Protein Time! Designer Whey Review

While training and dancing professionally, I learned early on that protein “to go” is a beautiful thing.  Often running from one job to workout to another, I needed something to fuel my body, and I needed it fast.

Back in my server days, protein bars, shakes and powders were the only way I could get through a day’s shift when the busyness of the restaurant only allowed a few minutes to re-fuel.  In fact, a small group of us shared powders, mixes, yogurts, and bars, and took turns covering each others sections when one of us needed “Protein Time!”

I have about three to five bars circulating in my gym/dance bag at all times, and it is not out of the ordinary for me to eat more than one a day.  After any kind of strength training workout, I always grab something loaded with protein directly after to help my muscles recover.

(I guess you could say protein and I have had quite the relationship.)

When I got selected to review a few products by Designer Whey, I had no idea they were going to spoil me with a huge box of goodies.  I have seen the brand pop up all over the Internet, but had yet to try any of their products.  To say I was excited to get started and dig in just would not do my feelings justice.  I was pumped!

*Disclaimer: I was provided with these products by Designer Whey, free of charge, through my ambassadorship with FitFluential. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

So how did their products stack up?  Lets start with the most talked about.

Their specially formulated protein powders come in a variety of different flavors, and my eyes got huge when I read the flavors I was about to experiment with… White Chocolate and French Vanilla. (Yum!)

Off hand, I can list three simple ways to use protein powder:

• smoothies

• shakes

• baking

Their website lists easy recipes with great ideas on how to use their powder flavors.  After a quick browse, I felt inspired to use the White Chocolate to create my own mini muffins.

They turned out pretty darn good, and I feel honored to have stumbled upon my recipe featured on their page today!  (Thanks, guys.)

I created a few different smoothies using both flavors throughout the week.  Being in a hurry for most, I only stopped to document one of them.  This Sweet + Simple Green Smoothie uses the same protein flavor, but I can assure that both the White Chocolate and French Vanilla are fantastic.

I had a smidge of favoritism for the White Chocolate, though, and below is what I think to be a personal best green smoothie.

So simple, yet so sweet.  Overall, I am diggin’ the looks of all of their flavors, and would love to get my hands on some more.

Powder = Win!

Protein bars and I go wayyyy back.  Like I mentioned above, you can always find me carrying one (or five) around at any given time!

Perfect for a healthy snack on-the-go, I like how these whey protein bars are 170 calories or less.  With only 10g of protein, however, they come up a little short when compared to some of my other preferred protein bars.

When it comes to flavor, all three of these were one hundred percent satisfying for my ever growing sweet tooth.  If I had to choose a favorite, it would be the Chocolate Caramel Crunch.

I was fond of the protein shake flavors, which says a lot coming from me.  I am a bit of a protein shake snob, and do not like the majority of them out there.

I never buy packaged shakes, and on the rare occasion that I drink them, it has to be extremely cold, over, or even blended with ice.

Most shakes are strong in their flavor and can taste a bit chalky.  I found these shakes to have a lighter taste, maybe even like they were watered down a little.  It may sound weird, but I like that.

I also appreciated the 18g of protein, which is perfect to drink up before or after a workout!

The last product I tried is different than anything I have seen before.  Although I am not a supporter of artificial sweeteners, at times I have grabbed anything that can flavor my water when I am sick of drinking it.

Admittedly, I rarely drink regular water anymore, unless my body tells me to.  When I realized these were fruity drink mixes filled with protein, I became immediately intrigued.  Tropical, summery flavors are just not what I think of when looking to add protein to my drinks.

I went from skeptical to pleasantly surprised after my first bottle of the Lemonade flavor.  It actually tasted like lemonade.  I was used to this taste from a drink mix, but never expected to find one with an added bonus of protein to it.  Score!

Mixed berry was probably my favorite, with tropical orange being my least.  All Protein 2 Go flavors, however, were very refreshing and came with me to drink in and out of the gym.

 Overall Thoughts

As a whole, I am very impressed with this brand.  Whey is a lean protein, which is why I have always preferred to use it as my form of protein powder.  This is the first time I have knowingly tried whey protein outside of powder, and I enjoyed the lighter taste.

I love that the company promotes a healthy and active lifestyle by sharing recipes, workouts, and motivation on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts.

Upon opening my box, I was hoping to fall for every product, so I could portray a genuine excitement for sharing their products.

I did!

At the moment, I have a few products left, and will continue to use them even though I am done writing about it.  That is a true test of whether I care for the products sent to me, and I am a fan across-the-board.

If you are interested in trying out a few staple Designer Whey products, they offer a Starter Kit for just around $20!  Sounds like a good investment to me. 😉