Protein Powder Reviews

I don’t use a lot of protein powder, but I do use it often.

Almost every morning begins with a smoothie, including half a scoop of protein powder. That extra little kick of protein keeps me full in the morning.

When I’m really in the mood for a protein packed lunch, I’ll go for some Greek yogurt with a scoop of protein powder stirred in. (That’s a double punch of protein!)

Since my vegan days (and now my vegetarian days) I’ve tried a lot of different kinds of protein powder. There are still tons more out there, but these are a few I wanted to share today:

1. About Time Whey– Is it fair to start off with my favorite? I absolutely love the Birthday Cake flavor. This is the only protein powder I’ve been able to drink with just water, although I still prefer it in a smoothie. It dissolves well, it has a great flavor, and it doesn’t have added sugars (it’s sweetened with stevia) so it packs 25g of protein in just 100 calories.  When I first ordered it from Amazon, they accidentally shipped me the chocolate flavor, so I’ve tried that one as well. It’s good, but I do prefer Birthday Cake.

2. Designer Whey– This one is easy to find (it’s sold in most Trader Joe’s, grocery stores, etc.) and the overall taste isn’t bad. I’ve tried both chocolate and vanilla (I think I prefer the chocolate). These are reasonably priced, so I’d consider this a second place. I still have some on hand, which I’ve used in different recipes, and it seems to come out fine.

3. Vega– If you’re a vegan, you’ve probably come across this plant based protein. Honestly, the taste isn’t bad. I liked the berry flavor best (which is strange, since I don’t normally prefer the fruity ones) but my biggest complaint is how expensive it is. Plant based protein seems to be more expensive in general, but at almost $50 a tub, I can’t quite justify that.

4. Gen-Soy– I also tried soy protein back in my vegan days, and this was my least favorite. It had a bit of a funky flavor, and it didn’t seem to dissolve as well in my smoothies. I was also using soymilk at the time (I’ve since switched almost exclusively to almond milk) so I was also a little wary of adding even more soy to my diet. This one lost on taste, texture, and ingredients.

I’ve also tried hemp protein powder and rice protein powder but I didn’t like either one, and I couldn’t remember the brands, so I decided not to post a formal review. I’ll just say I didn’t like them and leave it at that 😉
If you’re not into shakes or smoothies, there are plenty of other things you can do with protein powder:

Try these banana bread protein muffins!

My roommates make fun of my when my giant 2lb tubs of protein come in from Amazon, but I always have to have some on hand! I think my next protein recipe will be some kind of homemade protein bar… lately I’ve been so on-the-go that I’ve needed some protein packed snacks! If you have a recipe to share, let me know!

Do you use protein powder? If so, do you have a favorite brand?