#driedcow

[allaboutfoodgwu]

The Whey to Become a Hero

As fate would have it, I returned to Whole Foods on a protein-oriented mission once more. Quick refresher, the Whole Foods I visited is the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods on the campus of George Washington University, known for its many registers and lack of cashiers.

At around 8:00pm on a Tuesday night, honestly, the place is poppin’. People move around quickly, maybe trying to grab stuff for dinner or breakfast tomorrow morning. The produce department is so picked over, there are entire shelves exposed with only the rejects-- the veggies and fruits most wilted and small-- are left behind. 

Actually, good thing it was! The sparse banana, um... wall?... attracted my eye to a large protein display! Which led to another great discovery of another protein display which led to ANOTHER discovery of a wall of hanging bagged protein powders, specifically labeled “smoothie mix”. The prices were no different from the ones on the wall; however, it is clear they are trying to upsell the protein mixes as smoothie additives since they are by teh fruits and leafy greens.

Once more in the back of the store, by the supplements, vitamins and beauty section, the protein powder still occupies an entire wall. It appears they have gotten in a few new products in. There are large bags of protein, instead of just tubs. There is a clearer distinction between the powders mroe oriented for nutrition, than those which appear to be marketed more towards people seeking a sports nutrition. 

The sports/workout-oriented powders closer mimic labels to the more conventional protein powders with black tubs and less natural blues and greens. The natural and plant-based protein powders all have plants, leaves and other ‘natural’ motifs (which I see on labels of most natural brands). 

One new addition I did find particularly interesting was the protein powder marketed for “kidz”. Unlike the others, it had fun little cartoons of people with sunglasses. The flavor was”extreme chocolate,” wit instructions on the front saying “One scoop. Superhero.” I dunno what all the other labels are doing wrong, but this one really sold me... Until I turned it over and saw that sugar was the second ingredient. If you have a picky eater, I can understand reaching for a protein supplement that also boasts probiotics and greens, though. 

In comparison (kidz nutrition label compared to adults in upper photo), a peanut-butter flavored protein powder for adults was sweetened with stevia. This makes me wonder if there’s a nutritional difference that we should be concerned about? But also, maybe drinking protein which has been abstracted should also raise some concerns? 

Standing by the powders, I did see one younger woman buy a bag of chocolate protein powder smoothie mix from the wall. An older, maybe middle-aged man was standing in front of the powder for a long time but he eventually left, no protein in hand. I did not not witness anyone purchase protein powder from the produce area.

Alright friends, this is where I leave you. DO with the knowledge of protein powders in DC, what you will. I have trust and faith in the growing community surrounding grams and gains. It is up to you to do the heavy lifting from here, on your own. 

[worm-songs]

eyyy

[allaboutfoodgwu]

Putting the Whey in Safeway

Inspired by my new-found love for ethnographic analysis of protein powders, I decided to hit up another grocery store. This time, my victim was Safeway in Georgetown. Yup, Georgetown. Surprised they even have such a low-class establishment as Safeway. This Safeway also takes GWorld so clearly their loyalties are not geographically tied.

Walking in, the environment feels cold and sterile. The walls are white and the downstairs entrance is crowded with large, spacious carts. I am immediately aware of register beeping, freezer machines werring and the smell of cookies as the escalator rises.

It’s about 3 in the afternoon on a Sunday and the place is pretty hoppin’. The customers appear to be a mix of families, college aged and young professional types as well as some regular professional types.

Meandering around the store, it takes me some time to find where the protein powder is located (I’m also easily distracted by the general assault of colorful labels, enhanced only in a way florescent lighting is capable). I finally find it, placed beneath an ambiguously labeled “organic” aisle, across from the equally ambiguously labeled “natural foods”.

The floors are a nice, ash grey linoleum wood. The shelves are packed, but only the top one has protein powder. The brand, tera’swhey, has really seemed to monopolize safeway’s selection with a small variety of flavors (vanilla, chocolate and plain). All advertise “grass fed” (which saddened me, made me think of dehydrated cows) with simplistic green labels. They had a couple other brands with vegetarian options featuring hemp and pea derived protein. Those only had one option for each and had more neon labels in blue and green.

The cheapest option was a brand called “Designer Whey,” which for $16.99 you could get 12 oz of protein powder and 11 servings or 2 lbs for $36.99.  In comparison, Tera’s was $20.49 for 12 oz. and 12 2servings. The pea protein by Naturade was $16.99 for 12 servings and actually featured the serving amount on the front, which the other’s did not.

The lack of variety and shelf space dedicated to protein powders in Safeway suggests their customer base is maybe more focused on sustainable meals, not supplements for a quick meal replacement or protein surplus. Something I find odd about the protein powders being shoved in with the gummy vitamins and organic soaps, is that it’s actually a similar placement to the protein powders in Whole Foods, but Whole Foods is like… entirely a ‘natural foods’ aisle.

The size of the carts and wide isles suggests the store is made for people doing large quantity shopping trips— families. When I was younger, my mom stopped being a vegetarian because it was easier, and cheaper in some ways, for all of us to just eat meat. Safeway itself is next to Georgetown neighborhoods and has a real parking lot. All this, plus the lack of protein powder variety, is evidence that this Safeway could be marketing a more family friendly environment.

Can’t wait to see what the next site has in store… Okay, now I might be trying too hard.

[allaboutfoodgwu]

Whey-re To Begin? 

What do you know about protein powder? It sounds pretty straight forward— powdered protein. Maybe this involves some sort of freaky multi-step animal dehydration system followed by some sort of grinding process? 

Personally, I knew protein powder through the instagram-fitness-model-discount-code lens until about a year ago, when I became a vegetarian. I was struggling to cut meat out of my diet without feeling the need to eat all day. My roommate at the time suggested I try adding vegan protein powder to my smoothies to help make up for some of the protein my body was still craving. For the first time, I could see protein powder having a more legitimate use for someone without a fitness focus. 

Where do I go for weird alternative powders? Whole Foods of course.

At the Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom, the protein powders are located downstairs towards the back, near the escalators that lead to check out. There is an entire wall dedicated to a variety of protein powders ranging from brands that market towards nutrition focused customers, to others advertising ‘fit’ or ‘sport’ oriented supplements. The shelves are packed and sit under a sign made up of rustic, stained and exposed four by two wooden planks which read “sports nutrition.” The materials used for the sign appear throughout the store, to add to what one may call an ‘organic’ feel, a kind of, just-pulling-fresh-apples-out-the-farm-refrigerator feel. The protein powder sits nestled between sections for vitamins, beauty and bath products, a mountainous display for bath salts featuring rustic halved barrels, dry bulk bins and small party themed paper things like wrapping paper, cards and ribbons.

While vitamins and other micronutrients are essential for anyone’s diet, I feel like a sort of privilege comes with the ability to afford extraneous additives like protein powder. This suggests whole foods demographic customer. The protein powder’s position in the store next to less essential products— like bath salts, birthday cards and random supplements— yet still easily in plain site, easy to grab on your way up to check out, suggests “maybe you need this protein powder, but you can live without it.” Customer’s who choose to buy protein powder will then go out of their way to add it to/or sub meals later.

I dunno if it was because I shop early in the morning, or the prices scare people off, but I did not see a single protein powder purchaser. It’s surprising, the packed shelves lined up all the labels in a very pleasing, attractive manner. Each sported earthy toned colors and a small graphic of something ‘natural,’ like a vanilla flower resting atop 3 dried vanilla beans (that happens all the time), or aesthetically crushed chocolate squares on a bed of leaves that stand perpendicular from an imaginary surface like bunny ears. 

The labels should be attractive, something has to distract you from the fact that one of their cheapest options, brought to you from the whole foods brands, is 16.2 oz, 17 servings and $25.99. The prices seem to grow with the more additives the brand promises. Vega, for example, was the brand that took up the most shelf space, had a wide variety of purposes for their powders and often advertised vegetables, fruits and vitamins in addition to protein. 

I can’t help but wonder how that all ends up in powder form? And why do we feel the need to ingest it since I’ve been doing fine without it? Tune in next Sunday at midnight to see if I get any closer to solving this cultural conundrum.