type: isolation
Price per serving: $2.26
Grams of protein per serving: 20
Sweetener: sucrose
Best Vanilla Whey Protein Powders: Beam Whey Protein, Vanilla Soft Serve
Shake a spoonful of Beam 100% Whey Protein with some water, and you’ll end up with a mixture that might best be described as “swamp-like in appearance.” But don’t let that scare you away—this protein powder won the vanilla category by a landslide. While it looks like something Shrek would drink for breakfast, I found the flavor and texture to be pleasant: sweet but not overpowering, with a pleasant vanilla flavor, and more flavorful than most other options I’ve tried Creamy. If you typically have trouble digesting whey protein, this might be a good option: It’s a whey protein isolate that makes it easier to digest immediately. But Beam goes a step further, adding fiber to aid digestion and prevent bloating, and a digestive enzyme blend that contains digestive enzymes, lactase, protease, lipase and cellulase to help your body break down lactose.
type: isolation
Price per serving: $1.84
Grams of protein per serving: 25
Sweetener: Sucralose
Best Unflavored Whey Protein Powder: Naked Grass Feed Whey Protein Powder, Promix Whey Protein Powder, and Isopure Unflavored Protein Powder
These unflavored protein powders taste nearly identical when mixed into a berry smoothie, which makes sense—Naked’s whey protein powder comes entirely from grass-fed whey concentrate, although both Promix and Isopure have added sunflower lecithin. Isopure is a great option if you’re looking for an unflavored whey protein isolate, which you can also buy in a bundle with the brand’s collagen peptide powder.
It’s worth noting that any whey protein will bring a bit of a dairy aftertaste to whatever you mix it with. Still, these powders blend smoothly, making them a good choice for those who don’t like the overt sweetness often found in protein powders or the potential side effects of frequently used sweeteners. The flavorless protein is also popular for its versatility: Use it in banana blueberry smoothies and tahini, or add a scoop to your favorite savory oatmeal.
Naked Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder
type: concentrated
Price per serving: $1.67
Grams of protein per serving: 25
Sweetener: without any
Promix Whey Protein Powder
type: concentrated
Price per serving: $1.32
Grams of protein per serving: 25
Sweetener: without any
isosuphen
type: isolation
Price per serving: $2.12
Grams of protein per serving: 25
Sweetener: without any
For flavor fanatics (or the best wild card flavors)
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Fruity Cereals
If you’re at all familiar with the world of whey protein, you may recognize the most popular gold standard whey in Optimum Nutrition’s signature plastic tub. I tried several flavors from the range and found them all very enjoyable. Their flavor is pleasant and moderately sweet, although a bit watery. The French Vanilla Cream and Double Rich Chocolate performed well in their respective categories despite losing their top spot, but my real favorite was the Limited Edition Fruity Cereal, which, yes, tasted exactly like the milk at the bottom of the Fruity Pebbles bowl. If the jam isn’t your thing, the protein comes in nearly 20 flavors, ranging from Rocky Road to Banana Cream. Please note that Optimum Nutrition uses acesulfame potassium and sucralose to sweeten many of its flavors, which may cause headaches in some people (although I have not personally experienced this).
type: A blend of whey protein concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzed whey protein
Price per serving: $1.55
Grams of protein per serving: twenty four
Sweetener: Acesulfame potassium and sucralose
My Protein Impact Whey Protein Cinnamon Cereal
If you’re a sugar cereal connoisseur and a fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, you’ll love this flavor from My Protein. It tastes great when mixed with water and is easy to drink, but I’ve also had success blending it into a smoothie with banana and some almond milk. It was definitely dessert-like and sweeter compared to other desserts we’ve tried. It’s also worth noting that, like Optimum Nutrition, it’s sweetened with acesulfame potassium and sucralose. My Protein also makes a number of other flavors of whey protein concentrate, and I will point out that while I love chocolate smooth, the vanilla ice cream is hard to pass. If you have trouble with lactose, the brand also makes a whey isolate version in many flavors.
