180 Natural Protein Superfood Review & Smoothie Idea!

 When I started out on my health and fitness journey, there was a lot that I didn’t know… I mean A LOT!!! I didn’t know anything about portion size or caloric intake or how many meals I should be eating. What made it harder was that any time I tried to do some detective work on these topics I was met with a huge variety of conflicting opinions. Do this, do that, eat this, don’t eat that – how is anyone supposed to feel confident in making the right choices!!

What I have learned in the last couple of years is to not obsess over these kinds of issues as you will want to pull your hair out! There are so many right and wrong ways of eating healthy that you could give years trying to figure out what is considered the best way and lose sight of what is right for you! I personally believe that by just eating real food (#JERF – yes there is a hash tag for it!) we eliminate a lot of these burning questions and conflicting opinions. By eating foods in their most natural and whole form we cut out all the crap such as highly refined processed carbohydrates and sugary foods. 

This brings me to the subject of my post today. One of the first things that I did when I decided to clean up my diet was invest in a variety of protein powder products. I found these great at the time as they were quick and easy to make and carry around. With my goal being to eat as natural and minimally processed foods, I had my suspicions about the nutrient value of these powders. On further research I was disappointed to realise that the majority of conventional powders are highly processed using extraction methods under high heat with a lot of preservatives, chemicals and added artificial sweeteners of less desirable nature thrown into the mix.

This inspired me to do a bit more homework on the subject and begin a search for any available protein powders on the mark that contained as little crap as possible. I stumbled across 180 Nutrition’s Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder, a 100% natural product free from preservatives and chemical. It is gluten and sugar free and backed by nutritionists and naturopaths. Founded in 2010 by health & fitness duo Guy Lawrence and Stuart Cooke who identified the need for a more natural post-work out supplement that cut out all the rubbish and unnatural fillers contained in a large proportion of mainstream conventional supplements.

What makes 180 Protein Superfood Powder unique is its all-natural content containing nothing but:

·         Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate (or Pea Protein Isolate for the vegan version)

• Flaxseed 
•  Almond Meal
• Sunflower Kernels
• Coconut Flour
• Cocoa Powder (Raw)
• Chia Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)
•  Sesame Seeds
• Psyllium Husks
• Inactive Brewer’s Yeast
•  Stevia (all natural herbal sweetener)

Here is a very interesting picture referenced from the 180 Nutrition website comparing an average protein powder to 180 Protein Superfood.

180 Natural Protein Superfood	Brand X (Current Top Seller)
Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate	Whey Protein Isolate
Flaxseed	Whey Protein Concentrate
Almond Meal	Calcium Caseinate
Sunflower Kernels	Micellar Casein
Coconut flour/shredded coconut	Milk Protein Isolate
Cocoa (Chocolate flavour only)	Egg Albumen
Pepita (Pumpkin seeds)	Glutamine Peptides
Sesame Seeds	Sunflower Oil
Chia Seeds	Corn Syrup Solids
Psyllium Husks	Sodium Caseinate
Inactive Brewers Yeast	Mono- & Di-Glycerides
Stevia	Di-Potassium Phosphate
	Tricalcium Phosphate
	Lecithin
	Tocopherols
	Natural & Artificial Flavors
	Polydextrose
	Cellulose Gum
	Medium Chain Triglycerides
	Non-Fat Dry Milk
	Disodium Phosphate
	Silicon Dioxide
	Processed Cocoa Powder
	Sucralose
	Acesulfame Potassium
	Papain
	Bromelain

Shocking isn’t it!! I can’t even pronounce half the stuff in the left column. Ever hear of the saying ‘never eat anything that you can’t pronounce’??  It’s an eye-opener!

More information is available here at: http://180nutrition.com.au/compare/

Here are my overall thoughts:

Product Range:

There are 2 types of powders available – Whey Protein Isolate and Vegan Pea-Protein Isolate. Flavours available include chocolate and coconut, which is another thing that sparked my interest as I am slightly (FULLY) obsessed with anything coconut-y!

Flavour:

I ordered the Coconut WPI and was nicely surprised with the flavour – not a very strong in-your-face coconut hit. In my opinion this isn’t a bad thing, it brought a nice wholesome subtle hint to my smoothies without the sickly sweet artificial flavours of some brands. I also think this is a bonus as it allows for some flexibility in what you chose to use the supplement for – there are some yummy looking protein muffins and wraps both sweet and savoury that incorporate the coconut powder available on the 180 website. I therefore think this is the more functional flavoured supplement compared to the chocolate flavour if you are looking for more options with regards to you supplement intake.

For those of you who would prefer a stronger flavour it is important to remember that this supplement is free from unhealthy preservatives and artificial flavours and sweeteners. Try to remember that it is not supposed to taste like mainstream supplements so it may be a slight adjustment if you are used to highly flavoured products.

Texture:

This is an interesting subject as the texture of 180 Natural Protein Superfood differs greatly from conventional protein powders. It has a grainier texture given that some of the seeds within are left whole or roughly ground. This is not something that is going to suit everybody given that is not the most mixable product – it is delicious in blended smoothies with milk/water and some added fruit for balance but may not be the best choice for those who prefer a quick hand-made shake.

Cost:

180 Natural Protein Superfood is a very cost effective given that it retails at a similar price to mainstream products despite its ingredients being based on high-cost natural sources. A 1.5kg bag retails at $69.95 and a larger bulk bag at $179.95 for 4,5kg – which is probably the better buy for your wallet, once you have already tried and tested it and committed to a flavour that you like. Samples and starter packs are available to ‘try before you buy’.

Where to buy:

180 Nutrition is available at certain stockists (lists available on their website) in Australia and New Zealand but the best place to buy from is online directly from their website as I personally thought the service was quick, efficient and seamless. It is easy to see that this is a company that cares about their product and their customers.

 

Overall, I feel that this is a great product. I know that the principle of trying to eat food in its most natural form can be contradictory to the idea of consuming protein powders. But I personally feel that all natural protein supplements can be a nice addition to a clean and healthy diet adding some variety and flavour additions in moderation. Remember that this blog and my philosophy are all about not focusing too much on perfection! I use 180 Natural Protein Superfood as a post-workout shake, in a breakfast smoothie to up the nutrition density profile or as a healthy treat to satiate sweet cravings.  

Smoothie Idea!!

My favourite way of using 180 Natural Protein Superfood Powder is in a Coconut & Blueberry Smoothie:

Ingredients:     - 1 Cup of Coconut Milk/Almond Milk/Full fat Milk

-½ Cup of Frozen Blueberries

-1 heaped scoop of 180 Natural Protein Superfood Powder Coconut (WPI or Vegan – you could also use chocolate for a different variation)

(Tip: if your extra hungry include a tbsp or 2 of coconut oil or nut butter – avocado also works well for creaminess)

Simply whack all the ingredients in a blender and whizz on high for 30 seconds and enjoy! You can top with cinnamon, extra berries, coconut flakes or cacao nibs to make it pretty if you want!

It is a great product and I have been thoroughly enjoying making my way through my first bag of Coconut. It will not be my last and I am looking forward to trying the chocolate also!

Give it a go and see what you think!

Mary xxx