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I’ve been getting questions lately over on Instagram on how I’ve gradually shifted to healthier eating these past few years. When I first began cooking a dozen or so years ago, I focused primarily on finding the best tasting recipes – flavour was my only aim! While this produced many incredible food memories and was fun while it lasted… it wasn’t exactly a sustainable or healthy lifestyle over time. We get older and our metabolisms begin to slow down (boo!), some of us bear children and have the new-found responsibility of nurturing children both in the womb and out, we have unique occupational stressors on our joints and muscles, we start to experience the signs of aging in our hair, skin, nails, joints… (double boo!!). In short, we start to realize that perhaps we should pay more attention to what we put in our bodies! So, as these changes occurred in my life, I made it my mission to find ways to make the best tasting food possible while also considering a healthy, nutrient dense, balanced diet that I could feel good about serving my family and I. There are a few specialty ingredients I’ve adopted over the years to round out our nutritional goals. A few of you have noticed and wondered what in the world I’m talking about – nutritional yeast, collagen peptides, powdered peanut butter, coconut aminos, chia, hemp, flax? Well, I’ve got you covered! We’ll dive into these natural super food ingredients one by one here on the blog so stay tuned (see more of my healthy lifestyle tips in this blog post)!

Have you been seeing and hearing more and more people talk about collagen peptides these days, this strange white powder they add to all sorts of things? I’m on the bandwagon so chances are you’ve noticed collagen around here as well. Let’s take a minute to give this super ingredient/mysterious substance the spotlight it deserves!

What is collagen? Well it’s what our bodies are made of folks! The Wellness Mama defines it as “an insoluble protein that accounts for 1/3 of the protein in our bodies and 70% of the protein in our skin”. You are probably familiar with it’s use in cosmetic and skin care treatments, but really the most effective way to reap the benefits of collagen is internal consumption. An excellent food source of collagen is homemade bone broth – check out the blog post to see how to get going making this in your own kitchen! In the meantime, the most convenient and also natural source of collagen is in the powder form of Collagen Peptides (also labeled as Hydrolyzed Collagen/Collagen Hydrolysate).

So what are collagen peptides made up of? Ok, so this may take a bit of a mental leap for some of you to get over but I’ll just be straight with you. Collagen is most present in our skin, connective tissue, and bones, right? So it’s fitting then that the collagen peptides we purchase are made up of bovine hides. Yep, that’s cow skin. Now, to quell your immediate objections, keep in mind that these hides would normally be discarded as a byproduct of the meat industry, so it is actually a pretty neat and responsible use of resources to up-cycle these hides into an amazing health product. Due to the sunshine, space, and vegetation, the nutrient profile of pasture raised, grass fed cattle is FAR superior to that of a factory farmed cow (and a much happier life for the cow, in my opinion). For this reason, it is very important when you are purchasing collagen to ensure that it is made with grass-fed cattle (it should say so on the label).

But, what does it taste like? Ok now you’re probably wondering, what does bovine hide taste like exactly…? Don’t worry, Collagen Peptides are odourless and flavourless – it’s some magic of the production process, and boy am I relieved! Collagen Peptides are cold water soluble, meaning you can add them to any liquid, hot or cold, and the powder will readily dissolve and be almost undetectable. Now, I don’t want to pull the wool over your eyes – I can detect the collagen in certain applications. I don’t enjoy it in hot coffee (however my hubby doesn’t mind it at all!). To me it gives it a faint flavour/texture similar to artificial powdered creamer… and I wouldn’t drink it straight in a glass of water, either. However, I happily add it to my iced coffee, smoothies, oatmeal, energy bites, peanut butter dip for apples, etc., and I honestly cannot detect any added flavour in these applications. So, I think it comes down to personal preference – you’ll just have to play around with it and decide what works best for you!

What are the benefits of collagen peptides? At this point you might be wondering what the point of consuming these cow hides is and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long because this really is the best part! Collagen is made up of over 1,000 amino acids which have amazing benefits for our bodies. We could go more in depth here on the names and types of amino acids, medical studies, etc., but I’m not a scientist and I’m pretty sure I’d botch it! So instead, here’s a link for you science-y folks who want to learn more about this part! The main point is, these amino acids have amazing benefits for our bodies, including:

• improved skin elasticity, moisture, and reduced appearance of wrinkles
• growth and strengthening hair and nails
• bone and joint health
• hormone balancing
• improved digestion
• excellent natural food source protein

Pretty impressive list, right?! There are several medical studies as well as countless anecdotal stories of how collagen peptides have helped people in these areas. For me personally, I like having a natural food source protein supplement to help me with my protein intake. Conventional protein powder is full of added ingredients, sugar/artificial sweeteners, and unnecessary chemicals/preservatives. Not to mention the problematic protein sources – whey tends to upset my stomach, soy is not ideal on a hormonal level, and plant based protein tends to taste like dirt (sorry, I had to say it!). Beyond protein intake, motherhood takes quite a toll on the body, so I am happy to reap the benefits that collagen provides for my hair, skin, nails, bones, and joints! It’s a win all around.

What and where do I purchase it? There are several brands on the market selling collagen peptides these days! Like I mentioned earlier, it is important to look for collagen peptides made with 100% grass-fed, pasture raised cattle. I also look for hormone and antibiotic free. You’ll want to check the ingredient list and make sure the only ingredient listed is collagen. The first brand of collagen I tried and used for years is the Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate. This is a very high quality, Canadian produced product that I would whole heartedly recommend. The price is a little high, though, so when I saw the Organika brand at Costco, I had to give it a try. I’m happy to report that I noticed no difference in taste, texture, or quality in the Organika brand compared to Great Lakes, at a fraction of the price. I find that Organika is priced similarly to the Great Lakes brand on Amazon, but if you can find it at Costco in store or online, it is much cheaper. You can compare prices for yourself and pick what works for you!

How do I use my collagen peptides?

I have read that when you first start taking collagen, it can upset your stomach due to the concentrated dose of amino acids. When you first start taking it, you’ll want to start with a small serving size and work your way up from there once your body gets accustomed to it. I would suggest starting with 1 tbsp a day and then work your way up to 2-3 tbsp a day, if desired. There are countless ways to use your collagen – add it to smoothies, baking, sauces, dips, hot drinks, oatmeal, etc. Check out my instagram page to see some of the ways I use collagen on a daily basis, including in my oatmeal, apples and peanut butter dip, chocolate chip peanut butter “lara bars”, no bake energy bites, my fav peanut butter choco-latte smoothie, and iced coffee. I’ll also leave you below with my current favourite smoothie recipe that is zippy and fresh for this beautiful spring weather. It’s packed with vitamins, micronutrients, and immune boosting ingredients like mango, spinach, turmeric, ginger, and of course – collagen! It’s also dairy free and gluten free – remember that extra coconut milk we saved from the can when we made whipped coconut cream last time? Now is the perfect time to use it up! And, If you don’t have any collagen on hand just yet, you need not miss out on the fun – just make it without for now!

Have more questions about collagen? Leave them below in the comment section and I will do my best to answer them! Also, if you’re already on the collagen train, let me know how you like to use it and what benefits you’ve noticed. Talk to you all soon 🙂

Featured in This Post:

This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!

NutriBullet – This is my favourite little blender to make smoothies and other small batch things. It is super powerful and the individual cups are so convenient. I’ve had mine for years!

Collagen Peptides – You’re an expert in this now! My favourite way to supplement my protein intake and get amazing health benefits for my hair, skin, nails, joints, and bones.