Unflavored protein powder that you can add to anything and everything

Unflavored protein powder that you can add to anything and everything

When it comes to some things in life, the more flavor the better: personalities, your sex life, salsa verde. However, when it comes to protein powders, the benefit of added flavor is debatable. Some people love a burst of sweetness, others find it unnecessary and too overwhelming.

Enter: unflavored protein powder, a convenient way to increase your protein intake if you'd rather avoid sweeteners. Here's the scoop (pun intended) on unflavored protein powder, including how to use it in recipes and the best options to purchase. (

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What is Unflavored Protein Powder?

Unflavored protein powder is exactly what it sounds like – with one caveat. “Unflavored means no flavors are added,” says Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, founder of Real Nutrition. "For most protein powders, this means they don't add any additional flavors or sweeteners. However, it depends on the brand, as some brands add additional ingredients to improve texture and taste. It's important to read nutrition labels and not just accept what it says on the front of the package." The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements as strictly as medications, and companies may label a powder as "unflavored" if it actually contains additional flavor ingredients.

The main advantage of using unflavored protein powder is that it (usually) contains no sweeteners. Avoiding sweeteners can be a matter of taste – many people find ingredients like stevia too sweet – or it can be a health-focused decision. "Some sweeteners, like sucralose, are unhealthy even though they are calorie-free, and others can cause stomach upset or bloating," says Shapiro.

How to use unflavored protein powder

Once you know how much protein you should consume in a day, you can get creative with your recipes. Smoothies and shakes are the obvious choice, but you're not limited to sweet drinks when it comes to adding a scoop (or two) of protein powder. Because unflavored protein powder is not sweet, it is more versatile. While you probably would never dream of sprinkling Fruity Pebbles-flavored protein powder into a savory recipe, unflavored protein powder is more neutral. Garlic bread, fried chicken, homemade pasta...the possibilities are endless.

Remember, just because it's flavorless doesn't mean it tastes like air. Unflavored protein powder is more likely to have a slightly nutty taste and/or grainy texture - both of which can be easily masked with ingredients like nut butter, fruit, cocoa, or herbs if you're not a fan. If you're skeptical, Shapiro recommends adding small amounts of the powder (even a quarter scoop at first) and increasing the amounts until you get used to the taste. (

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Where can you buy unflavored protein powder?

You could spend hours comparing the many protein powders available, even if you've narrowed your search down to unflavored options. It helps if you know what to look out for. To choose one of the best unflavored protein powder options, Shapiro suggests considering the following:

• Die besten Optionen verwenden organische, minimal verarbeitete und gut beschaffte Zutaten. „Mit gut bezogen meine ich, sicherzustellen, dass es mit Gras gefüttert wird, bleifrei ist, aus sauberen Zutaten von vertrauenswürdigen Herstellern und Farmen hergestellt wird usw.“, sagt Shapiro. (Sie müssen wahrscheinlich auf der eigenen Website des Unternehmens graben.)
• Überprüfen Sie die Zutatenliste noch einmal, ob sie nur die Art von Protein(en) enthält, die Sie konsumieren möchten (Molke, Erbse usw.).
• Vermeiden Sie Sojazusätze wie Sojalecithin. Soja ist für viele Menschen entzündlich und die Form in Pulverform neigt dazu, stark verarbeitet zu sein, sagt Shapiro.
• Einige Marken verlassen sich stark auf Füllstoffe und Emulgatoren, das sind Inhaltsstoffe, die die Textur verbessern und ein Verklumpen verhindern. (Carrageenan, Maltodextrin und Lecithin sind einige gängige Beispiele.) Err auf der Seite einer kurzen Zutatenliste und einer hohen Menge an Protein pro Portion. Denken Sie daran, dass vegane Proteinquellen im Vergleich zu tierischem Protein automatisch weniger Protein enthalten.

With that in mind, here are some of the best unflavored protein powders:

Revly Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate Powder, neutral in taste

Whey is considered a high-quality protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids – the building blocks of protein – and is more likely to be gentle on the stomach (unless you are sensitive to dairy products). This unflavored whey protein powder contains only two ingredients: whey protein isolate (which contains a higher concentration of protein than whey concentrate) from grass-fed cows and sunflower lecithin. And it's relatively cheap, which certainly doesn't hurt.

Buy it:Revly Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate Powder, unflavored, $21, amazon.com

Organic plant-based protein powder from Orgain, natural, unsweetened

Orgain's Unflavored Protein Powder is a vegan, gluten-free, soy-free option made with pea protein, brown rice protein, and whole chia seeds. It's USDA certified organic, mixes easily into liquids, and has no nasty taste you'll feel inclined to mask.

Buy it:Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder, Naturally Unsweetened, $25, amazon.com

Isopure Zero Carb Unflavored Protein Powder

If you're on a low-carb diet, you'll appreciate that Isopure Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate contains zero (yes, zero) grams of carbohydrates. The unflavored whey protein powder is made from whey protein isolate and contains 25 grams of protein in a single 100 calorie serving.

Buy it: Isopure Zero Carb Unflavored Protein Powder, $47, amazon.com

Naked Nutrition grass-fed whey protein powder

Naked Nutrition specializes in additive-free nutritional supplements - and this unflavored protein powder is no exception. This one-ingredient protein powder is made from whey from grass-fed cows on Rumiano's small organic dairy farms in California.

Buy it:Naked Nutrition Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder, $90, amazon.com

Huel Powder v3.0

If you're looking for a nutritionally complete meal replacement and not just any protein powder, try Huel Powder v3.0. A 400-calorie serving of the vegan, unflavored powder contains 38 grams of carbohydrates, 29 grams of protein and 13 grams of fat with 27 vitamins and minerals. Huel conveniently makes a variety of “flavor enhancers” that you can keep on hand in case you want to convert the powder into a flavored option.

Buy it:Huel Powder v3.0, $103, huel.com