I’m a self-confessed ‘doubter’ when it comes to new health products – particularly of the protein, lean mass and fat-burning kind. 

I think you have to be when looking towards anything in this industry, there’s too many individuals, companies and organizations out there all offering the next best diet fad to give you the body you want in no time at all. But, as we live and learn surrounded by health and fitness, that simply just isn’t true. 

There’s no quick fix, no magic shortcut and no supplement that will single-handedly be able to change your body for the better. I want to make that very clear from the start. 

There are, however, a few products that I tend to stick with that help with the goal of health and fitness and to me, some of these are invaluable. Of these, I choose two (sometimes three) major supplements to help me get through my day consisting of caffeine, protein and omega 3 (if I remember). 

So, to try and minimize the number of different supplements I need to remember, I gave protein coffee a go to see what impact it would have on the start of my day. Here are my observations. 

An efficient daily routine

In my usual daily routine, I’ll wake up, make my way over to the nearest coffee shop to get a big ole’ cup of Joe before heading back to my apartment and getting into an hour of work. 

Then, once I’ve woken up enough, I’ll grab a protein shake and head over to the gym – a pretty standard routine. But that hour between my morning coffee and heading out to the gym is an hour that, in reality, is often wasted. 

While I’m waiting for the caffeine to kick my head into gear before I begin getting my gym gear together, it’s essentially wasted time. I need to wait until my stomach settles before I can drink my shake, so this usually starts my day off with scrolling through YouTube and Facebook – not the most efficient use of the time, I know. 

So, when I heard about the freshly launched protein coffee from Complete Nutrition, it was a bit of a lightbulb moment. Instead of waiting around and wasting a chunk of my morning, I could grab the 2-in-1 and head to the gym straight away. 

Sounds good in theory, but how did it pan out? 

The taste and texture 

Any true coffee aficionado will be wondering about the taste and any true gym rat will be wondering about the texture. As a party with a hand in both camps, I was curious about the product as a whole. 

The taste of the coffee

First off, the taste of the protein coffee. If you’ve tried protein powder mixed with just about anything in the past then you’ll be fully aware that if you’re wanting to maximize the flavors – it’s usually best to leave it out. So when I first cracked the seal and made my first brew, I was more than pleasantly surprised that it actually tasted great. 

I purchased the variety pack from the site so that I’d get to try each of the flavors individually and starting with the simple iced coffee, I was instantly going back for another sip. I’m not a complete psychopath, so I didn’t try all three in the same morning – I wanted to get to the gym in one piece, but the following couple of days didn’t disappoint. 

The mocha latte is absolutely great, but my personal favorite is caramel frappe. I’ve always had a bit of sweet tooth (that’s sometimes a little too hard to control) so the caramel undertones are something I love. 

The texture of the coffee

Next up, the one thing that I was dreading more than the taste, the texture of the coffee. 

Now, mixing protein with just about anything is a good way to ruin the texture of your food or drink, so I was expecting the same rule of thumb to fall true with the Maine Roast. However, give it a try and you’ll be more than delighted that there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. 

The long and short of it is simple – protein coffee tastes, but more importantly, feels like a regular cup of the good stuff. To my surprise, there are no complaints from me on this front. 

What about the macros?

Last up, the macros (or macronutrients for those scientists out there), how does the coffee stack up as a protein supplement? 

Checking out the label you’ll be able to tell a couple of vital stats about the beverage, the first of which is the amount of protein that you’ll receive per serving. Each of the blends sits at a healthy 15g, not bad at all for a coffee, especially when considering some protein bars are at the same value. So that’s the protein checked off the list – what about the caffeine? 

That’s good news too, there’s the equivalent of 2 shots of espresso in each serving, more than enough to get me fired up and on my way for a heavy workout. So that’s 2 for 2, leaving just one more vital figure on the back of the pack to make or break the dark drinkable. The calorie content. 

I know what you’re thinking – it tastes great so there have to be 500+ calories per serving… But that’s where you’d be wrong, there are actually under 100 calories for each. Less than a fifth of what you’d find in a Starbucks ultra caramel frappuccino. Not only that, but according to Healthcare Weekly, protein coffee can actually support weight loss. 

Super handy for getting my summer body in, eventually. 

The verdict 

I like to think of the verdict of any sort of supplement or health product in a very simple way – would I recommend it to my family or closest friends? 

When looking at protein coffee, it’s a resounding yes. The calorie count, protein and caffeine content alone is enough for me to make a strong recommendation but throw in the great taste and time saving that I’ve seen over the last few weeks and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. 

10/10, will be drinking again.