While you can add protein powder to many different liquids and foods, people still wonder if it’s safe to microwave it, and if you do, whether you still get all its nutritional benefits.
So, can you microwave protein powder? Yes, you can microwave protein powder safely. While it won’t destroy the protein content or nutrients, it can denature it, meaning it will change what it looks like. This is actually a good thing because denatured protein caused by heat makes the protein easier to digest and absorb.
If you are going to microwave protein though, it’s important to understand how to do it properly. Below, I’ll cover 4 rules to follow, as well as tell you which protein powder is best for microwaving.
Is It Safe To Microwave Protein Powder?
To help determine if it’s safe to microwave protein powder, it is essential to understand the concepts of destroying and denaturing a protein.
Destroying a protein would mean changing its nutritional value. On the other hand, denaturing means that the structure of the protein is changed, but the nutritional value is not affected.
When you microwave protein, it gets denatured but not destroyed. This means that if you microwave one scoop of protein that has 20 g of protein, once you remove it from the microwave, you are still going to have 20 g of protein.
However, the structure of the protein might change slightly (i.e. how it looks).
Now, this isn’t a bad thing. Denaturing just makes the protein more absorbable. The same happens when you cook eggs or meat.
If you want a more thorough way of the difference between destroying and denaturing a protein, check the following:
Does The Type of Protein Powder Matter When Microwaving?
No, the type of protein doesn’t matter when microwaving. With that said, there are some proteins that are better for microwaving but not due to their nutritional value, more regarding flavor and texture.
Whey protein
Whey protein can make things a little dry. You can replace regular flour with protein powder to prevent it from changing consistency. You can also use it in moist dishes like zucchini bread or mug cakes.
Casein
Casein is not as dry as whey protein but might make dishes creamier and richer. So, keep this in mind when adding it to your preparations. Casein is not the best option if you want a more light dish and not so heavy.
Soy protein
Soy protein has a similar texture as whey protein. If you are not careful, it might dry your food, so it’s best to include them in moist dishes. It can have a stronger flavor than whey protein, so keep this in mind.
Pea protein
It has a nutty flavor, so it might combine well with cookies, bread, and mug cakes.
How To Properly Microwave Protein Powder (4 Rules)
There are a few rules regarding microwaving protein powder.
1. Choose the right protein
Some proteins like whey and soy are drier. These proteins can make the dishes drier, which is not a bad thing, it just means that you might have to add more moisture to the dish.
For example, if you are mixing whey protein with oatmeal, you might need to add additional water to the bowl before microwaving.
2. Add the protein before not after
Adding the protein before you place it in the microwave can make the preparation easier to mix.
For example, when making oatmeal, if you add the protein powder before, there is still plenty of liquid for it to mix. However, if you add it after, the oatmeal soaks all the liquid, making it more difficult to mix. This can lead to a clumpy dish.
3. Don’t microwave protein powder alone
Microwaving protein powder alone can result in a rubbery and unpleasant situation.
When microwaving protein powder, it should always be accompanied by a liquid base to make it dissolve better and have a better consistency.
Always think, “what is the liquid I’m adding” before microwaving.
4. Replace the flour
Finally, if you want to prevent protein powder from affecting the consistency, try replacing flour with protein powder.
However, if you are still adding the flour, make sure to add a couple of tablespoons of extra liquid to prevent it from becoming too dry. This could either be milk, oil, or water.
5 Examples of Putting Protein Powder In The Microwave
You can put protein powder into your favorite microwave recipes in different ways.
If you don’t know how to make high-protein foods using protein powder, here are some of my favorite ways to use protein powder in a microwave.
Regarding the last option, coffee isn’t the only hot drink you can add protein powder to. Consider adding it to your favorite hot chocolate or chai latte.
Which Protein Powder Is Best For Microwaving?
Finally, let’s talk about which is the best protein powder for microwaving.
Transparent Labs Protein
Transparent Labs 100% Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate is my top choice when I want to add protein powder to my favorite microwave recipes.
It is easy to mix, it won’t produce any clumps (if you mix it right), and it can boost the flavor of your recipes.
One advantage is that it comes with unique flavors like cinnamon french toast (perfect for adding to your oatmeal) or chocolate peanut butter (for adding to your brownie).
However, it still covers neutral flavors like vanilla and chocolate that can combine with almost any sweet recipe of your choice.
Now that you've read whether you can microwave protein powder or not, proceed to find out more about different types of modern microwaves to suit yout other needs. Check out the extracts from those reviews we shared here:
Microwave Types
Best Convection Microwave
Convection ovens have great cooking power, a child safety lock to prevent accidental usage of the microwave, and different cooking levels. Like we mentioned before, choosing a convection microwave for your needs will be influenced by these 3 main factors - capacity, features for your budget, and your counter space.
Best Microwaves For Home Use
The more features you choose to have, the more expensive the microwave oven for home use would be. The good news is that you can choose to keep things very economical by simply going for a microwave oven with minimal features that meets the size and power requirements as stated earlier.
Best Simple And Basic Microwave Ovens
To reiterate this, a basic microwave oven, in our opinion is a small to midsize, non-inverter solo countertop microwave oven. Why? because a microwave such as this is easy to operate, is affordable, does not occupy much counterspace and is easy to install.
Best 1200 Watt Microwave Ovens
Most of the ovens in this category are quite expensive. This is generally due to two reasons: high powered microwave ovens are heavy duty and thus feature expensive components, secondly, they are very large. Some of the premium ovens in this power category though offer cutting edge technology, albeit at a higher cost.
Best Midsize Countertop Microwave
A midsize model is excellent for a regular family. The smaller models are generally reserved for offices, dorm rooms or garage like spaces. Larger microwave ovens are reserved for commercial spaces, so if you are have regular sized family or 4-5 members, then a midsize microwave oven would work perfectly for you.
Best 0.7 CU FT Microwave Oven
It should be noted that the 0.7 CU FT microwave ovens are among the weakest class of microwave ovens out there. Therefore, they are only great for simple tasks and are mostly used for reheating purposes. The good news is that they can fit in any kitchen particularly the one that has a limited space. On top of that, 0.7 CU FT microwave ovens are highly affordable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you heat protein powder in porridge?
Yes, you can heat protein powder in porridge. It won’t destroy the protein. It will only denature it. This means that it can make it more digestible. You can add it while you are making the porridge or after. But, if you add it after, it might produce more clumping.
Does heat destroy whey protein?
No, heat does not destroy whey protein. If you heat 20 g of whey protein, you are still going to get 20 g of protein.