Why do some protein powders taste bad in the first place? 

TRUTH: Some protein drinks can taste terrible. They’re either chalky, metallic, unnecessarily sweet or leave you with cottonmouth. Here’s the breakdown on why you may have been turned off on protein powders before. 

Typically, low-quality proteins skimp on ingredients and flavors. Then in an attempt to make their shakes taste better they load them up with artificial sweeteners like sucralose, xylitol, aspartame, saccharin, and ace-k. While these may show that they are low in calories and sugar, they tend to make a protein powder taste overly sweet. 

Unless your protein powder contains the highest quality of ingredients, there is also the likelihood of fillers making your protein powder unsavory. Some cheaper vanilla protein powders or unflavored protein powders also try to use bulking agents like skim milk powder. These can not only contribute to the chalky taste, but also are poorly absorbed. 

Ingredients to Look for in the Best Tasting Protein Powder

The best tasting protein powder unsurprisingly tends to have the highest quality ingredients. The more organic plant proteins, natural sweeteners, and proper ratios of ingredients, the better the taste. This will also depend on what kind of protein powder type you are consuming. 

• Vegan Protein Powder: Many people choose vegan protein powder because it lacks the animal proteins that may be restricted because of diet or lifestyle. For vegans or vegetarians, it can be the perfect addition to your nutritional regimen. Ingredients should include organic plant proteins like pea protein, hemp protein, and seed proteins. However, plant proteins can lack critical nutrients like BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids). 

• Whey Protein Powder: Milk is made from two dairy-based proteins; casein and whey. The best whey protein powder is low in lactose and has all 9 essential amino acids. The drawback with this kind of protein powder is that it’s not dairy-free, which makes it not allergen-friendly. Ingredients should include organic sweeteners (if any) like coconut sugar or monk fruit extract.

• Egg-based: This can be a low carb protein powder option and is made out of dehydrated egg whites after yolks have been removed. This is one of the most easily absorbed and bioavailable protein types. Egg protein is also one of the leanest proteins. A premier protein powder has a balanced list of ingredients including both plant proteins and egg white proteins to deliver all 9 essential amino acids your body needs––while staying dairy and gluten free.

Supplement Key Ingredients: Amino Acids in Fitness & Health

The building blocks of protein are amino acids and they serve as the catalyst for nearly every chemical process in the body. Non-essential amino acids can be synthesized by the body. Essential amino acids, however, cannot be produced by the body, and therefore must be consumed in food. The 9 essential amino acids are: threonine, isoleucine, histidine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and valine. They are needed for vital processes in the body. 

Three of these essential amino acids; isoleucine, leucine, and valine are known as the Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) because they are metabolized in the muscle rather than the liver. Together, they all work in tandem to rebuild muscles post-workout. Having the right diet with these help ensure that you can remain healthy and get stronger throughout any fitness regimen. Because it can be hard to get all of these from food, it’s easy to supplement with a premier protein powder. 

Examine other ingredients to look for or avoid when choosing the best tasting protein powder for you. 

• Good ingredients to boost health
• MCT
• Collagen
• Pre/probiotics
• Bad ingredients to avoid
• Preservatives
• Fillers
• Artificial Sweeteners

Optimize Your Health with the Best Tasting Protein Powder

The first step to finding the best protein powder is to look at the ingredients. This will also give you clues into how it will taste, and effect your performance. Our nutritionally complete protein powders are some of the best tasting protein powders because they are:

• Dairy-free
• No artificial sweeteners
• Naturally flavored with Vanilla or Chocolate 

Whey can cause digestive issues for many, so for our best tasting Transformation Protein powder, we avoided it. And on its own, plant-based protein is not a complete protein––so we’ve rounded it out with collagen, egg white, and other premium organic ingredients to create a dairy-free protein with all nine essential amino acids to give your body what it needs. This is what drives real results. 

Adding healthy ingredients to your protein shake to boost flavor and nutrients. Some recommendations are a plant-based milk to help make it creamy, blended with fruit or vegetables for a smoothie, or baked into a healthy snack. Check out our new recipe page for all the ways to make your protein powder taste the best so you can look your best.