What Is The Best Whey Protein Powder To Buy
Recently, we put whey protein powders to the test. As registered dietitians, we get asked weekly about our recommendations in protein powder, including whey protein powder and plant-based protein powder. So, for the last six months, our team has been evaluating, tasting, and crunching numbers and ingredient lists so we can confidently say that these are the Best Whey Protein Powders out there based on quality, optimum nutrition, dissolubility (how well they dissolve), and taste. Also, see our post on Best Plant Based Protein Powder.
what is the best whey protein powder to buy
Whey protein powder is made from milk, so it does contain lactose, but not a significant amount. Comparatively, whey contains a lot less lactose than other dairy foods like milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and ice cream. People with lactose intolerance, a common digestive problem, may or may not have trouble digesting whey protein. And, depending on how it has been filtered, some whey protein powders contain a little lactose while others have none. For people who lack the digestive enzyme lactase (which breaks down lactose) or who have a sensitivity to lactose, a whey protein isolate is often the best whey choice. For people who are highly sensitive to lactose, and vegans or dairy-free eaters who are seeking a 100% non-lactose protein powder, see our review of the Best Plant-Based Protein Powders.
Here are our recommendations for whey protein powders in six main categories, plus our recommendation for the overall best whey protein powder. Scroll down to read more about why these brands stood out to us so you can find a form of whey protein that is best for you.
We really like Garden of Life because of their standards, ingredient traceability, and high quality protein products. While you can get higher amounts of protein in their sport- and fit-focused powders, we think their regular organic grass-fed whey is appropriate for most people, and it tastes great, too.
Since she was pregnant with her third baby during this whey protein powder review, Jessie was our guinea pig for sampling all of the prenatal and postnatal protein powders. She found that this smoothie mix from Organic Valley tasted best and provided a good amount of essential pregnancy and postpartum nutrients (folate, DHA, and choline) when mixed with dairy milk.
Jessica, Stacie, and Jessie all have a registered dietitian (RD / RDN) credential, and used professional analysis and home taste tests to create this unsponsored list of whey protein powder recommendations. Product samples were both provided and purchased. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to reference this content, please link back to the source here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Whey protein isone of the most commonly used proteins and is best for day-to-day use. Itcontains all of the essential amino acids and is easily digested. It helpsboost energy and can reduce stress levels.
This straightforward whey concentrate delivers on protein and flavor. You may even want to drink one on a rest day, as its ultra-smooth taste is among the more enjoyable on the market. This formula includes prebiotics, probiotics, trace minerals and digestive enzymes, which help to improve protein absorption and assimilation. And it carries an NSF certification.
This NSF-certified whey protein has 24 grams of protein per rich, chocolatey scoop and 110 calories. What really sets it apart from other powders on this is that it contains a blend of all three forms of whey protein powder (isolate, concentrate, and hydrolysate). It's also GMO and rBGH hormone free, if those things are important to you.
Get the best of both worlds in this whey protein powder: A blend of fast-acting whey protein fuel muscle recovery and growth, and slow-digesting casein quells post-gym hunger pangs. People reported feeling more satiated after drinking 20 grams of casein protein mixed with water than they did after drinking a whey protein or pea protein solution, a Swiss study found.
Garden of Life carries the heralded NSF Certified for Sport seal, which means that what's advertised on the label is exactly what's inside the jug. Not many protein powders have this label. Trust the ones that do. One scoop contains 25 grams of protein for 110 calories.
One scoop from this bag of whey protein powder carries 25 grams of protein and 2.7 grams of leucine, an amino acid that assists with muscle recovery. Look closely and you'll notice the Informed Choice checkmark of third-party certification too.
All of the protein powders in this guide have been tried and tested by the Live Science team. Firstly, we disregarded any products that had excessive levels of artificial sweeteners, additives or preservatives. We also looked at the texture of the powder, including how well it mixed into water, milk, and foods such as oatmeal or smoothie bowls. Finally, came the taste test, where we determined whether the taste was reflective of the flavor, unusually bitter or particularly sweet. Packaging was also noted, based on sustainability and convenience, as well as value for money.
If you've not included protein powder in your diet before it can be a little tricky to know where to start. To work out which protein powder is the best option for you, begin by looking at how much exercise you do and what type. If you're a powerlifter your needs will be different from that of a committed runner, pounding away on a treadmill every day. Do you train in a gym or do you like to mix it up with your own home workout ideas?
If you're looking to lose body fat, then you may want to choose a protein powder lower in carbohydrates and calories. Not all protein powders are equal in terms of the macronutrients and calories they provide, so make sure you read the nutritional information on the label carefully, as a single serving can vary between 70 kcal and 1,000 kcal.
Stefanski says it's important to know what your aims are and how protein powder genuinely contributes to them. She adds \"The macronutrient content [the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats] depends on why you're using the product, such as for a meal or post-workout, and your individual protein and energy needs.\"
When choosing your protein sources, it's worth knowing that different proteins affect the body in different ways. \"Protein sources are ranked by how well they are absorbed by the intestine and utilized by the body,\" Stefanski explains. \"This ranking is known as protein digestibility. Whey protein and other cow's milk sources rank highest. Animal protein sources such as egg [and] beef rank higher than plant protein sources such as soy, pea, oat and rice. While collagen has grown in popularity, it lacks some of the amino acids you'd find in the same amount of whey protein.\"
The amount of protein in whey powder can vary dramatically, from 29% to 90%, depending on how it has been processed. The highest concentration powders may contain very little fat, lactose (milk sugar) and cholesterol, while the powders with lower protein levels will have these components in higher concentration. So, you will find whey isolate powders, which have been filtered several times, will have much higher protein percentages, but will be more expensive as well.
If you're weighing up the benefits of different protein powders it's worth thinking about how easy they are to digest, as some are kinder on the body than others. Stefanski advises: \"If you're looking for the best quality protein, you can see if the protein powder offers a digestibility score called PDCAAS.\" She added: \"The higher the value, the better the amino acids will be absorbed and used by your body.\"
How to achieve the best results? Stefanski says that, although it can be eaten whenever you like, for optimum results, make sure you consume your extra protein within an hour of training: \"For maximal muscle repair and growth, protein should be accompanied by carbohydrates within one to two hours. The amount of protein and carbohydrates is dependent on overall energy needs as a person. If total calories aren't met, amino acids will be used as an energy source rather than a building block of structures in the body.\"
While the first port of call for a healthy protein intake should be to consume enough dietary protein, it may not always be easy. People who follow restrictive diets or have specific dietary requirements may particularly struggle to get enough protein, which is where the best protein powder can help to fill in any deficit.
The flavor is good without the temple-aching sweetness you get in some protein powders. We tried the birthday cake flavor, which can be notoriously sweet, and even this was pleasantly tasty but not overly synthetic. It mixes pretty easily too, although it's worth noting that whilst some protein powders mimic the action of thickening agents when stirred into porridge, we found Dymatize actually had the opposite effect, making the porridge slightly runnier.
This protein powder scores 4.2 stars out of 5 on Amazon, with enthusiasts praising it for its value, range of flavors and ease of mixing, and many feeling reassured by its ranking in independent tests, "I like this brand because you know what you're getting, based off independent lab testing". The main criticisms revolve around taste, particularly in the more unusual flavors which some find too sweet.
The protein comes from whey concentrate, which some people find causes bloating. There are few ingredients, although some of the flavor options include artificial flavors. It comes in more than 40 flavors and a range of sizes. We found the 250g bag really useful for a weekend away or bringing into the office, but you can also purchase a 5kg bag to store at home.
Made with just whey isolate, with no whey concentrate, and sweetened only with stevia, which is a natural substance made from the leaves of the stevia plant, this is the best protein powder for anyone who suffers from a sensitive stomach. 041b061a72