How to Find the Best Low Calorie Protein Powder

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to supplement your protein intake on a low calorie diet.

Last Updated
Jan 14, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

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 (FDA, 2011).

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 (Am J Clin Nutr, 2008).
• Protein increases thermogenesis, or your metabolic rate and energy expenditure (J Am Coll Nutr, 2004).
• Eating protein can help you build muscle, and individuals with more muscle mass have faster metabolism (Nutrients, 2019).

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) (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

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 (Microorganisms, 2022; Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2024).

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 (Yale J Biol Med, 2010).

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 (Nature, 2014).

Also note that as a rule of thumb, if you cannot find it in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, can cause digestive issues.

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.

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

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

Most protein supplements 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 supplements 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. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Labeling and Nutrition. 2011.
2. The American journal of clinical nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr). Protein, weight management, and satiety.. 2008.
3. Journal of the American College of Nutrition (J Am Coll Nutr). The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review.. 2004.
4. Nutrients (Nutrients). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. 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. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol). The gut microbiome and gastrointestinal cancers. 2024.
8. The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine (Yale J Biol Med). Gain weight by “going diet?” Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings: Neuroscience 2010. 2010.
9. Nature (Nature). Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. 2014.
10. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
11. 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.

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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.