Finding the best
But even if you know what factors are most important to you, it can still be extremely difficult to find the best one.
There are literally thousands of
I’ve spent a lot of time researching and testing different
What criteria is that?
I’ve written it up below so you can see how I go about selecting
Hopefully this information will make it easier for you to discover which
Table of Contents
Criteria #1: All Natural Whey Protein
Optimizing my health is first and foremost for me so I do my best to avoid putting anything that is un-natural into my body.
So when I consider a
This actually narrows the choices quite a bit because most
Some people don’t care much about the long-term consequences of eating a product with artificial ingredients.
No thanks. Long term health is what is most important to me so it’s gotta be all natural.
Criteria #2: Grass Fed Whey Protein
Once I find an all-natural
Animals that eat what they are supposed to eat are healthier.
And healthier animals produce healthier products.
Cows in pasture eat grass….not Soy, Corn, Grains etc.
So grass-fed is the best choice if I am going for optimum health.
Criteria #3: Cost Per Gram of Whey Protein
If the
This is where selecting a
Why is the pricing so tricky?
Whey protein powders come with different amounts of protein in the jar- The size of the jar does not necessarily indicate the amount of protein in the jar
- Companies use different units of measurement for the amount of protein in the jar
- Serving size varies from brand to brand
- Sometimes the information the company provides on their website is not the same as what is on the label when you receive the product
So it’s almost impossible to pick up two jars of
How To Figure Out The Real Cost of Whey Protein ?
I used to compare protein powders by the amount of protein per serving and the total cost of the jar.
That’s a bad because it’s not an accurate way to compare costs.
And if you don’t compare the costs accurately, you could end up spending MUCH more money than you need to spend.
Spreadsheets To The Rescue
To make things easier for myself to compare
This spreadsheet makes it easy to compare the brand, product name, type of
It is my goal to try every brand of all natural
Incorrect Product Labels
For example, as a result of personally buying and testing these proteins, I’ve discovered some “inaccuracies” between what manufacturers show on their website and the actual product label.
One product website said the weight of the jar of protein was 2.2 lbs.
However when I received the protein the weight is actually 2.02 lbs.
Not a huge difference but it’s a difference and we as consumers deserve to have accurate information so we can make the right decision.
Another brand indicated that the serving size was 10 g which provided 12 g of
However, when I received the product the serving size was 11 g and the amount of protein provided was 8 g.
That’s a BIG difference.
I don’t think these companies are trying to intentionally mislead us but accuracy is important to help us make the right decision.
Maybe I’m just cynical but when companies make these kinds of errors it makes me trust their brand less.
Cost Per Jar vs. Cost Per Gram Of Whey Protein
As far as cost goes, cost per gram of protein (column P on the spreadsheet) is the best way to accurately compare the cost of each
The spreadsheet allows you to sort the list based on various criteria like lowest to highest cost.
As I continue to discover and try new products, I will continue to update the list accordingly.
Note: Most of the links on the spreadsheet are my affiliate links so I may make a (tiny) commission if you purchase a product after clicking on one of those links. You DO NOT pay more by clicking on those links. The prices you see there are the prices everyone pays including me. I just receive a portion of the profit for referring you. Much of what I do on this site takes me a LOT of time so I hope you will use my affiliate link if you decide to purchase one of those products. It helps me cover some of the costs for what I do here and I really appreciate your support 🙂
Criteria #4: Convenience
Once I go through the above criteria the next thing that is very important to me is Convenience.
It has to be easy for me to get the protein but sometimes convenience can be costly.
Retail Stores vs. Online Stores
Retail stores make it very convenient to buy
As far as online retailers go, I like Amazon the best for several reasons.
- They sell almost every
whey protein powder available - They typically have the best pricing
- Standard shipping is free or very low cost
- Amazon Prime members receive free 2-day shipping and very low cost overnight shipping
I use Amazon Prime because it is low cost and it includes free 2-day shipping.
Shipping Speed Is Important
Why is shipping speed important?
Because heat can damage
That’s why they tell you on the label to “STORE IN A COOL, DRY PLACE”.
What does heat have to do with shipping?
Slower shipping means your protein powder will sit on hot trucks and distribution centers for a longer amount of time.
Some distribution hubs are air-conditioned and some are not.
The hubs that are not air conditioned can get very hot.
The trucks are also not air conditioned.
So if your package is sitting in a hot truck, it’s most likely going to get hot.
Faster shipping = lower chance your shipment will get hot.
Slower Shipping = greater chance your shipment will get hot.
I don’t want my
Criteria #5: Additional Ingredients
Many
Many products contain sugar, food coloring and a bunch of other junk.
The other ingredients are typically a sweetener like Stevia and an emulsifier like soy lecithin.
I try to avoid Soy as much as possible but I’m not too concerned about the soy lecithin in the protein powder.
Criteria #6: Taste
I usually blend my
I’m really more concerned with the quality of the product than taste.
However, I will say that out of all the vanilla
Taste is very personal though.
So if you tried one brand of
To me, they all taste fairly similar but each one is slightly different.
Conclusion
Based on all of the criteria above my preferred
Hopefully this article and my Whey Protein Comparison Chart will help you decide which is the best whey protein for you too.
If this article was helpful, please do me a favor and share it with someone! Thanks!
I definitley did not put that much stock into my decision making. I always matched amount of protein per serving and cost ONLY. This gives me so much more to consider and I am definitely going to take this advice to the store this weekend. Great stuff! Thanks TIM!
Yo Ray,
As you know for a very long time I did the same thing.
But we are putting this into our body so it’s important to make sure it’s high quality and healthy.
So many whey proteins are loaded with all kinds of junk.
I’d rather pay a few more dollars and put good stuff in my system than cheap crap.
Thanks for the comment!
Tim,
Just stumbled across this post the other day. I have been looking over and over for a compilation of all natural whey supplements in one place. Most blogs or resources push the cutesy protein that isnt really economical and often overpriced. Although they have their place, i also like to break down the economics of what i am buying and you captured it very well with your chart. I loved how you went into more detail about the six different criteria and touched on everything from GMO’s and the importance of a quality product. Well done my man. Havent had a chance to check yet but what exciting things are you working on now adays?
Thanks Kyle! I initially created the criteria and the chart for myself to help decide which whey proteins were high quality and affordable. Then I realized that info might be helpful for other people as well so I put them on the site. I’m glad you found it helpful too!
In terms of new projects, I’m working on a blood sugar project right now. Testing various foods to discover the effect they have on my blood sugar. Science continues to suggest that high levels of blood sugar lead to just about every health problem you can think of from the obvious (weight gain) to heart disease to Alzheimer disease. So, blood sugar is of strong interest to me right now! I’ll be putting some articles on the site in the near future. Are there any specific topics you’d like me to look into?
I think that’s a great topic and it sounds very interesting. I would be curious if you find anything about the long term effects of spiking insulin/blood sugar pre and post workout. Or if this serves its purpose to fuel a workout and help deliver necessary nutrients therefore eliminating any negative carry over effect. I think its an important topic especially for those who have been fooled into relying heavily on a juicing diet and sedentary people eating ‘healthy’ fruit as a snack . Ill be sure to check back in.
That’s a great question Kyle and one I’ve run across and pondered quite a bit. I’ve heard various positions on this and need to pull everything together and write up an article. Generally speaking though it seems working out in a fasted state is best for muscle gain and fat loss and spiking insulin post-workout is best. Check back or jump on the email list for updates on this topic though!