Proffee: The Easy Way To Give Your Morning Cup Of Joe A Protein Boost

It's clear that Americans love coffee. According to the National Coffee Association, at least half of us drink it every day, with the average American coffee drinker consuming over three cups daily. Since it's already a staple in many morning routines, why not zhuzh up your first cup of java to increase its nutritional value? While there are plenty of ingredients you'll want to leave out, like sugar and artificial creamer, there's also a wide array of additives that can be good for you. Healthline recommends a sprinkle of cinnamon to help reduce cholesterol and blood glucose in diabetics, for example, or cocoa to lower your risk of heart disease.

If you've been on social media in the past few years, you've most likely heard of bulletproof coffee, which includes grass-fed butter to help you burn fat and stay full for longer (via Insider). Collagen is another buzzy supplement that can be easily blended into a hot coffee and may help improve your skin, hair, nails, and gut health. Many people drink coffee before or after a workout, so it makes sense, too, that a popular wellness trend involves incorporating protein into your cup of joe. If you're ready to hop on this protein-plus-coffee trend widely known as proffee, you'll only need one extra ingredient besides your brew.

How exactly do you make proffee? All you have to do is combine coffee with a protein shake or protein powder. According to TikTok user @proffeequeenkt, you can start by filling a large cup with ice. Then pour in your favorite protein shake and top it off with your coffee of choice. They use homemade cold brew, but iced coffee or an espresso shot would also work, as different TikTok videos show the concoction being made with other options. You can customize your proffee to taste exactly how you want by adding sweetener and syrup, or by using flavored protein powder instead of a shake (via HuffPost).

You may expect proffee to taste delicious, especially since many protein shakes tend to be quite flavorful, and the caffeine in coffee can certainly help people increase focus and energy levels. But is all that extra protein good for you? It depends on what your body needs and what ingredients you include in your proffee, explains Healthline. Protein is known to improve longevity and metabolic health, but proffee itself isn't necessarily the best way to consume it. Protein shakes and added sweeteners may contain a lot of sugar, unlike other protein sources. However, if you spend a lot of time working out, you may find proffee to be a beneficial pre-workout drink, according to HuffPost. That said, try to make yours with unsweetened protein powders that have been tested for quality.