The Best Protein Powders Of 2024, According To Personal Health Experts

Servings per container: 15 | Protein per serving: 20 grams | Flavor(s): Vanilla

Pros:

• Contains beneficial, high-quality nutrients
• Great taste
• Vegan-friendly and soy-free

Cons:

• Smaller number of servings
• Hard to mix by hand

According to the United States Census Bureau, the current median age in America is 38.9 years old. That means millions of Americans are in the zone for Ritual’s 18+ protein powder, which was specifically formulated for adults aged 18 and up (thus the “18+”). A serving of Ritual’s vanilla-flavored protein powder delivers 20 grams of protein along with L-Methionine, an essential amino acid, and choline, a nutrient that helps with brain function. And what you won’t find in the mix are allergens, heavy metals, sugars or artificial sweeteners.

You also won’t find any chalky aftertaste that’s common among protein powders. This is a pricier option given that you only get 15 servings in each bag, but the quality makes it worth consideration if you’re looking to add a powder to your diet.

Servings per container: 20 | Protein per serving: 21 grams | Flavor(s): Vanilla, fruity cereal, horchata, strawberries and cream, natural unsweetened and more

Pros:

• Good flavor selection
• Four grams of dietary fiber per serving
• No added sugars

Cons:

• 150 calories per serving
• Sweetened with Stevia

Protein powder often gets labeled as a weight loss solution, but it’s really protein’s ability to keep you full, build lean muscle and boost your metabolism that makes the difference. That’s why we’re into Orgain Organic Vegan Protein Powder for weight loss. It’s made from plant-based proteins like pea, brown rice and chia, and comes in a bunch of flavors that blend easily into smoothies or other foods. You can even stir the unflavored option into soups and stews. While the 150 calories per serving might be a bit higher than we’d like to see, that also includes 4 grams of fiber per serving to help keep you satisfied longer.

Servings per container: 26 | Protein per serving: 26 grams | Flavor(s): Cereal milk, Cinnabon, Chips Ahoy!, Oreo, Nutter Butter and more

Pros:

• Excellent flavor options
• Macronutrient dense
• Great meal replacement option

Cons:

• Isn’t agreeable with IBS
• On the pricey side

Protein powder doesn’t have to taste good to be effective, but if it does, there’s a better chance you’ll consume it regularly. And while taste is a subjective sense—what tastes good to me might taste awful to you—the flavors from Ghost are easy to enjoy. These include a few you’re probably familiar with, such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy! and Nutter Butter, as well as others that sound imaginative but are actually quite tasty, like peanut butter cereal milk and fruity cereal milk.

Flavors aside, Ghost protein powder offers a decent calorie:protein ratio of 140 calories to 26 grams of protein per serving. It’s used more often as a meal replacement powder due in-part to its taste and macronutrient construction, but if you’re tired of vanilla or can’t stand the taste of traditional mixes, this one should be a lot easier to stomach.

Servings per container: 29 | Protein per serving: 24 grams | Flavor(s): Banana, double rich chocolate, cookies & cream, cinnamon roll and more

Pros:

• Blend mixes well with water or milk
• Good value, especially in 5- and 10-pound packs

Cons:

• Your experience really depends on the flavor you buy

Unless you’re looking for a protein powder that’s specifically formulated to address a concern or event in a woman’s life (such as pregnancy or menopause), then it’s worth noting that protein powder offers the same benefits between men and women. With that said, if you’re looking for a blend that’s high in quality protein with great reviews and lots of flavors to choose from, ON’s Gold Standard whey protein checks a lot of boxes.

With 24 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of BCAAs per serving, you’re getting the nutrients you need to recover and build muscle, no questions asked. From there, you have a lot of flavors to choose from, most of which taste good and blend well, though we recommend sticking to classic flavors that are chocolate- or vanilla-based for the best results. With over 205,000 reviews and an average 4.6/5-star rating, it’s safe to say this blend is a crowd-pleaser, which is why we feel confident recommending it to women in need of high-quality protein.

Servings per container: 30 | Protein per serving: 28 grams | Flavor(s): Vanilla peanut butter, dark chocolate, mocha latte, peanut butter

Pros:

• Easy to digest
• Contains every essential amino acid
• Lots of protein per serving

Cons:

• High in sodium
• Expensive

As a blend that’s free from artificial sweeteners, food dyes, gums and preservatives, Transparent Labs’ Whey Protein Isolate delivers a hefty 28 grams of highly bioavailable protein per serving, which means you get plenty of protein without needing to consume a lot of powder. In that same serving of protein you’ll find only 3 grams of carbs and 0 grams of saturated or trans fats. Essentially, if you’re looking for a clean whey protein powder that’s easy on the body, this is the one to get.

Beyond this protein powder’s clean profile, it also blends and tastes surprisingly well in spite of its short list of ingredients. We personally love the vanilla peanut butter flavor when it’s mixed with almond or oat milk, though it’s not bad in water, either.

Servings per container: 8 | Protein per serving: 50 grams | Flavor(s): Vanilla, banana, chocolate peanut butter, strawberry, chocolate

Pros:

• Huge dose of protein per serving
• Available in many flavors
• Vegan-friendly and soy-free

Cons:

• Only eight servings per container
• Contains maltodextrin

If you want to build up those muscles, you have to tack on mass, and that means consuming more protein and calories. I’d say 50 grams of protein and 1,260 calories per each two-scoop serving fits the bill there, and that’s what you’ll get with Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass protein powder.

It was specifically designed to help people build muscle or for those struggling to put on more weight. The more than two dozen beneficial minerals and vitamins you’ll get along with the protein and calories are helpful, too.

This protein powder does contain quite a bit of maltodextrin, which is a highly processed carbohydrate that can cause inflammation in some people, so that’s one potential red flag, but if you plan to use the stuff as part of a muscle-building regimen that you’ll change up once you hit your goal, it may be less of an issue.

Servings per container: 18 | Protein per serving: 20 grams | Flavor(s): Vanilla, chocolate, chocolate mint, berry, coconut almond, mocha, unsweetened

Pros:

• Contains multiple vitamins and minerals
• Available in multiple flavors
• Organic ingredients

Cons:

• Too sweet for many palates
• Chalky texture if not blended well

On those days where you just can’t find time to make a proper breakfast in the morning or pause for long enough to have lunch, blending a serving or two of Vega Organic All-In-One Shake powder with some fruit and water or almond milk will give you just about all the energy and nutrients needed to power through the next part of your day.

Along with 20 grams of protein, each serving of this flavorful stuff delivers 50% of your daily value of 12 different vitamins and minerals, but it’s also packed with fiber for your gut, and it’s a good source of amino acids and antioxidants.

Many consider Vega’s powders to be too sweet, and that sweetness comes primarily from Stevia, which some people try to avoid, but if you’re not among those groups, you’ll have a great new meal supplement on hand.