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Top 5 Best Tasting Protein Powders for Smoothies
Before we dive into the top 5 best tasting protein powders for smoothies, let’s take a look at their history. Protein powders have been around for a long time. They became popular in the 1960s with the bodybuilders of muscle beach.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Draper, and many other bodybuilders of the 60s and 70s used protein drinks to help them achieve lean and muscular physiques.
While there were great high-quality brands such as Rheo Blair’s milk and egg blend, most were crap. There were even brands labeled Proteen due to them being predominantly soy and other fillers. Even a dried fish protein powder called Protein from the sea… no thanks!
In the 1960s, consumers were limited to only a few brands, but today is the exact opposite.
There are so many brands to choose from that it can be overwhelming to find a great-tasting protein powder with minimal chemicals, added sugar, and other ingredients you probably can’t pronounce.
Benefits of protein powder smoothies
- Convenience
- Helps build muscle in conjunction with strength training
- May help reduce inflammation
- Can help lose weight
- May lower blood pressure
- Can help reduce hunger and make you feel more full
Now that we know the benefits of protein powder, here are the top 5 best tasting protein powders for smoothies we have tried.
5. Now Sports
Now Sports may not have the marketing and influence of some other brands, but they still make an awesome whey protein isolate. Whey Isolates are a better source of protein than whey concentrate with less sugar per gram.
With only a handful of ingredients and a decent price considering the quality, we think you should try it. Check current prices on Amazon here.
4. Less Naked Whey
Naked Whey gets its name from being made of minimal ingredients. We like that it is sweetened with coconut sugar, keeping it very natural. It feels like
I am having dessert sometimes when dieting using this protein shake.
You can check current prices on Amazon here.
3. Optimum Nutrition
Optimum Nutrition was the brand I went to when I was more on a budget. There are more ingredients than some of the other powders, but it is still a great-tasting and mixing protein drink.
When I was trying to gain weight in my early 20s, I would mix some ON whey protein, oats, bananas, and peanut butter in a healthy mass-building smoothie. You can check current prices on Amazon here.
2. MRM egg white


MRM is a local brand that I highly recommend. Not everyone can tolerate dairy products, so an egg white protein is the second best. You can check current prices on Amazon here.
1. Jay Robb
At the top of this list, I recommend jay Robb brand protein powders. Jay Robb’s brand is one of the original natural protein powders. He was the first to market a natural protein powder in the 1980s.
Jay was one of my teachers in college, and I learned a lot from him when he taught a sports nutrition course during my certification as a Nutritionist.
I had already been using his protein powders, but his passion for health, fitness, and nutrition made me a lifelong customer.
While Jay’s protein is certainly one of the more expensive options, you get what you pay for.
It is sweetened with stevia and contains no artificial sugars, preservatives, or added chemicals. The cows used have no hormones and are grass-fed.
These factors combined make it the best-tasting protein I’ve ever had.
It mixes well, is light on my stomach, and has no weird aftertaste. You can check current prices on Amazon here.
Real food
I’ve been using protein powders for the last 20 years. However, it is not a replacement for good nutrition and exercise. Protein powder is a supplement that is meant to do that.
Protein Powder “Supplements” healthy real food and exercise.
Vegan protein drinks
You may have noticed that all the protein drinks I have listed have animal products that are egg- or dairy-based.
There is a good reason for that.
In my mid-20s, I was a vegan and found it very difficult to find a decent protein drink that had enough protein and tasted great.
I try to avoid soy products and have found pea or hemp-based protein powders to be the highest quality. Even the highest quality vegan protein drinks I have tried tasted awful.
If you can recommend a good-tasting vegan protein, please comment below, and I’ll try it.