What Is Whey?
Whey is way more than the protein powders you find in your supplements aisle. (Photo: GiadaWeekly)
By Laura Loesch-Quintin
If you’ve come across whey before, you’ve most likely encountered it in powder form. This is the stuff that athletes and body builders add to their shakes to help increase muscle mass. But in its natural form, whey is a watery, cloudy liquid that remains after milk has been curdled or strained. Two types exist: sweet whey, the result of making cheese, and sour whey, the result of straining yogurt or cottage cheese.
While similar, sweet whey has more protein and is less acidic (pH of 5.6 or more) than sour whey, which has a pH of 5.1 or less. The former is what you’re likely to find in nutritional supplements markets as a concentrated, dehydrated powder. And, despite its popularity among the gym crowd, its benefits aren’t limited to weight lifters. “I’m a big fan of whey,” says Kathie Madonna Swift, MSM, RDN, LDN. “I’ve used it in different clinical circumstances, whether it’s with athletes or the 60-plus population, who are very interested in maintaining muscle mass. It is my go-to protein powder because it increases the body’s glutathione production, a powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system.” Adds Deborah Kim, Giada’s acupuncturist, who is also a licensed herbalist and holistic nutritionist, “For those who can tolerate dairy, it does have definite value, but some people simply cannot tolerate or digest whey protein or do better on different types of protein powder.”
Sour whey, on the other hand, hasn’t yet found its niche. In fact, the yogurt by-product has been cause for concern for large manufacturers who are trying to figure out what exactly to do with the tons of acidic whey they produce.
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But Homa Dashtaki, the owner of Brooklyn-based White Moustache, may have a solution. Since January 2015, Dashtaki has been bottling and selling the fresh by-product of her small-batch Iranian-style yogurt. “As we grow, we have more by-product and we have to find a home for this food product before we grow more,” she explains. “It’s socially responsible for the environment and my business.”
Choopoons adds natural whey to its kefir-like yogurt smoothie. (Photo: Choopoons)
A vibrant yellow-green, it’s also loaded with probiotics and calcium — 30 percent per 8 fluid ounces! Plus, it’s low in calories and super hydrating. But the best part might be its versatility in the kitchen. “Cold soups are one of my favorite ways to use whey,” says Dashtaki. “It really brightens them up, whether it’s a ginger carrot soup, a split pea soup, or a cauliflower soup. And the probiotics are still very much alive.”
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Add fresh sour whey to mashed potatoes for a silky texture, use it to brine poultry for a succulent bird, or blend it into smoothies—like Choopoons does with its Mediterranean Yogurt Smoothie. The drink, known in the Middle East as ayran or doogh is like kefir, with the addition of the strained-off whey from labneh, which is the mainstay of the family-run business. Like Dashtaki’s liquid whey, the smoothie is a way to incorporate the health benefits of natural whey and provide a sustainable solution to a by-product issue in the yogurt industry.
Move over green juice: This fresh whey drink is full of probiotics and calcium. (Photo: White Moustache)
For now, the biggest challenge is finding fresh whey — unless, of course, you make your own cheese or yogurt, in which case, the possibilities are infinite.
This article originally appeared on GiadaWeekly.
GiadaWeekly is the digital food and lifestyle magazine from cookbook author and Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis. To get a new issue each Thursday, download the app or subscribe at www.giadaweekly.com. And follow GiadaWeekly on Instagram and Facebook.
