What do I look for in a protein powder?

So what should you look for in a good protein powder? Select a protein powder that contains no added sugar and has as few ingredients as possible. Protein should also be listed as the first ingredient in the nutritional information. Unless you are vegan or suffer from lactose intolerance, we suggest you start with a whey protein powder that uses a whey isolate as its main ingredient. This offers the best value for money. Whey isolate offers one of the highest levels of bioavailability and is a complete protein with a good balance of all the required amino acids.

If you suffer from lactose intolerance, most whey isolates that don't contain a whey concentrate should be ok as they do not generally contain any lactose. If you maintain a vegan diet we would suggest looking at a blended plant protein product such as soy and rice protein. These offer the best complete plant-based protein source.

If you are watching your carb intake, consider the carbohydrate content on the nutritional facts label. Take fiber and sugar alcohol grams away from the total carbohydrate grams to get a good picture of just how many net carbs your protein powder may contain. Fiber and sugar alcohol are generally ok to consume as opposed to other carbs such as sugar.