Alternatives To Protein Powder Due To Bloating

Although protein powder can be an effective tool for supporting your workout goals, you may find that it's not optimal for your diet. Many protein powders are made with milk products, so if you're lactose intolerant, you may experience bloating from protein powder. Thankfully, there are many lean protein choices that provide similar nutritional profiles to protein powder and can make effective alternatives.

Tuna

Tuna can be a beneficial addition to any diet because it's inexpensive, and it's also similar to protein powder in terms of nutritional profile. As with protein powder, tuna is relatively low in calories, with a high protein content and little else. While one scoop of whey protein powder contains 110 calories, 1.5 g of fat, 2 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of protein, a 3 oz. serving of grilled tuna offers 118 calories, 1 g of fat and 25 g of protein with no carbohydrates.

Ground Turkey

Although ground beef is rich in fat and high in calories, you don't have to sacrifice burgers when you're looking for a low-fat meal to replace your protein powder. Some brands offer 99 percent lean ground turkey, which has a very similar nutritional profile to protein powder -- a 4 oz. serving of this turkey contains 120 calories, with 26 g of protein and 1 g each of carbohydrates and fat. One potential area of concern is the cholesterol level -- each 4 oz. serving provides 18 percent of the daily suggested intake. Too much cholesterol may increase your risk of heart disease.

Turkey Jerky

One of the benefits protein powder is that it doesn't need to be refrigerated, so you can take it to the gym or other places. If you're looking for a convenient on-the-go snack, turkey jerky may be a good substitute. Turkey jerky isn't as low in carbohydrates as some meat products, but it is low, with 3 g per 1 oz. Each 1 oz. serving contains 70 calories, with 15 g of protein and 1 g of fat. Turkey jerky can be high in cholesterol and sodium; consuming too much of the latter may increase your blood pressure.

Shrimp

Shrimp offers a similar nutritional profile to protein powder, as it's low in fat and rich in protein. A 4 oz. serving of shrimp provides 80 calories, 1 g of fat, 18 g of protein and no carbohydrates.

Elk

Some game meats are high in fat, so they're not ideal alternatives to protein powder. However, elk is a lean game meat, with a 3 oz. elk burger providing 146 calories, 30 g of protein, 2 g of fat and no carbohydrates.