Apologies for the lack of links to scientific evidence, but whey protein is usually cited as the best protein type - most easily absorbed and used by your body. (I'm lactose intolerant and have never had trouble with whey protein powder.)

I have tried so many different sources of protein powders from hemp, pea, soy, egg white, and whey. My favorite is whey. And my all time favorite is Jay Robb protein powder. Not all whey pp is the same. This pp is made with rBGH free whey and sweetened with stevia. The list of ingredients comes to 5 not 50! It comes in a variety of different flavors that are all really great. I know he makes a egg white pp as well but I haven't tried it.

I've tried a number of protein powders. The one I like the most is Gaspari Myofusion (Vanilla is what I have):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CVU54G/ref=wms_ohs_product_T2

I stopped using protein powder once I read this:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/06/protein-supplements-heavy-metal-consumer-reports.html

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/what-our-tests-found/index.htm

Arsenic? No thanks. I now stick to adding nonfat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, pasteurized liquid egg whites, and/or peanut butter for my protein smoothies.

For your consideration: soy contains phytoestrogens that can mess us hormonal balances, especially for young men and women. Consider doing a few quick searches to investigate this further because soy products are in most processed foods these days.

These are all good recommendations -- whey and egg protein are considered the most biologically available. If you're adverse to animal proteins, I like pea and rice. I find hemp protein to be HORRIBLE, and in general am not a fan of soy.

I recently read an article revealing high levels of heavy metals in various protein powders -- so be aware of that.

Also, recalling the petfood scare of a few years ago, I worry about protein powders made in China -- are they doctored with melamine to up the nitrogen (and there for "protein") content? As far as I know, the *only* protein powder available that is certified to be melamine-free is the New Zealand Whey Protein from Vital Nutrients.

Personally I use the above Vital Nutrients protein powder, along with Metagenics Ultrainflamx. (Both lines are only available through licensed health care providers, but you can find them on the internets.)

i work for a chiropractor who specializes in nutrition. he recommends Muscle Milk because the protein in it mimics the nutritional aspects of mother's milk, one of the most nutritional substances we ever consume. it is available in many different flavors, and is quite tasty.

I'm partial to Designer Whey. Pretty easy to find in most grocery/health stores, but also cheaper on Amazon. Good quality, no weird aftertaste. I've tried other brands, but keep coming back to DW.

Like BrittanyB said, cottage cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, and I'll add almond butter, are all good protein sources.

Strange, I know, but I'm one of those people who like to eat real food instead of non-food substances.

I like Vega protein powder from Sequel - I prefer the vanilla chai flavor. It has other stuff like maca root and vitamins, and it makes me feel pretty magical when I take it.

I am one of those people who do not feel particularly superior to others even though I make awesome nutritional choices.

(Vega has no soy, and nothing animal-based. And it also gives you 25% of your daily fiber.)

Muscle Milk actually was the worst heavy metal offender in the Consumer Reports study linked above.

Vega is vegan and non-soy. It's pretty good. I'll echo that I like the vanilla chai flavor best.

I wrote an extended post on this topic here. After further investigation, I am severely concerned about melamine contamination in Chinese milk powders. Whatever you decide to use, check with the manufacturer about this.

I am with Sussu in favor of Vega. Amazing plant proteins & gives you such great energy!

http://myvega.com/products/whole-food-health-optimizer/features-benefits

I like the vanilla hemp protein powder from Trader Joes. They have it in chocolate as well.

I agree with BrittanyB. Supplements are not regulated in the same way that food is, which is a little scary. Hence the heavy metals. I think that powdered milk is a good alternative though, along with the other food sources mentioned above.

thanks everyone! i too like to eat "natural" but wanted to add some protein to his strawberry/banana/orange smoothie -don't think PB would work. I'll try cottage cheese and i've seen the vega brand at whole foods.

maybe i should just crack an egg into the smoothie?

i always had protein shakes as a kid at this "healthy shake" shop in Goleta, CA and they used the milk and egg and I like that taste. I don't like the newish kinds that are full of sugar and crap.

Hi Joan -- as I said above, one of the protein sources I use is pasteurized egg whites, so yeah, cracking an egg would also be a great idea (I just go for the pasteurized egg whites for peace of mind wrt salmonella).

Obviously PB in a smoothie like that would be a bit weird, but this is how I used it:

-milk (nonfat or almond, usually)
-cottage cheese
-egg whites
-PB
-unsweetened cocoa powder
-banana
-espresso powder (optional)
-ice cubes

Delicious, and high in protein!

I use a protein powder called Energy from Nature's Plus. It's soy based, gluten free, and low glycemic with 16g protein per serving. It has lots of vitamins and minerals from plant sources and also echinacea and astragalus for the immune system.

I buy from buybulkwhey.com for my exercising recovery shakes. They have plain whey and awesome flavors like strawberries and cream and mocha. It's one of the cheapest places I've seen whey.

Peanut (or almond) butter in an orange/strawberry smoothie would indeed be weird, but I add it to my banana/cocoa powder/milk post-workout shake and it's freakin' delicious. Try it. Oh, and add some spinach to those fruit smoothies -- I don't know where it all goes when I blend it in, but I can rarely taste it. My kids think it's a magic trick.

I would avoid processed protein powders- I use the whole-food, raw, organic, allergen-free supplement called Vega. It is a meal in itself and is thoroughly backed by science. But really, you shouldn't just listen to people's opinions on these things, read the details and decide for yourself!

http://myvega.com/

Don't know if this is what you meant but don't bother putting a raw egg into your drink. Until it's cooked, the protein is unusable to the human body. Sorry, hope I'm not Negative Nancying here. :)

I got all excited about the Vega... until I saw the price. $4 per serving even if you buy the largest tub! I know they're putting high quality stuff in there, but WOW- I think I'll stick with the real foods, not out of superiority, but affordability.

I use natural Whey, which only has 4 ingredients and is sweetened with Stevia.

I love Warrior Whey in Vanilla. They use hormone free milk and no GMOs and it is absolutely the BEST tasting protein powder I've ever had. I certainly don't recommend the associated warrior diet, but this protein power has been a welcomed addition to my diet. The vanilla tastes like a vanilla milkshake even when just mixed with water and it doesn't have that chemical aftertaste. http://www.defensenutrition.com/defense_nutrition_grass_fed_cows_whey_protein-buy_5_and_get_1_free_bundle

Amazing Meal - chocolate flavor works really well. It tastes different than normal protein powder (more earthy) but once you get used to the flavor it's not bad and much healthier than protein powders.

I'm sorry alice88wa, but that is nonsense.

thanks everyone!!!
(and thanks for the price analysis of the Vega - I, too, prefer to buy real food for that price!)
@BrittanyB - i'm definitely going to try your recipe!

I drink a protein smoothie almost everyday. I use whey isolate protein mostly. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/06/my-favorite-protein-shake-recipes.html I even make ice cream out of it. Good stuff.

I rotate between vanilla chai vega and and chocolate amazing meal...probably not the most economical (I buy a variety at whole foods in the sample packs to keep myself from getting bored:

I stock up on frozen fruit from Trader Joes. My usual mix:

1 cup Almond milk
half a frozen banana
.5 to 1 cup of berries
half a packet of the above powders
2 handfuls of raw spinach
drizzle of honey (sometimes)

Delish!

Why not just buzz a block of silken tofu in instead? Good for you, low calorie, high protein, and doesn't affect the flavor or texture of your smoothie.

The tofu idea is great. Re: Vega, I buy it from iHerb at 14 bucks less than recommended retail, and I use a half of their recommended dose - that gets me the 1/4 daily protein, 1/4 daily fiber, 1/2 of vitamins that I think is plenty, since I try to eat a healthy diet consisting of good, real foods. (I take the powder because it seems to be hard for me to eat as much protein as I should, especially when I'm working out a lot.) So one smoothie works out to be about two bucks. For me, it feels like it's worth it - but for those who don't need to add protein and who get plenty of fiber, it's probably not worth it.

I use a whey protein isolate then add stuff to make things interesting: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/06/my-favorite-protein-shake-recipes.html

Actually, @BrittanyB, in alice88wa's defense, it's not total nonsense. As Wikipedia says:

"the protein in raw eggs is only 51% bio-available, whereas that of a cooked egg is nearer 91% bio-available, meaning the protein of cooked eggs is nearly twice as absorbable as the protein from raw eggs."
Egg Uses on Wikipedia

And this is the cited study.

Thanks, AEH83 -- I will check those sources out.

alice88wa
You are right, except the body does digest raw egg protein, but not as much as cooked. See the quotes I found:
Doctor Science notes that "cooked eggs are almost twice as digestible as raw eggs" and that a cooked egg therefore "has effectively more human-available calories than a raw egg"
Authoritative nutrition research says the protein in cooked eggs is more bioavailable (can be digested & absorbed by the human body 2 a greater extent):

"the protein in raw eggs are only 51% bio-available, whereas a cooked egg is nearer 91% bio-available, meaning the protein of cooked eggs is nearly twice as absorbable as the protein from raw eggs.[1]"

Update! I just noticed this week that Vitamin Shoppe is offering a new line of supplementation for natural athletes with no artificial sweeteners and the protein is from the milk of hormone-free, grass-fed-only cows. I can’t vouch for the taste yet, but if anyone else has tried any from the new “True Athlete” line, let us know here in the comments section what you think.
Cholesterol

I use plain whey protein from the Bulk Barn. It's 93% protein as opposed to the 60-70% you find in branded powders from the health stores or grocery stores.

I have been adding Sachi Ichi powder to our smoothies. It is a South American Nut.
It is vegetarian and also contains Omega 3's plus it tastes nice