Dairy-free shake options for a sensitive stomach?

bamagirl26

bamagirl26

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My son talked me into buying the Premiere protein Chocolate peanut butter. Taste-wise it is great — but I suspect I am lactose intolerant, and these just sit in my upper stomach like a brick. I was out on a long bike ride, sitting on a bench, turned to say something to my husband and nearly brought it all back up on him! 🤮 Managed to keep it down and spare him, though it made me realise these ones probably are not right for me.

Orgain I have tried, and being dairy free those likely agree with me better, but the only flavours I have come across are chocolate and vanilla.. a bit dull.

There must be TONS of options out there. If dairy is a problem for you, which ones do you actually like? Thanks!
 
For most people with an intolerance, whey protein isolate is worth trying — beyond the protein and the added flavourings there is very little in it, so lactose levels tend to be minimal. The trade-off is cost: it is notably pricier, whereas plant-based proteins come in considerably cheaper but generally deliver a lower protein-to-serving ratio.
 
Count me in the same group — a lot of protein drinks set my gut off. My approach is unflavoured whey or pea isolate, blended into shakes myself.

True Nutrition has been my supplier for a while. They let you build your own flavour and there is a wide range to pick from.
 
Fairlife chocolate is the one I enjoy most, and:

Yes, all Fairlife protein shakes are completely lactose-free, including Core Power, Core Power Elite, and the Fairlife Nutrition Plan line

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Orgain's A2 milk shakes are at Costco now. Personally the flavour does not land as well for me as their original 30g protein drinks.
 
bamagirl26 said:

My son talked me into buying the Premiere protein Chocolate peanut butter. Taste-wise it is great — but I suspect I am lactose intolerant, and these just sit in my upper stomach like a brick. I was out on a long bike ride, sitting on a bench, turned to say something to my husband and nearly brought it all back up on him! 🤮 Managed to keep it down and spare him, though it made me realise these ones probably are not right for me.

Orgain I have tried, and being dairy free those likely agree with me better, but the only flavours I have come across are chocolate and vanilla.. a bit dull.

There must be TONS of options out there. If dairy is a problem for you, which ones do you actually like? Thanks!
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A big single hit of dairy protein is more than some people can take.

Me, I can put away 90g of yogurt protein in one sitting!
 
Nutricost whey was my go-to for ages, but the pricing went silly and items kept going out of stock — and the last order I got from them seemed lower in quality than before. Time to look elsewhere.
 
Pocket said:

Do you want ready-made drinks only, or would powders be of interest too?
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Either, honestly. I just need something protein-heavy that won't have me throwing up or feeling 12 months pregnant
 
bamagirl26 said:

My son talked me into buying the Premiere protein Chocolate peanut butter. Taste-wise it is great — but I suspect I am lactose intolerant, and these just sit in my upper stomach like a brick. I was out on a long bike ride, sitting on a bench, turned to say something to my husband and nearly brought it all back up on him! 🤮 Managed to keep it down and spare him, though it made me realise these ones probably are not right for me.

Orgain I have tried, and being dairy free those likely agree with me better, but the only flavours I have come across are chocolate and vanilla.. a bit dull.

There must be TONS of options out there. If dairy is a problem for you, which ones do you actually like? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Should it turn out that lactose is genuinely the problem, dairy-based shakes probably are not going to work for you. If it is not, though, hydrolised whey protein isolate is worth a look — it is gentler on the digestive tract and gets absorbed faster than the standard isolate.
 
Right then — hydrolysed it is. Good to know what to keep an eye out for! Thanks everyone! The custom-powder site was a real find too: being able to pick your own additives is a nice touch, so I will read up on what each one does @Estarossa19.
 
Adding fairlife to my list as well. Speaking as someone who is lactose intolerant, nothing else comes close on calories per gram of protein for the money. Flavour is a bonus too.
 
Lucky me — no lactose intolerance here, and none of the powders I have tried have bothered me either. Dymatize ISO100 is the brand I keep coming back to, fruity pebbles especially. YUM!!
 
For flavour, nothing on the continent touches Fairlife. Sam's Club does carry a near-identical option at a low price though.
 
For convenience plus a big protein hit, a ready-made drink is hard to beat. Variety keeps me interested — Boost, Orgain, Adkins… and now that Fairlife keeps coming up, I will give that a look too.

One caveat worth passing on: I get through at least one of these daily myself, and I have come across plenty of reporting that plant-based protein drinks tend to carry a significant heavy-metals problem.
 
Fairlife chocolate it is, then — the consensus here is clear and I am with it. For a proper treat, stir in a few tablespoons of chocolate pudding mix (sugar free or regular, take your pick), freeze it overnight, then run it through a Ninja Creami. The result drinks like a thicker version of Dairy Queen soft serve, or a Wendy's Frosty.

Every few months Costco runs a manufacturer's rebate on the 18 packs, and that is when I stock up — the price falls from $40 to $32-34.
 
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