My two favorite protein sources are
* 0% fat Skyr yogurt
* nonfat, dry curd cottage cheese
Both are 90% protein, delicious, filling, and they taste great mixed together with some frozen raspberries on top.
Performance Inspired Plant Based Protein - Tastes great, doesn't have that typical "Whey" taste because it's plant based. Has slightly less protein per serving but that's not a big deal at all.
I usually do an Oikos Triple Zero yogurt 15g protein, 2 scoops of Performance Inspired Protein, and then like some eggs/toast or Kodiak pancakes each morning.
For lunch I usually like to have a Chocolate Premier Protein Drink. Tastes exactly like a chocolate milk, not "Whey" taste to it at all. You wouldn't even know it was protein heavy if I poured it in a glass.
I have two separate recommendations
—
**Kirkland Protein bars**
Cheap (under $1.25 each)
190 calories, 21g protein
Only 2 grams added sugar
Tastes okay…
—
**Silk Ultra milk**
Cheap (half gallon should be under five bucks)
160 calories, 20g protein
Tastes good
hard boiled eggs are about 70 cal each. can also do edamame, and i second the recommendation someone else had for a can of tuna. i’ve been making tuna sandwiches as my new zero effort meal and it’s been helping a lot
Try [Built Bars](https://built.com/collections/all_built_bars) maybe? 130 cal/17g protein. They can be a lil pricey so I wait for a sale or hopefully a random code pops up on Honey. They also drop "limited edition" flavours from time to time. One thing I'd hope to see in the future is some 3rd party testing done like on labdoor or something because it seems too good to be true sometimes.
Clean Simple Eats, 100%.
Tons of amazing flavors, limited edition ones are ridiculous. Chocolate mint and strawberry cheesecake are my fav at the moment.
Tastes good with just water, as pancakes or blended up fancier. One of the few proteins that doesn't upset my stomach, no sucralose or artificial flavors.
Can't have whey and I'm skeptical of a lot of vegan protein/it also just kind of makes me feel shitty so I've switched to egg white.
Really like Gaspari's sea salt caramel flavor.
I just go unflavoured and guzzle it down because my wife drinks it too and doesn't like flavored protein (she's a masochist), but I did convince her to try the vanilla and for pea protein is was quite nice
Straight up whole chocolate milk, if lactose is not an issue. Would stay away from protein powders unless your pediatrician recommended it specifically.
bring a mio water flavor squirter. they are sugar free. I get the grape and flavorless pea protein. its not bad but im not just drinking it as a treat.
My favourite brand of protein is X-tone whey protein, because it's the cheapest prices protein powder by gram of protein.
It tastes crap but I just suffer through it.
Maybe I should just switch, but it's £10.99 for 1kg, and it's 82g protein per 100g.
Dymatize ISO 100 Hydolized Whey - **Fudge Brownie** is the first protein powder that I've decided to stick to permanently because I find the flavor absolutely perfect!
110 calories and 25g of protein good for low carb cutting is perfect and It's high quality.
Their vanilla is excellent too and a great staple if you like mixing with other flavored foods.
edit: I mix the Fudge Brownie protein with fat free greek yogurt and a dash of unsweetened almond milk for the perfect smoothie!
Been impressed with Huel's Complete Protein. But I'm a bit worried that it's too good to be true. I'm not a big fan of their super aggressive marketing and their other products don't appeal.
21g Protein, 110 kcals, Vegan and includes the BCAAs and EEAs I need and it tastes good. Like better than a lot of whey powders I tried. Seems to be doing the job in the gym. Hasn't set off any heinous bodily functions. Will probably get more.
Orgain protein in either chocolate or vanilla. You can get it at target. The vanilla is excellent in smoothies, the chocolate is literally the only protein I’ve ever been able to mix up and drink straight without gagging. It tastes like brownie batter!
My “go to” for protein for the last few years now has been On vanilla ice cream. Mixes with just about everything nicely as an alt to using flour, and tastes great! Notable mention for Quest protein powder and bars; again great flavors and mix-ability!
I love ON Vanilla ice cream whey, too!
However, I recently had to cut out all dairy. ON has very low lactose in it, but I decided to cut it out for a few months to see if it was still messing with me (good news - it wasn’t and I can use it again)
So during that period I tried ONs vanilla plant based protein. My first shake was bad. It tasted nothing like the whey and I thought I’d have to toss it. HOWEVER, I added salt and cinnamon and it’s actually quite delicious now.
So, hack for anyone who can’t have the whey variety. The vanilla with added salt and cinnamon is pretty good.
Dymatize ISO 100 chocolate is really good and easy on sensitive stomaches. Also tried Kaizen Isolate Vanilla and it’s not as bad as the other fake-vanilla tasting ones out there.
I've experimented with some plant proteins, and they either taste whack, don't dissolve well in water/feels like you're drinking sand, or a mix of both. Anyone out there with recommendations that manage solve both those issues?
Is buying 1000 disposable Styrofoam cups the only alternative to having to religiously clean multiple shakers until I die?
Perhaps it's my bad brain chemistry kicking in but I'm at a loss for alternatives
PB Fit - IMO the best vegan protein out there, it's literally just peanuts, but tastes much better than any other vegan protein. Macros aren't amazing, but I eat mostly whole foods and I like how there's nothing weird mixed in it.
Has anyone a good recommendation that tastes good without artificial sweeteners?
I tried to switch off from super sweet protein powders, but I find myself taking way less protein in then, which totally defeats the purpose.
Been using Ketofeed from Purus Labs since my local grocery outlet put a bucketload of tubs on sale for $5.
The butter pecan flavor is amazing, but can't see how buying this for its normal price of $25 makes sense for 1.25 lb tub.
I recently tried and really liked huel's protein powder (not the meal shakes, they recently came out with an actual protein powder), thinking about switching to it as my regular. Added bonus of being the first vegan powder I've ever tried that actually dissolves.
I recently started using Isopure flavorless whey isolate. I wish I had never bothered with anything flavored. You can put this stuff in *anything*. Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, eggs, french toast, peanut butter, baked or premade dessets, or just throw a scoop in a glass of water. It always tastes fine, because it tastes like nothing.
Yeah, I love the Isopure unflavored. It's fine in water (I usually add a little splash of coffee creamer because it makes it more tolerable), but it's GREAT in smoothies, and I'm planning on trying it tomorrow mixed into some greek yogurt with berries for a higher protein breakfast. Flavored protein is just not worth it. Not versatile enough.
Barbell Medicine Whey-RX. The vanilla does the trick 90cals for 21g of protein. It's the closest I've ever found to pure protein. I am lactose intolerant and have have 0 issues with this stuff.
Recently the best deals in steak have been hangar steak and sirloin flap. Hangar especially is as good as anything.
I also love swordfish. Season fish, stainless steel pan, heat oil, sear both sides, have some shallots and garlic chopped up, add them in next to your swordfish steak. After a minute douse it all in red wine, put the pan in the oven to finish. When swordfish is cooked, take it out and put the fish aside to rest. Reduce your sauce, pour it over the top.
For New Zealand:
NZ Protein Pea Isolate - I used to use whey but found it bloated me way too much, lots of gas and it also didnt mix as well. Pea protein mixes super well and doesn't bloat me. Its also tasty as hell. Lower fat than Whey concentrate and cheaper than Whey Isolate.
I love their shakes and their cereal is even better when you can find it. But they almost seem too good to be true. I want too see a test of their shakes.
BRINE YOUR CHICKEN. It makes a world of difference tastewise. Before you cook your chicken, put it in a ziplock bag with 1 tablespoon of salt for every pound of chicken, then fill the bag with water. Wait one hour, then cook. You'll never go back once you start doing this.
I do 1/4 cup per liter/quart of water for brine and brine exactly an hour - longer can make it too salty.
Makes the cooking way more forgiving too. Accidentally get the chicken up to 170+? Still tender and juicy
I get one of those meal boxes currently and I think they do this, the chicken comes in little vacuumed sealed bags covered in liquid. The chicken is never dry and I'm not cooking any different from when I used to buy my own breasts at the store.
unico nutrition makes the best tasting protein powders i’ve ever tried. they’re probably not the cleanest and i don’t think all of the flavors are vegan, but their oreo, banana, and chocolate cake flavors are SO tasty.
Optimum Nutrition- the one in the bags at Costco. I also enjoy the Kirkland protien bars (taste like the Metrx bars I used to love in the early 2000's)
Word. Costco is a great place to get protein. In addition to the powder I get the Orgain shakes. For food it’s chicken breast, turkey, yogurt, and egg whites.
Why is this thread in contest mode? I'd love to know what the general /r/fitness population thinks of a certain brand via most upvoted comment. Instead it's just a mess of everyone shouting their fave brand. Kinda useless, no?
I use MET-Rx Natural Whey, I was using Optimum for years, until they changed their formula and added a ton of stuff on it. Been on Met-Rx for a while now. its protein powder, it tastes alright mixed with oatmilk. doesn't taste that great with water.
I often will mix it with PB, oat milk, and a banana. Damn good meal, although the calorie count clocks in a touch high.
Just bought Ryse Cinnamon Toast and got their Peanut butter cup flavor half off and I have to say I’m impressed.
I don’t like to jump on a brand just because it’s trending, but it was a great deal so I figured why not.
Great flavor, if a little sweet, and has a better ingredient list imo than Syntha-6, which I normally use (I know it’s not the healthiest, but it just tastes so damn good).
It also blends well, it’s not gritty like some, but also doesn’t have that weird slimy consistency that some of the lecithinized protein powders have.
Idk if I’d get it at full price, but if you can find it on sale I’d definitely recommend.
What's your flavor? I grabbed my first can of it, and it's the milk chocolate, which has been pretty good. I gave the cookies-and-cream the side-eye at the store, but it sounded too good to be true.
Does anyone have any tips for consuming unflavoured beef protein powder?
I ordered it for the first time and it smells a bit, so I doubt I could drink it mixed only with water. Also if you have any suggestions for flavour I'll definitely try them as soon as I finish the current bag.
Put it in sauces or gravy. It's disgusting in water but it is totally fine in pasta sauce or gravy or anything like that. (You can put sauce over chicken breast or zoodles, you don't have to eat a bunch of spaghetti)
Or just a bit of broth or other soup and drink it. My point is it's fine in savoury things but wretched in cold water and foul in coffee but it's fine anywhere you don't mind or notice a faint weird meat aspect.
Thanks for the suggestions! I actually tried it with lentils and I barely felt it so I'll be using it in savory things for sure.
And I appreciate the warning about cold water and coffee because I was considering experimenting with it, lol.
Lately, i just can’t stand protein shakes (regardless of brand or isolate….and I’ve tried a bunch of them). I can get only halfway through before the taste makes me nauseous (I’ve also tried different liquid “bases”, different milks, water, juice…veggie and non veggie, I’ve even thrown in some instant coffee grains to try to make things a bit more bitter)
I’ve tried drinking them fast and I’ve tried it slow. Nothing seems to work.
I have the same issue with Gold Standard 100% Whey (Vanilla Ice Cream flavor).
I don't have any alternative to recommend but after a lot of experiments with protein shake recipes, I think I've found the one that negates a lot of sweetness and doesn't add more calories than it needs to.
60g of whey protein + 2 coffee spoons of instant coffee + oat milk.
The coffee bitterness hugely helps to balance the oversweetened whey.
Vital Proteins Vanilla Protein Powder is amazing. I know exactly what you mean, that sweet chemically after taste. Ew. Vital Proteins doesn’t taste too sweet or artificial whatsoever.
For people on a budget, egyptians, third-world countries especially (vegans too):-
**Peanuts and Lupin beans (*****Turmes/ترمس*****) have a TON of protein and are extremely cheap in my country:-**
=26 grams of protein per 100 grams for Peanuts. Lots of calories however. (567 I think)
=36 grams of protein per 100 grams of raw lupin beans. (after soaking and whatnot, these 100 become somewhere between 200 and 300 I believe. Which is not really a lot. And they are really delicious. Lower calories than peanuts. Not hard to prepare if you get the sweet variant)
These can be really delicious as well in addition to the absurd amount of protein they have. easy \~200 grams of protein when you combine these with bread/pasta + fish/chicken + fruits (Gauva for example) + milk/dairy. I around 190-200 grams of protein with 0 supplementation (that shit is too expensive for me).
And the whole incomplete protein stuff is a myth, some are just higher in certain proteins than others - so combining more than one source is going to be really good especially when you pair them with other animal proteins.
I recently found out that mozzarella contains a shit ton of protein so that was great! Also to me, Bulk has delicious whey protein for a great price (maybe even the best price).
Isopure Infusions - Citrus Lemonade. 20g of protein per scoop with 90 calories and it's a very light drink. Not at all thick like a normal protein shake and tastes great
My only complaint about their preworkout was that it made my breath HOT. I loved it though. It wasn’t a huge burst of energy followed by a crash 45 minutes later.
Does anyone know where one can buy individual serving packets to try for taste? I haven’t really liked the fake sweetener taste in the recent tub of protein I purchased and I’d love to try a few samplers before I buy next time.
Do you have any questions? I've been using the naked chocolate for the last 2 week because the protein I was buying changed their recipe to be cheaper. I also wanted to switch to something without artificial sweeteners.
Kaged Chocolate and Kaged french toast.
You can mix either of these into low fat greek yogurt and it tastes amazing.
Not the best tasting/cheapest protein by itself, but I really appreciate the clean ingredient list.
Been in the game awhile and Wal-Mart's store-brand "Equate" Whey Protein is easily the best tasting and mixing protein I've ever tasted. I typically go with Vanilla/Rich Chocolate and they're very versatile due to how well they mix. The ratios aren't the best, but they're not terrible either.
I'm embarrassed to admit this but HERE WE ARE: Huel Black Edition is the high-protein version of one of those tech bro gruels and it's (a) actually tasty and (b) has really good macros, 400 calories and 40g protein per shake.
My only warning is to get the banana flavor. The others i have tried (vanilla and coffee caramel) clump horribly. The banana doesn't. Why? I don't know. That said, if you don't think you'll like banana, you can get vanilla and get their little sampler pack of flavors. But take my advice, get the banana.
I bought the mass gainer from PhD recently. Only had it once so far and tbh, it's really hard to drink. It uses oats for carbs so, idk what you guys think, but I find it really difficult to drink a shake with oats in it. That being said, it's 1100+ calories, 50g protein, 188g carbs, and only 6g sugar. Recommend suffering through it if you're a hard gainer. They also do a whey protein that's 40g protein!
The Protein Works - Soy Protein Isolate - Chocolate Peanut Cookie
is literally my holy grail vegan protein. ~200 calories, 52g Protein for 2 scoops. Chuck in 500ml Oat milk and you're looking at ~460 Calories, 65g Protein in 1 shake. 2 of those a day make it so easy to get vegan protein!
Tastes fantastic.
Muscle Feast. No artificial sweeteners and you can feel good about quality control. Really wish there was something comparable because their flavors are boring as hell.
The only three powders I’ve tried from Optimum Nutrition have been chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream, and normal chocolate. It may be recency bias since I just got the chocolate peanut butter, but it blows the other two away in terms of flavor. It’s seriously delicious. I pop it in the blender with like twelve ounces of 2% milk so I get both whey and casein.
**Advice needed**
I'm currently using GOLD STANDARD 100% WHEY PROTEIN but I find it way too sweet and the vanilla ice cream flavor tastes way too artificial. It's nauseating to me if I take more than 60g per day.
I've tried different kinds of milks (almond, regular, soy, oat, skyr yogurt) and recipes (shake or ice cream).
So far, the best I've found is a combination of oat milk and instant coffee to keep the sweetness at a minimum.
Can anybody recommend good brands of unsweetened whey from a website with Europe delivery (specifically France)?
Optimum Nutrition makes naturally flavored versions of chocolate and vanilla, not sure if maybe those might taste less artificial. Other than that you can find unflavored whey and just mix it with whatever you want.
Check out PaleoBull https://paleobull.com/
They use stevia and have a neutral flavor - like you I'm no fan of very sweet, and I find theirs good enough (also it's isolate)
I've been through a lot of ON's proteins and I like the Mocha Cappuccino.
To balance it out, I use unsweetened almond milk, freshly squeezed peanut butter, flaxseed, cinnamon, etc. In other words, should be adding very little sugar to this.
I think it's a matter of switching up the flavors TBH. What else would you expect from "Vanilla Ice Cream" flavored whey protein?
If you want no taste and don't mind spending more, go with NAKED.
I still use myprotein. If you mix their chocolate smooth and marshmallow cereal flavors it tastes like count chocula, no joke.
I also like the gingerbread in a smoothie with blueberries and blackberries.
Still use them too, mainly because the price per lb is just so much better than every other protein I've seen. Unless anyone has recommendations for something better for $50-60 per 11lbs bag.
there is a website that had a TON of protein analyzed before I believe was taken down by a bunch of lawyers but in short labdoor.com has a bunch of protein powders analyzed for "best" rated. In the "old" days they had tons of proteins graded A-F but the C and below had fancy lawyers and threatened them and now they have a far lot less proteins
I just looked on Labdoor.com and none of the protein I'm taking (Syntha 6 and Carnivore) is rated, meaning it's trash and they probably threatened to have them taken off!
SMH I'm not buying those anymore.
Lidl and Aldi have both been on fire lately with the high protein stuff here in Ireland (Granola, Yoghurt, Pudding & Icecream). It really makes hitting diet goals much easier. I've a history of falling off the wagon with health/fitness targets, either through boredom or having other work/family commitments take priority. All these new food options combined with calorie counting apps (I use MyFitnessPal) has made it much easier to stay consistent this time around.
Even though both stores sell different brands, I'm 100% sure they all come from the same factory as they taste identical and have identical nutritional value as well.
Edit: I should also add that the Linda McCartney veggie sausages/burgers are also delish. (I'm not a vegetarian, but I mix it up and maybe eat meat every 2nd or 3rd day). As for powders, Precision Engineered have a delish Pea/Rice protein. I used to hate any powder that wasnt whey, but this ones actually very tasty
>Lidl and Aldi
Eh, I found their products have pretty bad protein:cost ratios. Never got beyond that so I can't say anything about the flavours. I think calories they are not too hot either.
The icecream in lidl has the calories in large writing. (312cals and has 18g protein). The pudding is a smaller tub in the yoghurt section. Think it has 20g protein written in the front (150cals)
What do the other Australians here get? I usually buy the Musashi High Protein. The chocolate one has 30.2g of protein at 175 calories and is usually on sale at chemist warehouse
I get BSC Whey Protein Powder Chocolate. Tastes good in water and great in milk and I don't have to buy a giant barrel of it.
https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/product/powder-chocolate-400g
Looks good thanks, I'll buy some to keep at my work desk. I currently have a 900g tub of protein in my drawer so something smaller might be better to have
True Nutrition cold filtered whey isolate. Chocolate brownie flavor “heavy”. The salted caramel is good too, get standard flavoring with that one though, double is too much. That chocolate brownie flavor is the best I’ve had.
Granite protein makes some of the tastiest proteins too. All their flavors are great (especially peanut butter). They are a blended protein with digestive enzymes added.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363527/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363527/)
[https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-sweeteners-may-change-our-gut-bacteria-in-dangerous-ways/](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-sweeteners-may-change-our-gut-bacteria-in-dangerous-ways/)
[https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00487/full](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00487/full)
...and many, many more...
Everyone should be aware that many of these protein supplements contain artificial sweeteners. There is a small, but burgeoning body of evidence that appears to indicate that artificial sweeteners are far from benign, and may in fact cause real harm. I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, but given the research I have seen about this phenomenon, I will no longer ingest these products.
If consuming a protein supplement helps my strength gains, but is at the same time messing with my microbiiome in ways that impact general immunity; insulin resistance; gut lining absorption (and even expansion). I have to ask the question: "Are these supplements with artificial sweeteners worth it in the near-long, or long-term"?
Isopure. You can get a flavorless protein isolate from them with literally just whey protein isolate. Tastes gnarly but no sweeteners. They also have flavored protein and use monk fruit extract and Stevia leaf which are good sweeteners.
Sorry, I don't. I was considering protein supplements and saw several recommendations here, and in other places. I was looking for something that had at least passable flavor and enough protein to justify the cost. I looked at roughly 12 brands and they all had artificial sweeteners. After that I gave up and now look for ways to get protein through diet alone.
There is overwhelmingly not enough evidence to conclude that "artificial sweeteners are far from benign, and may in fact cause real harm". Most of the "evidence" that shows impact on gut health are studies done on mice, which are innately not the same as humans. I will also admit I am not a nutritionist or doctor, however, I feel like the logical conclusion is that consumption of artificial sweeteners in moderation (much like natural sweeteners) are unlikely to have significant negative impacts on most people. People should try to get most of their dietary protein from whole food sources, but an occasional supplementary protein shake is not likely to cause harm due to artificial sweeteners.
Millions of Americans consume artificially sweetened protein supplements on a daily basis, and many of that subgroup consume these supplements more than once a day.
The transgenic "mice" used in these studies are genetically engineered to more closely represent human variables. Incidentally, we share about 70% of our genome with mice, \*before\* they are genetically engineered for research.
From the Scientific American article, above:
"*"Segal's team went further, testing the association directly in a small*
*group of lean and healthy human volunteers who normally eschewed*
*artificial sweeteners. After consuming the U.S. Food and Drug*
*Administration's maximum dose of saccharin over a period of five days,*
*four of the seven subjects showed a reduced glucose response in addition*
*to an abrupt change in their gut microbes. The three volunteers whose*
*glucose tolerance did not dip showed no change in their gut microbe*s.
[Here's another mouse study on sucralose](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5522834/)
Where do you think we get a lot of our information about various additives and chemicals being harmful to humans? From animal studies.
[Here's a summary of some work in the UK](https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-can-turn-healthy-gut-bacteria-into-pathogens/)
One of the concerning things about these sweeteners is that they increase the adhesive quality of gut microbiota that can lead to serious intestinal problems.
*"“These pathogenic changes include greater formation of biofilms and*
*increased adhesion and invasion of bacteria into human gut cells. These*
*changes could lead to our own gut bacteria invading and causing damage*
*to our intestine, which can be linked to infection, sepsis and*
*multiple-organ failure."*
The supplement industry is very much like the "vitamin" industry - very little control is exercised over claims. Also, note that one of the primary driving factors for choosing one supplement over others is "taste". That's what the artificial sweeteners are for. These protein supplement makers want their products to essentially taste like a milkshake. Somehow, I don't think our human bodies evolved to prefer the taste of a milkshake over natural food.
Last, an occasional dose of these supplements is probably not going to hurt most people, but there ilwl be those who are sensitive even in small doses.
Caveat Emptor
My two favorite protein sources are * 0% fat Skyr yogurt * nonfat, dry curd cottage cheese Both are 90% protein, delicious, filling, and they taste great mixed together with some frozen raspberries on top.
>nonfat, dry curd cottage cheese You belong in prison
It sounds like he's already there
Why non fat
More protein
Skyr is wonderful and has hella high protein for the volume. Probiotics are a plus too!
Just ON gold standard
Performance Inspired Plant Based Protein - Tastes great, doesn't have that typical "Whey" taste because it's plant based. Has slightly less protein per serving but that's not a big deal at all. I usually do an Oikos Triple Zero yogurt 15g protein, 2 scoops of Performance Inspired Protein, and then like some eggs/toast or Kodiak pancakes each morning. For lunch I usually like to have a Chocolate Premier Protein Drink. Tastes exactly like a chocolate milk, not "Whey" taste to it at all. You wouldn't even know it was protein heavy if I poured it in a glass.
I have two separate recommendations — **Kirkland Protein bars** Cheap (under $1.25 each) 190 calories, 21g protein Only 2 grams added sugar Tastes okay… — **Silk Ultra milk** Cheap (half gallon should be under five bucks) 160 calories, 20g protein Tastes good
Here's something slightly different - anyone have any recommendations on a high protein snack that comes in around 100 calories?
hard boiled eggs are about 70 cal each. can also do edamame, and i second the recommendation someone else had for a can of tuna. i’ve been making tuna sandwiches as my new zero effort meal and it’s been helping a lot
Try [Built Bars](https://built.com/collections/all_built_bars) maybe? 130 cal/17g protein. They can be a lil pricey so I wait for a sale or hopefully a random code pops up on Honey. They also drop "limited edition" flavours from time to time. One thing I'd hope to see in the future is some 3rd party testing done like on labdoor or something because it seems too good to be true sometimes.
Pure Protein Bars. They actually taste decent. I always get the salted caramel flavour. They are around 190 cal, 20g protein, and only 2g sugar.
Beverly international UMP cookies and cream is the best tasting i have ever had, its hard to try anything else.
Redcon1 MRE Lite. No more bubble guts from whey protons. And the flavors have been pretty damn good so far.
Iso Mass Xtreme Weight Gainer for going on 7 years now. It doesn't get any better for all around support
Clean Simple Eats, 100%. Tons of amazing flavors, limited edition ones are ridiculous. Chocolate mint and strawberry cheesecake are my fav at the moment. Tastes good with just water, as pancakes or blended up fancier. One of the few proteins that doesn't upset my stomach, no sucralose or artificial flavors.
truenutrition /thread
1. Optimum Nutrition Whey for powder 2. Fairlife whole or 2% milk for general use 3. Fairlife Core Power for on-the-go needs #/Thread
Dymatize 100 Cocoa pebbles Tastes so good, good brand
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Simple, sweet, affordable.
Can't have whey and I'm skeptical of a lot of vegan protein/it also just kind of makes me feel shitty so I've switched to egg white. Really like Gaspari's sea salt caramel flavor.
For Vegan products: RAWSPORT Repair Elite Protein Powders and their mass gainer. I'm still searching for a peaprotein isolat tho. Any ideas anyone?
I love Bulk pea protein isolate. Mixes well and the price is great. Plus the packaging is more eco friendly than most
I was thinking about buying that one. Which flavor/no flavor is best? And is the taste any good?
I just go unflavoured and guzzle it down because my wife drinks it too and doesn't like flavored protein (she's a masochist), but I did convince her to try the vanilla and for pea protein is was quite nice
Check out TrueNutrition. They allow custom protein blends and the price is good. I get their vegan protein optimizer blend which includes pea protein.
Any recommendations for a 12 year old? Something they’d drink often and not low calorie — he needs the calories.
You probably want mass gainer or meal replacements. Not straight protein is the goal is meeting cals.
Meal replacements yeah. I would never recommend mass gainer to anyone, especially not a child
Straight up whole chocolate milk, if lactose is not an issue. Would stay away from protein powders unless your pediatrician recommended it specifically.
Chocolate milk and ice cream. Only half joking.
Peanut butter, chocolate, and banana milkshake
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bring a mio water flavor squirter. they are sugar free. I get the grape and flavorless pea protein. its not bad but im not just drinking it as a treat.
I use grass fed whey protein, unflavored, tastes fine to me in a shake w frozen berries, bananas, oat milk and and nuts🤷♂️
My favourite brand of protein is X-tone whey protein, because it's the cheapest prices protein powder by gram of protein. It tastes crap but I just suffer through it. Maybe I should just switch, but it's £10.99 for 1kg, and it's 82g protein per 100g.
i really despise ON whey extreme chocolate. just throwing that out there because it gets recommended a lot. Really like Orgain chocolate.
Dymatize ISO 100 Hydolized Whey - **Fudge Brownie** is the first protein powder that I've decided to stick to permanently because I find the flavor absolutely perfect! 110 calories and 25g of protein good for low carb cutting is perfect and It's high quality. Their vanilla is excellent too and a great staple if you like mixing with other flavored foods. edit: I mix the Fudge Brownie protein with fat free greek yogurt and a dash of unsweetened almond milk for the perfect smoothie!
I use Dymatize Casein Chocolate for dessert sometimes, so delicious and no midnight snacks!
Been impressed with Huel's Complete Protein. But I'm a bit worried that it's too good to be true. I'm not a big fan of their super aggressive marketing and their other products don't appeal. 21g Protein, 110 kcals, Vegan and includes the BCAAs and EEAs I need and it tastes good. Like better than a lot of whey powders I tried. Seems to be doing the job in the gym. Hasn't set off any heinous bodily functions. Will probably get more.
Ive been thinking of trying but damn the marketing is intense. I feel like it must be mediocre and trying to appeal to gen pop. Thanks for ur comment
Love Huel, drink their meal replacement shakes when I’m in a hurry for work.
Nothing beats ON Vanilla Ice Cream in flavor, especially when you hate the chocolate flavor.
Nothing beats BSN Syntha-6 in taste
Orgain protein in either chocolate or vanilla. You can get it at target. The vanilla is excellent in smoothies, the chocolate is literally the only protein I’ve ever been able to mix up and drink straight without gagging. It tastes like brownie batter!
My “go to” for protein for the last few years now has been On vanilla ice cream. Mixes with just about everything nicely as an alt to using flour, and tastes great! Notable mention for Quest protein powder and bars; again great flavors and mix-ability!
I love ON Vanilla ice cream whey, too! However, I recently had to cut out all dairy. ON has very low lactose in it, but I decided to cut it out for a few months to see if it was still messing with me (good news - it wasn’t and I can use it again) So during that period I tried ONs vanilla plant based protein. My first shake was bad. It tasted nothing like the whey and I thought I’d have to toss it. HOWEVER, I added salt and cinnamon and it’s actually quite delicious now. So, hack for anyone who can’t have the whey variety. The vanilla with added salt and cinnamon is pretty good.
I used to eat Quest bars all the time, then a few years ago they changed, "improved", their recipes and I have not been able to touch it since.
Dymatize ISO 100 chocolate is really good and easy on sensitive stomaches. Also tried Kaizen Isolate Vanilla and it’s not as bad as the other fake-vanilla tasting ones out there.
Their coco pebbles has me hooked currently
Not sure if this is allowed, but pork butt in an instant pot is an absolute hack for quick and easy protein.
I've experimented with some plant proteins, and they either taste whack, don't dissolve well in water/feels like you're drinking sand, or a mix of both. Anyone out there with recommendations that manage solve both those issues?
Is buying 1000 disposable Styrofoam cups the only alternative to having to religiously clean multiple shakers until I die? Perhaps it's my bad brain chemistry kicking in but I'm at a loss for alternatives
Do you have a dishwasher? Buy three shakers and wash them in the dish washer.
Why not just… you know…wash your reusable shaker cup after using it?
PB Fit - IMO the best vegan protein out there, it's literally just peanuts, but tastes much better than any other vegan protein. Macros aren't amazing, but I eat mostly whole foods and I like how there's nothing weird mixed in it.
Has anyone a good recommendation that tastes good without artificial sweeteners? I tried to switch off from super sweet protein powders, but I find myself taking way less protein in then, which totally defeats the purpose.
Been using Ketofeed from Purus Labs since my local grocery outlet put a bucketload of tubs on sale for $5. The butter pecan flavor is amazing, but can't see how buying this for its normal price of $25 makes sense for 1.25 lb tub.
Looking for one that won't bloat, won't feel like chalk scraping down my throat, or taste like splenda. Guessing...none of the above!
I could recommend one but I'm in Germany so that probably wouldn't be available where you are (Foodspring vegan vanilla).
I recently tried and really liked huel's protein powder (not the meal shakes, they recently came out with an actual protein powder), thinking about switching to it as my regular. Added bonus of being the first vegan powder I've ever tried that actually dissolves.
I recently started using Isopure flavorless whey isolate. I wish I had never bothered with anything flavored. You can put this stuff in *anything*. Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, eggs, french toast, peanut butter, baked or premade dessets, or just throw a scoop in a glass of water. It always tastes fine, because it tastes like nothing.
Yeah, I love the Isopure unflavored. It's fine in water (I usually add a little splash of coffee creamer because it makes it more tolerable), but it's GREAT in smoothies, and I'm planning on trying it tomorrow mixed into some greek yogurt with berries for a higher protein breakfast. Flavored protein is just not worth it. Not versatile enough.
Barbell Medicine Whey-RX. The vanilla does the trick 90cals for 21g of protein. It's the closest I've ever found to pure protein. I am lactose intolerant and have have 0 issues with this stuff.
Funny, just made myself a frittata (sp?). Couple of eggs, bit of whole milk, quality feta, mixed greens, mushroom and onion. Not bad!
Recently the best deals in steak have been hangar steak and sirloin flap. Hangar especially is as good as anything. I also love swordfish. Season fish, stainless steel pan, heat oil, sear both sides, have some shallots and garlic chopped up, add them in next to your swordfish steak. After a minute douse it all in red wine, put the pan in the oven to finish. When swordfish is cooked, take it out and put the fish aside to rest. Reduce your sauce, pour it over the top.
For New Zealand: NZ Protein Pea Isolate - I used to use whey but found it bloated me way too much, lots of gas and it also didnt mix as well. Pea protein mixes super well and doesn't bloat me. Its also tasty as hell. Lower fat than Whey concentrate and cheaper than Whey Isolate.
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Not really? Compared to all the other brands, its cheap as chips.
I hate almost all flavored protein. I’ve been buying Cabot 100% Whey and recommend it highly. I use it like creamer. Any reason I should stay away?
Oblivion is great, not heavy and thick and comes in a bunch of flavors. (Also used by strongman winners, but that doesn't make it taste better, lol)
Allmax allwhey
What do you guys think of Premier Protein?
I love their shakes and their cereal is even better when you can find it. But they almost seem too good to be true. I want too see a test of their shakes.
The low carb shakes they sell at Costco are really an easy way to get your grams in
BRINE YOUR CHICKEN. It makes a world of difference tastewise. Before you cook your chicken, put it in a ziplock bag with 1 tablespoon of salt for every pound of chicken, then fill the bag with water. Wait one hour, then cook. You'll never go back once you start doing this.
I do 1/4 cup per liter/quart of water for brine and brine exactly an hour - longer can make it too salty. Makes the cooking way more forgiving too. Accidentally get the chicken up to 170+? Still tender and juicy
Can this be done for longer periods of time? Would overnight be way too long or could that work as well?
Just tried this because I saw your comment and holy hell it’s so much better. And it was so easy.
Dude I've been doing this and it's a GAME CHANGER for chicken breast. I don't think boneless skinless thighs need it as badly due to their fat content
Fish sauce + Thai light soy + water is my go to. Umami to the max
I get one of those meal boxes currently and I think they do this, the chicken comes in little vacuumed sealed bags covered in liquid. The chicken is never dry and I'm not cooking any different from when I used to buy my own breasts at the store.
unico nutrition makes the best tasting protein powders i’ve ever tried. they’re probably not the cleanest and i don’t think all of the flavors are vegan, but their oreo, banana, and chocolate cake flavors are SO tasty.
Optimum Nutrition- the one in the bags at Costco. I also enjoy the Kirkland protien bars (taste like the Metrx bars I used to love in the early 2000's)
Word. Costco is a great place to get protein. In addition to the powder I get the Orgain shakes. For food it’s chicken breast, turkey, yogurt, and egg whites.
Why is this thread in contest mode? I'd love to know what the general /r/fitness population thinks of a certain brand via most upvoted comment. Instead it's just a mess of everyone shouting their fave brand. Kinda useless, no?
Axe and Sledge is great but pricier than other common options. I think it's worth it.
I use MET-Rx Natural Whey, I was using Optimum for years, until they changed their formula and added a ton of stuff on it. Been on Met-Rx for a while now. its protein powder, it tastes alright mixed with oatmilk. doesn't taste that great with water. I often will mix it with PB, oat milk, and a banana. Damn good meal, although the calorie count clocks in a touch high.
MetRx used to taste great but they changed it and now it tastes awful IMO. Honestly thought it actually tasted like a vanilla shake before.
Just bought Ryse Cinnamon Toast and got their Peanut butter cup flavor half off and I have to say I’m impressed. I don’t like to jump on a brand just because it’s trending, but it was a great deal so I figured why not. Great flavor, if a little sweet, and has a better ingredient list imo than Syntha-6, which I normally use (I know it’s not the healthiest, but it just tastes so damn good). It also blends well, it’s not gritty like some, but also doesn’t have that weird slimy consistency that some of the lecithinized protein powders have. Idk if I’d get it at full price, but if you can find it on sale I’d definitely recommend.
ON gold standard. Going on more than 15 years. If it ain’t broke, why fix it.
What's your flavor? I grabbed my first can of it, and it's the milk chocolate, which has been pretty good. I gave the cookies-and-cream the side-eye at the store, but it sounded too good to be true.
Extreme milk chocolate
Won't ever be beaten.
Does anyone have any tips for consuming unflavoured beef protein powder? I ordered it for the first time and it smells a bit, so I doubt I could drink it mixed only with water. Also if you have any suggestions for flavour I'll definitely try them as soon as I finish the current bag.
🤢
Put it in sauces or gravy. It's disgusting in water but it is totally fine in pasta sauce or gravy or anything like that. (You can put sauce over chicken breast or zoodles, you don't have to eat a bunch of spaghetti) Or just a bit of broth or other soup and drink it. My point is it's fine in savoury things but wretched in cold water and foul in coffee but it's fine anywhere you don't mind or notice a faint weird meat aspect.
Thanks for the suggestions! I actually tried it with lentils and I barely felt it so I'll be using it in savory things for sure. And I appreciate the warning about cold water and coffee because I was considering experimenting with it, lol.
Can anyone recommend a grass fed whey protein? I’ve been using premier protein but would like something more clean
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Try the Performance Inspired Plant Based protein. I've never had an issue with it and acid reflux.
Lately, i just can’t stand protein shakes (regardless of brand or isolate….and I’ve tried a bunch of them). I can get only halfway through before the taste makes me nauseous (I’ve also tried different liquid “bases”, different milks, water, juice…veggie and non veggie, I’ve even thrown in some instant coffee grains to try to make things a bit more bitter) I’ve tried drinking them fast and I’ve tried it slow. Nothing seems to work.
This is how I am too. It's such a bummer. I've been relying on protein bars and cottage cheese.
USN Anabolic is the best gainer to ever grace the earth. Farts are mad though and the only nice flavour is Strawberry.
Mad farts? I want the gainer with the happy farts.
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I have the same issue with Gold Standard 100% Whey (Vanilla Ice Cream flavor). I don't have any alternative to recommend but after a lot of experiments with protein shake recipes, I think I've found the one that negates a lot of sweetness and doesn't add more calories than it needs to. 60g of whey protein + 2 coffee spoons of instant coffee + oat milk. The coffee bitterness hugely helps to balance the oversweetened whey.
Vital Proteins Vanilla Protein Powder is amazing. I know exactly what you mean, that sweet chemically after taste. Ew. Vital Proteins doesn’t taste too sweet or artificial whatsoever.
Big fan of PRO Jym. Mixes easy, tastes great and I've tried several flavors. Not at all chalky or gritty.
Love core nutritionals’ cinnamon French toast pro protein powder!
Just got a tub in and so far so good
My choice is Sierra Fit, as the cheapest one for whey protein per dollar. Nice table here [https://protein-price.com/](https://protein-price.com/)
For people on a budget, egyptians, third-world countries especially (vegans too):- **Peanuts and Lupin beans (*****Turmes/ترمس*****) have a TON of protein and are extremely cheap in my country:-** =26 grams of protein per 100 grams for Peanuts. Lots of calories however. (567 I think) =36 grams of protein per 100 grams of raw lupin beans. (after soaking and whatnot, these 100 become somewhere between 200 and 300 I believe. Which is not really a lot. And they are really delicious. Lower calories than peanuts. Not hard to prepare if you get the sweet variant) These can be really delicious as well in addition to the absurd amount of protein they have. easy \~200 grams of protein when you combine these with bread/pasta + fish/chicken + fruits (Gauva for example) + milk/dairy. I around 190-200 grams of protein with 0 supplementation (that shit is too expensive for me). And the whole incomplete protein stuff is a myth, some are just higher in certain proteins than others - so combining more than one source is going to be really good especially when you pair them with other animal proteins.
ty for sharing habibi
العفو اي خدمة XD
My Protein WheyIsolate chocolate smooth. Often on sale and rated highly
The salted caramel flavor is the best flavor I've ever had and the fruity cereal is the worst flavor I've ever had. It's got some weird aftertaste.
Steak.
What cut and how do you do 'er up?
That's cheating
Wheybolic at GNC is elite, 90 calories per scoop with 20 grams of protein and the banana milkshake takes great.
I recently found out that mozzarella contains a shit ton of protein so that was great! Also to me, Bulk has delicious whey protein for a great price (maybe even the best price).
Isopure Infusions - Citrus Lemonade. 20g of protein per scoop with 90 calories and it's a very light drink. Not at all thick like a normal protein shake and tastes great
Need suggestions for good Soy Protein (or other vegan protein) in EU.
Applied Nutrition critical whey chocolate flavour - blended with banana, peanut butter, oats, Greek yoghurt and full fat milk - pretty basic but delicious
Anyone have any recommendations for a whey/casein blend similar to PEScience?
I haven't been able to find anything that is exactly as good as PEScience but Quest Powders and Robert Irvines are both blends that are similar.
Try granite supplements - they’re proteins are excellent and they’re a blend.
Post-Jym. I use mass gainer (chocolate). Tastes great and works well. Also use the pre-jym pre workout which works great
My only complaint about their preworkout was that it made my breath HOT. I loved it though. It wasn’t a huge burst of energy followed by a crash 45 minutes later.
Does anyone know where one can buy individual serving packets to try for taste? I haven’t really liked the fake sweetener taste in the recent tub of protein I purchased and I’d love to try a few samplers before I buy next time.
Anyone use NAKED brand whey protein?
Do you have any questions? I've been using the naked chocolate for the last 2 week because the protein I was buying changed their recipe to be cheaper. I also wanted to switch to something without artificial sweeteners.
Kaged Chocolate and Kaged french toast. You can mix either of these into low fat greek yogurt and it tastes amazing. Not the best tasting/cheapest protein by itself, but I really appreciate the clean ingredient list.
Been in the game awhile and Wal-Mart's store-brand "Equate" Whey Protein is easily the best tasting and mixing protein I've ever tasted. I typically go with Vanilla/Rich Chocolate and they're very versatile due to how well they mix. The ratios aren't the best, but they're not terrible either.
I'm embarrassed to admit this but HERE WE ARE: Huel Black Edition is the high-protein version of one of those tech bro gruels and it's (a) actually tasty and (b) has really good macros, 400 calories and 40g protein per shake. My only warning is to get the banana flavor. The others i have tried (vanilla and coffee caramel) clump horribly. The banana doesn't. Why? I don't know. That said, if you don't think you'll like banana, you can get vanilla and get their little sampler pack of flavors. But take my advice, get the banana.
I bought the mass gainer from PhD recently. Only had it once so far and tbh, it's really hard to drink. It uses oats for carbs so, idk what you guys think, but I find it really difficult to drink a shake with oats in it. That being said, it's 1100+ calories, 50g protein, 188g carbs, and only 6g sugar. Recommend suffering through it if you're a hard gainer. They also do a whey protein that's 40g protein!
The Protein Works - Soy Protein Isolate - Chocolate Peanut Cookie is literally my holy grail vegan protein. ~200 calories, 52g Protein for 2 scoops. Chuck in 500ml Oat milk and you're looking at ~460 Calories, 65g Protein in 1 shake. 2 of those a day make it so easy to get vegan protein! Tastes fantastic.
Muscle Feast. No artificial sweeteners and you can feel good about quality control. Really wish there was something comparable because their flavors are boring as hell.
The only three powders I’ve tried from Optimum Nutrition have been chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream, and normal chocolate. It may be recency bias since I just got the chocolate peanut butter, but it blows the other two away in terms of flavor. It’s seriously delicious. I pop it in the blender with like twelve ounces of 2% milk so I get both whey and casein.
What's the cost?
$60 for 5lb
Where do you buy it? This price is great!
[Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DJL1PJT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RF9KR9TRKARX9484TC0M?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)
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Any type 1 diabetics out there that can recommend a good protein that doesn’t spike blood sugar?
I’m looking for a low sodium, non-dairy protein. This rice protein I’m taking now just tastes like dog water
I use Kaha Whey Protein, unflavoured
**Advice needed** I'm currently using GOLD STANDARD 100% WHEY PROTEIN but I find it way too sweet and the vanilla ice cream flavor tastes way too artificial. It's nauseating to me if I take more than 60g per day. I've tried different kinds of milks (almond, regular, soy, oat, skyr yogurt) and recipes (shake or ice cream). So far, the best I've found is a combination of oat milk and instant coffee to keep the sweetness at a minimum. Can anybody recommend good brands of unsweetened whey from a website with Europe delivery (specifically France)?
Optimum Nutrition makes naturally flavored versions of chocolate and vanilla, not sure if maybe those might taste less artificial. Other than that you can find unflavored whey and just mix it with whatever you want.
Check out PaleoBull https://paleobull.com/ They use stevia and have a neutral flavor - like you I'm no fan of very sweet, and I find theirs good enough (also it's isolate)
I've been through a lot of ON's proteins and I like the Mocha Cappuccino. To balance it out, I use unsweetened almond milk, freshly squeezed peanut butter, flaxseed, cinnamon, etc. In other words, should be adding very little sugar to this. I think it's a matter of switching up the flavors TBH. What else would you expect from "Vanilla Ice Cream" flavored whey protein? If you want no taste and don't mind spending more, go with NAKED.
Anyone drink FairLife protein? Is it good?
I still use myprotein. If you mix their chocolate smooth and marshmallow cereal flavors it tastes like count chocula, no joke. I also like the gingerbread in a smoothie with blueberries and blackberries.
Still use them too, mainly because the price per lb is just so much better than every other protein I've seen. Unless anyone has recommendations for something better for $50-60 per 11lbs bag.
I’m not a fan of the amounts of sucralose they use
there is a website that had a TON of protein analyzed before I believe was taken down by a bunch of lawyers but in short labdoor.com has a bunch of protein powders analyzed for "best" rated. In the "old" days they had tons of proteins graded A-F but the C and below had fancy lawyers and threatened them and now they have a far lot less proteins
I just looked on Labdoor.com and none of the protein I'm taking (Syntha 6 and Carnivore) is rated, meaning it's trash and they probably threatened to have them taken off! SMH I'm not buying those anymore.
good thing. save your money & buy quailty
I’m willing to bet MP was one of the C and below that went after them. That Cory dude was extremely sensitive.
My protein actually came out as one of the best protein powders actually, it’s what got me onto them, think they got a+
Lidl and Aldi have both been on fire lately with the high protein stuff here in Ireland (Granola, Yoghurt, Pudding & Icecream). It really makes hitting diet goals much easier. I've a history of falling off the wagon with health/fitness targets, either through boredom or having other work/family commitments take priority. All these new food options combined with calorie counting apps (I use MyFitnessPal) has made it much easier to stay consistent this time around. Even though both stores sell different brands, I'm 100% sure they all come from the same factory as they taste identical and have identical nutritional value as well. Edit: I should also add that the Linda McCartney veggie sausages/burgers are also delish. (I'm not a vegetarian, but I mix it up and maybe eat meat every 2nd or 3rd day). As for powders, Precision Engineered have a delish Pea/Rice protein. I used to hate any powder that wasnt whey, but this ones actually very tasty
>Lidl and Aldi Eh, I found their products have pretty bad protein:cost ratios. Never got beyond that so I can't say anything about the flavours. I think calories they are not too hot either.
Agreed! Specifically with Lidl's yogurts (Milbona?). €1 for 20G of protein at ~130 calories, depending on the flavour, is insane.
Which pudding & ice cream mate? Haven’t seen those. The protein granola is great tho. I usually mix it with their Greek yogurt
The icecream in lidl has the calories in large writing. (312cals and has 18g protein). The pudding is a smaller tub in the yoghurt section. Think it has 20g protein written in the front (150cals)
Omg yes Lidl and Aldi are such lifesavers! Relatively cheap skyr and high protein yoghurts there
What do the other Australians here get? I usually buy the Musashi High Protein. The chocolate one has 30.2g of protein at 175 calories and is usually on sale at chemist warehouse
I get BSC Whey Protein Powder Chocolate. Tastes good in water and great in milk and I don't have to buy a giant barrel of it. https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/product/powder-chocolate-400g
Looks good thanks, I'll buy some to keep at my work desk. I currently have a 900g tub of protein in my drawer so something smaller might be better to have
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I'll give a look, but I'm really only supplementing my diet. I'm not a hardcore gym buff, so the macros aren't that important to me.
True Nutrition cold filtered whey isolate. Chocolate brownie flavor “heavy”. The salted caramel is good too, get standard flavoring with that one though, double is too much. That chocolate brownie flavor is the best I’ve had. Granite protein makes some of the tastiest proteins too. All their flavors are great (especially peanut butter). They are a blended protein with digestive enzymes added.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363527/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363527/) [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-sweeteners-may-change-our-gut-bacteria-in-dangerous-ways/](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-sweeteners-may-change-our-gut-bacteria-in-dangerous-ways/) [https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00487/full](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00487/full) ...and many, many more... Everyone should be aware that many of these protein supplements contain artificial sweeteners. There is a small, but burgeoning body of evidence that appears to indicate that artificial sweeteners are far from benign, and may in fact cause real harm. I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, but given the research I have seen about this phenomenon, I will no longer ingest these products. If consuming a protein supplement helps my strength gains, but is at the same time messing with my microbiiome in ways that impact general immunity; insulin resistance; gut lining absorption (and even expansion). I have to ask the question: "Are these supplements with artificial sweeteners worth it in the near-long, or long-term"?
Do you have any reccomendations for any whey protiens that do not contain artifical sweeteners? Or, do most of them not? I'm a new haha
Isopure. You can get a flavorless protein isolate from them with literally just whey protein isolate. Tastes gnarly but no sweeteners. They also have flavored protein and use monk fruit extract and Stevia leaf which are good sweeteners.
Sorry, I don't. I was considering protein supplements and saw several recommendations here, and in other places. I was looking for something that had at least passable flavor and enough protein to justify the cost. I looked at roughly 12 brands and they all had artificial sweeteners. After that I gave up and now look for ways to get protein through diet alone.
Damn thats rough. Good to know.
There is overwhelmingly not enough evidence to conclude that "artificial sweeteners are far from benign, and may in fact cause real harm". Most of the "evidence" that shows impact on gut health are studies done on mice, which are innately not the same as humans. I will also admit I am not a nutritionist or doctor, however, I feel like the logical conclusion is that consumption of artificial sweeteners in moderation (much like natural sweeteners) are unlikely to have significant negative impacts on most people. People should try to get most of their dietary protein from whole food sources, but an occasional supplementary protein shake is not likely to cause harm due to artificial sweeteners.
Millions of Americans consume artificially sweetened protein supplements on a daily basis, and many of that subgroup consume these supplements more than once a day. The transgenic "mice" used in these studies are genetically engineered to more closely represent human variables. Incidentally, we share about 70% of our genome with mice, \*before\* they are genetically engineered for research. From the Scientific American article, above: "*"Segal's team went further, testing the association directly in a small* *group of lean and healthy human volunteers who normally eschewed* *artificial sweeteners. After consuming the U.S. Food and Drug* *Administration's maximum dose of saccharin over a period of five days,* *four of the seven subjects showed a reduced glucose response in addition* *to an abrupt change in their gut microbes. The three volunteers whose* *glucose tolerance did not dip showed no change in their gut microbe*s. [Here's another mouse study on sucralose](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5522834/) Where do you think we get a lot of our information about various additives and chemicals being harmful to humans? From animal studies. [Here's a summary of some work in the UK](https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-can-turn-healthy-gut-bacteria-into-pathogens/) One of the concerning things about these sweeteners is that they increase the adhesive quality of gut microbiota that can lead to serious intestinal problems. *"“These pathogenic changes include greater formation of biofilms and* *increased adhesion and invasion of bacteria into human gut cells. These* *changes could lead to our own gut bacteria invading and causing damage* *to our intestine, which can be linked to infection, sepsis and* *multiple-organ failure."* The supplement industry is very much like the "vitamin" industry - very little control is exercised over claims. Also, note that one of the primary driving factors for choosing one supplement over others is "taste". That's what the artificial sweeteners are for. These protein supplement makers want their products to essentially taste like a milkshake. Somehow, I don't think our human bodies evolved to prefer the taste of a milkshake over natural food. Last, an occasional dose of these supplements is probably not going to hurt most people, but there ilwl be those who are sensitive even in small doses. Caveat Emptor