The 12 Best Protein Powders, Tested and Reviewed by Dietitians

Protein is an essential nutrient we need for building and maintaining muscles, skin, and bones.  The amount of protein you need depends on many individual factors, including age, weight, body composition, physical activity level, and overall health status. Most people are able to meet their protein needs from food, including both animal and plant-based proteins. However, protein powders can be a convenient way to boost your intake if you’re not getting enough protein in your diet or have certain health goals like gaining and retaining muscle mass.

Finding the best protein powders isn’t always straightforward—there are different protein sources to consider, questions about how much to take, and potential concerns with ingredients and additives. For example, whey protein or other added ingredients can interfere with some medications. Therefore, it’s always recommended to consult a healthcare professional before taking protein powder if you are on medication or have any medical issues.

To help you find the best options, we interview experts, look at the latest research, and continually taste-teste different protein powders for taste, smell, aftertaste, mixability, and value. We interviewed two sports dietitians to get their expert advice on who can best benefit from protein powder and what to look for.

We Also Tested

While these didn’t make our top picks, they have some good points and may suit your needs.

Truvani Organic Vegan Protein Powder: While our tester did love the fine-dissolving consistency of this protein, the size of the container wasn’t ideal with only 10 servings in it.

Kaged Protein Isolate Elite: Flavor-wise, this protein is a great option for vanilla lovers, but the scent may be too strong for some and ultimately led us to recommend others instead.

Garden of Life Organic Creamy Protein with Oat Milk: Our testers loved the texture of this vegan blend protein powder for its richness, but the strong flavor of sweeteners was off-putting and put it off our list of recommendations.

How We Research and Test Protein Powders

We taste-test protein powders by mixing a serving of each powder into cold water in a shaker bottle, noting how long it took to dissolve (and if it dissolved completely), and then tasting the product, evaluating flavor, texture, aftertaste, and smell. We then combined these ratings with a nutrition and third-party testing score from our in-house registered dietitians and nutrition editors to get an overall rating for each pick.

Is Protein Powder Beneficial? 

According to Lexi Moriarty MS, RD, CSSD, RYT, “Protein powders can be an easy and convenient option to help you meet your daily protein needs.” She adds, “If you have a busy schedule, are trying to gain muscle, or need easy access to protein sources throughout the day, protein powders can come in handy.” Protein supplements have been shown to have beneficial effects in increasing and retaining muscle mass; however, not necessarily more so than protein from whole foods. Dr. Karen Reznik Dolins, EdD, RD, CSSD, CDN, encourages people to “take into account the balanced nutrition needed to promote muscle growth as well as overall health,” which includes a nutrient diet of not just protein but also carbohydrates and fats. While protein gets most of the attention, carbohydrates are particularly important for post-workout recovery as well.

Who May Not Benefit from Protein Powder

While the safety and effectiveness of protein powders can vary by source and individual requirements, there are some important considerations for determining if protein powders are a healthy choice for you. According to Moriarty, “Excessive protein intake should be avoided by those with pre-existing liver or kidney conditions.” She adds, “Consuming too much protein can crowd out other essential nutrients, like carbohydrates and dietary fat. This can lead to unnecessary hormone and digestion concerns, especially in active women.”

What to Look for in a Protein Powder

Third-Party Testing

Third-party testing is mainly about ensuring that contaminants are not present and that the information on the label is reflected in the contents of the supplement. Dolins says, “If someone chooses to use a protein supplement, the USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) recommends they use products which have undergone third-party testing to test for the presence of performance-enhancing drugs which may be unsafe and/or illegal/banned by sports agency and that the label is accurate.” This is an especially important consideration for individuals who are competing and looking to consume a supplement without interfering with eligibility.

Moriarty adds, “A 2018 report on various protein powders found that more than 70% of the powders tested had detectable levels of soft metals, like lead and cadmium. However, it’s important to note that “detectable levels” does not mean unsafe amounts. She says, “When a supplement is tested by a third party, like NSF Certified for Sport, it means that the supplement has been tested for harmful or banned substances,” including heavy metal testing. However, just because a supplement does not have one of these certifications, it does not mean it’s necessarily a bad or contaminated product. Third-party testing can be expensive and potentially cost-prohibitive for some brands, particularly smaller ones. If you are choosing a product that does not perform third-party testing, opt for a trusted brand with high internal testing standards.

The Types of Protein Powders 

Protein supplements can vary widely in the materials from which the protein is derived, with all undergoing high levels of processing to remove all other naturally occurring nutrients and isolate the protein alone. In whey protein, the results are forms of protein in isolates, concentrates, and hydrolysates. Additionally derived from milk, casein is another common protein source and while both contain all nine essential amino acids, whey is higher in BCAAs, branched-chain amino acids, which are important for recovery and muscle protein synthesis.

Vegan sources are usually from pea protein, hemp, soy, and combinations that include nut and seed protein. Dolins says that “numerous studies have shown that vegetarian sources of protein are as effective as animal sources or whey, although the amount needed may be a bit higher.”

According to Moriarty, “a recent study found that pea protein may be a comparable option to whey protein when it comes to enhancing athletic performance and recovery.” The main considerations are your ability to consume dairy and taste preferences. In our testing, we generally prefer whey protein to pea protein options. However, everyone’s taste preferences are different. Also, animal-derived protein powders like whey and casein tend to be higher in important amino acids, including BCAAs, which are particularly important for muscle repair and synthesis.

Ingredients & Potential Interactions

It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please bring the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

The following are common ingredients in a protein powder that may interfere with medications or medical conditions:

Whey Protein: While this is the source of protein in many supplements, it’s important to acknowledge that whey protein may interfere with certain medications like Levodopa, antibiotics, and bisphosphonates.

Creatine: Creatine is a compound found naturally in meat and seafood and is commonly found in performance-related supplements. It may be useful for enhancing strength and performance, and it is considered safe when taken at recommended dosages and does not have any known interactions with foods or medications.

Digestive enzymes: While these may be useful for individuals with certain conditions, they’re generally not needed for healthy people. They don’t necessarily pose serious health risks when consumed at recommended amounts; however, they can interfere with blood-thinning medications and may interact with other supplements.

Tart Cherry: While packed with antioxidants and certainly a potentially beneficial ingredient for training and recovery, this ingredient that’s common among fitness supplements should be studied more to identify side effects and interactions.

Sugar: Some protein powders contain added sugars, which, in the context of fueling for or recovering from a workout, can be helpful in replenishing energy (glucose) stores. If you are using protein powders outside of exercise, be mindful of your total added sugar intake from supplements. It is generally recommended to limit added sugars to less than 25-30 grams per day.

Artificial Sweeteners: May protein powders rely on artificial and other naturally-derived non-nutritive sweeteners to add sweetness without adding sugar and extra calories. While most are generally recognized as safe, more recent research shows that some sweeteners, like aspartame and sucralose, may have negative health impacts. Additionally, sugar alcohols can cause digestive upset in some. Also, non-nutritive sweeteners tend to have a specific taste and potential aftertaste that some may not enjoy.

How Much Protein Powder to Take

Protein needs vary by individual, with recommended daily intakes of 10% to 35% of daily calories coming from protein. The DRI (Daily Recommended Intake) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for healthy adults. For reference, that’s 55 grams per day for an adult weighing 150 pounds. However, that number has recently been called into question, as it may not be enough for certain populations. Older people, athletes (and generally active people), as well as pregnant and lactating people, may need more—between 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. Calculating your overall protein needs can be done based on Dietary Reference Intakes.

According to Dolins, it is recommended that protein be spaced out in order to gain the most beneficial effects, and generally, she suggests “15-25g [of protein] taken approximately every 3-5 hours” as “we know there is a ceiling to the amount that can be used to stimulate [muscle protein synthesis] at any one time.” This is a general recommendation for how to consume protein, though, not a suggestion that you consume that amount of protein powder.

As it relates to excessive intake, Moriarty says, “A few recent studies have investigated diets that contain as much as 2.5-3.3 gm/kg/day of protein and found that no clinical side effects were observed during the study. However, more studies done and for longer periods of time are necessary to confirm these findings.” Note that certain medical conditions, including kidney disease, may require low-protein diets.

Without any personal medical contraindications and with a diet that’s balanced and inclusive of a variety of protein sources, most people can safely consume protein powder every day. It is important to remember, though, that supplements are not regulated as food by the FDA and should be taken with some caution.

Our Experts

The following experts gave their insight into what to look for in a protein powder and health considerations for using these supplements.

• Dr. Karen Reznik Dolins, EdD, RD, CSSD, CDN, is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She is an adjunct faculty member of the Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Program at Teachers College Columbia University and New York University.
• Lexi Moriarty, MS, RDN, CSSD, RYT is a Certified Sports and Performance Dietitian and Eating Disorder RD. She is the owner of Fueled + Balanced Nutrition.

Who We Are

Tori Martinet is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. She is a freelance food and nutrition writer and consultant and has written for publicans like Eating Well, Verywell Health, Verywell Fit, Food & Wine, and more. Her background is in culinary and sports nutrition. She has worked with athletes at collegiate and professional levels as well as previous experience as the dietitian overseeing player dining for the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament for five years.