How to shop for whey protein powders
To help answer this question, I spoke with registered dietitians Mia Syn, MS, RDN, and Taylor Grasso, MPPD, RD, host of the podcast Simply Balanced. Here’s what they recommend looking for:
Third-party testing: Both Grasso and Syn stress the importance of making sure your protein powder is third-party tested. Because dietary supplements like protein powders are regulated by the FDA only as food, not as drugs, third-party testing ensures that what’s listed on the label matches what’s actually in the product. Look for a badge or note indicating the product was tested by NSF, Informed Sport, Informed Choice, or GMP. This is particularly important for athletes who want to ensure there are no banned substances in their supplements, but it’s a good practice for all users.
Clean ingredient lists: Once you’ve confirmed a product is third-party tested, take a close look at the ingredient list. Syn recommends opting for powders “with little to no unnecessary additives, fillers, artificial ingredients, and added sugar.” Grasso also advises choosing shorter ingredient lists when possible.
Watch out for artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols: Grasso particularly looks out for artificial sweeteners like acesulfame potassium or sucralose, which “are not inherently bad for us, but can cause headaches in some individuals.” Sugar alcohols—denoted by an “-ol” and including ingredients like erythritol, sorbitol, and maltitol—are another consideration. “We don’t digest those sugar alcohols, and so they actually enter our gut in the full molecular form, which can cause digestive upset, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, gas, all sorts of really fun GI things,” Grasso says. Not everyone will experience these symptoms, but it’s worth being aware of if you’ve ever found yourself worse for wear 30 minutes after downing your morning shake.
Other whey protein powders I tried and liked
Momentous Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate Powder
Promix Whey Protein Powder
Promix’s flavored whey protein powders mixed up fairly well and have some of the simplest ingredient lists. For example, the vanilla and chocolate flavors contain just four ingredients: grass-fed whey concentrate, maple or coconut sugar, sunflower lecithin, and either whole bean vanilla extract or raw organic cacao—no natural flavors, no artificial flavors or sweeteners, and no monk fruit or stevia. Without those additives, though, Promix powders are very subtle on the flavor front and are barely sweet (with only 5 grams of real sugar), which is why they didn’t make our top picks; however, if you’re using these powders in smoothies, you may appreciate their milder taste profiles.
Myprotein Impact Whey Protein Cinnamon Cereal
Myprotein
Impact Whey Protein, Cinnamon Cereal
If your sugar cereal preferences skew more toward Cinnamon Toast Crunch you’ll love this flavor from Myprotein. It tasted great mixed with water for an easy-to-down shake, but I also had success blending it into a smoothie with a banana and some almond milk. It’s dessert-like for sure, and on the sweeter side of the spectrum compared. It’s also worth noting that, like Optimum Nutrition, it’s sweetened with acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Myprotein makes a wide range of other flavors of its whey protein concentrate, several of which I also tasted. The Chocolate Smooth was a win, the Vanilla Ice Cream was a hard pass. If you struggle with lactose, the brand also makes many of its flavors in a whey isolate version.
Groove Whey Protein Isolate, Mexican Chocolate
Groove
Whey Protein Isolate, Mexican Chocolate
I was pleasantly surprised by this whey isolate from Groove. While I’m typically averse to anything sweetened with monk fruit, I found that the addition of alkalized cocoa powder and cinnamon distracted from the sweeteners’ aftertaste, and that the powder mixed into a pleasant, not-too-thick, not-too-thin consistency when shaken with water. Groove adds what they call the “Groove Compound” into each of its products, and its proteins are no exception. The “compound” consists of Vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin C, Alpha GPC (to aid with focus, according to the brand’s website), and Himalayan salt (to “increase nutrient absorption and lower blood pressure”).
PEScience Select Protein Cake Pop and Peanut Butter Cookie
PEScience
PEScience Select Protein, Cake Pop
Let me preface by saying that these powders from PEScience are not going to be for everyone. They’re a bit grittier than the rest of the proteins on this list, are very viscous when mixed with water, and are some of the sweetest options I tried. That said, if the thought of drinking melted ice cream appeals to you, you will like these. The Cake Pop will appeal to anyone who’s ever enjoyed a Milk Bar birthday cake truffle, and I was struck by the deeply, well, peanutty flavor of the Peanut Butter—a flavor I felt was lacking in the peanut butter option I tried from a different brand.
Orgain Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder
I enjoyed both Orgain flavors I tried and found that they struck a nice balance in terms of sweetness. Both the chocolate and vanilla smelled and tasted faintly of coconut to me, which I personally didn’t mind (though that may turn some people off).
Whey protein powders we don’t recommend
In addition to their unflavored option, Naked also makes their whey protein in a handful of other flavors, of which I tried the vanilla and chocolate. Both taste exactly like what they are: whey, a touch of sugar, and cocoa or flavoring depending on the flavor in question. While I appreciated the short ingredient list and that there were no artificial sweeteners, I found the overall flavor to be a bit too subtle for my liking when mixed with water as a shake. The vanilla in particular had an off-putting flavor that was vaguely reminiscent of blood.
The vanilla version of Groove’s whey protein isolate was inoffensive in flavor and had nice flecks of vanilla bean, but there was a strong sweetener aftertaste due to a combination of monk fruit and stevia that I just couldn’t get over. It was also a touch too sweet for my liking.
I didn’t love any of the flavors (Vanilla, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter) I tried from Xwerks for the same reason: They all tasted primarily of sweetener.
These powders tasted artificial to me. That said, the glazed donut flavor tasted shockingly of, well, glazed donut. If you’re into the idea of your morning shake tasting just like a treat from Dunkin’, you may like this one.
These powders from Ascent check a lot of boxes: They’re third party-tested, have short ingredient lists (featuring a protein blend of whey isolate and concentrate), and are at the upper range of protein per serving at 25 grams. I found both flavors I tried to be inoffensive, but didn’t love the stevia aftertaste. The chocolate flavor somehow reminded me of cotton candy—a fact which, once I identified, I couldn’t quite get over.
The vanilla flavor of this whey concentrate from LTH had an off-putting flavor that I just couldn’t get past—equal parts sour and chemical in nature.
FAQs
Why might someone want to use protein powder?
Grasso always recommends that her clients get the bulk of nutrients, like carbohydrates, protein, and fat, from whole foods before adding supplements. “But the reality is a lot of the time we do need some additional protein as well,” she says. “For very active individuals, especially, a protein supplement can be super easy. Same with people who are just on the go all the time and don’t necessarily have time to prep as many meals.”
When animal milk is coagulated (or curdled) by acid, it separates into two things: curds and whey (famously eaten by one Little Miss Muffet). While the curds are typically destined to become cheese, that liquid whey is often used to make “whey cheeses” like ricotta, or it gets pasteurized, filtered, and dried to become protein powder.
“Whey protein would technically be considered the ‘gold standard,’ and that’s because whey protein is a milk protein. Any animal-based proteins are going to be what we like to call a complete protein,” explains Grasso. It’s “complete” because it contains the nine essential amino acids we must get from the food we eat because our body doesn’t make them on its own, all of which play vital roles within the body—we’re talking everything from immune function and energy regulation to hemoglobin production.
Many protein sources (like legumes, nuts, and brown rice) deliver some but not all of the nine essentials, meaning you’d need to combine them to achieve the full spectrum. That’s the draw of a “complete” protein, and why people might turn to whey as a straightforward choice when looking for a way to supplement their protein intake. Grasso also notes that whey protein powders often have a higher amount of leucine, an amino acid that is particularly important for athletes or people looking to build muscle because of its role in muscle protein synthesis. Another pro? According to Syn, “whey is also considered a ‘fast-absorbing’ protein, which makes it preferred for post-workout recovery.”
If whey protein isn’t for you, whether you’re vegan or have a dairy allergy or sensitivity, note that it’s not the only supplement that’ll provide that complete amino acid profile. Many vegan protein companies add a variety of plant-based protein sources to their powder blends in order to ensure they’re delivering that full package and satisfying your protein needs, which they’ll usually note on their packaging. Plant-based complete proteins also do exist—these would be anything soy-based, says Grasso, or a pea protein.
Whey protein concentrate vs. isolate: what’s the difference?
These are the two most common forms of whey protein you’ll see, and the choice between the two is another thing to consider when deciding which powder to go with.
“Whey protein isolate is a filtered form of whey protein. It contains at least 90% protein and has less fat, carbohydrates, and calories than whey concentrate. It also contains very little lactose,” says Syn, which makes it a good option for those with lactose intolerance.
Whey protein concentrate sits at about 70%–80% in protein content and contains more lactose than isolate, but the trade-off is that it’s often cheaper.
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