Hi, this is Monica Reinagel, the nutrition diva, here with your quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

I'm frequently asked what type of protein powder I recommend and in today's show I'm going to offer some tips on what to look for when selecting one.

But if you're a long time listener, well if you've even heard a handful of my shows then you already

know that in general I'm not a big fan of supplements. I believe that you're

better off getting your nutrition from actual whole foods instead of processed pills and powders.

And the truth is most of us are already getting more than enough protein to meet our basic

nutritional needs.

On the other hand, I've also written about the advantages of diets that are a little higher in protein, more than the amount needed just to meet your basic nutritional needs.

Eating more protein can help you curb your appetite, which can be helpful for weight management.

It also helps support the growth and repair of muscle tissue, which can help you to get more out of exercise.

Obviously, you can get more protein simply by adding more protein-rich foods to your diet.

Foods like eggs, cottage cheese, fish, meat, tofu, or legumes.

Protein powders offer another convenient alternative.

For example, a lot of traditional breakfast foods are high in carbs and not that high in protein,

particularly the ones you can grab in a hurry.

Adding a scoop of protein powder to a smoothie

or to a bowl of hot cereal

is a really quick and convenient way to get a little bit more protein

into that first meal of the day. So which protein

powders are best. You'll find protein powders made out of all kinds of things,

but the most common sources are soy, egg whites, and whey. Obviously if you're allergic or otherwise intolerant of

soy, eggs, or dairy, you'll want to avoid protein powders made from those. And vegans aren't

...