This may be a stupid question, but I am a bit confused.
What is the difference between your regular whey protein and a meal replacement powder?
I can imagine the MRP has a bit more carbs. But I dont think I can afford both types of supplements. Is protein powder and MRP interchangeable ? Can I “carb up” my protein shakes, by adding milk instead of water. Would that work as a substitute?
Im thinking on going on T-Dawg 2.0, and this is kind of important. Thanks!
Most MRP shakes contain a blend of milk proteins(whey & casein)and sometimes egg. This allows for a slower release of amino acids into your system and better nitrogen retention.
They also contain carbs but most contain high glycemic inxex Maltodextrin. You should avoid these as they will cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar as well as make you more likely to add fat.
If you look around you can find some maltodextrin free formulas.
MRP’s also contain vitamins and minerals absent from mose whey powders.
Whey protein is designed to “supplement” a meal whereas a a MRP is designer to replace a meal.
A whey only drink (even with milk) isn’t as good as a MRP but, if you can only afford one go with Whey as you will get more protein bang for your buck.
You’ve basically got it.
Protein is just protein, and nothing else.
A Meal Replacement Powder will contain protein (often, but not always, containing casein and other non-whey proteins), carbs, and usually some added vitamins and minerals, to make it a more effective and “complete” meal replacement.
Assuming you’re taking a daily multivitamin (which everyone should be doing), you’re not missing too much by getting just the protein powder. And you have to be careful because the MRP’s tend to use a lot of maltodextrin, which is rather high on the glycemic index. Good for pre/during/post-workout, but not so good the rest of the day.
Milk can definitely be added to “bulk” up a protein powder into more of a meal, too. And skim milk plus whey protein powder makes an excellent workout mix. Milk is fairly high on the GI, which is what you want. In fact, a recent article covering a sports nutrition conference discussed a study one group did that found skim milk alone provided excellent post-workout nutrition.
In summary, if you can only afford one, definitely get the straight protein. It’s much more versatile, and for those times that you want non-whey protein sources (such as right before bed), you can get your protein the old fashioned way. . . from food. 
Why not make your own MRP?
2 scoops of protein powder
1/3 of a cup of rolled oat
1 tsp of Flax oil
blend it up dry and take it with you in a little container then just add water.
Its cheaper…
-Dave
Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking that an MRP is “protein powder with carbs.” Not always. Low Carb Grow! is an MRP and has only a couple of grams of carbs.
Why not make your own MRP? Because by the time you buy the protein powder for homemade shakes and add food to it, you could have a bought Grow! for about the same price, which doesn’t gag a maggot like a homemade MRP does and is much higher quality.
And before you buy super cheap whey protein powder, read the Protein Insider article in this site’s archives or in the Groundbreakers article.
Thanks for all the responses guys, really informative. Thanks