I’ve recently shared that I’m on a low-gluten journey for health reasons (you can catch up on that story here). Lately, I’ve also been paying closer attention to my protein intake because once you hit your late 40’s and perimenopause rolls in, protein becomes more important than ever. So, when the team at Naked Nutrition reached out and offered to send me a few of their products to try, the timing couldn’t have been better. Not only do they offer clean, simple ingredients, but their products also make it easier to sneak in that much-needed protein to my daily diet.
I checked out their website and three items immediately caught my eye. Here’s what I tried:
Protein Shake: Chocolate Coconut Almond Protein Shake
This is the first product I picked, because I like an easy protein shake for a morning treat or afternoon pick-me-up. I’ll admit, I’d gotten out of the habit of making them, so I was excited to jump back in with this yummy-sounding flavor.
Here’s the breakdown for this shake:
The instructions say to mix two scoops into 6-12oz of milk, water or your preferred beverage. I tried it with both 2% milk and vanilla almond milk, sometimes blended with ice, sometimes just hand-shaken.
My thoughts: This one is SO GOOD! The flavor is rich and satisfying, and it really hits the spot when an afternoon sweets craving creeps in. The pea protein provides essential amino acids and is easy to digest, while the protein plus MCT oil combo kept me full much longer, helping me avoid my normal 4pm snack attack. The best part is that there is no sugar-substitute bitter aftertaste, that I’ve gotten with a few other shakes.
Protein Oats: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Oats
For months, my breakfast routine included protein oats from Aldi topped with a spoonful of peanut butter. But when they suddenly disappeared from the shelves, I was thrilled to see Naked Nutrition offered their own protein oats option.
Here’s the breakdown for the Naked Oats:
You can prepare Naked Oats two ways: as oatmeal (two scoops + 8 oz milk, then refrigerate 5+ hours) or as a shake (two scoops + 6–12 oz water or milk, blended).
My thoughts: I tested both methods and hands-down preferred the shake. The oatmeal version wasn’t my favorite texture; however it was much improved by adding some sliced bananas. The shake though… that was a winner for me. I blended two scoops with about 12 oz of milk and a couple ice cubes, and it turned into a thicker, almost chewy shake that kept me full for hours. The chocolate peanut butter banana flavor is tasty, but I have my eye on the cinnamon roll version for next time.
Collagen: Collagen Peptides with Hyaluronic Acid
I’ve heard a lot about the benefits of collagen for women in perimenopause, including for skin health and elasticity, joint support, hair and nail strength, and bone density. In fact, one of the big concerns for aging women is bone density and chronic conditions like osteoporosis, and collagen may help make up for the deficit.
Here’s the breakdown for the Collagen Peptides with Hyaluronic Acid:
The collagen peptides power can be added to coffee or smoothies and is best used consistently. The instructions say to mix one to two scoops into 8-16oz of hot or cold liquid.
My thoughts: For my first try, I added the collagen peptides powder to a shaker cup, along with two scoops of the Chocolate Coconut Almond Protein shake and about 16oz of vanilla almond milk. Then, I just gave it a good shake, shake, shake until it seemed pretty smooth, dumped it in a glass and drank it with a straw. I really couldn’t tell much of a difference between just the plain protein shake, which I think is kind of the point. I think this will also be great added to a smoothie, with some frozen fruit, ice cubes and milk or almond milk, since it just adds all the goodness and doesn’t seem to impact the flavor or texture.
Overall, I was really impressed with Naked Nutrition. Each product was easy to prepare and delivered the protein and nutrients I’m focusing on right now. My personal favorite was the Chocolate Coconut Almond Protein Shake and I’m interested to try some of their other flavors as well.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Naked Nutrition. I received these products for free and was compensated for my time, but all opinions, experiences, and thoughts shared here are completely my own.