That protein is important for you I probably don't have to tell you anymore. In the world of dietary supplements people usually talk about whey, while there are several other forms of protein. So today I want to take a closer look at whey or casein, two proteins that - I secretly reveal - complement each other well.
Plant proteins
You also have several other types of plant protein such as pea and fava protein. In terms of effect, these are not inferior to whey or casein. Absorption is slower than whey protein but still significantly faster than casein. If you are lactose intolerant or simply do not want to consume animal products, vegan protein powders are your best choice.
Whey or casein?
You've probably heard of whey protein if you're familiar in the world of protein shakes. Whey is made from the rennet of milk when cheese is made. Halfway through production, the whey protein is filtered out of the milk. Another protein - casein - does remain in the milk and is also used to make cheese. Did you know that milk is only 3.5% protein and 80% of that is casein? But what exactly is casein?
Fast vs slow protein
Cottage cheese is a typical product that contains a lot of casein protein and is often advised to eat it at the beginning of the day or before bedtime. But why? Casein is also called a slow protein because it takes longer for your body to absorb it and for it to enter the bloodstream. With whey, this happens relatively quickly, but it is much less found in everyday foods. This is why whey is such a well-known protein product in the world of sports, while casein is just as important but much less labeled.
When to eat what
You could already read a little bit above, but of cottage cheese it is often advised to eat it in the morning or evening. Casein - which is thus commonly found in cottage cheese - is slowly metabolized by the body due to a different amino acid composition and releases protein building blocks to the body over a longer period of time. Whey, on the other hand, is absorbed quickly due to its amino acid composition and purity. So this protein is very suitable to take immediately after a workout as recovery while casein on the other hand has many advantages to eat it in the evening. Your body then has time at night to digest it and make optimal use of it. So you can eat these two types of protein side by side, just right to provide your body with different amino acids this way.
How to use casein
An easy way to get enough casein is to eat cottage cheese. But I can imagine you don't always feel like doing that. You can also buy casein protein powder. I'm a big believer in getting all the nutrients from your daily diet, but sometimes it's easy to use another product. Casein powder, like whey powder, can be used for a shake. A shake does tend to get a little creamier with casein. But what is also delicious to make with casein is a so-called protein fluff. A hype I totally missed, but have now discovered by trying the new casein protein from Ekopura.
Casein is known for making it super fluffy. The recipe for protein fluff is very easy, in a food processor pulse 125 grams of frozen fruit into powder (make sure you use a powerful food processor), add 20 grams of casein protein & 100 ml of milk and blend until creamy. Pour into another bowl and beat with a hand mixer for about 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
Enjoy your meal! Were you already familiar with casein and do you ever use it?
