If you want to increase your protein intake, squeezing it in during snacks and meals can sometimes feel a bit much. Thankfully, protein powders exist but they aren’t always easy to incorporate, especially if you are new to making your own shakes.
Enter protein coffee, aka Proffee. This new trend involves incorporating a protein powder or shake into your morning coffee as an easy and convenient way to boost protein intake.
While this sounds pretty cool, not all protein options mix well in coffee and premade shakes aren’t for everyone.
So, what are the best options? Let’s dive in.
Can You Mix Protein With Coffee?
You can mix protein powder with coffee but you want to be mindful of a few things before you do so. The most important thing to consider is the type of protein powder you wish to use and the temperature of your coffee. These will affect how well your protein mixes because no one wants to start their day off with clumps in their coffee.
What is the Best Protein Powder to Mix With Coffee
Before you hop on the Proffee train, consider the type of protein powder you want to mix into your coffee. Below are some of the most common depending on your goals and how well they mix with both hot or cold coffee.
Whey Protein
Whey protein is the best protein powder to incorporate if you are trying to increase lean muscle mass. However, whey protein can be tough to mix into hot and cold coffees. While that doesn’t mean it’s not an option, there are a few precautions to take before doing so.
Simply dumping a scoop of whey protein powder into a coffee can result in clumps, lumps, and an unpleasant texture. If you want to add whey protein to hot coffee, mix it in a small amount of warm water before adding it directly to your coffee. This helps it to dissolve better. You can also use a milk frother to help the mixture disperse without clumps. This works well with hot and cold coffees.
Soy Protein
Soy protein is a great option for vegan or vegetarian dieters to help meet their protein needs. It tends to mix well in both hot and cold coffees.
Pea Protein
Pea protein is a popular plant-based protein option that works well for those with soy or other common allergens. It mixes well in hot or cold coffee and is a great option for someone looking to boost their protein to build muscle or simply better meet their protein needs on a plant-based diet.
Pea protein tends to dissolve better than whey protein but some prefer to use a frother to help ensure a well-combined mixture.
Collagen Protein
Collagen protein is one of the best types of protein to mix into your coffee as it dissolves the best. It works well in both hot and cold coffee because the protein is already broken down so it’s not as likely to result in clumps.
Can I Put Protein in My Hot Coffee?
Protein can be added to hot or cold varieties of coffee.
Some protein powders may mix better in cold coffee however, using a milk frother or mixing the protein powder with a small portion of warm water before adding to coffee can help to ensure it is well-dissolved.
Does Heat Destroy Protein Powder?
Heat does not destroy protein powder of any kind. Some fear that the heat can denature proteins however, our body digests and absorbs them the same whether they are heated or not.
Heat does denature the proteins but this is also a natural part of the digestion process and does not reduce its absorption.This means, that not only can you enjoy protein powder in your hot coffee, but it’s also great to add to baked goods like pancakes, waffles, or muffins.
How Much Protein Powder Can You Put in Coffee?
There are no limits per se to how much protein powder you can add to coffee but you want to be mindful and use common sense to avoid a thick, clumpy product.
Consider the size of your coffee before adding protein powder. If you are having a small coffee, limit to maybe one scoop whereas a larger coffee can likely handle two. This is also dependent upon your taste preferences.
You won’t want to include more than two standard scoops (which is about ¼ cup) and shouldn't need to anyway as most of these supplements include between 15-40 grams of protein per serving on average. If you are also enjoying a protein-rich breakfast, there’s no need to overdo it with the powders.
Does Protein Powder Taste Good in Coffee?
If done correctly, protein powders can be a great complement to coffee both nutritionally and for flavor. You can choose an unflavored variety if you already use a flavored creamer or syrup but you can also enjoy protein coffee with a flavored protein powder to add a bit more fun to your morning cup of joe.
Protein powders typicaly come in a variety of flavors but be sure to choose one that has high-quality ingredients without a ton of added sugars, such as our mocha coffee protein powder.
Naked Protein Coffee adds 20 grams of grass-fed whey protein with premium Columbian coffee to give you a kickstart to your day without all the unnecessary additives, simply add to milk or coffee and get going on your day.
Bottom Line
If you’ve been thinking about getting in more protein, coffee might be a good place to start. Hop on the Proffee train and grab yourself a high-quality protein powder to start meeting your goals with ease, whatever they may be.
