absolutely love to eat. Wild protein Aaron: The crunch, cr catalytic crudge. dang it. Alex: chips. I love these things so much that I will give them out to people. But you've heard me complain about them on the podcast before. If you if any of you who listen to our coaching podcasts episodes that we're doing, the bad news with this. Ten grams of fat, ten ten eight grams of carbohydrates. It's actually not as bad as I thought it was. but still the ten Aaron: Yeah, it Alex: grams of fat is a little high for what I'm doing right now. But good lord, as long as you stay within your macros and you're just I do this when I have like I'm at forty grams of fat for the day and I need another eight grams of protein, this is what I'll eat. Love it. It tastes delicious. Aaron: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I love those. Have you had the other flavors? Alex: I have, and this is by far my favorite one. I've had ranch, Aaron: Your favorite one? Alex: the sweet chili or like sweet Asian teriyaki, something Aaron: Yeah, yep, yeah. Alex: like that, and this one. And those ones are just the the ranch one is very basic tasting to me. And Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. Alex: then the sweet one was just too sweet too sweet for me. Aaron: gotcha. Yeah, I actually I like the I like the sweet chili one. but I don't eat them all the time. Alex: Which I like I l it's it's almost how I feel about the sweet chili Doritos. Like I can have one of them and I absolutely love it and then once I get to like three or four, there's just something that happens or like, can't I? Something off. Something's off. Aaron: I I don't like this. I don't like it anymore. Well, Alejandro, my least favorite of my top five is Alex: Yeah. Aaron: this. Quest. What is it? Frosted cookies. Alex: Quest Big Shop Frosted Cookies. Aaron: also not the greatest of macros. Let's see. This might be well. This is also why I don't eat these very often. because it's actually it's a hor don't eat these. Alex: I'm glad we started off with our with our with like really, really bad things like that nobody should probably eat if th they're trying to bodybuild. Aaron: It it my I think my thing is like this is better to eat than a crumble cookie. Like it's like the macros obviously are gonna be way better. But I just like I think this is why they've been sitting in my in my pantry for a long time. Cause one of the times I looked, I was like, Good Lord. It's ten grams of protein, hundred and ninety calories, thirteen grams of fat, and nineteen grams of carb. So the protein to calories is horrible on these, but they taste really good. To me. The other thing too about a lot of these these snacks, yeah, dude, like your these don't taste as good. Actually, I don't really even like crumble cookie that much. These don't taste as good as like a fresh baked, delicious chocolate chip cookie. They don't. And none of these things, actually one of them, two of them, almost three them, are they're just not gonna like so you can't be like I think you have to you can't You have to like change your like taste buds almost. Like you have to get used to eating more bland stuff. And then you introduce something like this. And then you're like, my god. But if you just switched, Alex: This is delicious. Aaron: if you just switched immediately to this from Krispy Kreme donuts, you're like, these are dog shit. Why the hell Alex: Yeah. Aaron: would I eat these? but that's that's and the only time I really have those is if I'm like on a road trip or I'm on vacation and I just that's like my sweet treat. So I'll do that. So that's that's my number five. Alex: And remember if something tastes good, it's because it has a bunch of fat, a bunch of sugar, or a bunch of sodium in it. Like those are the carbohydrates, Aaron: Yes. Alex: no flavor, protein, no flavor. If something tastes good, it's because fat, sugar, salt. Aaron: Yes. Alex: Simple as that. So the some anyways, but 'cause I was looking up crumble cookie really fast. Seven hundred and twenty calories a cookie, thirty two grams of fat. So that's half of my fat intake in a day, eight grams of protein. So if Aaron: Yeah. The pretty bad You Alex: If if that's a nice substitute for that, the pretty good pretty good exchange there. Aaron: know what I take that back? These actually have great macros. Alex: Alright, number four for me. We haven't crossed over yet. I know we will cross over on one because you were drinking what I think is going to be. Don't show it. So this one almost breaks the Aaron: I'm not going to no, I was just looking what my number one was. Alex: rule, but you just have to take it out of the bag, put it into the toaster oven, and you got yourself a delicious treat. Just bear chicken nuggets. These are fantastic, ex especially if you have some sort of low-fat. Low fat. sauce to go along with it or if you're not hitting your fat that day, just have some Chick-fil-A sauce with it. Like th I've done this before where I'm twenty grams away from my my fat thing. Wanted to get a little extra protein in there and honestly it's like a dopamine hit eating these. So you got seven grams of fat. Not bad. Nine grams of carbohydrates and 16 grams of port protein in a serving at 160 calories. Absolutely love those. Kids love them. Everybody loves them. I think anyone that like usually I know a lot of people that just get these in general. Way healthier, way healthier than actual Chick-fil-A. Highly recommend Aaron: Way cheaper than actual Chick-fil-A. Yeah. Yeah. Alex: Way cheaper, way cheaper than Chick fil A. What's man, ch what's funny? Even with increasing prices across the United States for everything, Chick fil A's like always been expensive, right? Am I crazy? Like I I feel like it was like it was always like five dollars a sandwich. Okay. Okay. Aaron: Yeah. Yes. Yes. It's always crazy expensive. I I unfortunately my family loves Chick-fil-A and I hate Chick-fil-A just because every time Alex: How much it costs? Aaron: Yeah, every time they go I mean I I love Chick-fil-A. but I Alex: Yeah, okay. Aaron: hate when I see how much do they spend at Chick-fil-A. I'm like, it's like fifty dollars for all they're like two children and an adult 'cause I usually don't get anything. If anything, like if one of my kids doesn't finish something, I'll like finish whatever they have. But Yeah, it's like it's it's insange. Alex: Who have a total mass of two hundred and thirty pounds. Aaron: Yeah, serious seriously. okay, so I don't have the example of my next one because I ate them all because they are delicious. But they are l Alex: Number four. Aaron: so number four is legendary. The brand is legendary, and they're legendary protein pastries, or as I like to call them Pop-Tarts. they look like Pop-Tarts, they don't taste as good as Pop Tarts, but if you throw them in the in the microwave for like Eight seconds. They're a little little gooey inside, and they're so good. And their macros actually aren't crazy. so it's 180 calories, 20 grams of protein in them, eight grams of fat, and 24 grams of carbohydrates. So Alex: Yeah, that's not bad. Aaron: it's not bad. And I and to me, again, yeah, if if I was eating a bunch of Pop Tarts and then someone handed me one of these, I'd be like, these taste like shit. I don't want to eat these. I want to eat Pop Tarts, but Pop Tarts hor obviously horrible for you. So this is just a good these are good alternatives. No. there do like the the Alex: Are they really that bad tasting? Because I've never felt like Pop Tarts taste good. Like Pop Tarts are good. Like good like literally the outside of a Pop Tart like the grossest thing on an unhealthy thing. Like this this Aaron: Yeah. The cardboard? Alex: like the center wherever like the the filling and the the like the Aaron: The frosting? Alex: cr the frosting is, that's delicious. Aaron: Dude, I remember back in the day. I wonder why I was so fat. like I would crack off the other like that part and then just eat. Alex: 'Cause they're disgusting. Save some carbs there probably and a little bit of fat. It'll made it healthier somehow. Aaron: man, but I love the brown sugar ones. They're so to me, they're so good. But they're not, I mean, these these are still good. I I like I like a lot. So that's I wish I had not only so I could show to you, but so I could eat them after this podcast. I'd say the biggest all right, the my biggest complaint with everything protein that we're showing you is I know we just complained about Chick-fil-A. Yours, your your chicken one was gonna be a contradiction, what I'm gonna say. But how expensive these things are absolutely insane. Like the yes, protein snacks. Alex: The protein snacks. Yes. Aaron: So like the these legendary ones, you can get you get 10 pastries for $35. So they're $350 apiece, which is like, it's not bad. But it's just like I'm sure you can get like a thousand Pop Tarts for like $8 or whatever. I don't know. That's like that's the thing that annoys me. All of these things are insanely expensive when it comes to like the alternative. unhealthy version of it. So yeah. So that's Alex: Chicken. also true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Aaron: that's my only that's my biggest complaint with with a lot of these things. But legendary protein pastries, delicious. Alex: But you're paying for convenience a little bit Aaron: Yes. Alex: because like yes, you can make chicken. It's gonna take you some time. Yes, you can cook your rice, but this is a nice all of these are really apart from my chicken, because I don't think this is a super, super grab and go. Like they're they're great. My number Aaron: Yes. Alex: three, and all the rest of mine, I'm just gonna spoiler alert. All of mine are protein shake drinks. Aaron: okay. Alex: And these all have different uses and purposes. So it's hard for me to rank them. I use them at different times in my life. So first off, I don't drink this one as much anymore, but it's oikos vanilla specific. whenever I am trying to limit my what is that called? When my sodium intake, this is my go-to. It's a little bit lower sodium than the other two that I'm going to show after this. They all have the same amount of protein, has a little more fat. But it's worth it for the lower sodium. That's probably how they make it taste good. That extra so it's 3.5 grams of fat, eight grams of carbohydrates, and 30 grams of protein. But the real kickers, not the sodium on these, five grams of dietary fiber. So anyone that's struggling to get their fiber in daily in daily, these are awesome. These are awesome because I'm supposed to be about thirty. 30 grams and so that already has one sixth of your daily value, or at least my daily value in a shake. Love it. Not incredibly expensive. Especially if anyone who's watching this, prepare for January. All of mine are from Costco that I'm doing. Go to Costco. January, everything is on sale. Yes, they limit the amount that you can take. Go multiple days, get your year supply. Aaron: Yes. Yes. yeah, I like those. Those are good. Alex: 'cause this is like i when you when you do it that way, this ends up being about a dollar twenty five a shake. So a dollar Aaron: really? Alex: twenty five for thirty grams of protein. Aaron: That's that is that's actually really, really good. yes. And it's like the thing is like a lot of these things you also can find at like a gas station. So when you're like, I don't know what I'm what Alex: Also true. Yep. Aaron: I'm gonna eat. I because that just reminded me because I think when we were in Sacramento, or I guess Folsom, and we both walked to that one gas station, I think those are the ones that I grabbed at the gas station where we're the oit goes. so that's just nice. More more convenience. My next one is literally the greatest protein bar of all time. And you can't change my mind. It's the greatest, Alex: I still haven't had one. Aaron: the greatest protein bar of all time. They are the Barbell Cookies and Caramel. And not only are this is like my favorite flavor, but they have just a bunch of different awesome flavors. They have a key lime one that's awesome. They have a they have like another caramel one. This is like I like the ones that have like the little crunchies in them. They I like the texture of it. But they have one that with No crunches in it. That's also, my god, dude. It's I don't know how it's healthy. I don't know. It's gonna come out like those David bars that they were lying about their their nutrition facts. but this is 210 calories, 20 grams of protein, 21 grams of carbs. You gotta wait, watch out for the carbs. Gotta be careful when you're having those. and seven grams of fat. So they are but they're they're so good. Again, my my only complaint with those is how expensive they are. But GNC runs sales all the time where it's like buy a box, get another one half off. And then so it ends up being around I think it's under like two bucks a bar. but I also these are the things like Alex and I aren't Alex: If you will Aaron: eating these things constantly. So I'm not always having a bare bell bar. It's usually like I think the same with you, Alex, when I'm like, all right, I'm low on maybe I'm a little low on on protein and I just want to grab something quick. I'll just do something like that. and it's nice or I'm like I'm going to the airport and I'm gonna have some barabelle proteins in my backpack. So it's just it just makes it super convenient, which my next one is not convenient at all. Alex: Everything has its time and place and it's in its season, as I say. That's a quote from me. E everything in its time and season. This is th this is a weird one. Aaron: Yeah, you should you should put that in a you should you should crochet that. Alex: Premier protein. I've just started getting hooked on like A lot of people don't like the taste of these and I have been crushing these like crazy for like the last few months because thirty grams of protein, three grams of fat, four total grams of carbo hydrates, two of those are dietary fiber. These are so fast and they've been on sale like crazy, which usually is an indicator that they're not great and they have to get rid of their inventory, but if it's like These come down to about that dollar twenty five dollar twenty five per bottle. I'm just like thirty grams of protein, fantastic. It tastes good. I maybe I've had yeah, chocolate's my favorite. Maybe Aaron: I is that your favorite flavor? Chocolate? Alex: I've acquired the taste for it. because when I first started, I don't know if I like these. And I just keep buying them like because thirty grams of protein for a dollar twenty five when you're in a pickle like I was today, Aaron: That's not bad, dude. Alex: it's fantastic. Aaron: That's not bad. yeah, I so I'm switching my number one to number two because I know what no Alex's number one is. It's Fair Life. Fair Life is now my number two, so I can say it first. This is hands down the greatest protein shake of all time. The again, the only thing I hate about these is how expensive they are. Cause it's like what, like three bucks? Three, four bucks a bottle almost. Like I'd have to do the math. Not gonna do it. Alex: I once again, go do your sales. Yesterday I god man, I wish I had the receipt in front of me. I got eighteen bottles for I wanna say twenty three bucks. At Aaron: What? At Costco? Alex: Costco. Aaron: they're running a sale again. my god, I need to go see if they're running it here. Yeah, because normally they're what, like forty bucks? Yeah. Alex: thirty eight like thir like they l they're high, like thirty eight dollars. Aaron: Yes. And I loved they they do they did the they did the drug dealer thing. They used to be really cheap. And then you just so you got a you got a taste for it. And and they're they're the best. Like if you look up like greatest like pre made protein shakes, this one's like always number one. It's so they're so it's literally like chocolate milk. I don't know anyone that's ever tried it and been like, it's okay. Like it's it's so, so good. There is a I want to do a little shout out to my god, what's the name of the company? I know the company is, but there's it's they're at Sam's Club, and I maybe Costco too, but there was a pre-packaged or pre-bottled version. It's not Fair Life, but they had like Fruity Pebble flavor, and it literally tastes like like the milk after Alex: The boat. Aaron: you had Fruity Pebbles. It was really good and they're crazy Alex: That. How about that? Aaron: cheap. but yeah, so I had those for a while. It's funny because This is the only one I've never gotten tired of. Cause the fruity pebble one, I ventured just like, I don't know if I like this anymore. I've never gotten tired. Because you're it's I mean, literally it's chocolate milk. That's what it is. I mean, they do the the ultra processing to get all of the protein out of it. And then it's just chocolate milk. That's that's literally all this is. And so I absolutely love it. It's the greatest. Alex: Yeah, and and my b first off really quick, I did lie to everybody. Aaron: Yes. Alex: it was thirty one ninety nine yesterday, which puts it at a dollar seventy seven a bottle. Aaron: That's still not bad. I still wanna go and grab some. Alex: what I will say, this is my another one of use case. I don't have one of these every single day. It's when I am 30 grams of protein or more away from away from hitting my macro goal and away from my carbohydrate goal because I take this with two rice crispy treats from, you know, just your standard bad for your health rice crispy treats. Absolutely delicious, gets me to my carb number. I'm still below my fat number, and I got my protein. It's due. That's it's 100% what it is. Yep. End of day, just boom. Aaron: Dude, that's such a great dessert. That's such a good dessert. Rice Krispie treats with one of these? my god. That's so good. Alex: And then Tommy will come over and I'll just give him little bites of the rice crispy treat. So I'm like, that means all the fat's out of it now. It's just the actual, it's Aaron: Ha ha ha. Alex: the carbohydrates. I've I've met my macros for the day. Like I it's one of those things where I can't speak higher of a protein source than this. I mean Because of how little work and how tasty it is. Because yes, Aaron: Yes. Alex: chicken breast is the greatest protein source that there is on planet Earth. But man, nothing the Maybe they should start just injecting chickens with some Fairlife, get some chocolate chicken going on. I'm sure that wouldn't taste disgusting at all. Probably not. Ugh. It sounds so good. Alright. Well anyway, but this Aaron: Yeah. That's that's amazing. Well, it's mole. We're just making mole, that's all it is. Here we go. Alex: was this was my number one, but Aaron: Aaron Aaron did the douchey thing. Alex: You you had that that but that's it, that mole idea. Like we could see if we could get some of our some of our dietitian sci scientists that we have it on sexy to start working on that and we'll get that recipe out to everybody. Let's just mix fair life with poblano chilies, graham crackers, raisins. gross. Aaron: Yeah, yeah. We'll get we'll get we'll get into the lab immediately. It'd be so gross. until it works. and so my new fake number one is it's more of a cheat one too. which one was your your bear. So I guess Alex had his quasi cheat one. My cheat one is non-fat Greek yogurt. And I actually do have that almost every single day. And what I normally will do with it is this is gonna sound so gross, but it's so good. I'll just blend it up with like an energy drink. And it just depends on what energy drink. So I have like this, like it's called Gorilla Mind, and it's a cherry, black cherry, creamy black cherry or whatever. And so I'll put that in there with like 350 grams of the of the Greek yogurt and just mix it up. It just comes like this like s smoothie thing. God, it's so good. But you could also add I we've talked about this too. You can add like the jello that the pre made jello stuff or whatever. I actually like gr like non-fat Greek yogurt so much. I'll just put it in a bowl and put some frozen blueberries in there and I can just eat it like that. And then I'll you know also throw in a little bit of a few teddy grams so I can get my my carbohydrates. And I think it's great. I think it tastes really good. I I I I the macros, I I don't know if they're unbeatable. I think there's probably chicken breast is still the best. I mean it's because it's a whole food. but it's so good. I always get blown away because I'll measure it out. It's like I'm putting like what seems like an ungodly amount of of Greek yogurt into my blender. I'm like, and I weigh it out. I'm like, my god, this is gonna like so many calories. It'll be like it'll be like 400 grams, and then I put it in my My my fitness, my god, I was gonna say the wrong thing. I don't have my fit pal, my net diary. and it's like a hundred and eighty calories. I was like, what the hell? And so, Alex: What's happening? Aaron: and then you'll just have like just from that, it's and then it's like an insane amount of protein. I should just I should have had this ready. I'm so sorry, guys, because I had this yesterday, so I could tell you exactly what the did I put it as a snack? Sometimes I put it in weird places. So Alex: Yeah. Aaron: It was let's see. No no, this is riveting. Obviously zero. Alex: Yeah. Aaron: I did 363 grams, which ended up being calorie-wise. I don't know why this isn't 214 calories, but it is 38.4 grams of protein. So it's it's like and then no fat. Alex: can't even you your your body can't even metabolize thirty eight point four grams of protein. It's gonna kill you. Your your kidneys are gonna go out on you and you're gonna die. Aaron: You can't even do that, dude. You your body was like, I I love how I love how disproven a lot of that shit has been. Just like, nope, your body still has it, and then it's used later when it needs it. So shut the hell up. but yeah, that's I think those are my those are my go-tos for Alex: It's like one of my favorite things that I've seen. Like, how about you just trust the really Jack guy at the gym? Just really you're trusting Aaron: Yeah, exactly. There was Alex: all these doctors who look like nerds because they are nerds. Like skinny, Aaron: Yeah. Alex: just like, you don't need that much protein every day. Like, yeah, you don't. You Aaron: Get out and add protein. Alex: don't because you're not trying to bodybuild Dr. Actually, Dr. Mike does bodybuild. Doesn't bodybuild. Aaron: There was a Yes, he does. He does some bodybuilding. Not super successful at it, but he does it. the there was a funny reel that I want to tell people. Because the best thing for a podcast is tell talk about a reel that I saw. But it just reminded me when you say that. Yeah. But there's Alex: we should do movie quotes too. Aaron: a reel and the and so it's essentially it's like, how do you know if somebody's on steroids at the gym? And it says it goes, you know, are they at the gym? Yes or no? And if it's yes. he goes, Okay. Are they sh do they are they more muscular than you? I'm kinda butchering this like, Are they more muscular than you? Then yes, they're on steroids. That's like the only thing. He's like, That's it. That's they're bigger than you, they're just on steroids. Alex: Not necessarily untrue. then let me th and then So Aaron gave you all the places that you can go and buy those things. All of mine are definitely available at Costco, but I see them everywhere. So like Aaron mentioned, convenience stores if you just need to go get something. Like Aaron does that all the time because he doesn't plan like I do. And so he goes he goes and has to get his four bottles of protein on every and that's per day. Four bottles of protein per trip. you know, I actually have a question for you. Do you Aaron: yeah, it is. The Yeah. Alex: like any of the Like the s almost like soda soda type proteins. Aaron: Yes, yes, we just just found one. I should have brought that down. Damn it. I can tell you. Alex: There's I struggle with them. Very artificial tasting, but also like those Aaron: There's a Alex: are if you don't want to get carbs, you don't want to get fat, those things are just here's thirty grams of protein. Aaron: You have to be careful though, because a lot of those Alex: Could be fake protein. Aaron: yeah, they have like the collagen protein, which is like not super Alex: okay. Aaron: bioavailable. it it's just like it's a fraction of what you actually god damn it, I don't know where it is. I can't remember the name of the brand. I should have I know I logged it yesterday, so now it look like an idiot. Alex: Just been thinking about all I've been seeing a lot of people who are struggling getting off soda and having a n like cause like diet soda's fine, whatever, but if you're looking for that carbonation, there are like protein carbon like there's when I I don't get them anymore because of the artificial flavoring, but there was like a nice like, I'm like having a soda, but I'm really having thirty grams of protein. It's great. Aaron: yeah. Well it's called Joyburst is the brand. And it's a but they use like Whey Isolate in their in their as their protein source, which cause Lorena got them and I was like, because I know those are kind of notorious for I just use it like collagen protein. And I was like, yeah, I'm never gonna drink it. And I looked, I was like, my god, it's it's like whey isolate. This is this is insane. and so this one is like an icy pop. It's like one of those it What's that? Like it's the red. Alex: Like an otter pop? Aaron: No, it's so it's like the flavor of, I don't know. It's the red, white, and blue, like popsicle things. I but Alex: Popsicle, yeah. I don't know what they're those are called either, but we all know what you're talking about. Aaron: it's that flavor and it's it tastes really good. And you want to know what I do too? I'll throw it, dude. Instead of like an energy drink, Alex: Through ice cream? Aaron: I throw that with some Greek yogurt, mix it with some ice. Ooh. Dude, we're talking about like a thousand grams of protein. I don't have no protein for like eight days after I do that. Alex: Okay. Aaron: no, it's it's really good. And I just like sipping on it. I just have it and I just sip on it for, you know, a while. And it's good. It's really good. I like that. Alex: And then we'd love to hear, because we know that there's a lot of protein stuff out there. I stick very strictly to like the same protein sources over and over again. If there's protein sources we've missed, let us know in the comments so that we can go and try them. And then when we do this inevitably a year from now or two years from now, or whenever we do it again, maybe one of those ends up in our top five. thanks everybody for listening. Go be unsexy, and we will talk with you all next week.