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!
I think that the About Time BIrthday cake and the Sunwarrior vanilla are sounding like great options. Thanks for sharing everyone – the reviews and comments were very helpful as I search for my first protein powder!
I’m glad it helped! I hope you find one you love!
my recovery drink while training for marathon includes Nutrilite protein powder. A drink after each run and one before i retire for the night.
Great post. I’m looking to integrate protein powder back into my diet but haven’t found one that I really care for. I’m sticking with peanut flour currently.
Ironically, I am trying to find a protein powder! I’ve never bought a tub, but I’ve sampled a few different kinds and wasn’t too enthusiastic about them- they tasted chalky and blah 😛 I picked up a pack of Vega today from WF so I’ll give that a try but BIRTHDAY CAKE sounds absolutely wonderful!!!
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.
I use Trader Joe’s Soy Vanilla in my green shakes every morning – it’s great!
I do not eat any milk derivatives so no whey or casien! I LOVE pea protein, rice bran protein and egg white protein! 🙂 I especially love Olympian Lab Pea Protein and Rainbow Bright Vanilla Energy Booster! Delish!
I preferred to go for whey protein because it has high biological value and can easily absorbed in human body so my thumbs up for designer whey.
I was just thinking the first one looks the most attractive and I’d pick that one first – glad my taste’s not that far off by these reviews!
I don’t really use protein powder – but if I did, I’d be making those muffins 🙂
If I ate protein powder, I bet I would be HUGE. Like Hulk Hogan use — plus boobs. I don’t want to lose those. Although I don’t really have much to lose …
P.S. Anytime I say/type the word booties, I giggle.
http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88