How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Picky Eater Weight Gain

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for picky eater weight gain.

Discover how to help picky eaters safely supplement their protein intakes.

Last Updated
May 22, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

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

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.

Protein Powder for Picky Eater Weight Gain

Is Protein Powder Good for Picky Eaters?

A picky eater is someone who refuses to eat certain foods or even food groups.

Parents or caregivers of picky eaters often worry their children are not getting the calories and nutrients they need to grow and develop, but this is usually not the case (Am J Clin Nutr, 2016).

Picky eating can lead to malnutrition in children in some cases, however (Front Pediatr, 2018).

If you are concerned that your child is suffering from malnutrition, consult a pediatrician immediately.

It is worth mentioning that although picky eating is most common in young children, it also affects adults.

The elderly are partially to increased picky eating or food selectivity, which research correlates with an increased risk for malnutrition (Genes Nutr, 2015).

Research shows nutritional supplements like protein powder can promote catch-up growth in young picky eaters (Nutrients, 2021).

Research also shows that protein supplementation can improve muscle mass and reduce the risk of sarcopenia (muscle wasting) in older adults (Nutrients, 2022).

Keep in mind that protein powder should not replace other dietary protein sources.

Whenever possible, picky eaters should try to meet their protein needs by eating foods like eggs, fish, and meat.

The convenience and versatility of protein powder is hard to beat, however, as it can be mixed with just milk or water, or added to smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes.

Keep in mind that protein shakes are a great option for picky eaters not only because they have an appealing taste and texture, but also because they are highly customizable, meaning you can easily adjust the flavor and consistency.

If you are struggling to get a picky eater to consume a protein shake, try the following:

1. Mix it with milk. If you are making a homemade protein shake with protein powder, use milk, not water. Milk improves the texture and curbs the bitter aftertaste of sugar substitutes.
2. Use a blender: If your protein shake is too gritty, use a good blender, Electric Mixer or Shaker Bottle (with a whisk).
3. Add ice or frozen fruit: If your protein shake is too watery, add ice cubes or a frozen banana.
4. Add cocoa powder: If your protein shake is too sweet, try adding something bitter like unsweetened cocoa powder.
5. Try a recipe. If you cannot, despite your best efforts, make your protein shake taste good, consider finding another use for your protein powder. Mixing it in oatmeal or adding it to baked goods are two great options. Check out these high protein recipes for inspiration.

It is also important to note that note protein powders are suitable for picky eaters.

• Some protein powders are made with protein concentrates and isolates, which taste chalky.
• Some protein powders are made with sugar substitutes like sucralose and stevia, which activate bitter taste receptors in addition to sweet taste receptors (Genes Nutr, 2014).
• Some protein powders are flavored with artificial or natural flavorings, which can have an unnatural, chemical aftertaste.

For the best results, 1) pick a protein powder made from whole food protein sources like egg whites or almonds, 2) sweetened with real sugar or a natural sugar substitute like monk fruit, and 3) flavored with real foods like cocoa and vanilla.

Can Protein Powder Help Picky Eaters Gain Weight?

For a picky eater to gain weight, he or she simply has to eat more calories than she or he burns.

It takes an extra 3,500 calories to gain a pound, and to gain weight at a safe rate (0.5 pound per week), a picky eater needs to eat an extra 250 calories every day.

Moreover, if you would like a picky eater to not only gain weight, but also to build muscle, then he or she has to eat protein.

Muscle growth can occur only if muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown, a balance that is regulated, in part, by dietary protein intake.

Adding a protein powder to a picky eater’s diet is an easy way to increase both calorie and protein intake, thereby helping him or her gain weight and build muscle.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What is the Best Protein Powder for Picky Eater Weight Gain?

Any type of protein powder (egg white, pea, whey, etc.) can help a picky eater meet his or her daily protein needs.

In other words, as long as he or she is eating a balanced diet, there is no advantage to using one type of protein powder over another.

Ingredients do matter, however.

Most protein powders are made with ingredients that can cause painful side effects and long term health problems.

Among these ingredients are food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, and other ultra-processed additives can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been shown to contribute to the development of several chronic diseases, including allergies, asthma, and obesity (Microb Ecol Health Dis, 2015).

Dysbiosis is so problematic because it causes a cascade of problems, including intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation, impaired nutrient absorption, and reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production.

⚠️ 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.

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

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

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

Picky eaters 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. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr). Macro- and micronutrient intakes in picky eaters: a cause for concern? 2016.
2. Frontiers in Pediatrics (Front Pediatr). Association of Picky Eating with Growth, Nutritional Status, Development, Physical Activity, and Health in Preschool Children. 2018.
3. Genes & Nutrition (Genes Nutr). Dietary energy density in the development of obesity: a systematic review. 2015.
4. Nutrients (Nutrients). Oral Nutritional Supplementation Improves Growth in Children at Malnutrition Risk and with Picky Eating Behaviors. 2021.
5. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effects of Protein Supplementation on Lean Body Mass, Muscle Strength, and Physical Performance in Nonfrail Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2022.
6. Genes & Nutrition (Genes Nutr). Genetic signature of differential sensitivity to stevioside in the Italian population. 2014.
7. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
8. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease (Microb Ecol Health Dis). Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in disease. 2015.
9. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
10. 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.

Editorial Guidelines

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