Protein powder recommendations for clueless noob, PLEASE

[AquaticSewingMachine]

Started strength training about 6 months ago and want to up my protein. I think it's time to get into protein powder, but the choices on the shelf are absolutely overwhelming me.

Can anyone give me a specific brand/product recommendation for 1) a powder that's good for shakes that is not sugary and good for a beginner, and 2) one (maybe plant based) that's good for cooking with/otherwise mixing into foods?

I use one from Amazon called Bulk for making home made cereal bars it does work as a smoothie as well. It's made from whey though (protien that comes from milk). The plain one only has two ingredients; Whey and an emulsifier made from sunflowers.

They do lots of flavours though. Chocolate orange is quite nice.

I'm thinking I might try Decathlon lean whey? They at least vaguely have a guide to different types, and it seems lean whey is my best bet for high protein/low sugar?

I use the unflavoured version of this one: www.theproteinworks.com/vegan-protein

If I want a shake I mix it up with a banana, some frozen berries and soy milk. I’ve yet to find a flavoured protein powder that tastes ok and unflavoured just gives a lot more options.

I love The Protein Works too. I get their vegan wonder shake powder.

Their vanilla one is lovely blended with blueberries, plant milk and ice.

Womens Best is my favourite, but the tubs are huge. My favourite is French Vanilla as it's great for mixing into porridge, but the Salted Caramel is great too.

They don't have the horrible sweetness that some powders have and mix up nicely too.

I find all protein powders far too sweet. The one I use is PHD Diet Whey. I whiz it into strong black coffee, with added cacao powder to add even more bitterness. Chocolate or vanilla flavours work well for this and make a pleasant drink.

I just use MyProtein whey but have used a few whey powders over the years and found them much of a muchness. i hate anything sweet or flavoured so just get plain. Generally whizz into a smoothie with banana, peanut butter, spoon of greek yog and water (no milk as thick enough with the banana/PB).
Decathlon is a perfectly acceptable brand so if you fancy that then give it a go. Ive used their energy drink but not protein.

I use Bulk Powders vanilla. It’s got 23g of protein per scoop. It’s nice on its own but quite versatile if I fancy a different flavour. I tend to whizz it up with different fresh or frozen fruit or some peanut butter and cocoa powder for a change

Thank you so much for your recommendations. I feel a bit better now. I walked into Holland & Barrett, faced four floor to ceiling shelves of different powders with no guide to understanding them, and went AAARGH WTF.

I just plumped for the chocolate flavoured lean whey protein powder from Decathlon to start with and have found it good for easy shakes, but I'm going to look into ordering online from Myprotein or similar for future. And I think I can just find & buy an unflavoured vegan powder for mixing into other foods. Are there any advantages of using a vegan powder for health reasons, or is it really just if you prefer not to use dairy-based powders? I don't really like the idea of taking on board loads of cows-milk-derived protein.

As I understand it, vegan protein powders can be a little bit easier to digest. But whether that is relevant to you obviously depends on how sensitive your digestion is.

I’m not vegan, but prefer vegan protein powder for that reason.

I thought vegan was harder to digest? I'm no expert though. The thing that put me off vegan was that the processing methods can mean a concentration of the toxins in the growing process. You had to be careful where the source (eg peas) were coming from. I'm sure there's other issues with whey but as I'm not vegan, I figured I already experience those issues and didn't have the energy to try and find out the source of peas.

Some vegan protein powders are insanely sweet (with sweetener) but you can tone it down by mixing with sour dairy-free yoghurt.

My PT recommended Optimum Whey chocolate as it has the lowest calories for one dose (119kcal) and 25g protein and it isn’t sweet at all. Just don’t heat it up as the protein will
cook and become disgusting like mince meat 🤮 I mix it with cold water or cold skimmed milk. I buy from amazon or Sainsburys

Oh I might try that one @Maraki. I need a lot of calories actually due to being naturally skinny w/ food aversions but 119 in a drink is not bad, and 25g protein would be welcome. I've been looking for one that isn't so sweet. I don't mind sweet, but some of them are just over the top.

I buy one called Purition, they do whey based or a vegan version. It’s perfect for a low carb diet and no artificial ingredients or sweetener. You blend it for best results or you can use it as an ingredient too.

I use Bulk too. The vanilla is really nice and doesn’t have that chalky flavor that some have.

I don't like all the additives and processing (and can't have emulsifiers) so if I want a quick post workout boost I use a scoop of pure whey powder, mixed in with cocoa powder, almond butter and milk. You can use pea and hemp powders as a vegan alternative to whey but you need about twice as much powder to get the same amount of protein. Overall I think you're better getting it from your diet without extra protein powder if you can - I am getting over 100g a day in a mainly veggie diet even on days when I don't have a protein drink. Pulses and protein rich grains like quinoa make a surprising difference.

And skyr is very high in protein too. And delicious. The natural flavor ones with some berries and a little splash of maple syrup….

I made quark pancakes this morning! They were good, very light. I did promptly pour maple syrup on them, but thanks to the lightness I think I actually needed less syrup than usual. A month of focusing on protein has already made a visible difference to my muscle mass, especially my arms.

I was surprised to hear recently that Caroline Girvan (google if you don’t know who I mean) doesn’t use protein powders and her muscles are incredible! So it can be done without powders.

I'd really recommend looking at Chloe Madeley and Emma Storey-Gordons Instagram and podcast series as they discuss all this kinda stuff. Their nutrition and training advice is very down to earth and a great resource for beginners or experienced sports folk. They have lots of info about protein and creatine supplementation.

She includes protein shakes and bars in her epic programme. Alongside other protein rich foods.

I like Icon. Have the cinnamon one with my porridge.

For sure it can be, but like a lot of people I'm juggling cooking and eating with a DH and DC; if I were cooking only for my own needs it would be more straightforward, so it's helpful for me to add a bit of supplementation. When I was on holiday with a buffet at my disposal for 3 meals a day I ate loads of protein and veg and wouldn't have needed shakes, but tragically I have to manage without this amenity most of the time!

I hear you! I have 3 under 7 and it’s hard enough thinking of healthy meals that they’ll all eat without adding separate protein-based meals into the mix. I’m not against powders (we have some at home). But they’re usually ultra processed so I try to avoid them and so was interested to see people managing to weight train without relying on them too heavily.

I’ve found it helps to make an effort to eat protein with every meal or snack. E.g adding lentils or beans to soups and salads, eating nuts or Greek yoghurt with fruit, nut butter on rice crackers, cottage cheese on oatcakes, roasting chickpeas with veg etc.