How to Find the Best Keto Protein Powder

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best keto protein powder.

Discover how to supplement your protein intake on the keto diet.

Last Updated
Jan 15, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

Medically reviewed by Brittany, MS, RD and Jenn, PA-C

Brittany is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Jenn is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Keto Protein Powder

Is Protein Powder Keto-Friendly?

The keto (ketogenic) diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat diet that puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

It has been shown to help with weight loss and is recommended by a growing number of health and wellness professionals.

The most common approach to the keto diet involves getting 70-80 percent of your calories from fat, 5-10 percent from carbs, and 10-20 percent from protein.

For a 2000-calorie diet, this translates to about 165 grams of fats, 40 grams of carbohydrates, and 75 grams of protein per day.

Some people, especially those with dietary restrictions, have trouble eating 75 grams of protein every day.

For them, protein powder can be a lifesaver.

Adding protein powder to your diet is an easy way to ensure that you are meeting your protein goals on the keto diet.

It can be mixed with just milk or water to make a simple protein shake, or added to keto-friendly recipes.

Not all protein powders are keto-friendly, however, due to their carbohydrate content.

For a protein powder to be considered keto-friendly, it should have 5 grams of net carbs or less per serving.

As a reminder, net carbs are Total Carbs – Fiber – Sugar Alcohols (if applicable).

In order to keep the number of carbs low, avoid added sugars and high glycemic additives like maltodextrin.

You may also want to stick to animal-based protein powders as they tend to have fewer carbs than plant-based ones.

Among the types of protein powder that tend to have the fewest carbs are beef, egg white, collagen, and whey.

Our Vanilla Egg White Protein Powder, for example, has only 2 grams of carbs per serving.

Keep in mind that although some protein concentrates and isolates contain zero carbs, they might not be a healthy choice.

Protein concentrates and isolates have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein, including the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

Your digestive system therefore does not digest them in the same way that it does 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).

So, when shopping for keto protein powder, remember that fewer carbs might mean more processing, which is not a good thing.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Keto?

Not all keto-friendly protein powders are created equal.

Unfortunately, many of them contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and long term health problems.

Among these ingredients are food additives.

🚫 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 – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in your gut microbiota, which has been linked to the development of chronic diseases like obesity and colorectal cancer (Microorganisms, 2022; Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2024).

Because your gut microbiome affects various physiological processes, including immune function, when the balance of bacteria therein is disrupted, it can have a huge impact on your overall health.

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein supplements:

• 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.

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. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
4. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
5. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol). From an imbalanced gut microbiome to cancers: mechanisms and clinical implications. 2024.

Editorial Guidelines

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