Protein Shakes No, Yes, Best

Here we are.. your favorite nutrition series! Protein Shakes No, Yes, Best! I sweet friend asked me to give my thoughts on these ready to drink shakes and I hope this is helpful to you! This post is for Dairy based protein drinks. I will do the plant based ones on another post!

I will be honest, this is not something we drink so I was not very familiar with them. I have spent HOURS reading labels and making charts… truly hours. But hopefully it helps you make a better choice!

DISCLAIMER: I couldn’t find a brand that I would buy and drink regularly. So I have 2 Best listed in the charts below but they are something that I would drink on occasion for a snack or on the go, but they would not be a regular part of my diet. WHY? For a few reasons, I could not find a brand that did not have natural flavors and a thickening gum. These are fine consumed occasionally but they are not something your gut wants you drinking daily or multiple times a day! Secondly, while these drinks pack protein, they greatly lack in micronutrients. It would be an unhealthy habit to start replacing a nutrient dense meal with a shake that is lacking in nutrients. They also do not have many calories… so they are definitely not a meal replacement and many of them are not really enough calories for a good snack either.

So.. I would encourage you to view these shakes as an occasional on the go snack versus a regular part of your nutrition plan. EVEN BETTER? Drink a protein shake from a credible brand like Just Ingredients or SAVA (formerly Taylor dukes wellness). They do not have any natural flavors or gums! You can see my favorite protein powders HERE.

HOW DID I RATE THE SHAKES?

Any shake that had multiple additives like binding gums, carrageenan or aritificial flavors automatically went in the NO category.

Any shake that only had 2 additives (natural flavors and gellan gum) but did not have any organic or grass fed ingredients went in the YES category. They aren’t as clean as some protein powders but they are a better choice than many of the other ready to drink shakes.

Any shake that had only the 2 additives but had either organic or grass fed ingredients went in the BEST category. Again, still not ideal but better than all the other choices.

Questions? Ask them in the comments below.