{"id":627455,"date":"2026-10-11T16:08:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T16:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/627455\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T16:08:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T16:08:11","slug":"the-10-best-and-worst-whey-protein-powders-taste-tested-life-and-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/627455\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 best (and worst) whey protein powders \u2013 taste-tested | Life and style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proteinmaxxing<\/a> has gotten out of hand. It\u2019s in everything from ice-cream<\/a> to yogurt<\/a> \u2013 yes, our protein has extra protein in it now. GLP-1 weight loss drugs<\/a> are in part to blame; as Americans eat less overall, protein intake becomes more essential. And whey protein in particular has taken off.<\/p>\n

The side effect: a price hike for whey protein concentrates as much as fivefold as demand sharply increased in the past few years, as we reported<\/a>. In other words, whey protein powders are more expensive than ever.<\/p>\n

So which ones are actually worth the steep price tag? To find out, we put 10 powders through rounds of testing. While many of our testers had less-than-thrilled reactions, comparing them to \u201cwatery coffee grounds\u201d and calling them \u201cPepto Bismol-ish\u201d, they weren\u2019t all bad.<\/p>\n

After a blind taste test in the Guardian\u2019s New York office and a round of testing in our homes, a few stood out for their blend of convenience, nutritional content and least awful flavor \u2013 and one brand was unanimously crowned the winner.<\/p>\n

Here are our unfiltered results.<\/p>\n

At a glance: the best protein powders<\/p>\n

Best overall:
Optimum<\/p>\n

$20 for 10 servings at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Best for travel:
Factor Form<\/p>\n

$48 for 15 packets at Factor Form<\/a><\/p>\n

For creamy texture:
Thorne<\/p>\n

$65 for 30 servings at Amazon (chocolate)<\/a><\/p>\n

For a flavor twist:
MindBodyGreen<\/p>\n

$69 for 20 servings at MindBodyGreen <\/a>How we tested<\/p>\n

We spoke with registered dietitians to identify 10 whey protein powders that were the most popular on the market but also healthy choices: they had the shortest ingredient lists, least additives and artificial ingredients or strong third-party certifications by NSF, Informed Sport, Informed Choice or GMP. Those certifications are particularly important because protein powders are regulated by the FDA as food, not drugs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That is also why you will not see brands such as Dymatize<\/a> or Isopure<\/a> on our list \u2013 while highly praised for taste, these brands have long ingredient lists with many additives.<\/p>\n

As the Filter has done for protein bars<\/a>, chocolate bars<\/a> and non-alcoholic Guinness<\/a>, we recruited Guardian staffers taste test 10 brands. For our blind test, we mixed protein powders with water using blender bottles<\/a>. We tried the chocolate and vanilla flavors of each, pouring small, shot-sized servings. (While water is certainly the most cost-effective way to consume protein powder, it also proved to be the least appetizing.)<\/p>\n

Then, we narrowed the list down to five finalists using the feedback from round one. Instead of a blind test, we asked four testers to prepare them at home with a milk of their choice to see if that would improve the flavor and texture from the less-than-palatable water round. (Spoiler: it did.)<\/p>\n

Best overall: Optimum$20 at Amazon (chocolate)<\/a>$21 at Optimum (vanilla)<\/a>double quotation markTastes like childhood<\/p>\n

What we loved<\/p>\n

After two rounds of testing with water and milk, Optimum<\/a> was the clear winner in taste. Even with water, testers noted that it was the \u201cbest so far\u201d and didn\u2019t \u201chave the fake sugar taste the others had\u201d. With milk, \u201cIt\u2019s undoubtedly sweet, but it tastes like childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 the texture was hard to mix, with one person noting: \u201cThe powder doesn\u2019t smoothly mix in all the way. There were still some clumps after what I\u2019d say was a normal amount of vigorous mixing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Best for travel: Factor Form$48 for 15 packets at Factor Form (chocolate and vanilla)<\/a>double quotation markMarshmallow fluff in flutternutter sandwiches<\/p>\n

What we loved<\/p>\n

Factor Form\u2019s all-natural ingredient list is satisfyingly short, featuring sea salt and real cocoa powder. It comes in individual packets, making these the most travel-friendly option we tested. \u201cI took a few packets with me on a trip abroad and they fit handily in one of my backpack\u2019s pockets. For good protein powder on the go, I feel like Factor is hard to beat,\u201d said Karen Yuan, a Filter commissioning editor, who was able to fuel up with Factor protein shakes in her hotel room before setting out for the day.<\/p>\n

Our testers were split on flavor. \u201cDo you know the marshmallow fluff in flutternutter sandwiches? That\u2019s how it tasted \u2013 sweet and creamy,\u201d one tester enthused. Others didn\u2019t hate the flavor, although they noted it had a strong taste of artificial sweetener. \u201cThis particular vanilla flavor tastes like Christmas cookies dusted liberally with Stevia,\u201d said one participant.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 it isn\u2019t third-party certified, which the registered dietitians we interviewed recommended when selecting a powder. Most of our blind taste-test participants were also not fans of Factor in water, saying that it tasted too artificially sweetened and calling out its chalky aftertaste. It was also tricky to combine with milk.<\/p>\n

For creamy texture: Thorne$65 at Thorne (vanilla)<\/a>$65 at Amazon (chocolate)<\/a>double quotation markVery sweet in a fake way<\/p>\n

What we loved <\/p>\n

The creamy texture \u2013 in both rounds of testing. \u201cThe chocolate flavor is particularly rich, and the mixture ended up creamy,\u201d said one tester. Another said that the powder was \u201cfiner and mixed more easily, resulting in a consistently creamy texture\u201d.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 it was too sweet for many of our participants, who called it \u201cvery sweet in a fake way\u201d when mixed with water and \u201cdefinitely very stevia-forward, but the chocolate part is inoffensive\u201d with milk.<\/p>\n

skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n

Sign up to The Filter US<\/p>\n

A guide to buying fewer, better products.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For a flavor twist: MindBodyGreen$69 at MindBodyGreen (chocolate)<\/a>$69 at MindBodyGreen (vanilla)<\/a>double quotation markWatery horchata<\/p>\n

What we loved <\/p>\n

Our testers didn\u2019t hate the cinnamon-tinged vanilla flavor, likening it to \u201cwatery horchata\u201d. That doesn\u2019t sound the most appetizing to us either, but it\u2019s a twist on the usual vanilla, if you\u2019re seeking something different. (Another staffer called the cinnamon \u201cway better\u201d than MindBodyGreen\u2019s chocolate protein powder, at least.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shame that \u2026 our blind tasters found this consistency too thin. This didn\u2019t improve in round two of our test, in which one participant still found it thin mixed with oat milk.<\/p>\n

Photograph: Tracy Allison\/The GuardianOther protein powders we tested<\/p>\n

We tried all 10 powders with water only (the most economical way to consume) before advancing the winners to the second round of our taste test. Be warned: our testers did not hold back with their feedback.<\/p>\n

Note: We tested Just Ingredients with both water and milk, and the others with water only.<\/p>\n

Just Ingredients$50 at Amazon (vanilla)<\/a>$50 at Amazon (chocolate)<\/a><\/p>\n

The verdict: \u201cTastes like it came straight out of a loveless, passion-free factory from Protein Inc.\u201d \u201cThere\u2019s something weirdly chemically in the taste, almost like toxin-free play-doh for tots.\u201d \u201cThis needs something extra to be palatable, and I don\u2019t know what that would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transparent Labs$65 at Transparent Labs (vanilla)<\/a>$65 at Amazon (chocolate)<\/a><\/p>\n

The verdict: \u201cGeneric vanilla, but also like a melted vanilla lip gloss.\u201d \u201cVery sweet fake chocolate milk taste, I suppose it\u2019s fine for utility only?\u201d<\/p>\n

Truvani$55 at Amazon (vanilla)<\/a><\/p>\n

The verdict: \u201cSweet like mass-market chocolate.\u201d \u201cIt feels like I\u2019m drinking stevia water.\u201d \u201cHints of \u2026 cinnamon, tempered with a hearty dose of something that feels like stevia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naked$63 at Amazon (chocolate)<\/a>$63 at Amazon (vanilla)<\/a><\/p>\n

The verdict: \u201cThe most \u2018natural\u2019 by far, though that is a relatively subjective assessment.\u201d \u201cFor someone who wants to \u2018eat clean\u2019 but still needs protein.\u201d \u201cDishwater.\u201d<\/p>\n

Promix$65 at Amazon (vanilla)<\/a><\/p>\n

The verdict: \u201cIs this what protein tastes like?! Bleh.\u201d \u201cLike watery coffee grounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Momentous$60 at Amazon (chocolate)<\/a><\/p>\n

The verdict: \u201cCoconut water-esque. Fine.\u201d \u201cThe color is disturbing but the flavor is better than most of the vanilla ones.\u201d \u201cWay too watery, looks like dirty dish water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter<\/a>, the Guardian\u2019s guide to buying fewer, better things:<\/p>\n

Explore the Filter<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Proteinmaxxing has gotten out of hand. It\u2019s in everything from ice-cream to yogurt \u2013 yes, our protein has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":627456,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[134,111,139,556,69],"class_list":["post-627455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nutrition","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=627455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/627456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=627455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=627455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=627455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}