Protein pancakes. Protein buns. Protein MugCakes. Whether we want it or not, protein is nowadays perhaps in all nutrition intended for athletes. Often it is not important to the manufacturer that the protein fractions are denatured by heat and thus lose their positive effect on health. The main thing is simply to sell the product.
But when the opportunity to try the protein porridge from SizeAndSymmetry came up, I couldn't resist. So what was it like? Is it worth investing in? Who is it suitable for and who won't appreciate it at all? You can find out all this and much more in today's review.
Content of the review
Why did I want to try protein porridge, you ask, when I swear about the overuse of protein in recipes right in the introduction? Plain and simple, I was intrigued by the fact that you just mix the porridge with water and breakfast is ready. Oh, and since it's perfectly normal for me to not catch up on anything in the morning, this could be a great solution. So you'll find out how I found the porridge in a moment.
First-class ingredients
Whey protein CFM ISO90, oat extruded flour, rice instant flour, ricerice flakes, micellar casein, sucralose, sweetener derived from stevia. You will find nothing more and nothing less in Protein Mash by SizeAndSymmetry. Thanks to this first-class composition, the whole mash also has first-class nutritional values - in one 70g serving you will find almost 27g of protein, 32g of carbohydrates (simple sugars make up less than 2 grams) and less than 3g of fibre.
Thanks to the excellent protein sources, the porridge also contains a relatively high amount of amino acids (mainly BCAA and glutamine).
| Nutritional values (coconut) |
Content per 100 g |
In 1 serving 70 g |
|
Energy value (kcal) |
377 kcal |
264 kcal |
|
Energy value (kJ) |
1 583 kJ |
1 108 kJ |
|
Protein |
37,70g |
26,39g |
|
Carbohydrates |
41,70g |
29,19g |
|
of which sugars |
2,40g |
1,68g |
|
Total fats |
5,62g |
3,93g |
|
of which saturated fatty acids |
0,40g |
0,28g |
|
Salt |
0,14g |
0,10g |
|
Fibre |
3,20g |
2,24g |
|
Amino acids |
||
|
L-Leucine (BCAA) |
4,00g |
2800 mg |
|
L-Isoleucine (BCAA) |
2,40g |
1680 mg |
|
L-Valine (BCAA) |
2,30g |
1610 mg |
|
L-Glutamic Acid |
4,70g |
3290 mg |
Great flavours
This protein porridge is available in three flavours - coconut, creamy yoghurt and natural. Since I've tried all three variants, I was able to compare even among each other. From my point of view, the order is as follows:
- Coconut (9.5/10) - It differs from the natural variant in its shredded coconut content, which of course gives the whole product a great taste (if you like coconut, of course). You don't have to worry about the flavor content increasing the amount of simple sugars, which are still kept under two grams. Personally, I consider this a big advantage. Plus, the coconut flavor feels completely natural and unartificial. Therefore, I rate the coconut porridge 9.5 out of 10 points.
- Natural (8.5/10) - Although the unflavored version tasted good too, I have a reservation about it. It's a little too sweet for my taste. Not that it's sweet, but I expect the natural version to have an unsweet taste, which I would like to flavour myself later. But this version of porridge is so sweet, that sweetening or flavouring it myself is out of the question. That's why I rate it 8.5 out of 10.
- Creamy yoghurt (8.5/10) - The creamy yoghurt gets about the same rating as the natural flavour from me. In terms of ingredients, the only difference from the unflavored version is the flavor used, which is a bit different compared to coconut. But the porridge is still tasty- it's not extremely oversweetened and the yogurt flavor isn't too artificial either. That's why I also give this flavor 8.5 out of 10.
A quick and nutritious breakfast
What really caught my eye about this protein porridge is the quick and easy preparation. Just pour two scoops into a bowl, pour in 150-200ml of water or lactose-free milk (I used water, but it depends on everyone's preference) and stir. In practice, this means you have breakfast on the table within two minutes. And if you're not as busy in the morning as I am, every minute counts.
Personally, I tend to use a smaller amount of water (let's say 130-150ml) to prepare my porridge, as I prefer thicker porridges. But again, you can adjust the amount of water as you see fit. Well, if I happened to get up early in the morning, I would always add a good dollop of fruit, nuts or cinnamon to the porridge.
Price matching
For a single serving of Protein Mash, you'll pay . Although this seems a lot at first glance, if you had, for example, Muesli and yoghurt with a scoop of protein for breakfast, the price would be more or less the same. Of course, a cheaper alternative is to buy instant cereal along with instant rice flour and mix the porridge yourself, but this will again increase the preparation time. Not to mention that the taste won't be the same either.
Too small a container
From my point of view, a minor drawback is the too small jar. As it is filled to the brim with porridge, you will probably spill half the packet when you first open it and then look for the measuring cup. However, there are no other drawbacks to SizeAndSymmetry's Protein Mash, so this minor detail is completely negligible.
Final evaluation
This protein porridge has a good composition, delicious flavours and, most importantly, time-saving preparation. And that's why I would recommend it to anyone who simply doesn't have time to fry eggs, for example, due to busy mornings. But you have to take into account that you will pay more than necessary for such a thing.
In case you decide to buy a packet of instant oatmeal and mix it with regular protein, you will save considerably. On the other hand, you will miss out on the taste experience. So the bottom line is, protein porridge can be a great helper, but it is definitely not necessary.
READ MORE: The best protein porridges on the market - Which one to choose? (Test)
Comparison with competitors
Other expert reviews
- FitStream Quick Oats: a quick and nutritious breakfast [review]
- GymBeam [review]: low quality protein True Whey, Just Whey
- Biotech Iso Whey Zero [review]: the best isolate on the market?
- Scitec 100% Whey Professional [review]: one of the most popular proteins
- Vitamin D3 from GymBeam: The clear favourite in the price/quality ratio?