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- High-quality whey protein powders have a taste you can tolerate, pack in maximum protein with minimal extras, and they work well in beverages and baked goods.
- The Cellucor Whey Protein Isolate & Concentrate Blend Powder is our top pick because it mixes smoothly, tastes great, and only costs three cents per gram of protein.
Whether you are a picky eater, athlete, elderly, or just want to suppress your appetite, boosting your protein intake can help keep your muscles healthy and increase your muscle mass. Whey protein powder is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to add protein to your diet.
Whey protein comes from the liquid left over from the cheesemaking process. This liquid is dried into a powder. Since whey is basically the gross, acrid part of milk, the best supplement companies then introduce flavors and sweeteners to the powder while keeping fat, calories, and carbohydrates to a minimum.
There are three main types of whey protein:
- Whey protein concentrate (WPC): This is a concentrated protein that keeps more of the nutrients.
- Whey protein isolate (WPI): This is similar to WPC, but most of the carbohydrates, fat, and fat-soluble vitamins have been removed so the powder has a higher percentage of protein.
- Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH): WPH is considered "pre-digested" since it breaks down peptides - the building blocks of proteins - to help with quicker absorption.
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is about a gram for every three pounds of body weight. So, if you weigh 180 pounds, that would equate to 60 grams of protein per day. Experts suggest taking up to twice that can still produce benefits. However, before you significantly up your protein intake, you should check with your healthcare professional since people with certain maladies, such as calcium deficiencies or low blood pressure, could experience adverse effects from whey protein.
We recommend buying the whey protein powder you like through Amazon's "Subscribe & Save" program if possible since it can save you up to 15%. At any time, you can cancel your subscription. My favorite part about this program is that it automates ordering products that I have to replenish regularly. For instance, if you take a serving of protein powder every day and there are 30 servings in a container, you can have a new tub delivered every month without lifting a finger.
All of the prices quoted in this guide are based on the current price for the most popular flavor and size of the powder. Prices are subject to change, and you can cut the cost of some powders by choosing to subscribe.
To figure out the cost per serving on your own, take the product's price and divide it by the number of servings in the container. Since the amount of protein per serving varies by brand, it's also useful to look at the cost per gram of protein. This is easy to calculate by dividing the cost per serving (as calculated above) by the number of grams of protein per serving.
While researching the best whey protein powders, we looked at hundreds of expert and buyer reviews and ratings of dozens of brands. Our guide features powders that have a taste you can stomach, a high protein content, and minimal fat, carbs, and calories.
Here are the best whey protein powders you can buy:
- Best whey protein powder overall: Cellucor Whey Protein Isolate & Concentrate Blend Powder
- Best grass-fed whey protein powder: Legion Whey+ Isolate Protein Powder
- Best tasting whey protein powder: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
- Best fat-free whey protein powder: Myprotein Impact Whey Isolate Protein
- Best digestion-friendly whey protein powder: Dymatize ISO 100 Whey Protein Powder
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
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