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Protein is one of the most important nutrients your body needs. It plays a key component in muscle growth and repair and is also responsible for balancing the pH and fluid levels in your body. Even if you don’t consciously try to add it into your meals, you’re still probably consuming protein in some way or another, whether it be through various meats, beans, etc. It’s a fairly common macronutrient, but some people still find it difficult to get enough protein in their diet without using a top protein powder.
Protein powders are very useful for people who need lots of protein. You may want it to boost muscle growth and repair between exercise sessions, or maybe you want to have your daily dose without eating meats or other protein-based foods. No matter what your reason, protein powders are easy to prepare and integrate into your meals. Check out some of our favorite protein powders of 2024 below!
Detailing the Highest-Quality Protein Powders of 2024
Isopure Powder — Best Overall
Key Features
- Natural and non-GMO
- Pure protein isolate
- Can be mixed with other flavors
- Keto-friendly
Protein powder is often mixed with flavors to make them easier to consume. You can find vanilla or chocolate-flavored protein powder pretty much anywhere these days, and there are plenty of other flavors out there, too. But, this product is different in the sense that it has no flavor whatsoever, nor does it have any extra ingredients. While this means that it won’t taste very good (if you can taste it at all), it also means that you can mix it with all sorts of foods since you aren’t limited by the flavor getting in the way.
Aside from mixing them in your fruit shakes, you can also add them to your soups, desserts, and more. You won’t even taste them at all since they have no flavor, so they won’t ruin your favorite recipes. The powder is keto-friendly and GMO-free, giving you pure and all-natural protein isolate that’s perfect for people from all walks of life.
Nutricost Powder — Best Flavor
Key Features
- Pure whey protein concentrate
- Vanilla flavor
- GMO-Free
- Gluten-free
Each bottle of Nurticost protein concentrate contains 5lbs of whey protein. You can enhance the taste of your smoothie, milk, or tea with its unique vanilla flavor. One bottle has 71 servings, each of which contains 25 grams of protein. This bottle should last you well over two months on a single-serve. It is made of whey protein concentrate of the finest quality. Whey protein concentrate is a blend of natural and artificial taste, sucralose, sodium chloride, and acesulfame potassium. In a shaker bottle, it mixes perfectly with no lumps and combines effortlessly. Moreover, it is also available in unflavored form, so you won't have to worry about tainting any of your drinks. It is gluten-free and non-GMO.
Naked Shake Powder — Best Tasteless Option
Key Features
- Delicious chocolate flavor
- Gluten and soy-free
- Contains 30 servings
- Plant-based formulation
If consuming tasteless protein powder is a problem for you, look into getting the Naked Shake - Chocolate Protein Powder. It is a plant-based chocolate flavored powder that creates healthy shakes in seconds. This powder is crafted using premium quality ingredients and is free from artificial flavors and sweeteners.
Each serving of this protein shake contains 20 grams of protein, 4 grams of sugar, and 130 calories. It is great for people with busy lifestyles in need of a quick fix to improve their protein intake. All you have to do is mix two scoops of this protein powder in a glass of water or to any of your favorite drinks. No blending is needed.
Dymatize Powder — Fast Digesting
Key Features
- Many flavors available
- Easy on the stomach
- Fast-digesting
- Limited edition “Birthday Cake” flavor
One of the issues that people have with protein powder is its somewhat negative effects on the stomach and digestion. Some people complain of stomach pains, bloating, and even diarrhea in certain cases. But with Dymatize ISO100, you can take protein powder with peace of mind. This protein powder product is formulated specifically for muscle gain, but it’s also easy on the digestive system and stomach, so you’re far less likely to experience those negative symptoms.
Each serving of the powder gives you around 100-120 calories, so if you’re currently doing or are planning to follow a keto diet, this product should help you out. It’s got all sorts of flavors available for those who want to mix up their shakes, with cookies & cream, fudge brownie, and strawberry flavors, among many others. There’s even a “Birthday Cake” flavor that’s available for a limited time if you’re interested.
Orgain Powder — Best Organic Option
Key Features
- Organic
- GMO-free
- Lactose-free
- Gluten-free
Even if it’s something as common as protein, you may still be particular regarding what you eat and consume, especially if you’re trying to stay healthy. Fortunately, organic foods are very easy to come by these days, and there are organic alternatives to even protein powder. You won’t have to worry about mixing any artificial substances into your shakes and desserts with this organic mix from Orgain.
The protein powder is made to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and lactose-free, so you won’t have any digestive problems with consuming the powder on a regular basis. It’s also GMO-free and contains no artificial ingredients. If there’s one downside, though, it’s that the flavors available currently are limited to vanilla and pumpkin spice, but if either flavor’s your favorite, then you’ve found the perfect organic powder product!
Body Fortress Powder — Best for Muscle Gains
Key Features
- Great for working out
- Many popular flavors are available
- Contains creatine
- No aspartame or gluten
One of the main reasons people buy protein powders is to help speed up muscle gains. Even if you follow a strict and efficient exercise regimen, it won’t do much good unless you have enough protein in your body. Of course, eating protein-rich foods can help with this, but if you want something more reliable and easier to consume than eating a ton of eggs or meat, then protein powders such as this one can be a useful alternative.
This protein powder product has amino acids and also comes with creatine, which helps facilitate training recovery during your downtime. With no aspartame and gluten, you can focus on your gains without worry. There are a few delicious options in terms of flavor, too, with chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, banana cream, and more.
Optimum Nutrition Powder — Best Quality
Key Features
- Easy to prepare
- Gluten-free and contains no artificial growth hormones
- High-quality packaging
- Supports muscle recovery
This premium protein blend may be the last on our list, but it’s just as worthy of mention as the others. The main purpose of this particular protein powder is for muscle support and recovery, and as such, it’s great for before or after workouts. It’s also made to target lean muscle mass, and both maintain and grow these muscles.
The packaging of the powder is great, and it comes in a rich chocolatey flavor. With no artificial growth hormones included and being gluten-free, it’s overall a great product. You can mix it with milk and water for a quick drink and protein boost. Do note, however, that while it’s gluten-free, the product does contain some milk and soy. Other than that, you’ll definitely like this product.
Buyer's Guide: Fining the Perfect Protein Powders
Protein powder is an effective addition to your diet if you want to gain muscle mass or stick to a particular diet. Here’s what you should know regarding protein powder.
What Is Protein Powder?
Protein powder refers to any powder-based substance that contains protein as a major ingredient. Protein powders can be either protein isolates, with almost all of the powder comprising protein, or protein powder mixes with flavors and other ingredients included.
Why Is It Important to Have Protein Powder?
It’s great for gaining and maintaining muscle
Fun fact: Did you know that to gain muscle mass, you actually have to tear it? It sounds crazy, but that’s essentially what your body does to build muscle. When you exercise, your muscles don’t just suddenly become larger; in fact, exercises cause microtears, which are small tears in the muscle that are repaired by, you guessed it, protein! Well, not exactly protein itself - protein gives your muscles the amino acids to repair, but you get the idea.
That’s why many athletes and bodybuilders take protein powder before and after exercise. The extra protein builds more muscle mass while your body repairs itself, which is what leads to the gains that you see on many Instagram models today. It’s a slow process, sure, but with protein powder giving you plenty of extra protein to work with, it’s much easier to accomplish.
It’s great for diets
Sticking to a particular diet can be tough, especially when it’s one that’s very different from what you’re normally used to. For example, the low-carb nature of keto diets can make it difficult for you to enjoy many of the foods you used to take for granted. With protein powder, you can add protein to pretty much any food that you want, so your diet won’t be as difficult to deal with.
It adds variety to your meals
Eggs are a great source of protein but imagine eating one every single day. For some people that’s doable, but for others? Not so much. You’ll eventually get bored of the same old flavors, so creating variety by mixing protein powders into different foods, or using different flavors of protein powder, can keep things interesting.
Things to Consider When Buying Protein Powder
Protein powder isn’t exactly cheap, so you’ll want to keep these tips in mind when buying protein powder for yourself or others.
Amount
Depending on your needs, you may either want to take protein powder only once a day or multiple times a day. For those who just want to have an ample amount of protein in their body at all times, then the occasional shake is fine, but if you’re exercising on a regular basis, then multiple drinks can really help facilitate muscle growth.
So, when buying protein powder, consider how much powder you really need. You can get a good idea of how long the powder will last you by checking the number of servings per package and dividing that by the number of servings you expect to consume per day. Typically, you can get anywhere between one week to over a month’s worth of protein powder at one time depending on what your needs are and how much powder there is in the package.
Flavor
Next, let’s talk about flavor. The flavor of your protein powder is very important, even if it may seem secondary to the actual content of the formula. You see, you’re going to be consuming this powder on a regular basis, and if you don’t like the flavor or you get bored of it, it’ll become much more difficult to keep drinking it regularly. All that to say, you’ll want a flavor that you know you’ll love!
There are a couple of ways to make choosing the flavor much easier. First, you can go for more than one flavor (two or three should do the trick). You can mix and match your flavors and even combine the flavors if you feel like it. This way, no single flavor will become “boring,” and you can keep on drinking your protein shakes without worry.
The second option would be to go for a shake that has no flavors at all. While this may sound like it doesn’t taste very good (and it doesn’t), you can basically mix the powder with anything you want, be it fruits or other flavor extracts. This gives you basically countless options, and the only thing limiting you is your imagination at that point.
Protein Powders Price Range
Protein powders aren’t as cheap as, say, regular powdered milk, but there are price options for just about anybody. You can get a decent batch of protein powder for around $20-$25 or so depending on the brand, and that’ll last you for a week or two at the very least. Of course, powders with better ingredients or healthy additions will cost you more, and the price also goes up based on how much protein powder you’re actually getting. You can expect to spend around $100, at most, though you’ll rarely reach or exceed that amount for the majority of powders.
