Realand Nutrition Whey and Plant Based Protein Powders – Home Grown For Your Next Adventure

As much as training is important to your fitness, recovery, and nutrition are right up there too. You can train as hard as you want, but if you are not allowing your body to repair all of that damage you create during training and provide it with the nutrition to do so, it will lead to fatigue, injury, and burnout. Realand Nutrition is here to help you recover with their whey and plant-based protein products, going straight to the farms to source the best ingredients possible.

Realand isn’t just another supplement brand. They are a collective of farmers and athletes that came together to create clean, natural products that combine a passion for sustainable farming and outdoor adventure. Founder Dillon Buline grew up in Iowa and spent his career working with farmers and pursuing a healthier way to fuel active lifestyles.

If you think about it, farmers and endurance athletes aren’t all that different. Both care about the land, putting in the work for the results, and not taking shortcuts. Quiet farm country roads make for some of the best training grounds as a cyclist, which is one of the reasons why I love where I live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There are also plenty of markets to get fresh produce straight from local farms.

Realand works directly with farmers and ranchers to source all of its ingredients. All of their products are made in the USA, GMO-free, FDA registered, and are sourced from ethical and sustainable farms. All of this keeps the ingredients fresh and as clean and natural as possible, and helps to support the farmers who are investing in the long-term health and success of their farms. If sustainable farming is new to you, it is an approach to farming that doesn’t just focus on today’s needs, but also makes sure that the soil and resources will remain healthy and fertile for generations to come. This includes things like:

• Crop Rotation: Alternating different crops and planting specific crops (like clover or rye) after the main harvest helps to replenish soil nutrients, prevent erosion
• Cover Cropping: Helps to prevent erosion and suppress weeds
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Use of biological, mechanical, and cultural methods to control pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides 
• Efficient Water Management: Use of specific irrigation techniques to reduce water usage, overwatering, and water runoff
• Nutrient Recycling: In field composting the leftover plant material post-harvest to return nutrients to the soil over time.

Additionally, all packaging Realand uses is made from recycled materials.

Realand currently offers three products: two flavors of Whey Protein Isolate and a Plant-Based Protein. Their grass-fed whey comes from cows that are allowed to roam and graze on their own. When it comes to creating their whey, Realand uses a more refined processing method that removes the majority of fat and lactose, while retaining a higher protein content. It creates a purer and more effective whey protein that is easy to digest and absorbs faster than milk protein or whey protein concentrates. It also has a high concentration of essential amino acids and Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), which help to promote muscle recovery and reduce soreness.

The Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate comes in Unflavored and Chocolate. For the unflavored version, you get 25g of protein per serving. There are only two ingredients: grass-fed whey protein isolate and sunflower lecithin. The sunflower lecithin is a natural ingredient added to help the whey mix and emulsify in place of more processed ingredients. This simple combination of ingredients makes it easy to digest, even for people with lactose sensitivities.

The chocolate version keeps the grass-fed whey protein isolate and adds cane sugar, organic cocoa, organic natural flavors, salt, and stevia for taste, cellulose gum, cornstarch, and sunflower lecithin to help it blend easily. At 22g of protein per serving, it is slightly less than the unflavored version, butit has a great taste.

For the plant-based option, Realand uses fava bean protein. Compared to other plant-based options, fava bean protein has a cleaner taste and is less earthy tasting and less gritty than other options. It absorbs fast, has high protein content, and is a great source of essential amino acids and BCAAs. It’s also gluten-free and has a low risk of allergens, making it a great option for those with dietary restrictions and sensitivities. From a sustainability perspective, fava beans require less land and water than soy, pea, and rice crops.

The Plant-Based Protein comes in chocolate only and offers 22g of protein per serving.

In The Shaker Bottle

Realand sent over a bag of the chocolate whey protein isolate and the plant-based protein for us to try. Over the last few months, I’ve been alternating between both and a few other proteins I typically use for post-workout recovery, but also for some late-night protein to help keep my blood sugar from crashing overnight. While I’m not diabetic, I found that while testing some continuous glucose monitors that my blood sugar often crashed in the middle of the night, sometimes pretty significantly. While I didn’t really feel any side effects, it was still concerning. After a check-in with my doctor, she suggested trying some additional protein in the evening to help sustain my blood sugar levels overnight.

To add in, I’m a vegetarian and try to limit the amount of dairy I eat due to an increasing sensitivity to dairy as I’m getting older. Yeah, it kinda sucks getting old. But, Realand assured me that I would be good with both the whey and plant-based products.

My initial observation is how well the powder blends. The powders are noticeably different. The whey is very fine and granular, while the plant-based is more of a fluffy powder. I typically just use a shaker bottle with either a wire ball or the plastic insert at the top. While some powders you need to shake up a lot, or even use a blender or frother to blend them up, a few shakes in a shaker bottle gets everything blended for a nice, smooth drink. I tend to throw a few ice cubes in too, because I like my drink cold, but it also helps in agitating the mix. Even as you get to the bottom of your shaker, the powder stays blended well, so it doesn’t get thick or chalky at the finish. Just give it a quick shake if you are taking your time drinking it.

Now for the taste. In both cases, the chocolate taste is mild and natural tasting. Sometimes, I add a little Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk if I’m having a chocolate craving, but even without it, the taste is great. I’m not too sensitive to the taste of plant-based proteins, but I’m not getting any earthy undertones or aftertaste. Same with the whey protein isolate version, you just get the mild chocolate taste without any aftertaste.

Both proteins sat well in my stomach. I’ve had some proteins that I can’t say the same for, which left me feeling a little bloated and gassy. Even with a lactose sensitivity, the whey protein isolate seemed like it digested well and didn’t leave me running to the bathroom or having to blame any smells on the dog.

For recovery, it’s hard to quantify the exact benefits of one protein over another, but I will say that my legs felt less fatigue and soreness compared to days that I didn’t grab a shake after my workout. But knowing the science of how protein and amino acids help to rebuild and repair your muscles after a hard workout, having a clean, quick-absorbing, quality protein definitely helps in aiding recovery.

Another great thing is that the protein blends are low-calorie, low-fat, and low-carb, allowing you to focus on your protein intake. Some recovery proteins also include additional carbs and calories, which are important for recovery, especially if you don’t like to eat a lot after working out. Others prefer something that focuses on the protein, and allows you to refuel how you want (give me that post-ride burrito!), which is where Realand comes in. This was key for me, especially for my evening protein drinks before bed, helping to keep my blood sugar stable overnight and not adding a lot of calories and carbs right before bed. For the lowest in each category, go for the unflavored version, but you are getting between 100-130 calories per serving and less than a gram of fat across all products.

I didn’t have a chance to try the unflavored version, but it allows you to mix it into any drink or food of your choice. Think oatmeal, pancakes, smoothies, things like that. You can use the chocolate-flavored proteins, too, but you’ll get a chocolate flavor coming through.

Conclusion

I’ve got a few more servings left to get through, and have been pleasantly surprised by the Realand products. The subtle, clean taste, silky smooth consistency when blended, and clean ingredients are a great combination. Knowing that they are supporting sustainable farming practices adds another benefit as well.

At $47.60 for a 17-serving bag, it comes out to $2.80 a serving, which is in line with many other high-quality protein powders on the market. To save a little more, you can also do an autoship at 2, 4, or 6-week intervals, which brings it down to $2.24 a serving.

If you are looking for something clean with a great taste and a great source of protein, give Realand a look. Their commitment to supporting sustainable farming and the use of recycled containers will help to keep our outdoor playgrounds and food sources around for not just us, but also future generations.

www.realandnutrition.com