I've done it all................found ZERO difference in consuming a shake vs. food........I've be sticking to egg whites, cc, and maybe a little skim..........easy to digest............
Eggs and dairy have the best amino acid profiles so I would definitely stick to them if you want to go with "whole foods" post workout. Meat is inferior, with a PCDAAS of .8-.92, meaning it has sub-optimal levels of the essential amino acids per 100g of protein. It's not that big of a difference considering the amount of protein consumed by BB's over the course of the day. However, post-workout I want all of the essential amino's present in optimal amounts, which is why I use a shake.