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Protein Powder with Coffee: Benefits, Downsides and More…

Decyry Jhoy Serrano, RPh 7 min read|   Medically reviewed by: Jonadab Ichegbo, M.D
protein powder in coffee

When it comes to mixing protein powder in coffee, a big new wellness trend, the most important question to ask might be, “Is it OK to consume protein powder in my coffee – is it good for me and my workouts?”

After all, it sounds like quite a nice combination, doesn’t it – the idea of mixing a cocoa protein powder with a milky coffee sounds like pure yum.

But it’s not only about the delicious taste of protein powder and coffee mix.

It might have quite a bit to do with a power-packed drink and boosting your protein. TikTok has created this crazy word, Proffee for protein coffee.

We are using it too now.

However, it has not yet gained acceptance in any English dictionary pages yet.

But it might!

Should You Mix Protein Powder in Coffee? [Pros & Cons]

So what is protein coffee?

Proffee is precisely what it sounds like this is when you mix protein powder with coffee.

The ‘PR’ part is for protein and the “OFFEE” part is from coffee.

As if you didn’t know!

And what you get is a potent amped-up cuppa made from coffee that has protein powder included – or with a bottle of protein shake added.

When you create this blend, you have delicious and popular Proffee.

Some people like to add scoops of protein powder into iced coffee – mmm, that also sounds delicious.

I suppose it might clump if you throw the powder into hot coffee or other hot drinks unless it’s collagen powder.

Other people like to make their profees with pre-made protein shakes.

When you throw in powder, you end up with an ordinary-looking cup of coffee.

When you throw in the protein shake, you get an exciting blend of dark and light colors.

Is there Extra Health in a cup of Proffee? 

Coffee alone has plenty of health benefits [1] –that’s when it’s drunken in moderate amounts.

It has antioxidants in it, as well as nutrients like riboflavin, B-vitamins, and potassium.

And what most people love is that caffeine gives them a jolt of energy too.

You must have seen the people from the office around the coffee machine – it keeps them going at the office during the day!

Plus the taste of extra coffee creamer, of course.

Did you know bodybuilders drink proffee too?

Caffeine can improve their endurance and performance as well as enhance their mood, reaction time, and memory. 

In fact, Flex has recommended that bodybuilders drink black coffee regularly. 

After all, black coffee is good for Type 2 diabetes, liver disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, depression, and cancer, here’s to a cup o’joe.

Seeing as caffeine is the reason why protein-powdered coffee is so beneficial to your health and delicious, you should buy healthy coffee with high caffeine content rather than drinking regular coffee.

Are there potential benefits, though, to adding protein to your coffee?

You do need a protein boost so that your body functions at its best.

When your diet is balanced with enough protein, you get most of your nutritional needs plus all the other content benefits to health. Some buy protein powders when they feel they need a boost.

Let’s look at a couple of good reasons to add protein powder to your coffee –

  • Most protein powders that you can make your proffee from will give you that jolt you need to start your day. In fact, some are touting Proffee as being similar to a pre-workout drink.
  • Adding protein to your coffee is like having a meal at the same time. This means your hunger will be curbed, keeping you fuller for longer.
  • This concoction might well control your weight better as well because you might not be hungry until well into the day.
  • The extra slather of protein in your coffee in the morning will also charge up your metabolism so you burn more calories on the go. It can help control high cholesterol levels in the blood and reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • Protein powders are simply delicious and have positive effects on your whole health. Adding them to make your proffee means you might not need to add in sugary creamers, turning it into an unhealthy calorie catcher.

 How to Make Protein Coffee

 First of all, you need to choose a quality protein powder [2].

Choose something that doesn’t come with artificial sweeteners or a huge ingredient list with plenty of additives added.

A good tip is to go for a shorter ingredient list.

Cold coffee works better for this blended, particularly if you use a powder. The TikTok version is the one made with Espresso. 

Here’s a delicious way to make your Proffee

If you want to really jazz up your normal cup of hot coffee and turn it into something creamy and taste, there are marvelous blends to choose from like these.

As for the creamiest, tastiest ways to jazz up the protein in your morning coffee, here are some brilliant suggestions using TrueFit protein powders.

We’ve chosen the collagen-blended, grass-fed recipe which you will simply adore!

There’s a bit of a difference between protein powder and collagen powders [3].

Whichever choice, you can go for plant-based milk protein like soy protein powder, almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk are all great.

These offer just as much as whey protein powder offer to build body weight, for muscles protein synthesis in muscle growth and repair as well as enhance workout performance.

And it does all these while not adding excess body fat and are good because it boosts weight loss.

 Collagen-blended grass-fed coffee 

Ingredients
  • Half scoop of grass-fed collagen powder (unflavored) [4]
  • 1-cup black hot
  • ½ scoop grass-fed unflavored collagen powder
  • 1 Tablespoon of ghee
Recipe
  • First, pour the hot coffee into the blender.
  • Next, add the collagen protein powder after starting the blender.
  • Add a tablespoon of ghee.
  • Remove the blender cover so the steam can escape.
  • Blend well for a foamy consistency.

Give this recipe a try—you might just find this is your new way-to-go breakfast!

Are there any downsides to drinking coffee with protein powder in it?

 We all know, see and believe in many of the wellness trends of the day.

And adding protein powder to coffee has become one of those health and wellness trends.

Many people are saying that it has helped them with their weight loss goals and that it improves their workouts.

Protein is always a good thing, there’s no doubt about that.

But like a lot of health products, there can be downsides too. Let’s see what they could be.

1) You might be taking in too much protein

Protein is a macronutrient [5] and maybe taking in too much protein might mean too many calories.

You will need to plan how many calories you can afford to take in and how many you need during the day.

Then use just that amount of protein powder into your morning coffee.

Unfortunately, consuming too many calories than your body needs, even healthy ones, can get stored in your body as fat.

Planning your protein intake and protein absorption during the day saves you from worrying about excess unburnt calories that will turn into fat tissue or adipose tissue.

2) Missing nutrients: when protein supplements are not enough

A lot of protein powders, in fact, most, don’t contain the same nutritional value that a good protein breakfast might contain.

Adding protein powder to your coffee instead of breakfast means you will miss out on some vital nutrients.

If you wanted to enjoy this type of coffee every day in place of breakfast, you would not be getting a balanced breakfast.

Definitely, it’s the whole foods that contain the minerals, and nutrients that are absent in protein powder products.

It is recommended that you think of protein powder in your coffee as supplementation to your exercise routine and not as a breakfast replacement.

3) There can be harmful additives

Often other additives in protein powders may be harmful.

This can ruin your efforts at maintaining health for example if they have ingredients that can result in high blood pressure.

Especially steer clear of those that have artificial flavors in them and sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame. Even some of the natural flavors can be a problem.

The FDA doesn’t require food companies to even list the natural flavorings added. Getting back to sugar, choose the protein powders that have stevia in them.

If you buy the unsweetened protein powder, you can sweeten your coffee with monk fruit which contains protein and additional vitamins.

You could try the sugar alcohols like xylitol or erythritol as well because they are very low carb and have little effect on high blood sugar levels.

But you could experience gastrointestinal distress if you have a lot of it.

Conclusion

 When you enhance your coffee with protein powder, it can be an effective way to optimize getting in protein.

It’s particularly helpful for people who don’t eat a proper breakfast in the morning and who just want to down some coffee – on the go people.

But it also helps to prepare you for hitting the gym first thing in the morning when many people can’t stomach the thought of a big breakfast. 

Then it becomes like a complete meal to fuel your workouts and gives you an optimal muscle protein synthesis, making you effortlessly build muscle and even aid weight loss.

Experts agree that the most important benefit of adding protein powder into your coffee is that it does provide balance.

It’s the coffee that gives you an edgy start to your day but it’s the protein that feeds the body and muscles and helps you to focus during the day.

As one expert dietician Sameera Khan says, “Strength from the protein powder and energy from the coffee is the perfect way to start the mornings.” 

She says further, that when you add whey protein powder to the coffee as well, you benefit from improved cognitive function, improved digestion, weight management, and a boost in metabolism.

Can we drink to Proffee?

References