What Is the Best Low Calorie Protein Powder?

Are you looking for the best low calorie protein powder? Discover how to easily supplement your protein intake on a low calorie diet.

Shop Now

Shop Now

Low Calorie Protein Powder

What Does Low Calorie Mean? 

A calorie is the unit of energy in food and some foods contain more calories per gram than others.

A 1 kilogram watermelon, for instance, contains fewer than 400 calories, whereas 1 kilogram of Swiss cheese contains over 4,000 calories.

Understanding what calories are, and knowing how many are in the foods you eat, is an important part of eating a healthy diet and managing your body weight.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in order to be labeled as low-calorie, a food, beverage, or supplement must contain less than 40 calories per serving.

Most protein powders do not meet this criteria because protein contains 4 calories per gram and most protein protein powders contain at least 15 grams of protein per serving. 

In other words, a protein powder with 15 grams of protein must contain at least 60 calories.

Because very few (if any) protein powders are not technically low calorie foods, most people consider protein powders with fewer than 100 calories per serving to be low calorie.

Why Should I Use Low Calorie Protein Powder? 

Many people looking for a low calorie high protein powder are on a low calorie diet, which is an eating plan designed to help with weight loss.

Protein powder can be used to make protein shakes, and replacing a meal or part of a meal with a low calorie protein shake can help you lose weight. 

Increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein can lead to weight loss because: 

• Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it keeps you feeling full for longer than nutrients like fats and carbs, which can help curb cravings and overeating.
• Protein increases thermogenesis, or your metabolic rate and energy expenditure. 
• Eating protein can help you build muscle, and individuals with more muscle mass have faster metabolism

Note that although low calorie protein powders vary in nutritional content, most contain between 15 and 20 grams of protein and 80 and 120 calories.

What Is the Best Low Calorie Protein Powder? 

Many low cal protein powders contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and long term health problems.

Among these ingredients are food additives like emulsifiers and thickeners.

Avoid Food Additives

Most low calorie protein supplements are made from protein concentrates and isolates, which have an unpleasant chalky aftertaste.

It follows that protein powder manufacturers often use additives to mask this chalkiness.

The problem with additives is they can alter the composition of your gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms living in your gut).

In the long therm, this can lead to gut dysbiosis (an imbalance in gut bacteria), which is linked to the development of chronic diseases like obesity and cancer.

Keep in mind that your gut microbiome affects various physiological processes, including immune function and inflammation, so 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

It is worth adding that many low calorie protein powders contain artificial sweeteners, which are among the most problematic food additives.

Several studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can increase cravings toward sugary and sweet foods.

Researchers have also found a link between the consumption of artificial sweeteners and a higher risk of glucose intolerance, which is a precursor for pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

If a protein powder has 20 grams of protein and only 80 calories per serving, it is almost certainly made with protein concentrates and isolates.

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 thus does not digest them in the same way that it does whole foods, which can affect everything from satiety to gut health.

In fact, research shows that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut.

So, that your protein powder is low calorie is not necessarily a good thing!

Shop Now

Shop Now

Drink Wholesome is the Best Low Calorie Protein Powder

Finding a protein powder free from food additives and protein concentrates and isolates is hard.

In fact, 99% of protein supplements contain one or more of these problematic ingredients, which is why we created Drink Wholesome.

We make the best low cal protein powder because we use a short list of simple ingredients.

Our Ingredients

egg whites

coconut

vanilla

monk fruit

NOT Our Ingredients

• acacia gum

• acesulfame potassium

• artificial flavors

• carrageenan

• erythritol

• guar gum

• inulin

• maltodextrin

• 'natural' flavors

• silica

• soy lecithin

• sucralose

• xanthan gum

• xylitol

Note that instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we use whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

It follows that our customers experience fewer digestive issues with our Protein Powder than with any other type of protein supplement.

In case you were wondering, our lowest calorie protein powder is our Unflavored Collagen Protein Powder, which is perfect for adding to smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes.

Order samples to see for yourself.