Courtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n
Love Is Blind<\/a> star Jordan Keltner is getting plenty of attention after whipping up a chicken smoothie that left his fianc\u00e9 (and viewers) gagging.<\/p>\n In episode nine, Keltner added chicken to a blender, along with water and a packet of Crystal Light. His fianc\u00e9, Megan Walerius, had a predictable reaction of dry-heaving after taking a taste. \u201cThat is so f\u2014ing gross,\u201d she said. \u201cOh my God, the texture.\u201d Keltner admitted that it\u2019s \u201ca little gritty sometimes,\u201d before suggesting that he tosses this back every morning.<\/p>\n Keltner also informed his fianc\u00e9 that the drink has 350 calories and 55 grams of protein<\/a>, before encouraging her to feel his muscles.<\/p>\n Keltner\u2019s concoction has both riveted and disgusted fans, with many wondering why he decided this was a good thing. \u201cI\u2019m all about the gainz, but this is foul,\u201d one person wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cBut like\u2026what if he just ate some chicken\u2026,\u201d another said. Others in the comments tried to explain Keltner\u2019s unconventional drink. \u201cI use[ed] to be really into fitness, and it\u2019s really hard sometimes to hit your protein goal<\/a> just by eating it. Especially if you eat plain chicken everyday,\u201d someone wrote.<\/p>\n Keltner has gotten in on the fun, even doing an Instagram ad<\/a> for Ninja while showing the world exactly how to make his chicken smoothie. \u201cAbsolutely nobody asked for this tutorial,\u201d he joked in the caption, before calling the smoothie part of his \u201cbreakfast routine.\u201d<\/p>\n For all the recent hype, Keltner didn\u2019t invent the chicken smoothie: People have been talking it up on TikTok<\/a> for years. The smoothie admittedly sounds disgusting, but with the growing push for people to eat more whole foods, is he on to something? A food scientist and dietitian break it down.<\/p>\n What is the chicken smoothie?<\/p>\n Every person\u2019s chicken smoothie recipe is slightly different, and Keltner has his own unique take. He starts with six to eight ounces of unseasoned baked chicken. \u201cIt has to be unseasoned, or it\u2019s going to taste even worse,\u201d he said in a recent Instagram video. Then, fill the blender to the max line.<\/p>\n After that, Keltner added a generous squirt of drink flavoring (he used Mio flavored drink mix in his Instagram tutorial, but used Crystal Light on the show). Finally, he blends the mixture until it\u2019s completely smooth. The last step, per Keltner: \u201cWe\u2019re going to chug it as fast as we possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t unhealthy, according to nutrition experts.<\/p>\n While it may set off your gag reflex, nutrition experts say a chicken smoothie isn\u2019t terrible for your health. \u201cA chicken smoothie isn\u2019t inherently a terrible idea,\u201d says Jessica Cording, RD<\/a>, the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. She points out that some people with swallowing issues or other trouble eating need to blend their food this way. \u201cThis is not something that most people who can eat solid food necessarily would gravitate toward, but, in terms of functionality, it is okay to eat food in puree form,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n There may even be some perks of having a chicken smoothie. Blending the meat may make it easier to digest and increase the absorption of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein and are important for muscle growth<\/a>, Nicholas Burd, PhD<\/a>, nutrition science researcher and a professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, tells SELF. \u201cThis ultimately can improve the amount of dietary amino acids available in circulation to help support whole body and muscle protein synthesis,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Still, there\u2019s no reason to go this route.<\/p>\n Keltner seems to be grossed out by his go-to smoothie as much as viewers. But Burd says there\u2019s no reason for anyone to have chicken this way. \u201cIt\u2019s the same \u2018health\u2019 benefit\u201d as eating a piece of chicken, he says. Keltner \u201csimply changed the digestion and absorption,\u201d Burd adds.<\/p>\n \u201cFor most of us, there is no real benefit to doing this because chicken is already considered a high quality protein source,\u201d Burd explains. \u201cChanging its digestibility is not a huge concern.\u201d<\/p>\n Burd also says that there\u2019s \u201cno point\u201d in taking in 55 grams of protein or more in a single meal. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t hurt anything, as we have metabolic pathways to eliminate the \u2018extra\u2019 protein in a meal\u2014it\u2019s just not necessary to help our muscles\u2019 recovery or build them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n While Keltner seems to gulp down his smoothie to try to get more protein into his day, Cording says there\u2019s a \u201cmissed opportunity\u201d by not adding vegetables to the mix. \u201cYou could put so much stuff in there that you won\u2019t taste\u2014carrots, spinach, cauliflower, zucchini,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to get more protein in your life, Cording suggests trying to squeeze in the nutrient in a way that works for your lifestyle. \u201cDon\u2019t forget to make sure that it tastes good,\u201d she says. Ultimately, experts agree with fans: Just eat the chicken instead.<\/p>\n Related:<\/p>\n Get more of SELF\u2019s great service journalism delivered right to your inbox<\/a>.<\/p>\n Originally Appeared on Self<\/a><\/p>\n