The seven best protein powders for weight loss in 2024
We've taste-tested the best protein powders for weight loss, from whey proteins to plant-based options
Best protein powders for weight loss 2023: Quick Menu
The list in brief ↴
1. Best overall: Transparent Labs
2. Best value: Dymatize Iso 100
3. Best taste: MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate
4. Best vegan: Vegan Wondershake
5. Best protein content: Innermost The Lean Protein
6. Best for minimal ingredients: Naked Nutrition Clear Naked Whey
7. Best flavor variety: Gold Optimum Nutrition
How to choose
FAQs
Finding the best protein powders for weight loss is no easy task, 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, low-fat 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 dietitian 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, I've tested a bunch of different low-sugar protein powders to see which ones were best for taste, value and mixing consistency. Here’s what I 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.
Best Overall
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.
Best Value
This protein powder mixes into a smooth, creamy drink, even when mixed with simple water. In terms of price per 100g, it's also the cheapest hydrolyzed whey isolate powder we've tested.
Best Taste
This protein mix creates a refreshing, tangy drink when blended with water. As it’s made from a fine powder, it doesn’t leave any lumps in your drink. I loved every single fruity flavor I tried.
Best Vegan
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.
Best For Protein Content
A light and tasty high protein powder that is packed with metabolism-boosting properties, vitamins and minerals. Low in sugar and calories, it’s a great choice for people trying to lose weight.
Best for minimal ingredients
This clear, juice-like powder from Naked Nutrition only contains six ingredients and doesn’t have artificial sweeteners, which is good news if you’re sensitive to sucralose and aspartame.
Best flavor variety
Gold Optimal Nutrition comes in a wide range of flavors (there are currently over 20 to choose from) so you're bound to find at least one you like. The powder also has a decent amount of protein per serving and it's low-cost, too.
The best protein powders for weight loss
You can trust Fit&Well
Best Overall
1. Transparent Labs 100% Grass-fed Whey Protein Isolate
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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 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 Value
2. Dymatize Iso 100
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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 whey isolate, which is basically a fancy way of saying that the powder has gone through filtering processes to remove most of the sugars and fats. This process, in theory, should also make it easier for your body to absorb and use the protein for muscle repair.
It’s suitable for vegetarians and gluten-free, plus it's priced at around $3.50 per 100g, which is very reasonable. We tried the 'Birthday Cake' flavor and found it hit just the right balance of sweetness.
Best Taste
3. MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate
Specifications
Overview: MyProtein’s Clear Whey Isolate was winner of the best protein powder/shake in the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Awards 2022 and is one of the brand’s bestsellers for good reason. Using hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, it’s a light and refreshing juice-like drink rather than a milky shake. It comes in 10 flavors: apple, mojito, orange, orange mango, pineapple, raspberry, lemonade, tropical dragon fruit, watermelon, and strawberry kiwi. It has 20g of protein per 25g serving, which is lower than other entries in this guide, but it’s got the lowest calorie content, at 85kcal. It’s suitable for vegetarians but not vegans, or anyone dairy-free, as it contains milk. It also contains a sweetener (sucralose).
Taste test: I tried the strawberry kiwi flavor and it’s the best-tasting protein mix I’ve tested. It’s more of a refreshing juice drink than a milkshake, which I prefer, and has a fine consistency that mixes well with water. I found that it blended well with pancake mix and I imagine the tropical flavors would work brilliantly in high-protein ice lollies.
Once you’ve mixed it together, you need to wait for the natural foaming to settle. It says 15 seconds on the packaging, but I found it was more like a minute before the foam reduced, and even then it still had some bubbles. The only reason it’s not at the top of the list is because it has a slightly lower protein content per serving than other options, though it’s still a brilliant option if weight loss is your main goal.
Best Vegan
4. The Protein Works Vegan Wondershake
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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 For Protein Content
5. Innermost The Lean Protein
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Overview: Innermost's Lean Protein has a high protein count (31g per 40g serving) and is packed with weight-loss supplements, including acetyl L-carnitine, inulin and Yerba mate. However, it has a higher calorie count than the other products in this list.
Taste test: I tested the 'Smooth Chocolate', which was really tasty. It had the right balance of subtle sugary flavour without being sickly or overwhelming. The texture was spot on—light and airy. It blended easily with no clumps and had a thick, smooth consistency. I tested it with both cow’s milk and water; I have to admit it tasted better with milk. I also mixed the powder into pancake batter and my kids loved it.
It does contain sweeteners, so should be avoided by people with sensitive stomachs. It comes in a resealable bag, but doesn’t have a measuring scoop, which was a shame.
Best for minimal ingredients
6. Naked Nutrition Clear Naked Whey (Grape)
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Overview: Naked Nutrition’s Clear Naked Whey isolate powder is high in protein (20g per 26g serving), low in carbs and has 0g of sugar and 0g of fat. Just as with all of the firm’s products, it doesn’t contain additives like artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors (it uses vegetable juice for color). The product is also lactose-, GMO-, gluten- and soy-free and has just six ingredients. It comes with extras (i.e. vitamin D, iron, calcium and potassium) and is 100 calories per serving—making it a good choice for anyone trying to lose weight, or reduce their sugar and fat intake.
Taste test: Clear Naked Whey is a bit different from your usual protein drink and rather than the milkshake flavor and consistency I’m used to, it’s more of a juice. You mix it with cold water—this stuff foams up a lot when you shake it—then the natural foaming dissolves after about a minute. It doesn’t need too much shaking as the powder is very fine. I tested the grape flavor, which has a nice mix of sweet and tart and is similar to a flavored water drink. I noticed a bit of a gelatin taste in the first few drinks, but it didn’t bother me. It’s refreshing, fairly high in good quality isolate protein (20g per 26g serving) and low carb. And if you don’t like the sound of grape, it also comes in lemonade and fruit punch flavors.
Best flavor variety
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Overview: Optimum Nutrition is popular brand, and the company's flagship product is the Gold Standard 100% Whey. It's a versatile and price friendly option, which comes in a wide variety of flavours. It contains soy, so isn’t suitable for anyone with related allergies.
Taste test: I tested the Double Rich Chocolate flavour with 120ml cold water, as recommended on the packet directions. When mixed with water the product has a strange aftertaste and runs a little thin, but I didn’t find this happened when I tried it with milk instead.
In its milkshake form, the drink has a dark chocolate flavour, which is a little bland but not too sweet. It also had a slightly chalky feel and left some residue in my glass after drinking.
I didn’t love it as a drink (although I'm aware it's a favorite with other Fit&Well team members) but found it worked well in my oatmeal and pancakes. I found that the artificial taste of the sweeteners, flavors and thickeners was overpowering.
- Read our full Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein review
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.
Isopure Whey Isolate Protein Powder
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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.
TB12 Plant-Based Protein
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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.
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If you're vegan, then you'll want to avoid whey-based products, making The Protein Works Vegan Protein Extreme a great option. Made up of five different sources of protein, it offers a complete amino acid profile.
For a vegan powder, it compares well to whey-based products in terms of protein content, providing 28g per serving. And while the soy-based powder might not be as good as whey for satiety, this option does still have a relatively low sugar content and packs in plenty of vitamins and minerals.
The powder comes in a variety of flavors, from apple cinnamon swirl to classic smooth vanilla. We tested the chocolate silk and found the taste mild, pleasant, and not overpowering. It scores highly with most reviewers too, although anyone who likes sweet and strongly-flavored shakes might find it a touch on the bland side.
We found the consistency thick and a bit claggy. The texture is always the biggest challenge with vegan protein powders, so we had expected it to be less smooth than a whey powder. Because the powder contains flax (to promote satiety) there were also some grainy bits in the mixture.
However, the product is available in three different sizes (14, 28 and 57 servings) which is definitely a draw. It’s also GMO free, palm oil free and gluten-free.
- Read our full The Protein Works Vegan Protein Extreme review
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Plant Based Protein Powder
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Optimum Nutrition hold our top spot for the best protein powder for weight loss, but that powder is a cow's milk-based option. However, this vegan-friendly Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Plant Based Protein Powder is Vegan Society-approved.
It is a blend of pea and rice protein, with 24g of protein per serving and a complete amino acid profile. It comes with added vitamins too, including B12, which can be a difficult vitamin to find in a vegan diet.
It's an excellent option, but it does only come in two flavors; chocolate and vanilla. We tried the vanilla flavor and were surprised at how fine the powder is for a vegan protein powder. But don’t let this deceive you.
We mixed a scoop with 300ml of water and shook it in a protein shaker for 30 seconds. It was surprisingly thick, and a little gritty. In fact, we found 500ml of water to be a more ideal ratio, so this powder definitely lends itself better to smoothies and bakes instead.
Another thing to note is that the flavor is definitely on the sweeter side, and could be a little sickly for some people when drunk as a liquid. It did, however, mix really well into oatmeal and the flavor is pleasant topped with sliced banana.
How we test
We test these products by trying them with water, milk and mixing them into food, too (like protein pancakes and hearty oatmeal). We evaluate them for their texture as well as their aftertaste—a common problem with protein powders is that they're overly sweet, but we only recommend ones that we don't personally find overwhelming.
We also carefully select the products we choose to test by looking for low-fat, low-sugar and low-calorie content.
How to choose the best protein powder for weight loss
Dietitian Kacie Varvrek says third-party testing is one of the most important things to look out for in a protein powder. “Supplements are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so labels can be inaccurate, or supplements can contain ingredients not found on the label."
"Third-party certification is obtained when an independent organization evaluates the supplement and vouches for its quality. You will see a certification stamp on the product if a supplement is third-party tested.”
Vavrek advises looking for a powder that is low in added sugars and artificial flavors. Some of the most popular protein shakes and powders have high levels of sugar or sweeteners mixed in, so it’s worth comparing ingredient labels before you purchase.
You'll generally find that whey protein or whey isolate fit this bill. According to Vavrek, whey protein “contains essential amino acids and is the highest in leucine; an amino acid thought to trigger muscle building.”
In addition, some trials, such as this randomized controlled trial from 2015, have found that adding whey protein to a regular diet could reduce appetite by increasing satiety. But you also need to find the right level of protein for your needs.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein is 0.36g per pound of body weight, so the average 200lb man needs around 72g of protein daily. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that men between the ages of 19 and 59 are already eating too much protein.
On the other hand, if you're training to build muscle, the International Society of Sports Nutrition advises eating up to 1.36g of protein per pound of body weight, to optimize muscle growth. Once you've found the right level, consider the amount of fiber, too.
Fiber added to your protein powder can help you stay full for longer, maximizing your weight loss. If you can’t find an affordable protein powder with added fiber, you can add your own by including a spoonful of flax seeds.
But we wary of so-called ‘weight-loss’ ingredients added to protein powder, says Vavrek. “Additives, such as acetyl l-carnitine, don’t have any proven weight loss benefits. No supplements or additives will increase metabolism or burn fat.”
Finally, Vavrek’s advice is to pick a protein powder with a taste that you actually like. There’s no point gulping something noxious back every morning in a bid to lose weight, as you’re more likely to seek out sweet or high-fat foods to make yourself feel better. A protein powder should always be an aid to weight loss, not a solution.
FAQs
How effective is protein powder for weight loss?
A diet high in protein can help stave off feelings of hunger, which may result in fewer snacks and lower calorie intake at mealtimes. A study in the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome found it can also increase metabolism, the rate at which food is turned into energy.
If you’re dieting, getting enough protein will help you sustain muscle mass while you lose weight. Moreover, studies, such as this paper on meal timing and obesity, find that higher energy intake in the morning is associated with lower levels of obesity.
Many people also replace a meal with a protein shake to speed up their weight loss. However, the Mayo Clinic advises against doing this in the long term, as it can mean that you miss out on nutritional benefits that foods contain, such as vitamins, minerals and iron.
Vavrek agrees, “Protein powders generally contain fewer nutrients than whole food protein options; so, while protein powders can help you meet your protein needs, they might not give you as many nutrients as a lean plant or animal protein source."
"Protein powders and shakes can be an easy source of high-quality protein, but it’s preferable to get most of your protein from whole foods. We do not need protein powders for weight loss.”
Get the Fit&Well Newsletter
Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.
Maddy Biddulph is a freelance journalist specializing in fitness, health and wellbeing content. With 25 years in consumer media, she has worked as a writer and editor for some of the bestselling newspapers, magazines and websites in the US and UK.
She is also a qualified L3 personal trainer and weight loss advisor, and helps women over 40 navigate menopause by improving their physical and mental strength. At Maddy Biddulph Personal Training, she runs one-to-one and small group training for menopausal women who want to get fit to ease symptoms and feel like themselves again.
-
Strengthen your full body in just 15 minutes with this two-part bodyweight workout
Workout No gym membership? No problem. Try this quick bodyweight workout at home instead
By Lou Mudge Published
-
You only need one kettlebell and 15 minutes to strengthen your legs and improve your balance
Workout Work your legs, glutes, core and more from home with this one-kettlebell workout
By Harry Bullmore Published