Protein Powder And Desserts

If you've worked hard to maintain a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet, it's only natural that you would look for ways to have dessert without turning to refined sugar and white flour. With its easily digestible protein content, whey powder is an ideal way to make your desserts work for you rather than against you when you're trying to eat low-carb.

Theory

One of the core benefits of a protein-rich, low-carb diet is the regulation of the hormone insulin, say Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades, founders of the Medi-Stat Medical Clinics in Arkansas, and authors of "The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution." When you eat, your pancreas produces insulin to balance the higher levels of sugar in your blood stream. In some people --- about three out of four Americans, according to the Eades --- eating carbs causes insulin overproduction. This excess insulin signals to the fat cells to increase fat storage, among other negative effects. Eating higher protein, more fiber and some healthy fats is one way to avoid insulin overproduction in sensitive individuals.

Challenges

Many people turning to a low-carb lifestyle rely on artificial sweeteners to satisfy their cravings for sugary foods, but aspartame, the most common artificial sweetener in diet colas, can cause side effects, says Jonny Bowden, certified nutritionist, fitness counselor and author of "Living the Low-Carb Life." Common effects of aspartame include dizziness, visual impairment, ear buzzing, muscle aches and high blood pressure, according to a report by Dr. Richard Wurtman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Choose a creamy, naturally sweet dessert to satisfy your cravings and avoid the potential side effects of aspartame.

Whey Protein Powder

Whey protein powder offers excellent nutrition and flavor, says Dana Carpender, low-carb diet advocate and founder of Hold the Toast Press in Bloomington, Indiana, author of "500 Low-Carb Recipes." Whey is the slightly milky, almost clear liquid that separates out from milk solids during cheese manufacturing. Dehydrated, whey becomes whey powder. Carpender recommends vanilla flavored whey protein for dessert recipes. Choose a natural whey protein sweetened with stevia for the best value and lowest carbs, Carpender advises.

Considerations

Consuming whey protein powder can help you build muscle more quickly and rebound well after a workout, even if you overexercise, according to a study published in 2010 in the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition" by Matthew Cooke and colleagues at Victoria University and the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Australia. The study found that whey protein improved strength recovery rates and might have increased the rate at which muscles were able to repair themselves after intense training.

Recipes

One of the easiest desserts to make with whey protein powder is a smoothie. Simply add one scoop of natural or vanilla-flavored protein powder to a blender, along with a cup of milk, a little yogurt and some frozen berries or other fruit. Add a frozen banana for an ice-cream like texture. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Use whey powder protein and ground almonds as a substitite for flour in your favourite cookie recipe, advises Marilee Berry, author of "Sound Bites---The Best of the Low-Carb Lifestyle." In place of sugar, a drizzle of honey, a banana or a few dates blended into the dough will make the cookie naturally sweet without adding significantly to the carb content.