What is the best plain protein powder?

drink wholesome is the best plain protein powder. It is made with simple ingredients like egg whites and almonds. Add it to smoothies, yogurt, and other recipes for an easy protein boost. Order samples to see if our plain protein powder is right for you. 

drink wholesome is the best plain protein powder.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

What is plain protein powder?


First of all, there is no such thing as flavorless protein powder. Instead, there are unflavored (or plain) protein powders, which do not contain added flavorings.

All plain protein powders taste like something, and different types of plain protein powder have different tastes. The two types of protein powder with the most neutral taste are egg white protein powder and collagen protein powder.

A good plain protein powder can be added to smoothies and other recipes without changing the taste or texture much at all. It is perfect for people who want to sneak extra protein into their diet. Keep in mind that plain protein powder, unlike flavored protein powders, does not taste good when mixed with just milk or water.

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What is the best plain protein powder?


What makes one plain protein powder better than another comes down to a variety of factors, including ingredients, nutrition, taste, texture, and price. Of all these factors, ingredients is by far the most important. You are what you eat, and if you do not pay attention to what you are putting into your body, you will pay dearly.

For instance, many plain protein powders contain added emulsifiers, thickeners, anti-caking agents, and other additives. Ingredients like these can cause painful side effects and long-term gut problems. To be precise, regularly eating many food additives can alter the composition and function of you gut microbiome  – the collection of microorganisms living in your gut. This, in turn, can cause widespread inflammation and the development of several chronic diseases.

Given the dangers of food additives, reading the ingredient list should be your top priority. Ideally, your plain protein powder would have only one whole food ingredient. Finding a plain protein powder that meets this criteria is easier said than done, however.

Most plain protein powders are made with protein concentrates and isolates, which have been stripped of everything but the protein. They undergo heavy mechanical and chemical processing, sometimes involving solvents like hexane. As a result, they look nothing like whole foods. 

Your gut is designed to digest minimally or unprocessed or whole foods, not protein concentrates or isolates. This is certainly why more and more research is finding that regularly eating processed ingredients like these can also alter the composition of your gut microbiome. To reiterate, an altered gut microbiome is not something you want to have to deal with.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that protein concentrates and isolates, because they have been stripped of fats and carbs, have a chalky aftertaste. This is the dreaded chalkiness that many protein powder users complain about, and it is super pronounced in a plain protein powder with no added flavorings or sweeteners.

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Why drink wholesome


drink wholesome is additive-free.

One of the reasons why we make the best plain protein powder is that we do not use food additives. Added ingredients like gums and lecithin can upset your stomach and worse. Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powder:

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, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides, ‘natural’ flavors, rice bran extract, rice dextrin, rice hulls, rosemary extract, silica, silicon dioxide, sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, soluble corn fiber, soy lecithin, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, tocopherols, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, xylitol, zinc oxide

Food additives tend to look nothing like whole foods, making them hard to digest. They consequently wind up lingering in your gut, feeding your hungry gut bacteria. As they eat, gut bacteria release gas, causing bloating, flatulence, and stomach pain. Gas can also slow colonic transit – the amount of time it takes food to move through the colon – leading to constipation.

Sometimes, partially digested food additives can cause your colon to absorb too much water. This can lead to osmotic diarrhea, and may be the reason why protein shakes make you run to the bathroom. 

the alternative:

Protein Matrix Comprised of (Whey Protein Concentrate,  Whey Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Casein, Milk Protein Isolate, Egg Albumen, Glutamine Peptides), Polydextrose, Sunflower Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids,  Sodium Caseinate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Tocopherols), Natural and Artificial Flavor, MCT Powder (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Disodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Yellow 5, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Papain, Bromelain

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vegan unflavored protein powder lifestyle image 2

drink wholesome is made with whole foods.

Another reason why we make the best plain protein powder is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. Instead, we use whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds. Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, egg whites and almonds contain enzymes that help you break them down. Egg whites and almonds also have a delicious, natural flavor that beats the chalkiness of isolates and concentrates any day.

If you want a plain protein powder that not only tastes good, but is also good for you, you have come to the right place. You cannot go wrong with dietary protein sources like egg whites and almonds, especially when they have undergone minimal processing. Order samples to see for yourself.

★★★★★

easy to digest

“I have ulcerative colitis and this is the only protein powder that doesn’t upset my stomach. The flavor is neutral and you can barely notice it in smoothies.” – Mia

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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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