I Ditched My Commercial Protein Shake For A Nutritionally-dense Eggnog

Until now, the taste of raw eggs made me sick

Photo by Sebastian Coman Photography on Unsplash

When younger, even the thought of raw egg would start my stomach churning. I couldn't comprehend how awful an eggnog must taste.

This month I replaced my usual morning proprietary protein share with - an eggnog! I couldn't believe how innocuous it tastes, and my nog is jam packed with protein.

Until this month, I was using a proprietary protein shake with 36g of protein per serving, at a cost of $68 for 14 serves - about $5 per serve. It was a quality product, but in these times it pays to preserve cashflow even it means sacrificing some quality.

Here's the thing, at about $1 per serving my eggnog provides more protein value per serve, with natural micronutrients rather than the industrial ones added to the proprietary shake.

I have the shake for breakfast, after walking or running about 5km fasted. 

The 8 ingredients of my morning protein shake

Here are the ingredients of my morning eggnog:

1. 300ml full cream milk
2. 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3. 1-quarter teaspoon baking soda
4. Flat teaspoon creatine powder
5. Large heaped dessert spoon of full-fat Greek yoghurt
6. One whole egg - preferably free-range
7. Twist of medicinal cinnamon powder
8. A twist of pepper

It was with faint revulsion that I bought this to my mouth for the first time. I was already anticipating the taste of raw egg and my nausea.

But it didn't happen.

The mixture (after blending at least) has very little egg taste, just an egg aftertaste which fades quickly.

Three times the protein dollar-for-dollar

The concentration of proteins in eggs is, on average, 12.5 g per 100 g of whole raw fresh egg. Egg yolk with its vitelline membrane, and egg white, contain 15.9 g protein and 10.9 g protein per 100 g, respectively.

My shake has about 22g of protein (milk 10g, egg 6g, yoghurt 6g) for a cost of substantially less than one dollar.

The commercial powder costs $5 per serve for 36g of protein. Compared per dollar, the commercial shake delivers 7.2 grams of protein per dollar, while my eggnog has 22 grams of protein per dollar. That is, my shake has three-times the protein value per dollar.

I don't worry about calories when eating nutrient-rich foods, but you can see from the list of ingredients that my shake is no lightweight. You could use a figure of about 440 calories if you need to know.

Because I run ~5km and walk ~5km every day, I burn more than 800 calories just from those activities alone. My daily step count is generally 18,000 steps - which is why the calories in the shake don't bother me.

(I also prefer the benefits of full-fat products to the sugars which are typically added to low-fat products.)

How does my eggnog shape up in a micronutrient comparison?

If you have read the label on the quality commercial protein powders you'll see that besides the "natural mango" or "natural chocolate" flavours they have a long list of useful micronutrients.

Chicken egg contains many antioxidant compounds that encompass vitamins, carotenoids, minerals, and trace elements and also major proteins.

Think of it this way:

⭑ Eggs are rich in bioactive ingredients, including polyphenols. Polyphenols can improve or help treat digestion issues, weight management difficulties, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular diseases. I add virgin olive oil to my shake to increase the polyphenol load.

⭑ Eggs are rich in phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and contains moderate amounts of sodium.

⭑ The egg and, more precisely, the egg yolk, is a vitamin-rich food that contains all vitamins except vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The yolk contains a high amount of vitamin A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, and B12, while egg white possesses high amounts of vitamins B2, B3, and B5 but also significant amounts of vitamins B1, B6, B8, B9, and B12.

⭑ As compared to egg white, the yolk contains more folate, Vitamin B12 and an important nutrient for the brain called choline. 

⭑ The egg white is an excellent natural source of high-quality protein, which is rich in essential amino acids. 

⭑ The egg white also contains antimicrobials, which exhibit antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, or antiparasitic activities. One train of research is seeking to understand the role of these egg antioxidants in maintaining intestinal health.

This research may have significant consequences because of the increasing evidence linking gut health to overall health.

⭑ Research is also taking place on the role of egg proteins as potential immunomodulators, which may prove relevant as we examine dietary responses to the pandemic. 

⭑ Lastly, recent research shows promising signs of connecting several yolk-derived peptides with the reduction of blood pressure (hypertension), thus potentially diminishing the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.

How about cholesterol - are eggs bad for my cholesterol?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way other cholesterol-containing foods do, such as trans fats and saturated fats.

However, some health experts suggest eating as little dietary cholesterol as you can, aiming to keep intake under 300 mg a day. One large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol (all of which is found in the yolk). If in doubt, ask your doctor.

Are there any risks from eating raw eggs?

The US Food and Drugs Administration strictly warns against the consumption of raw eggs as it may increase the risk of contracting Salmonella and other food-borne illnesses. There is no evidence to prove that raw eggs cause Salmonella, but as a preventive measure, it is often suggested to avoid them. 

However, the most important thing to know is that you should consume raw eggs immediately after opening them. When an egg is cracked, there is a risk that any Salmonella bacteria on the shell can touch the egg contents.

Bacteria such as Salmonella need time to grow, so how quickly you eat the food and whether it's refrigerated before and after matters. Minimal numbers of bacteria in raw eggs are unlikely to cause food poisoning because human stomach acid will overpower it.

So, cracking an egg into a cup and drinking it is low risk but cracking an egg into a cup, dropping some shell in it, picking the shell out with your fingers and drinking it after two hours on the bench is high risk. 

If in doubt, ask your doctor.

I crack my egg directly into my blending cup, being very careful not to crack or drop any shell in as well.

We need more daily protein when older

I'm very satisfied with my commercial protein shake replacement. We'll see how it pans out over the next few months, and how I feel. After more than 6 years using the commercial shake every morning I have a good baseline for comparison.

We need more protein as we get older because we don’t digest dietary protein as well as when younger. This is one way to boost your intake to the recommended 1.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight for those over 50.

​If you are looking for a high quality protein drink, give this a try. Let me know what you think.

Good luck.

Related: Over 50? You're Not Eating Enough Protein And Here's Why

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