Protein shake? No thanks, I'm fine.

I have to start this post with the comment that the views I'm expressing are my own and I don't want to offend anyone.  I respect your views, please respect mine.

Last week I noticed several flyers in the office offering a free lunch on Thursday.  The son of one of the ladies was going to make protein smoothie shakes for everyone.  That's nice, I thought, but I need more than a protein shake for lunch. 

In the past I've known people who eat no breakfast, drink a power shake for lunch, go to the gym and work out, and then go home and eat 2 carrot sticks and a tablespoon of brown rice for an evening meal.  Okay, I am exaggerating a little, but you get the point.  They can be content with very little food.

So, Thursday rolled around and I didn't make a lunch to take.  I really had plans to go out and run errands and thought that I would pick up a sandwich or something while out and about.  Close to noon the young man making the smoothies appeared and asked what flavor I would like.  He rattled off quite a few and I choose strawberry banana, still planning to quietly eat a sandwich for lunch.  A few minutes later the rather large cup with the smoothie and another cup with green tea was presented to me.  It was explained that I should drink the smoothie and then follow it up with the green tea.  Honestly, I can't remember the explanation of why I was to do that because I didn't really listen. 

I took a few sips of the smoothie.  It tasted okay, a little powdery though.  A few minutes later I went down to the kitchen to express my thanks to the young man.  I was greeted at the door by a strange lady and saw another unknown man sitting at one of the tables.  The lady had on a shirt with the name of a well-known supplement type company.   I will not name the name of the company, but this young man had just started working with these people.   Before I could get sucked into their "free physical evaluation" the lady was distracted.  I chatted briefly with the young man's mother, who was singing the praises of the protein smoothies and proclaiming that due to all their special ingredients I would not be hungry.  I managed to politely leave the kitchen after thanking the young man and his mother.

I drank about half of the smoothie, but the powdery taste was overwhelming me and leaving a nasty taste in my mouth.  The tea was okay, but not very flavorful.  I quietly donated the remainder of the drinks to the drain in a bathroom sink.  Unfortunately, by this time I realized that I would not be able to get out to get a sandwich.  I was hungry, and would have been even if I had finished off the smoothie.  I ate a handful of veggie chips I had in my food stash and had a long hungry afternoon.  (Just to note I do usually have at least a package of tuna stored away in an emergency stash, but had nothing in the stash on that day, so it really was my fault that I didn't plan ahead and have a back up lunch plan).

I can't understand how a powdery, fruit flavored mixture can really be healthy. I've posted before that I am a firm believer that what you eat has a direct effect on how you feel.  I love fresh fruit and smoothies are okay, but I prefer to just eat the fruit.  I think it is much more sensible to eat a light, well balanced lunch of healthy food.  Protein power smoothie shakes just aren't for me, and that's my opinion.