How to Find the Best Low Carb Protein Shake

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to supplement your protein intake without extra carbs.

Last Updated
Jan 22, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Kayla Kamen, MS, RD

Kayla Kamen is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Fossett, PA-C

Jennifer Fossett is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Should I Use Low Carb Protein Shakes?

It is important to note that there is no consensus on what defines a low-carb diet.

Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not defined what ‘low carbohydrate’ means.

That said, most scientific research tends to define low carbohydrate as less than 26% of daily macronutrient intake (NBK, 2023).

This means that on a low calorie diet, at most 26% of your calories can come from carbs; the rest must come from fats and protein.

For reference, most dietary reference intakes suggest that adults consume 45% to 65% of their total calories from carbohydrates.

So, a low carb protein shake is simply a protein shake compatible with a low carb diet.

Practically speaking, most “low carb” protein shakes have at most 5 grams of carbs per serving.

The benefits of a low carbohydrate diet include modest weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and better digestive health for select individuals.

When it comes to weight loss and blood sugar control, those who benefit the most are individuals with type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Heart Association, low-carbohydrate diets promote weight loss and decrease the need for diabetes medications in people with type 2 diabetes (Circulation, 2021).

And benefits for digestive health are most significant for individuals with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The American Gastroenterological Association states that the low-FODMAP diet, which is a specific form of carbohydrate restriction, can improve symptoms like stomach pain and bloating (Gastroenterology, 2022).

But for most individuals, a low-carbohydrate diet is not superior to a balanced diet, including when it comes to weight loss and reducing the risk of chronic disease (Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2022).

Most people should thus prioritize carbohydrate quality and individualization over strict macronutrient targets.

What Is the Best Low Carb Protein Shake?

First of all, low carb should not mean zero carb.

You do not want to regularly drink protein shakes with zero carbs because meals or snacks missing carbs, fats, or fiber prevent optimal energy metabolism, satiety, and absorption of vitamins (N Engl J Med, 2023).

In other words, the healthiest meals and snacks contain a balance of nutrients.

Moreover, a protein shake with zero carbs is almost certainly made from ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid 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.

You therefore do 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 even 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.

It is also important to add that not all low carb protein supplements are created equal.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Many protein shakes, especially ready-to-drink options, contain a cocktail of food additives intended to make up for the taste and texture lost by removing the carbs.

Ingredients like these 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 bacteria, which is linked to a number of chronic digestive issues (Microorganisms, 2022; JGH Open, 2021).

Remember, 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 digestive 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. StatPearls (NBK). Low Carbohydrate Diet. 2023.
2. Circulation (Circulation). Popular Dietary Trends’ Impact on Athletic Performance: A Critical Analysis Review. 2021.
3. Gastroenterology (Gastroenterology). AGA Clinical Practice Update on the Role of Diet in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Expert Review. 2022.
4. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Cochrane Database Syst Rev). Low-carbohydrate versus balanced-carbohydrate diets for reducing weight and cardiovascular risk.. 2022.
5. The New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med). Carbohydrates and Human Health – Unveiling the Conundrum. 2023.
6. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
7. 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.
8. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
9. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
10. JGH Open: An Open Access Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (JGH Open). Gut microbiota dysbiosis in functional gastrointestinal disorders: Underpinning the symptoms and pathophysiology. 2021.

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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.