Protein Tour of Harlem

Words and Photos By Clark Adomaitis

The following article is featured in the January 2020 special edition of The Campus, The Beaverbeat.

Protein added to your daily meals can make the experience thicker and more filling. It can also help with muscle building. How much protein should someone intake? According to the American College of Sports Medicine, athletes looking to build muscle should consume 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. Shown are the best places that athletes and non-athletes can get their proper protein intake near our campus.

Fruces

Location: 133rd St. and Amsterdam Ave.

Food Item: “Mean Green” Smoothie with added Almond Butter

Price: $7.99

Protein Amount: 9.3g

Yumminess: the thick, creamy, yet fresh energy of thissmoothie invigorated me. I felt like Superman after filling my stomach with itsglory. The smoothie is large and it seems to never finish. The consistency isthick and creamy due to the almond butter, yet the kale and spinach make itlight and playful. The added banana and mango make it gently sweet. Its textureis smooth to the throat. The cool temperature makes this a soothing experience.

10/10

Suhail Deli

136th St. & Amsterdam Ave.

Food Item: Grilled Chicken Salad

Price: $9.75

Protein Amount: 54g

Yumminess: I ordered a big salad with chicken, spinach,chickpeas, carrots, tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, corn, feta cheese,croutons, and Caesar dressing. The chicken I requested was actualized as ahefty amount of grilled chicken breast. The salad’s vegetables were fresh andvibrant in my mouth. Creamy, smooth, delicious, and very filling. The salad wasmassive. When I thought the bowl could not keep going deeper, it did. However,the salad energized me, where a sandwich might have put me to sleep. Nothingabout this salad disappointed me. I would recommend this salad to anyonelooking for a fulfilling meal that is high in protein and vegetables.

9.5/10

Benny’sBodega

Location: Campus Store in the NAC

Food Item: Pure Protein Bar - Birthday Cake Flavor

Price: $1.61

Protein Amount: 20g

Yumminess: this epic birthday-cake-flavored protein bar isextremely thick. It feels as if I have just eaten a small meal. Eating it isnot as quick or light as eating a regular granola bar. The bar crunches but itis also creamy because of its birthday cake frosting. The rainbow sprinkles addtexture and a burst of sweetness. The large amount of protein and itsavailability on campus makes it a great option. The downsides of this bar isthat even though it only has 200 calories, it has a little bit of sugar (3g),sugar alcohol (15g), and saturated fat (3.5g). Also, most of the ingredientshave long names, such as Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Soy Lecithin, Calcium Caseinate,and a few different Protein Concentrates. These are all food additives and areunnatural.

7.5/10

FamilyCommunity Deli

Location: 129th St. & St. Nicholas Terrace

Food Item: Turkey Wrap with Egg Whites and Swiss Cheese

Price: $6

Protein Amount: 23.2g

Yumminess: turkey, egg whites, and cheese are all fillingingredients. Although the wrap may seem small, I still feel full of power. Ifyou live near the Towers and are looking for a massive amount of protein tostart your day, get this wrap. However, the sandwich is a bit bland. One couldimagine adding spinach, avocado, ketchup, and pepper to beef it up.Nonetheless, this gave me muscle mass.

7.3/10

PopeyesLouisiana Kitchen

125th St. & St. Nicholas Ave.

Food Item: Classic Chicken Sandwich

Price: $3.99

Protein Amount: 28g

Yumminess: Popeyes’ chicken has a magical juiciness on itsinside but a pleasant crunch on the outside. The chicken on this sandwich is nodifferent, and the piece of meat is large. It seems a bit bigger than eventheir largest breasts. Also, because this chicken is boneless, much more meatis present. While the meat amount is high, it is not too massive of a sandwich.I am not extremely full, but perhaps I will feel it later. Where this delicioussandwich loses points is its unhealthy fast food elements, including its 1443mgsodium (61% of recommended Daily Value) and 14g of saturated fat. Despite theseelements, the high protein amount can feed your muscles.

6.9/10