Protein shakes: Good for weight loss?
I'm trying to lose weight. Could protein shakes help? Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Makers of protein shakes may say that their products help lower body fat or promote weight loss. But protein shakes aren't a magic way to lose weight.
Some studies find that consuming a higher than usual amount of protein in your diet may offer benefits. For example, eating or drinking products that are high in protein may help you lower body fat, keep lean muscle, feel full and lose weight. But evidence is limited. And studies often test many protein sources and not only protein shakes.
Replacing meals with protein shakes may help you lower your daily calories, which can help you lose weight. But in time you'll need to start eating solid food again. Eating solid food may cause excess weight to return if you don't make smart food choices. And if you rely too much on protein shakes to replace daily meals, you'll miss out on the healthy benefits of whole foods.
Since protein has calories, consuming too much can make it harder to lose weight. This can happen if you drink protein shakes along with your usual diet and you're not eating less calories or exercising.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that an average adult needs about 46 to 56 grams of protein a day. This amount depends on your weight and overall health. As long as you're eating a healthy diet, you likely don't need to add extra protein through protein shakes or other sources.
Keep in mind that the key to losing weight is burning more calories than you consume. Choose healthy foods, such as:
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains such as brown rice or whole-wheat bread
Low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese
Protein-rich foods such as skinless chicken breasts, eggs, fish, beans, peas, lentils, soy products, nuts and seeds
And avoid eating too much food with added sugars, salt or saturated fat.
Also add physical activity to your daily routine. Aim for about 30 minutes of activity, such as brisk walking, most days of the week. And do strength training of all major muscle groups at least two times a week.
There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry
The Best Protein Powders Of 2022 And What To Look For When Buying Protein Powder
While few, if any, amateur athletes need protein powder to support their exercise regime, it can be a highly convenient way to ensure you have all the fuel required to repair and build muscle after a workout.
However, picking the best protein powder from the somewhat overwhelming choice available can be difficult. To help narrow it down, we began by speaking to Dr Daniel Fenton, GP and clinical director at London Doctors Clinic, about what people should look for when choosing a protein powder. Fenton’s in-depth advice is below, but here’s his takeaway: “I suggest you choose a low-fat, low-carbohydrate, high-protein powder. While you require all three to aid muscle development, balance is key.”
The good news is those three qualities describe all the whey, casein and vegan supplements below – although not the recovery protein powders, which are supposed to have lots of carbohydrates.
How We Chose The Best Protein Powder
Once we got the lowdown on protein powder from Fenton, we examined the nutritional composition of each supplement through that lens. Then we mixed each one into a protein shake and tried it, paying attention to how well it mixed, the resulting consistency and most importantly how it tasted.
The Very Best Protein Powder
We’ve tried a lot of protein powders, as you will discover if you keep scrolling, but if you want the very best of the best protein powders, here’s what we recommended. If you’re looking for something different, you’ll find many more options, split by type, further down the page.
(Image credit: Charlie Allenby / Future)
1. Bulk Pure Whey Protein Best whey protein powder for most people Specifications Flavours: 20, including birthday cake, tiramisu, rocky road, and pistachio ice-cream Serving size: 30g Calories: 114 (chocolate) Protein per serving: 22g Carbs per serving: 1.2g RRP: £21.99 for 500g Price per serving: £1.32 Today's Best Deals View at Amazon View at Amazon View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Good value + Variety of interesting flavours + Regular discounts reduce the price per serving Reasons to avoid - Inferior type of whey used - Need to buy in bulk to get the best deal
Bulk is used by heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua – and if it’s good enough for AJ there’s a high chance it’s good enough for you. With the variety of flavours available (including eight different chocolates), your tastebuds are sure to be tickled. Each serving packs a punch of 22g of protein, while the inclusion of 5g of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) per serving is a nice touch at this price.
Chocolate taste test: It says a lot about a protein powder if it tastes good with plain old water. The chocolate Pure Whey Protein didn’t take too much shaking to get silky smooth and the result was a flavoursome blend. Although there are powders out there that taste more like a real milkshake, the final result was most drinkable.
(Image credit: Charlie Allenby / Future)
2. Hermosa Whey Protein Powder Best-tasting chocolate protein powder Specifications Flavours: Chocolate, vanilla Serving size: 30g Calories: 125 (chocolate) Protein per serving: 21g Carbs per serving: 4.5g RRP: £30 for 420g Price per serving: £2.14 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + Relatively high in protein + Chocolate flavour is a treat Reasons to avoid - Expensive - Not many servings per tub
If you’re a fan of bougie workout classes and have a membership at a boutique gym, then there’s a good chance you’ll love Hermosa. The protein shake is aimed at the Lululemon/Barry’s Bootcamp crowd, but it’s more than a status symbol. The 21g of protein per serving is around par, but its flavour is worth the price alone. Although it’s slightly on the calorific side, you can forgive it when what you’re drinking tastes this good.
Chocolate taste test: The powder mixed well and had a smooth, enjoyable mouthfeel. Even with water, the shake tasted of chocolate (rather than the synthetic profile that plagues some cheaper powders) and its richness would only be enhanced with milk.
(Image credit: Charlie Allenby / Future)
3. Myprotein Clear Whey Isolate Most refreshing protein shake Specifications Flavours: 15, including cranberry and raspberry, pineapple, watermelon, and orange mango Serving size: 25g Calories: 86 Protein per serving: 20g Carbs per serving: 0.7g RRP: £26.99 for 500g Price per serving: £1.35 Today's best MyProtein Clear Whey Protein Isolate deals £2.49 View £23.20 View Reduced Price £26.99 £23.39 View Show More Deals Reasons to buy + Exceptionally low in calories + Orange mango flavour is a treat Reasons to avoid - Expensive at RRP for a MyProtein product
MyProtein is renowned for producing great nutrition supplements that don’t cost the earth. Its Clear Whey Isolate is slightly pricy when bought at RRP – but as with most MyProtein purchases, it will often be discounted, leaving you with a cost-effective way of getting your protein. Clear Whey Isolate has a high level of protein per serving (20g) without the calories commonly found in whey powders. It also doesn’t have a milky taste or texture – handy if you’re put off by the normal profile of a protein shake.
Orange mango taste test: The orange mango clear whey isolate had a look and mouthfeel much more like an energy drink compared with standard whey protein, making it a refreshing way of refuelling that was easy to consume. The orange mango flavour mixed seamlessly and didn’t taste at all like E numbers and additives.
(Image credit: Charlie Allenby / Future)
4. Foodspring Whey Protein Best all-natural whey Specifications Flavours: Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and cookies and cream Serving size: 30g Calories: 113 Protein per serving: 24g Carbs per serving: 1.5g RRP: £29.99 for 750g Price per serving: £1.20 Today's best Foodspring Whey Protein Powder deals £29.99 View £29.99 View £29.99 View Reasons to buy + High in protein + All natural Reasons to avoid - Relatively high in calories
Like the Organic Protein Company (in more whey protein powder, below), Foodspring’s USP is being 100% natural. Sugar is replaced with a purified extract of stevia, helping to keep the calorie count down. Compared with the offering Organic Protein Co.’s, though, Foodspring’s Whey Protein contains a more respectable amount of protein per serving and its flavours are more palatable.
Cookies and cream taste test: In the interests of fairness, all powders in our whey taste test were mixed with water – even if the manufacturer recommends using milk or a milk substitute instead. We’re highlighting this because, when mixed with H2O, the cookies and cream flavour mixed well but tasted a bit thin. We can imagine that, when combined with milk, the result would be transformed, leaving a rich and creamy shake you’ll look forward to after each workout.
(Image credit: unknown)
Micellar casein is used in this premium powder, which is designed to be taken before bed or between workouts to provide a slow release of muscle-building BCAAs. The 30g serving contains 24g of protein including 9.6g of amino acids, and there are four different flavours available.
(Image credit: Form)
6. Form Performance Protein Best vegan protein powder Specifications Flavours: Banoffee, chocolate hazelnut, chocolate peanut, tiramisu, vanilla Serving size: 40g Calories: 149 Protein per serving: 30g Carbs per serving: 2g RRP: £26 for 0.52kg Price per serving: £2 Today's best Form Performance Protein deals £24 View £24 View No price information Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Multi-source vegan protein + Added probiotics Reasons to avoid - Expensive - Only comes in a small pack
This vegan powder uses protein from organic peas, brown rice, hemp and algae to pack in a mighty 30g of protein per 40g serving. Along with protein the powder also contains curcumin, plus digestive enzymes to support a healthy gut. The flavour range is fairly limited but contains interesting options like tiramisu and banoffee, and the powder comes in a plastic-free compatible pouch – though the only size available is 520g, which you’ll go through quickly if working out every day.
Tiramisu taste test: We momentarily forgot which flavour we were using when we first tried this one and were left baffled as to what it could be. “Sweet coffee” was our best guess, and funnily enough that’s a pretty decent description of the taste of tiramisu, which includes biscuits dipped in coffee. The powder mixed exceptionally well and despite being a little too sweet for us, was pretty nice.
(Image credit: unknown)
7. 33Fuel Premium Protein Best all-natural vegan protein powder Specifications Serving size: 38g Calories: 145 Protein per serving: 20g Carbs per serving: 15g RRP: £24.99 for 0.53kg Price per serving: £1.79 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + Natural ingredients + Vegan + No artificial sweeteners Reasons to avoid - High in sugar - Only one flavour
While we don’t have a problem with bog-standard whey protein ourselves and aren’t put off by a long list of ingredients, most of which we don’t recognise, we also understand if you don’t take a similarly easy-going approach. If so, try this vegan protein supplement, which is made with natural ingredients and contains no artificial sweeteners. The three protein sources – pea, rice and sunflower – make up half the ingredient list too, alongside coconut sugar, cacao and banana.
You’re still getting the usual 20g of protein per serving, plus more vitamins and minerals than you would otherwise get. There is more sugar here as a result of avoiding sweeteners – each 38g serving contains 10g and 15g of carbs overall.
Taste test: The powder mixes pretty well, though the shake is still a little grainy, and the dominant flavour is banana.
(Image credit: Unknown)
8. SiS REGO Rapid Recovery+ Best recovery protein Specifications Flavours: Banana, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla Serving size: 70g Calories: 266 Protein per serving: 24g Carbs per serving: 38g RRP: £46 for 1.54kg Price per serving: £2.09 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + Great for intense training periods + High amounts of protein and carbohydrates Reasons to avoid - Overkill for general gym sessions
The 24g of protein in a 70g serving of this powder is just the start of what you get. It also contains 38g of carbs to help your body recover from intense endurance activities. It’s overkill if you’re just doing a short lunch session in the gym, but exactly what you need if you train multiple times a day or log hard workouts over 90 minutes long.
Lemon taste test: Perhaps surprisingly, after trying a few different flavours of the REGO powder lemon was the clear winner in the taste stakes. The texture is smooth and slightly creamy, and there’s none of the cloying sweetness that often scuppers fruity shakes. The powder also mixes with water without any difficulties.
Protein Powder Buyer’s Guide
Picking between the huge range of protein powders available is difficult, especially when each and every one of them makes grand promises about the effect they will have on you.
You might assume that all of them do the same job, but that’s not the case. Coach spoke to Dr Daniel Fenton, clinical director and GP at London Doctors Clinic, about the differences between protein powders, how much price matters and whether they contain any ingredients you should be wary of. We then assessed the best protein powders out there using Fenton’s criteria and tasted them too so you have a better idea of what you’re buying.
What are the key things people should look out for when choosing protein powder?
“How much protein you obtain from each serving, the amino acid profile, the cost, taste and number of additives are a few key factors. I tend to focus on yield – the actual amount of protein you obtain from each serving – and amino acid profile.
“I suggest you choose a low-fat, low-carbohydrate, high-protein powder. While you require all three to aid muscle development, balance is key.
“The difference in protein content in various powders can be phenomenal. Do not simply pay for a brand name – the proof is in the numbers. Look carefully at the concentration and type of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) included in the protein. Leucine has been shown to be one of the most important BCAAs so it should contain decent quantities.”
What are the differences between the two main types of protein – whey and casein?
“Whey versus casein can be seen as fast versus slow protein.
“Muscle growth is determined by simple science: protein (muscle) breakdown vs protein synthesis. If the synthesis of new muscle protein is greater than the breakdown of muscle protein, you will get a net gain of muscle mass.
“Whey is typically processed very rapidly into amino acids, which will reach peak levels within an hour of consumption and therefore assist muscle synthesis very quickly. However, the peak levels also fall very quickly.
“Whey is considered an anabolic protein because it rapidly accelerates protein synthesis so it’s great for quick muscle regeneration, but has very little effect on naturally occurring muscle breakdown after a workout.
“Casein can take several hours to be metabolised and as a result creates a slower release of proteins to help muscles recover and grow. It is often referred to as an anti-catabolic protein, because it also helps to prevent excess protein breakdown.
“The downside is that casein will remain in the stomach for a substantial period of time, and one can appreciate that it is difficult to complete a high-intensity workout with a full stomach.
“In essence, balance and timing are key for maximum gains. Ignore those who say ‘casein is the key’, or ‘only whey works’ – scientifically, this is simply untrue. Both work very well if used appropriately, complementing your workout and your own natural metabolism.”
What should you get if you pay more money for protein powder?
“There is a natural tendency to think that more expensive products are better – but this is a fallacy. Content is more important than cost. All protein powders will contain some additives including thickeners, preservatives, sweeteners and fillers.
“I would strongly recommend taking a look at the label before you purchase. While your main focus is gaining muscle, you should aim to avoid putting nutritionally-redundant chemicals into your body. Here are a few of the things to look out for.
“Avoid artificial sweeteners, which includes sucralose, aspartame and saccharin. The presumption is that these are better for you than sugar but this is not quite true. There is no good evidence that they reduce weight gain, type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome and some studies actually show an increased risk of adverse health outcomes.
“Milk powders are a cheap bulking agent widely used in protein powders. They are high in lactose sugars which is terrible if you are lactose intolerant. This can contribute to gastrointestinal upset including bloating and loose stools.
“Oils and fats are added to protein supplements to increase richness; they are non-essential ingredients which can contribute to hypercholesterolemia [high cholesterol]. It is fairly common to see high cholesterol levels in bodybuilders and athletes despite their immense fitness levels and generally healthy eating – taking protein powder with added oils is thought to be a contributing factor.”
Is it worth looking out for extra benefits from protein powder such as vitamins and minerals, or fibre?
“The simple answer is no! While these make for an excellent selling point, if you are eating a balanced diet alongside the protein supplement you should not need additional vitamins.
“Is there a limit to how much protein the body can absorb from a serving?
“The human body is an impressive machine, which likes to maintain a balanced constant internal environment. We can fill ourselves with protein, but we will only absorb as much as we require for muscle synthesis.
“The Department of Health recommends approximately 55g of protein a day for male adults and a little less for females. Obviously, if we exercise at high intensity, muscle turnover is higher and protein demand is therefore greater, so we will often require more than this. But if we consume too much protein, the body will simply metabolise and excrete it. This means you could literally be flushing money and protein down the pan.”
Types Of Protein Powder
The most common type of protein powder product will create a shake that contains protein and virtually nothing else. These are designed to fuel lean muscle growth following a workout, and so avoid extra carbs and sugars and keep the calories to a minimum to deliver on the “lean” part.
Mass gainer shakes go in the other direction and contain huge amounts of everything. They are high in calories and carbs as well as having more protein than a standard shake. People tend to use mass gainers during a period of bulking up, usually during the winter before cutting (reducing body fat but retaining muscle) in the spring, a well-worn bodybuilding technique. A mass gainer is useful for those in serious physique training, but less so when you’re just aiming for a higher protein intake each day.
Recovery shakes are another common option, and these are aimed more at endurance athletes who need a high amount of carbs and electrolytes as well as protein to recover after their training sessions. Recovery shakes often also contain vitamins and minerals to support the immune system, and are popular with those who play team sports like football and rugby, as well as among runners, cyclists and swimmers.
Meal replacement shakes are generally categorised as entirely different products from protein shakes, but often use whey protein and can have a similar nutritional profile as recovery shakes. Meal replacement shakes can be used as a meal substitute when you’re short on time, or they can be a low-calorie option that helps you to lose weight. They often are high in protein to increase satiety while still low in calories overall.
More Whey Protein Powders
(Image credit: Charlie Allenby / Future)
The Protein Works Whey Protein 360 Extreme The best quantity of protein per serving Specifications Flavours: 19, including banana milkshake, choc orange swirl, salted caramel bandit, and French vanilla Serving size: 35g Calories: 136 Protein per serving: 27g Carbs per serving: 2.4g RRP: £37.99 for 600g Price per serving: £2.22 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + More protein per serving than most + Added vitamins and minerals Reasons to avoid - Expensive if not discounted - Vanilla was slightly grainy
If a protein powder has the word “extreme” in the name, it can sometimes be off-putting to the average Joe. But The Protein Works’ best-selling whey blend’s branding is to help differentiate it from its standard Whey Protein 360. The upgraded formula features an impressive 27g mix of fast- and slow-release protein per serving to help with muscle recovery and growth. It also has a blend of vitamins and minerals to provide oomph to your post-workout supplement.
French vanilla taste test: Vanilla is the ultimate test for a protein powder because there are no big flavours to hide behind. Although it had the slight graininess that is common to other vanilla shakes we’ve tasted, the result was a thick, easy-to-drink shake that didn’t taste too watery. That said, you’d probably want to opt for one of the other 19 flavours if you need your protein shake to offer excitement.
(Image credit: Charlie Allenby / Future)
Ultimate Performance Whey Protein The cheapest protein around Specifications Flavours: Chocolate ice-cream, strawberry ice-cream, and vanilla ice-cream Serving size: 30g Calories: 104.6 Protein per serving: 21.8g Carbs per serving: 1.1g RRP: £32.99 for 1.5kg Price per serving: £0.66 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + Relatively low in calories + Cheap Reasons to avoid - Limited flavours - Can only buy in bulk
Ultimate Performance’s Whey Protein is the cheapest whey (sorry) to start your protein journey. It doesn’t scrimp on the nutritional side either, leaving you with a well-formulated shake that is relatively low in calories and high (21.8g) in protein. The limited number of flavours may disappoint more adventurous palettes, but they are three classics so they’ll be suitable for most.
Strawberry ice cream taste test: The luminous pink colour of this shake might be a mite off-putting for some, but it didn’t taste half as synthetic as it looked and the only downside was that some clumps were left even after vigorous shaking.
(Image credit: Charlie Allenby / Future)
Organic Protein Company Whey Protein A rare organic protein powder Specifications Flavours: Unflavoured, Madagascan vanilla, raw cacao and maca, isolate, strawberry, elderberry and beetroot, and banana and lucuma Serving size: 25g Calories: 96 (raw cacao & maca) Protein per serving: 15.17g Carbs per serving: 4.87g RRP: £24 for 400g Price per serving: £1.50 Today's best Organic Protein Company Whey Protein deals £24 View £24 View £32 View Reasons to buy + 100% organic + Under 100 calories Reasons to avoid - Flavours require a refined palate - Relatively expensive price per serving
This whey from the Organic Protein Company does what it says on the tin (bag, really). Made with five ingredients – in contrast to some of the lengthy lists of additives seen elsewhere – it’s one of the “cleanest” whey protein powders on the market. The downsides of this are a relatively small serving of protein per serving and flavours that won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Even so, its sub-100 calories will tick the boxes for those looking for the benefits of protein without calorie gains elsewhere.
Raw cacao and maca taste test: Cacao is an acquired taste and it’s bitter compared with the milk chocolate many of us know and love. Once you get over the initial shock, the shake is drinkable, though it remained watery, with a grittiness from unmixed powder.
(Image credit: Unknown)
Myprotein Pro THE Whey+ Top-quality whey Specifications Flavours: Chocolate brownie, vanilla ice-cream Serving size: 33.5g Calories: 121 Protein per serving: 26g Carbs per serving: 1.7g RRP: £59.99 for 1.05kg Price per serving: £2 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + Top-quality ingredients + High amount of protein per serving Reasons to avoid - Expensive - Only three flavours
You know a protein powder means business when “THE” is in capital letters and there’s a plus sign involved. To be fair, only the best ingredients have been used, with a mix of isolate and hydrolysed whey and micellar casein providing a mighty 26g of protein in each 32g serving. Myprotein also uses “beadlets” for a phased delivery of the BCAAs in the powder for maximum impact on muscle growth.
Chocolate brownie taste test: The good news is that it mixed quickly in water with no lumps, and while the texture was a little grainy once mixed it wasn’t unpleasant. The chocolate brownie flavour was as similar to the real thing as you could feasibly expect and the taste could be made even richer if mixed with milk.
(Image credit: Unknown)
Innermost The Fit Protein Specifications Flavours: Smooth chocolate, creamy vanilla Serving size: 40g Calories: 147 Protein per serving: 29g Carbs per serving: 4.5g RRP: £29.95 for 600g Price per serving: £2 Today's best Innermost The Fit Protein deals Low Stock Reduced Price £25.95 £20.76 View £29.95 View £29.95 View Show More Deals
The headline numbers of this powder are all in good order: each 40g serving contains a hefty 29g of protein and is fairly low in calories (147), carbs (4.5g) and sugars (2g). Innermost has also thrown some extras into the mix, including magnesium, maca, rhodiola root and cocomineral, all in an effort to help boost your energy levels.
Creamy vanilla taste test: An easy mix and an acceptable taste. Nothing really stood out on this front, this could be one of a thousand vanilla protein powders, but there are no real negatives either.
(Image credit: Unknown)
Bulk Clear Whey Isolate Specifications Flavours: Apple & blackcurrant, cherrybomb, passionfruit, strawberry & watermelon, blue raspberry, pink lemonade Serving size: 25g Calories: 86 Protein per serving: 20g Carbs per serving: 1.2g RRP: £49.99 for 1kg Price per serving: £1.25 Today's best Bulk Clear Whey Isolate deals Reduced Price £26.99 £20.07 View Reduced Price £26.99 £20.14 View £21.99 View Show More Deals
Thick protein shakes have been the norm for decades, but this is the second clear whey drink we’ve tried after Myprotein came up with the bright idea, and given how light and refreshing they are we’re expecting other brands to follow suit. Bulk’s clear whey contains 20g of protein per 25g serving, with just 0.1g of sugar and 0.2g of fat.
Cherry bomb taste test: The drink mixes well in water but it’s worth giving it a minute to settle down after you do shake it, because the froth produced by clear powders is considerable. The cherry flavour is excellent and the light consistency hits the spot after sweaty workouts in the summer months – the colder the water you use, the better. The two other flavours in the range are apple and blackcurrant, and passionfruit.
(Image credit: SF Nutrition)
SF Nutrition Whey Protein Specifications Flavours: Dark chocolate, Madagascan vanilla, salted caramel, chocolate orange Serving size: 30g Calories: 115 Protein per serving: 22g Carbs per serving: 2.5g RRP: £25 for 500g Price per serving: £1.50 Today's Best Deals Visit Site
Each 30g serving of this powder contains 22g of protein, 115 calories, 2.5g of carbs and a mere 0.6g of sugar. Those are the kind of numbers that will catch the eye of any gym-goer looking to build muscle while avoiding excess calories and carbs in their shake. The whey is a mix of concentrate and isolate, and there are four flavours available: salted caramel, Madagascan vanilla, chocolate orange and dark chocolate.
Madagascan vanilla taste test: We’d love to say that one sip of this powder transports you to the lemur-filled forests of the African island, but really it tastes like pretty much every vanilla shake out there. It’s nice enough, though, and the powder mixes very easily with water to go down smoothly.
(Image credit: unknown)
Maximuscle Max Whey Specifications Flavours: Banoffee, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla Serving size: 30g Calories: 113 Protein per serving: 23.5g Carbs per serving: 1g RRP: £20 for 480g Price per serving: £1.25 Today's best Maximuscle Max Whey deals £16 View £20 View £20 View Show More Deals
While many of the nutritional stats of this powder are fairly standard – there’s 23.5g of protein in a 30g serving, and sugar is kept to 1g – it does contain an above-average amount of BCAAs at 7g per serving, including over 3g of leucine. The protein is mostly from whey concentrate, though there is some isolate in the mix as well.
Banoffee taste test: Credit to Maxinutrition for nailing the banoffee flavour here, rather than just serving up either banana or toffee. Credit also for having a banoffee option, alongside the usual Neapolitan trio. We found more shaking than usual was needed to rid it of big lumps, however, and the texture wasn’t silky smooth even after a vigorous effort.
(Image credit: unknown)
Supreme Nutrition Diet Whey Specifications Flavours: Ice-cream vanilla, strawberries & cream, milk chocolate, salted caramel Serving size: 30g Calories: 123 Protein per serving: 23.4g Carbs per serving: 3.2g RRP: £32.99 for 1kg Price per serving: £0.99 Today's Best Deals Check Amazon Visit Site
The calorie count in this shake is low at 123 per 30g serving, but that’s not the only reason for the “diet” claim in its name – it also includes fat-burning ingredients like green tea extract and acetyl L-carnitine. Indeed it proudly boasts of containing the equivalent of five cups of green tea per serving, which seems like a lot of green tea in one go. Alongside all that green tea there’s 23.4g of protein, which is sourced from whey concentrate.
Strawberries and cream taste test: This ended up a little lumpy despite vigorous attempts to shake it into submission, but the taste was pleasant enough and avoided the cloying sweetness that arises from going full strawberry. Never go full strawberry.
(Image credit: unknown)
Natural Nutrients Whey Protein Isolate Specifications Flavours: Unflavoured, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla Serving size: 30g Calories: 106 Protein per serving: 24.7g Carbs per serving: 0.5g RRP: £35.99 for 1kg Price per serving: £1.08 Today's Best Deals Visit Site
This powder uses whey isolate and delivers 24.7g of protein per 30g serving, which is about as good as it gets in terms of protein per gram. There’s 3.2g of leucine in a serving, and 5.6g of BCAAs in total. There’s really nothing else of note in there – fibre and carbs clock in at 0.5g apiece, with stevia used as the sweetener.
Vanila taste test: The powder mixes very easily but the taste tested our tolerance for sweetness to its limits.
(Image credit: Monique Woo / Future)
Kin Nutrition WHEY LESS Whey Protein Specifications Flavours: Vanilla, cookies & cream, strawberry, choc mint Serving size: 30g Calories: 125 Protein per serving: 23g Carbs per serving: 4.7g RRP: £24.99 for 500g Price per serving: £1.50 Today's best KIN Nutrition Whey less Whey Protein Powder deals £23.07 View £23.68 View
This supplement is made with 90% whey isolate and delivers a solid 23g of protein in a 30g serving. Kin has also aimed to set itself apart by adding fibre (via flaxseed powder) and probiotics to aid digestion. It’s a welcome touch, even if the 1.3g of fibre you get in a serving is still pretty measly.
Vanilla taste test: It’s vanilla, Jim, and exactly as we know it. A standard but nonetheless pleasing flavour, although we were a little underwhelmed by the consistency of the powder – even a vigorous shaking left some clumps at the bottom.
(Image credit: unknown)
ON’s popular Gold Standard Whey provides 24g of protein per 30g serving, with the whey being a easy-to-mix blend of isolate, concentrate and hydrolysed isolate. Each serving contains 5.5g of naturally occurring BCAAs including our old friend leucine, and 4g of glutamine and glutamic acid, which is another supplement that helps support muscle growth. There’s just 1.1g of fat in each 113-calorie serving and 1.8g of carbs. Two artificial sweeteners – sucralose and acesulfame K – are used to counter the lack of sugar.
(Image credit: unknown)
Scitec Nutrition 100% Whey Protein Professional Specifications Flavours: 16, including strawberry-white chocolate, lemon cheesecake, almond-pistachio Serving size: 30g Calories: 114 Protein per serving: 22g Carbs per serving: 1.4g RRP: £48.99 for 2.35kg Price per serving: £0.62 Today's Best Deals Visit Site
There’s nothing especially novel about this protein powder aside from its impressive range of flavours (kiwi banana, anyone?), but it offers a solid package of 22g of protein per 30g serving. There’s just 2g of fat and 1.4g of carbohydrate in a serving, with the sweetness provided by acesulfame K and sucralose.
More Casein Protein Powder
Grenade Hydra 6 Protein Specifications Flavours: Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla Serving size: 35g Calories: 130 Protein per serving: 25g Carbs per serving: 2.4g RRP: £55 for 1816g Price per serving: £1.06 Today's Best Deals Visit Site
This 50:50 blend of whey and casein uses premium forms of both – whey isolate and micellar casein – to provide what could well be the ultimate mix of fast- and slow-absorbing protein. The isolate ensures the drink mixes easily and you absorb the whey rapidly after a workout, while micellar casein is digested more slowly than other forms of casein so you get a sustained hit of protein throughout the day or night. There are 5g of BCAAs and 2.2g of leucine per serving. Sucralose is used to sweeten the mix.
Peanut Nutter taste test: The name might suggest that the flavour is going to be overbearing, but the truth is quite the opposite – the nuttiness is pitched just right. The shake isn’t too thick or stodgy, either.
Buy from Amazon | £55
More Vegan Protein Powder
(Image credit: unknown)
Huel Complete Protein Specifications Flavours: Unsweetened, chocolate fudge brownie, vanilla fudge, strawberries & cream, banana milkshake, salted caramel Serving size: 29g Calories: 105 Protein per serving: 20g Carbs per serving: 3g RRP: £50 for 754g Price per serving: £0.96 Today's Best Deals Check Amazon Visit Site
Huel is best known for its nutritionally complete meal replacement shakes, so it’s no surprise that its new vegan powder differs from other protein powders by also containing 26 essential vitamins and minerals. It’s not as nutritionally well-rounded as Huel’s meal shakes of course, being lower in carbs, calories, fats and fibre, so it’s intended more as a protein-packed snack. Each 29g serving of the powder contains 20g of plant-based protein and a mere 105 calories.
Chocolate Fudge Brownie taste test: The powder mixed impressively well in water, dissolving completely with just a few shakes to create a velvety texture lacking in grains or clumps. However, the taste wasn’t quite as good. It leaned in the direction of sickly sweet, rather than rich and chocolatey.
Buy from Huel | £50 for 754g
(Image credit: unknown)
Myvegan Vegan Protein Blend Specifications Flavours: 13, including turmeric latte, carrot cake, white-chocolate raspberry Serving size: 30g Calories: 110 Protein per serving: 21g Carbs per serving: 3.3g RRP: £17.99 for 500g Price per serving: £1.07 Today's Best Deals Visit Site
Peas and fava beans are the protein sources in this vegan powder, with the combo ensuring you get a complete protein source. Each 30g serving contains 21g of protein and a mere 110 calories, with steviol glycosides used to provide sweetness in the absence of sugar.
Turmeric latte taste test: The flavour didn’t delight us, being milky and slightly earthy, but to be fair that is how we imagine a turmeric latte to taste, so it will probably hit the mark for fans of the beverage. The powder mixed well, with no lumps at all.
Buy from Myvegan | £17.99 for 500g
(Image credit: unknown)
Gorilla Juice Specifications Flavours: Strawberry shabang, caramel latte crush, game, set and matcha Serving size: 25g Calories: 98 Protein per serving: 18g Carbs per serving: 4.8g RRP: £31.99 for 750g Price per serving: £1.06 Today's Best Deals Visit Site
The protein in this shake is sourced from brown rice and peas, and there’s 18g in each 25g serving. That’s not all that’s in a serving, however, not by a long shot. Gorilla Juice’s powders also contain 14 different “superfoods,” including chlorella, alfalfa powder and yucca root. So there’s that.
Strawberry shabang taste test: This was a disappointment. The shake was thick and earthy, and the “shabang” in the name oversold the mild strawberry flavour. It wasn’t unpleasant to drink, though – just a little harder to get down than other, less viscous shakes.
Buy from Gorilla Juice | £31.99 for 750g
(Image credit: unknown)
To ensure you get a complete protein, Bulk has thrown five different sources of it into the mix for this powder – pea, brown rice, pumpkin seed, flaxseed and quinoa flour. The 35g serving contains 22.9g of protein and just 0.5g of sugar, with stevia used as the sweetener.
Apple strudel taste test: You might assume this would just be apple flavour, but there are definitely some strudel notes in there. It was very pleasant indeed, and we were impressed that Bulk has such a good range of flavours, including unexpected treats like this strudel-y shake as well as white choc coconut, because that’s not always the case with vegan powders. However, some marks were lost when it came to texture, which was a little too thick for our liking.
Buy from Bulk | £14.99 for 500g
More Recovery Protein Powder
(Image credit: unknown)
Bulk Recovery Shake (formerly Complete Recovery) Best for getting a bargain Specifications Flavours: Mixed berry, orange Serving size: 100g Calories: 373 Protein per serving: 31g Carbs per serving: 59g RRP: £19.99 for 500g-£104.99 for 5kg Price per serving: £4-£2.10 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + Often discounted + Large dose of carbs + Added vitamins C and B6 + Mixed berry flavour is excellent Reasons to avoid - High RRP
Recovery powders tend to be expensive, especially as the larger serving sizes you need (compared with plain protein powders) means you go through tubs of the stuff quickly. As always, Bulk offers a good-value option. The price per serving is comparatively high, but then the serving is significantly larger than most, and Bulk also offers frequent discounts.
The powder contains just shy of 60g of carbs and 31g of protein per 100g serving, plus it also contains electrolytes and vitamins C and B6 for good measure. It’s got everything you need after a long and tough training session so you can bounce back and go again soon.
Mixed berry taste test: There are two flavours available – orange and mixed berry – and while both are perfectly palatable it was the mixed berry that won us over. The powder also mixes quickly with water so you can chug down your recovery shake ASAP.
The nutrition experts at Chelsea FC helped to put together the supplements in the Blue Fuel range, which includes this recovery powder to help you bounce back after tough training sessions or indeed football matches. The powder contains 30.9g of protein (from a mix of whey concentrate and isolate) plus 39.1g of carbs from maltodextrin, which the body can absorb quickly. Electrolytes, plus a wide range of vitamins and minerals, are welcome bonuses.
(Image credit: Stealth)
Stealth Vegan Recovery Protein Good for a refreshing flavour Specifications Flavour: Mint chocolate Serving size: 50g Calories: 170 Protein per serving: 20g Carbs per serving: 19.5g RRP: £25 for 660g Price per serving: £1.89 Today's Best Deals Visit Site Reasons to buy + Added electrolytes + Low in calories Reasons to avoid - Thin texture
Along with the 20g of protein and 19.5g of carbs per 50g serving, this has added electrolytes to replace those lost through sweat. The vegan protein is a blend of pea and rice protein, and the sweetener is stevia.
Mint chocolate taste test: The texture is a little thinner than we’d have liked, but that’s the norm with a recovery drink compared with a traditional protein shake. The mint overpowers the chocolate slightly, but that made the shake surprisingly refreshing after a long run in the sun, and the powder mixes very easily with water.
The 5 best natural protein powders of 2021, backed by sports nutritionists
Natural protein powder should have no artificial ingredients and whole foods-based ingredients.
We tapped 3 sports nutritionists and tried many powders to determine the healthiest and tastiest picks.
Naked Whey is our top overall pick due to its short ingredient list, quality sourcing, and potency.
This piece was reviewed for accuracy by Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, a nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City.
Get honest reviews on top products & services — delivered weekly to your inbox. Loading Something is loading. Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
"In the context of an otherwise healthful diet, getting enough protein allows the body to grow, maintain, and repair tissues, hormones, and immune cells," Ryan Andrews, RD, CSCS, RYT, principal nutritionist and adviser for Precision Nutrition told Insider.
But if you're active, trying to gain muscle mass, or eating a plant-based diet, it can sometimes be hard to hit your daily protein with whole foods alone.
While 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day (e.g. 56/g/day for a 154 pound person) is adequate for most adults, that number nearly doubles (1.2 to 1.6g/kg, or 84-112g for the same person) to build muscle mass and properly recover as an athlete.
Let's be clear: The more nutrients you can consume from whole foods, the better. But supplementing with high-quality protein powder can help you reach those higher daily protein goals, easier.
However, there are still a lot of protein powders on the market using artificial sweeteners and other questionable ingredients. Others, meanwhile, aren't going through safety testing or disclosing results — some protein powders are adulterated (aka cut with cheaper fillers to reduce manufacturing cost, and not actually all protein).
While there isn't a set definition of what qualifies as a "natural" protein powder, the three sports nutritionists we interviewed for this piece generally agree a natural protein powder is different in that it doesn't have artificial ingredients, fillers, or irritants; goes through minimal processing; and was farmed and manufactured with a low environmental impact.
Overall, this makes for a less digestive-irritating, less questionable, more sustainable protein powder to add to your whole-food diet.
At the end of this guide, we go into more detail around what exactly defines a natural protein powder and what you should look for in a quality supplement. Otherwise, read on for the healthiest, best tasting natural protein powders.
The best natural protein powders of 2021
