How to Find the Best Almond Protein Powder

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best almond protein powder.

Discover how to meet your protein needs with almonds.

Last Updated
Jul 21, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

Disclaimer: This communication is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.

Almond Protein Powder

Why Should I Use Almond Protein Powder?

Almond-based protein powder is one of the healthiest, if not the healthiest, plant-based protein shakes or powders.

To make almond protein powder, almonds are harvested, hulled, shelled, sorted, pasteurized, roasted, and milled into a paste.

This paste is then pressed to remove roughly 75% of the fat (almond oil), and what is left over is ground to fine powder.

This process might sound complicated, but compared to what it takes to make other types of protein shakes or powders, it is hardly that.

Other protein shakes or powders, which contain protein concentrates and isolates, undergo some combination of the following:

• centrifugation, ultrafiltration, alkaline extraction, acid precipitation, pH fluctuation, enzymatic hydrolysis, ion exchange

And all of this mechanical and chemical processing strips away the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

As a result, you do not digest most protein shakes or powders in the same way that you do whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety to gut health.

In fact, studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates can disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

In short, almond protein powder is so good for you because it looks like real food, whereas most other protein shakes or powders do not.

Is Almond Protein Powder Good for You?

Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular over the past decade, with over 10% of Americans self-identifying as vegan or vegetarian.

As a result, the plant-based protein market has exploded.

But some people consider plant-based alternatives, especially proteins, to be inferior to meat, eggs, dairy, etc.

And many of them point out that most plant-based proteins, almond protein included, are not complete proteins.

Fortunately, the notion that complete proteins are better for you is more or a less fallacy.

In the United States, for example, less than 99% of adults meet the Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) for each essential amino acid, meaning the vast majority of adults consume enough essential amino acids through their regular diets (J Nutr, 2023).

In other words, the fact that almond protein is not complete is not a disadvantage.

This is why research shows animal and plant-based proteins promote similar strength, performance, and body composition adaptations (Sports (Basel), 2019).

It turns out that if you eat a balanced plant-based diet (get your protein from a variety of plant-based sources), you will give your body everything it needs to be strong, healthy, etc.

So, yes, nut-based protein powder is as good for you as any other type of protein shake or powder.

That said, not all almond protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Almond Protein Powder?

Some almond protein powders contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

Among these ingredients are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut microbiota, which contributes to chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers (Microorganisms, 2022; Microb Cell Fact, 2019).

Keep in mind that your gut does more than just help you digest food; it also plays a role in immunity, metabolism, and other important physiological functions.

⚠️ 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 it in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You might also want to avoid ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein shakes or 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 your gut break them down.

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

Studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

You should thus look for protein shakes or powders made from whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
2. 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.
3. The Journal of Nutrition (J Nutr). Amino Acid Intake and Conformance With the Dietary Reference Intakes in the United States: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2018.. 2023.
4. Sports (Sports (Basel)). The Effects of Whey vs. Pea Protein on Physical Adaptations Following 8-Weeks of High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT): A Pilot Study. 2019.
5. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
6. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
7. Microbial Cell Factories (Microb Cell Fact). Metabolic diseases and the human skin microbiota. 2019.

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 regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.