It sucks when you want to get your collagen laden beverage down but instead find yourself chewing or worse, choking on clumps.
Ew factor times 10 if you hate the way your collagen powder tastes.
The whole reason so many people are on these shakes is that it’s quick and easy. But you may find yourself torn over the benefits and whether it’s actually worth consuming it this way.
The answer is that if it’s making your life a little easier, absolutely.
I’m getting to let you in on some tips on how to mix collagen powder without clumping that are super easy.
You’ll never have to feel torn about your collagen shakes and smoothies again.
That’s Great, But Why Does My Collagen Powder Clump?
Excellent question, I’m glad you asked. Don’t worry, I won’t get overly sciency.
This reference explaining the mechanism of the clumping isn’t about collagen, but about protein powder in general. But the concept is the same. Collagen is a type of protein after all.
The molecules that makeup collagen powder are attracted to water. If the liquid that you’re mixing it into is cold, it results in clumping.
Warm and hot liquids fair better because the collagen powder dissolves.
Mixing Collagen Into Hot Beverages
When collagen powder is mixed with a warm or hot liquid, you just need to stir it a few times.
If you’ve heard of the collagen coffee trend and absolutely hate the idea, don’t worry.
You aren’t stuck mixing your collagen powder into coffee and other hot beverages or meals if you want to avoid clumps.
But this is definitely the easiest way to prevent clumps.
Is it Bad to Mix Collagen Into Hot Beverages?
If you are a bit of a science buff or voraciously read about nutrition, you’re probably aware of the fact that heat denatures (changes) protein molecules.
This is why it’s better to eat your steak rare or medium-rare rather than well done.
Before I switched to a plant-based diet, I ate my steak well done. I always joked that I didn’t want it crawling off my plate as I tried to eat it.
After I found out about the protein thing, I grudgingly switched to eating medium-well steaks. Baby steps right?
Well, the point for me at least, is moot since I no longer eat meat.
That said, the protein molecules need to be denatured a little so that your body can digest them easier. This, along with killing possible nasties, is why meat is usually cooked.
You just don’t want to denature the protein to the point of becoming useless or harmful.
As long as your beverage or hot meal is under 302ºF (150ºC), your collagen powder will still work the way it’s meant to and will be safe to consume too.
Keep this temperature limit in mind when baking and cooking with collagen powder at high temperatures.
Your cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, whatever you enjoy your collagen with, is usually around 195–205ºF (90–96ºC) at the time of brewing.
To be safe, wait two or three minutes after the kettle has boiled. Since we drink plant milk at home, we do that anyway, because heat causes the plant milk to curdle and become grainy.
It doesn’t taste bad, but some textures that just don’t belong in your coffee, just like shakes.
Mixing Collagen Powder Into Cold Beverages
It’s absolutely possible to enjoy clump-free shakes and smoothies. You just need to work a little differently.
The Number 1 Tip- Use a Little Warm Water First
Mix your powder with a little bit of warm water or milk first. It doesn’t need to be too warm, you can even try out lukewarm water and see if that works with your powder.
I would give it a stir or a shake first to dissolve it before adding anything else. But this trick should work fine if you just add the warm water and then add the cold liquid.
Using a Blender
I love using the blender because it’s a lot more powerful and in many cases quicker. But as I’m sure many of you can attest, sometimes not even a blender will get rid of the clumps.
With the addition of warm water in the beginning, this is no longer a problem.
For wonderfully smooth shakes:
- Pulse your shake a few times first
- Then blend continuously for about 30 seconds or until your shake is completely blended.
Using a Shaker
Using a shaker is no problem when you add that bit of warm water first. Again, I would stir the collagen powder and water (or whatever warm liquid you’re using) to ensure it mixes well.
But the whole point of a shaker is to use it as the mixer. To achieve the smooth texture without stirring first, you can still add the cold ingredients in after the warm water.
Then:
- Shake it vigorously for about 30 seconds.
- Open the shaker up to check the consistency
- Shake it a little longer if necessary
Voila! You have a clump-free shake.
Are There Clump-Free Brands of Collagen Powder?
I haven’t found any that are designated as clump-free collagen powders. But perhaps there are some brands out there that do work to reduce that.
This sounds tempting if you have been struggling with clumping powder on the regular.
Just be sure that if you are considering a collagen powder with a whole bunch of ingredients, that you research anything that you can’t pronounce if you’re a scientist.
Not all ingredients, even artificial ones, that are going to improve the ability to mix are bad. But when a simple and 100% trick prevents clumps, why not stick with the purest powders you can find.
Clean brands generally have recognizable ingredients that we all can pronounce and usually identify without too much hassle because the ingredients are minimally processed and aren’t chemicals.
I am always going to recommend the cleanest products to you. Ain’t nobody got time for nasties in their health drinks.
Healthy skin, hair, and joints are the goal here after all.
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