Imagine you’ve just finished up a hard workout at the gym and have to quickly shower, change, and slip into your power suit for a full day at the office, or perhaps you’ve just come in from finishing your Sunday long run and you’re about to lay down your exercise mat to stretch. In either case, you’re short on time or eager to move onto the next step in the routine, but you know your muscles are screaming for reparative and restorative protein, your blood sugar energy may be a bit low, and after sweating for the past hour or more, you’re seeking hydration in any form you can get.
Though perhaps it would be ideal to have the luxury of time — and perhaps the iron stomach — to whip together a nice whole foods protein-packed meal, shaking up some protein powder or blending up a refreshing protein smoothie is oftentimes a more feasible and appealing post-workout refueling option. Protein powders are a convenient, reliable, hassle-free nutrition strategy to maximize your muscle gains and fitness progress. Because there are a variety of flavors and protein powders can easily be incorporated into various liquid preparations or even food recipes, protein powders are quite versatile.
You can throw a protein powder packet into your shaker bottle and take it on the go, throw a scoop or two of it into your breakfast smoothie or green drink, or blend up a nutritious version of your favorite chocolate shake with protein powder when you crave an indulgent treat before bed, or stir a few tablespoons into your overnight oats. Between the abundance of scientific evidence demonstrating the metabolic, body composition, and performance benefits of protein, and the versatility and ease of use of protein powders, it’s no wonder protein powders comprise one of the largest sectors of the exercise and sports supplements market.
Unfortunately, while there are many clean, healthy protein powders you can buy, there are also many packed with added sugars, fillers, and processed ingredients. To help make sure you’re giving your muscles the highest-quality protein, we’ve compiled a list of the best protein powders for men.
Nutiva Organic Plant Protein Superfood Smoothie
Nutiva
This certified USDA organic protein powder is surprisingly rich and creamy when blended up, and with 22 grams of protein per serving, it’s filling despite only containing 120 calories per scoop. The Nutiva Organic Plant Protein Superfood Smoothie powders, which come in chocolate and vanilla flavors, are also fortified with at least 25% of the RDI of 12 vitamins and minerals, and over 1 billion CFU of live probiotics to support your gut and digestive health. They also contain a blend of digestive enzymes and fruit and vegetable powders for an extra boost of antioxidants and phytonutrients.
Made from a blend of pea, pumpkin seed, hemp, and sunflower seed protein, the Nutiva Organic Plant Protein Superfood Smoothies provide all nine essential amino acids while still being vegan, non-GMO, and free from soy, gluten, dairy, artificial ingredients, and stevia. With only one gram of natural sugar and no artificial sweeteners, you can be confident that you’re giving your body only high-quality ingredients.
Gainful Custom Protein Powder
Gainful
Gainful is truly revolutionizing the protein powder market by customizing the formula you get. Customers complete a short quiz online about their dietary needs, workout routine, body composition goals, and preferences and then Gainful concocts a personalized protein powder they ship to your home. All of its protein formulas contain a maximum of seven ingredients, each of which is purposefully chosen to support the specific fitness and nutrition goals you share.
Regardless of the specific protein powder they create for you, all products are free from gluten, soy, fillers, and artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners. You can also pick from eight tasty flavors, including fun options like cookies and cream, cinnamon toast, and matcha green tea.
Garden of Life Organic Raw Protein Powder
Garden of Life
It’s surprisingly difficult to find unflavored protein powders that aren’t so chalky or grassy to even be palatable. While we certainly won’t say the unflavored variety of the Garden of Life Organic Raw Protein Powder is delicious, it is pleasantly neutral and blends well, fading fairly well into whatever you add it to — even water. The Garden of Life Organic Raw Protein Powders do come in flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and vanilla chai), but they are sweetened with stevia, so if you’re sensitive to stevia, you’ll want to stick with the unflavored option.
Regardless of flavor, each serving of Garden of Life Organic Raw Protein Powder contains 110-120 calories, 22 grams of plant-based protein (a blend of over a dozen different raw, sprouted seeds, legumes, and ancient grains), digestive enzymes, and over 3 billion CFU of gut-supportive probiotics. By sprouting the grains and seeds, the amino acids become more bioavailable, helping you reap all the muscle reparative benefits of every single gram.
NAKED WHEY Nutrition Whey Protein Powder
NAKED WHEY
Whey protein is one the most bioavailable forms of protein, meaning your muscles get to soak up a greater percentage of all those key amino acids you’re ingesting. Therefore, if you’re not vegan and can tolerate whey, it’s a fantastic protein option. As such, whey is commonly used in many commercial protein powders, but unfortunately, most are loaded with fillers, hormones, artificial ingredients, sugars, and chemicals.
Vanilla Naked Whey is free from all of these pitfalls and is truly a clean, wholesome, nutritious supplement. The vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavored protein powders contain only three ingredients — often a mark of a rather “clean” product — grass-fed whey protein, organic coconut sugar, and natural flavors. Plus, they offer an unflavored option that only contains the whey itself.
Naked whey sources the whey from grass-fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free cows raised right on their own California dairy farms. Each serving contains 120 calories and 25 grams of protein, 5.9 grams of which are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). The three BCAAs — leucine, isoleucine, valine — promote muscle-protein synthesis, so they are especially beneficial for workout recovery and muscle growth.
Vega Sport Premium Protein Powder
Vega Sport Premium
Vega is well known for their high-quality, nutritious vegan supplements, including a range of protein powders, greens and superfoods, and energy bars. Among their kind of healthy protein powders, the Vega Sport Premium Protein Powder offers the most protein and the highest concentration of vital muscle-building BCAAs. Each serving offers 30 grams of plant-based protein (including 5 grams of BCAAs), sources from peas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and alfalfa.
There are also anti-inflammatory superfoods like turmeric, black pepper, and tart cherry, along with 2 billion CFU of live probiotic bacteria to populate your gut with the beneficial bacteria you need to digest and absorb nutrients and support your immune system. The Vega Sport Premium Protein Powder contains 160 calories, and since it is sweetened with stevia, it is sugar free. Flavors include chocolate, vanilla, and peanut butter, each of which is gluten free, dairy free, keto friendly, non-GMO, and vegan. It’s tasty enough to drink in plain water or your favorite milk or add it to your morning smoothie.
Gnarly Nutrition Whey Protein Powder
Gnarly
Gnarly makes both a vegan and whey protein powder line. Both offer high-quality ingredients, complete sources of protein, and digestive enzymes and probiotics for gut health. The whey protein powder, which comes in chocolate and vanilla, contains 25 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 160 calories per serving. The whey is sourced from grass-fed New Zealand cows raised without hormones. It blends very well, resulting in a creamy, smooth protein drink, even when mixed with just water. It can be simply stirred or shaken in a bottle for a quick, potent punch of quality protein and superfoods.
The taste is full, rich, and complex, which is more than can be said for many of the healthy protein powders. If you’re an oatmeal or overnight oats guy, consider mixing in a scoop of the Gnarly Whey Protein Powder to level up your breakfast game and keep you feeling satiated until lunch. It is sweetened with stevia and erythritol though, so if you have a sensitive stomach, it might not agree well with you.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Yeah! Organic Max Protein Powder
Manitoba Harvest
Hemp protein has yet to gain the cult following or popularity of other protein sources used in protein powders, but it’s actually quite a nutritious little superfood seed. Whether you’re vegan, sensitive to whey, or prefer a plant-based protein powder that also packs an impressive dose of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and regularity-supportive fiber, Manitoba Harvest’s Hemp Yeah! Organic Max Protein Powder is a smart alternative protein powder.
Not only is it certified organic, but it contains only two ingredients: hemp concentration and oregano extract. One serving of Manitoba Harvest’s Hemp Yeah! Organic Max Protein Powder contains 140 calories, 20 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 4.5 grams of vital omega-3 fatty acids, which are often deficient in vegan diets. Because the mix is unflavored, it does have a bit of an earthy, grassy taste, which may not be particularly palatable in plain water. However, it’s a clean, healthy, allergy-friendly protein powder, making it an excellent option if you prioritize nutrition over taste.
RSP TrueFit Protein Powder
RSP
RSP TrueFit is really more of a well-rounded nutrition supplement than just a protein powder. Each serving packs 25 grams of muscle-building whey protein, a whopping 9 grams of prebiotic fiber, 1 billion CFU of probiotics, and 12 servings of fruits and vegetables.
The whey is sourced from grass-fed, antibiotic-free and hormone-free cows, and it provides all essential amino acids, over 5g of BCAAs, and 4g of glutamine, which further support muscle synthesis. RSP TrueFit also contains 1 gram of MCT coconut oil for satiety and energy. The protein powder is gluten-free, non-GMO, and keto-diet compliant, containing only one gram of sugar.
When you’re selecting a protein powder, it’s important to keep your workout and fitness goals in mind, as not all powders are optimal for all workout situations. If you are looking to build muscle, the Cleveland Clinic recommends looking for a product that can be easily absorbed and used in the body. It said products containing whey protein and whey isolates are the choice here.
For weight loss, the clinic said to look for protein powders that don’t have added sugars and to also stay away from powders with dextrins or maltodextrins, which it said are sweeteners that are starch based. Additionally, avoid any powders that contain branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), since these will promote weight gain and muscle growth.
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Light roast coffee
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