How to Find the Best 100 Calorie Protein Shakes

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Nutrition Coach’s guide to finding the best 100 calorie protein shakes.

Discover how to meet your protein needs with fewer than 100 calories per serving.

Last Updated
Jul 21, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

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Disclaimer: This communication is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice.

100 Calorie Protein Shakes

What Are 100 Calorie Protein Shakes?

A 100-calorie protein shake is a protein shake that contains 100 calories or fewer per serving.

It is important to note that 100 calories is not sufficient for a meal or even a snack and should not be a substitute for a balanced diet.

You can buy ready-to-drink 100 calorie protein shakes, or you can make them yourself using low-calorie protein powder.

Note that although many unflavored protein powders contain fewer than 100 calories per serving, most unflavored protein powders have to be mixed with other ingredients to make a protein shake.

So if you are going to use unflavored protein powder to make a 100 calorie protein shake, you have to be mindful of the ingredients that you use.

You can also buy ready-to-drink 100 calorie protein shakes.

Many of these products contain additives that might contribute to digestive discomfort, however.

So if I were you, I would make my own 100 calorie protein shakes using low-calorie protein powder.

How Do I Make 100 Calorie Protein Shakes?

To make a 100 calorie protein shake yourself, you need to use a very concentrated source of dietary protein.

This means that making a 100 calorie protein shake from scratch is challenging.

Protein sources like peanut butter simply do not contain enough protein per gram to allow you to make a high-protein, low-calorie shake.

The best way to make a 100 calorie protein shake is to mix protein powder with water or a low-calorie milk alternative.

One serving of most low-calorie protein powders contains 80 to 100 calories, so if you are going to mix it with anything other than water, that ingredient must be very low in calories (like almond milk).

Our Vanilla Collagen Protein Powder, for example, contains 80 calories per serving.

So mixing it with 1/2 cup of almond milk, which contains about 20 calories, and 1/2 cup of water will bring you right to the 100 calorie mark.

Again, if you would like to use unflavored protein powder to make a 100 calorie protein shake, you have to be very mindful of what you mix it with.

Here is a simple recipe that you could try:

100 Calorie Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Unflavored Collagen Protein Powder (50 calories)
• 1/4 small banana (20 calories)
• 1 tbsp powdered peanut butter (20 calories)
• 1/4 cup plain almond milk (10 calories)
• 1 cup water
• 1 handful ice cubes

Instructions:

Blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

How Should I Use 100 Calorie Protein Shakes?

A 100 calorie protein shake makes a great high-protein snack.

You can also add it to a meal to make it more filling.

Keep in mind that protein is the most satiating nutrient, meaning it might help you feel full for longer than fats or carbohydrates do.

So by increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein, you might reduce cravings and overeating.

A 100 calorie protein shake, although filling, should not be used to replace a meal or snack, however.

One hundred calories is simply not enough to meet your nutritional needs.

A 100 calorie shake is also a great option for someone who wants to increase their protein intake while eating as few calories as possible.

People who use 100 calorie protein shakes are often following low-calorie diets designed to help them lose weight.

A 100 calorie protein shake might support weight loss because it delivers a lot of protein per calorie.

And as you just learned, increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein might reduce cravings and overeating, which, in turn, could help you eat fewer calories.

What Are the Best 100 Calorie Protein Shakes?

Many 100 calorie protein shakes and powders contain ingredients that might not be good for your gut.

For example, to keep the calorie count down, companies often use artificial sweeteners instead of real sugar.

They also use thickeners like gums instead of relying on higher-calorie, healthy fats for texture.

Ingredients like these might contribute to uncomfortable side effects and, in some cases, longer-term gut health concerns.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives might alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome, which is the community of bacteria and other microbes that live in your digestive tract (North Clin Istanb, 2020).

These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been linked to the development of a number of chronic digestive issues (JGH Open, 2021).

Gut dysbiosis is so problematic because it can cause a cascade of problems, including intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation, and impaired nutrient absorption.

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein shakes and powders:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you cannot find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is likely a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not a problem for everyone, can cause digestive issues too.

This is usually because they contain lactose – a sugar many individuals with sensitive stomachs cannot fully digest.

But you might be sensitive to dairy-based proteins even if you are not lactose intolerant.

For starters, the digestion of some caseins releases a bioactive peptide that has been linked to digestive issues (Adv Nutr, 2017).

Casein also forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023).

For sensitive individuals, particularly true for those with cow’s milk protein allergy or intolerance, slower digestion can contribute to bloating, constipation, and other side effects.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You might also want to avoid protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein shakes and powders are made from one or both of these ultra-processed protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

You therefore might not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.

For example, one study shows that regularly consuming protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome (Nutrients, 2018).

Another study shows that it could cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

Although further research is needed, you can play it safe by choosing protein shakes and powders made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

They might be more gut-friendly.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
2. JGH Open (JGH Open). Gut microbiota dysbiosis in functional gastrointestinal disorders: Underpinning the symptoms and pathophysiology. 2021.
3. Advances in Nutrition | Journal (Adv Nutr). Systematic Review of the Gastrointestinal Effects of A1 Compared with A2 β-Casein. 2017.
4. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr). Milk proteins: Processing, gastric coagulation, amino acid availability and muscle protein synthesis. 2023.
5. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
6. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions. 2024.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Certified Nutrition Coach and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and we regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.