This post is sponsored by and in partnership with Vital Proteins. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for making Chickpea in The City possible.

If you guys have followed me for a while or even if you’ve just started to, you’ll know that I am a fan of a few things… tacos, lattes and most recently, matcha. But one thing I’ve been a fan of for going on two years now is collagen peptides – specifically from Vital Proteins. As someone in the health and wellness world, constantly bombarded with new products that are supposed to make us stronger, heal our gut and clear our skin, it’s always a bit tricky to decide what’s best for your own body and each individual.

What else is hard? Incorporating only a few of these products into your lifestyle so you don’t feel overwhelmed or invest all of your money into something that just doesn’t work.

When I first tried Vital Proteins’ Collagen Protein Peptides two years ago, I just thought of it as another protein powder. Until I really got to know the ins and outs of what it could (and would) do for my body including my hair, skin and nails. Fast forward through those two years and I’ve seen an improvement in my skin (I rarely break out), my nails grow at the speed of light (and aren’t weak – despite the fact I get monthly no-chip manicures) and most importantly, my hair is the thickest its ever felt. After having thin hair for 4-5 years due to an eating disorder, it finally started to regain its thickness once I added collagen into my smoothies, coffee, oatmeal.

Of course I am not a dietitian or health coach so all of this is from my own personal opinion and experience with the product but I swear guys, this stuff has changed my life.

I usually have a few tubs of collagen in my pantry in a multitude of flavors including their original (which is completely unflavored) which has 20g of protein per serving, the vanilla collagen peptides (adding this to my favorite oat milk latte in a blender is a serious game changer) and of course – their newest matcha collagen which is easy to use because it requires no strainer. Ask my roommate, I pretty much always have a tub of one flavor or another next to my Vitamix in the mornings.

As a former coffee addict, finding Vital Proteins’ new matcha collagen has become a part of my new daily routine at work. I surprisingly find that it is creamy without nut milk but adding homemade cashew or almond milk to it and then frothing with a handheld frother is my favorite thing. Or if you love coconut milk creamers, their new Collagen Creamer (the Gingerbread flavor is out of this world) is your coffee’s new best friend.

I usually have collagen right in the morning to start my day off but if I’m traveling for long periods of time and I know I won’t have access to high quality meats or fish for a source of protein, I always bring the collagen stick packs to throw in my purse or carry-on suitcase. All of Vital Proteins’ collagen products use collagen sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine hides to ensure a natural, high quality, and sustainable source of this ancient nutrient. That way I know I can get protein in someway or another in my breakfast, or even in a cup of tea at night, when I’m on the go.

When I’m home, I still use the stick packs from time to time since they’re convenient for bringing to work or on the go before a workout. I come in every morning and add collagen into my coffee or matcha at my office. It’s a super simple hack.

Lastly, I can’t get enough of these products because the ingredients are simple to understand and even easier to recognize – from coconut water to vanilla extract and organic coconut milk powder – there are no added artificial sweeteners, thickeners, gums or ingredients my brain can’t distinguish.

I know as someone who follows other influencers, I’m always thinking of the new and upcoming trends and what’s here for the moment and what will be gone in a few months but to me, collagen is something that will be beneficial to my body more than just for a brief period. It’s the one health trend I love getting behind because I saw first and foremost the signs that it worked on me which is why I love sharing my love for it with all of you!

Whether you’re a coffee drinker, you love matcha lattes or you just want protein in a smoothie after a workout like me… I seriously couldn’t recommend collagen enough.

Let me know if you guys have tried collagen and if so, what your favorite Vital Proteins product below. I love sharing my top picks with you!

Happy Tuesday 🙂

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