If it tastes like Frutti Pebbles or Funfetti, it's gotta go!
The protein powder market is oversaturated with products full of crap. These brands lure you in with attractive flavors such as “birthday cake,” they have great packing and put extra emphasis on how many grams of protein the serving size contains.
These products convince you that you’re going to be sculpted and fit if you consume their stuff. Some even advertise their products as “waist trimming” and “body sculpting” (spoiler alert: they’re full of it). It seems like the bigger the marketing campaign, the worse off the actual product is.
Believe us, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. But the issue remains that a lot of these protein powders can do more harm than good. Poor quality protein powders are filled with natural/artificial flavoring, low quality protein, additives and tons of extra sugar.
Below we have a checklist of things to look for when you’re picking a protein powder. Feel free to screenshot next time you’re on the hunt for a protein powder!
Protein powder may be labeled:*
Certified USDA Organic
Non GMO Project Verified or 3rd Party Certified Non-GMO
*These labels are up for debate. There are many conflicting studies on whether or not GMOs are safe. That being said, we do believe that you should be looking for brands that state their products do not contain pesticides, preservatives, toxic chemicals, fillers, antibiotics or added hormones.
Some companies may also state that their products are locally grown or sustainably produced.
Try to avoiding protein powders that contain:
Artificial flavors
Natural flavors (not natural!)
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame, xylitol, sorbitol, etc)
Carageenan and other gums (guar gum, xanthan gum, acacia gum, etc)
If you are using a whey protein, make sure that it is grass fed. It’s also important to note that whey is a dairy product, and often times it is harder for women to process or may cause digestive disturbances. We are not discouraging you away from whey protein, but observe the way your body reacts to the protein powder you are consuming. We have experienced bloating, acne & indigestion due to consuming the wrong protein powders for our body!
Lastly, if you are using a plant based protein, look to see if your protein has a complete amino acid profile. This ensures that your body can receive all 9 essential amino acids that cannot be produced by the body. You can also get these essential amino acids from foods like fish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork, dairy, whole sources of soy like tofu, edamame, tempeh and miso.
There are a lot of other ingredients that protein brands sneak in, so try to stick to ingredients that you know and are familiar with. We realize that when you remove all of the ingredients listed above, your list of available protein powders will be quite limited.
Below we have listed a few brands that we highly recommend:
Click on each to check them out!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6245118/