Best protein powders for weight loss 2023: Quick Menu
The list in brief ↴
1. Best overall: Transparent Labs
2. Best taste: Gold Optimal Nutrition
3. Best vegan: Vegan Wondershake
4. Best consistency: Dymatize Iso 100
5. Best for digestion: MyProtein Impact Whey Isolate
6. Best protein content: Innermost The Lean Protein
How to choose
FAQs
Discovering the best protein powders for weight loss can be a little confusing, especially if you're new to the world of supplements. Really, there are just two things you need to look for in a product: a low-sugar content and low total fat.
A low-sugar powder will usually have fewer calories, which can help if you’re trying to create a calorie deficit for weight loss. And a whey-based product is your best bet if you want to feel fuller for longer — a trial published in Physiology & Behavior found that it's better than casein or soy when it comes to satiety.
Bear in mind that protein powder isn't a magic ingredient for weight loss. Kacie Vavrek, a registered nutritionist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explains: “Protein powder itself does not cause weight loss, but if you use protein powder to meet your protein needs while maintaining a small calorie deficit, then it can help.”
Vavrek also says that protein powder isn’t better or worse than any other lean plant or animal source, but it can be a convenient way for some people to meet their daily protein needs.
With that in mind, we tested a bunch of different low-sugar protein powders to see which ones were best for taste, value and mixing consistency. Here’s what we found.
Kacie is a licensed and registered dietitian and a Board Certified Sport Specialist in Dietetics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science. While her background is in medical nutrition therapy and exercise science, she also has experience in education, serving as a classroom instructor for nutrition education programs.
The quick list
Need a quick overview? Below you can find the best protein powders for weight loss that we’ve tested, all of which contain a high amount of protein with low carbs, sugar and fat.
Sugar-free, fat-free, low-carb and packed with high-quality ingredients, Transparent Labs 100% grass-fed whey protein is our top pick. It’s expensive, but you get a premium, protein-rich powder in eight flavors that mix well and taste great.
Gold Optimal Nutrition comes in five great flavors and we rate it highly if you’re looking for a delicious taste. The double rich chocolate option is one of the best-tasting protein powders we’ve tried.
While vegans need to avoid whey-based powders, there’s no reason to skimp on results with The Protein Works Vegan Wondershake. It’s low in sugar and fat for a plant-based powder and tastes good, though it is relatively expensive.
Some powders can be hard to mix with water, but not Dymatize Iso 100. It’s made of a high-protein, fine powder that mixes well, without lumps or residue, and it tastes good to boot.
MyProtein Impact Whey Isolate comes in 20 flavors, but the flavor-free option contains minimal ingredients, which is helpful for people with sensitive stomachs. It also goes through more processing than standard whey powder, meaning it can be easier to digest.
For the highest protein content, it’s hard to beat Innermost’s The Lean Protein, which has 29g of protein per serving, with just 4.5g of carbs. It also includes additional ingredients to promote fat loss, though there is mixed evidence on their effectiveness.
The best protein powders for weight loss
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Best Overall
If you’re after a low-carb, high-protein supplement that’s clean and tasty, Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate is sure to tick your boxes. It contains a 28g of whey protein isolate per scoop, which is easily digestible and provides an ideal ratio of amino acids to increase muscle protein synthesis.
Meanwhile, it contains just one gram of carbohydrates and zero grams of fat or sugar. But the main draw is that Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate is sourced from grass-fed, hormone-free American cows.
It’s also free from artificial sweeteners, food dyes, gluten and preservatives. The powder is available in eight great flavors. We tried the Cinnamon French Toast flavor and found it moreish without being too sickly.
We didn’t feel sluggish or bloated after drinking it either. In terms of mixability, we found the powder mixed really well with milk or water, with no lumps or chalky aftertaste.
The downside is the price—Transparent Labs is one of the most expensive protein powder for weight loss we’ve tried. Having said that, we can see why it’s slightly pricier because of the quality of the ingredients, so if you’re after a premium powder, this might be the product for you.
Best Taste
This is an excellent unflavored protein powder that is decent value for money and also incredibly adaptable. We loved how easily it mixed into liquid, leaving no lumps or grainy bits, and creating a smooth texture that was neither too gluey nor too thin.
It ticks the boxes for being completely whey-based and having a low-sugar content, too. In our testing, it impressed with its pleasantly neutral, milk-like flavor that vanished when mixed in with even the lightest flavors.
When we tested it with flavor drops it created a lovely shake, and it stirred easily into mashed potatoes to add a welcome shot of protein. However, this is a whey protein blend, with some lactose.
- Read our full Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein review
Best Vegan
There are many reasons to opt for vegan protein powder over regular whey shakes, whether you follow a plant-based diet or not. Many people find them easier to digest, but they still offer a healthy hit of protein to hit your goals. However, they do tend to be a tad grainy.
Happily, we found The Protein Works Vegan Wondershake is an exception to this rule, delivering a smooth, creamy texture when mixed for a few seconds with either water or milk. It tastes great too; we tried the chocolate caramel biscuit flavor, which gave an enjoyable Biscoff-esque taste.
But, if you want something a bit plainer to mix into smoothies, there are nine other options, ranging from vanilla and double chocolate to chocolate peanut cookies and strawberries and cream.
The Wondershake delivers on nutrition too. It offers a decent 20g of protein, via four plant-based sources, in each 25g scoop. There are also low values for carbs, sugar, and fat, and less than 100 calories per serving.
Best Consistency
If you plan to mix your powder with water, it’s hard to beat Dymatize Iso 100, which comes as a fine powder that dissolves well without annoying lumps or sticky residue. The powder tastes good, even with simple H2O, and you can take your pick from a range of 16 flavors, from gourmet berry to chocolate peanut butter.
It’s made of hydrolyzed and whey isolate protein, which can be easier to digest without leaving you feeling bloated, and servings offer 25g of protein with only one gram of carbs and 110 calories. It’s also suitable for vegetarians and gluten-free.
Best For Sensitive Stomachs
MyProtein Impact Whey Isolate goes through more processing than standard whey powder to reduce fat and sugar levels. The result is a high-impact protein powder full of amino acids and branched-chain amino acids; it’s a good choice if you’re trying to strictly limit your carb and sugar intake.
The flavor-free option is also a good bet for people with sensitive stomachs as it contains 100% whey protein with no added ingredients and minimal lactose content, potentially making it easier to digest. It comes in 22 other flavors, which can be hit or miss—some can be too sweet tasting or weak in flavor, but some, like the chocolate brownie option, are excellent.
Best For Protein Content
Innermost’s The Lean Protein is formulated to “encourage healthy fat loss, reduce cravings and maintain energy levels”. One serving packs in an impressive 29g of whey protein, made from a blend of whey concentrate and isolate, and just 4.5g of carbohydrates.
It also contains 1g of inulin, a type of dietary fiber that can help to keep you fuller for longer and encourages the growth of good gut bacteria linked to lower levels of fat. Because The Lean Protein blend is specifically designed to help you reach your ideal weight, it also contains ingredients to support fat metabolism.
These include acetyl l-carnitine, pomegranate extract, yerba mate and bilberries. It's worth noting that there's limited evidence to prove the effectiveness of these 'fat-burning' ingredients. However, a small trial published in Nutrional & Metabolism suggests inulin can aid weight loss.
The Lean Protein is vegetarian friendly, gluten-free, soy-free and GMO free. The downside is it only comes in two flavors — creamy vanilla or smooth chocolate. We tried the creamy vanilla flavor. It’s slightly bitter, so it won't be to everyone's liking. This being said, we liked that it didn’t taste synthetic.
It also mixes into oatmeal well, although due to the nature of being a whey protein, it can make the consistency a little runny. We’d recommend mixing it into the oatmeal and cooking it for a couple more minutes.
More tried-and-tested powders
The above protein powders are the best that we’ve tested, offering great taste and consistency with minimal fat and sugar. However, we’ve also tried out the below options. They didn’t quite make it into the top of our list, but here’s how they fared in our testing.
With 25g of protein per each 31g serving and zero sugar, carbs, and fat, Isopure Whey Isolate Protein Powder is a great match for those who want to watch their calorie intake and retain lean muscle.
But that’s not the only plus point to this whey protein powder. It will work wonders for people who want their protein shakes to work as hard as they do. That’s because it’s also packed with Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin E, and naturally occurring BCAAs.
All these vitamins can provide immune support and optimum muscle health. According to the manufacturers, the protein blend will help you stay full between meals to help you support your weight management efforts.
The reason that it's not sitting higher up in the guide? It mostly comes down to taste. We found that it was incredibly grainy, even when mixed into oatmeal. We also made the mistake of opting for the strawberry flavor, which is an unnervingly artificial pink color.
This vegan-friendly powder comes from NFL quarterback Tom Brady's TB12 supplement range and offers a sizeable amount of protein per serving. It's a pea protein-based powder, which in our experience, can be a bit variable. Fortunately, that wasn't the case here.
The instructions suggest mixing a 32g scoop with plant-based milk or water, so we used two non-dairy milks (almond milk and barista-style oat milk) and water. We tried water first, but the consistency was a bit too grainy and lacked flavor.
However, the non-dairy milk fared a lot better and blended to create an enjoyable, easy-to-drink protein shake. The oat milk worked best to create a smooth consistency, probably thanks to the oil in the barista blend.
We tried the vanilla flavor (it's also available in chocolate and cookies and cream) and were pleased with the taste. It didn't taste artificial, although, with plant-based stevia instead of sugar, it wasn't as sweet as you'd expect.
The TB12 Plant Based Protein comes in two tub sizes, 1kg and 600g, offering 30 and 18 servings, respectively. And if you want to invest without breaking the bank, you can subscribe and save 10% on the regular price.
