How to Find the Best Protein Shake for Intermittent Fasting
📌 Overview and Key Takeaways
This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best protein shake for intermittent fasting.
Discover how to meet your protein needs while doing intermittent fasting.
Protein Shakes for Intermittent Fasting
Can Protein Shakes Help With Intermittent Fasting?
Yes, protein shakes can help you meet your protein goals while doing intermittent fasting, as long as you drink them during your eating window.
Intermittent fasting is a simple way of eating that involves cycling between periods of fasting (not eating) and eating.
Instead of focusing on what you eat, it emphasizes when you eat.
Unlike diets that restrict specific foods or require calorie counting, intermittent fasting is all about the timing of your meals.
There are several approaches, with the 16/8 method being the most popular.
With this approach, you fast for 16 hours and limit your eating to an 8-hour window.
For many people, this means skipping breakfast and eating all of their daily meals within an 8-hour timeframe, such as between 12 and 8 p.m.
The core idea behind intermittent fasting is to increase the time between your last meal of one day and your first meal the next day.
This shift might lower your insulin levels, which is a hormone that manages blood sugar, and prompt your body to use stored fat for energy (N Engl J Med, 2019).
Intermittent fasting has gained popularity due to its possible health benefits, which might include weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced inflammation (N Engl J Med, 2019).
That said, many healthcare professionals do not endorse intermittent fasting as a weight-loss strategy as more research is needed into the negative side effects of fasting, such as the risk of nutrient deficiencies.
Protein is an important part of intermittent fasting because it might help maintain muscle mass, support fullness, and keep energy levels steady during fasting periods.
- Muscle Preservation: During intermittent fasting, there is a risk of losing muscle. Eating enough protein might can preserve your muscle mass.
- Satiety (Fullness): Protein keeps you feeling full longer than carbohydrates or fats, which could reduce hunger and cravings during fasting periods.
- Energy: Protein can provide longer-lasting energy by slowing digestion and supporting stable blood sugar levels.
For protein sources, experts recommend prioritizing foods like eggs, fish, and meat.
Some people, such as those with dietary restrictions, might find it hard to get enough protein this way, however, which is where protein shakes can help.
Adding a protein shake to your eating window is an easy way to help you reach your protein goals.
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Can You Drink Protein Shakes While Intermittent Fasting?
Yes, you can drink protein shakes while intermittent fasting, but only during your eating window.
A protein shake contains calories, so drinking one during your fasting hours would break your fast.
Exactly when you choose to do so will depend on your preferences and fasting protocol:
- With a Meal: If you follow a protocol like the 16/8 method with an 8-hour eating window, you can have your protein shake as part of a meal or snack during that period.
- Near the End of the Eating Window: Having a protein shake toward the end of your eating window might help curb hunger during the fasting period.
Finally, before you start drinking protein shakes, it is important to note that not all of them are created equal.
What Is the Best Protein Shake for Intermittent Fasting?
As long as you are eating a balanced diet – getting protein from a variety of sources – any type of protein shake or powder can help you meet your total daily protein needs.
Ingredients do matter, however.
Many protein shakes and powders contain ingredients that might indirectly contribute to painful side effects and even long-term health problems.
Among the top offenders are artificial and ultra-processed food additives.
🚫 Avoid Food Additives
Regularly consuming emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives might alter the makeup and function of your gut microbiome – the community of microbes living in your digestive tract (North Clin Istanb, 2020).
These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been shown to contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and even certain cancers (J Exp Med, 2019).
Gut dysbiosis is so problematic because it can contribute to a self-reinforcing cascade of problems, including increased intestinal permeability, inflammation, and poor nutrient absorption (Intern Emerg Med, 2023).
It is important to note that much of this research is still emerging, so more studies are needed to clarify these relationships.
That said, the preliminary findings suggest that because protein shakes and powders are something you consume regularly, if not every day, the cumulative effects of small amounts of potentially harmful ingredients is worth taking seriously.
⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein shakes and powders:
- 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 an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.
🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates
I also recommend avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.
Most protein shakes and powders 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 you break them down.
You therefore might not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.
For example, one study shows that regularly consuming protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome (Nutrients, 2018).
Another study shows that it could cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).
Although further research is needed, you can play it safe by choosing protein shakes and powders made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds.
Our customers find them to be more gut-friendly.
Order Samples to see for yourself.
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Sources
- The New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med). Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease. 2019.
- Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
- The Journal of Experimental Medicine (J Exp Med). The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. 2019.
- Internal and Emergency Medicine (Intern Emerg Med). Gut microbiota, intestinal permeability, and systemic inflammation: a narrative review. 2023.
- Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
- 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
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.
Frequently asked questions
Who Is Drink Wholesome for?
Drink Wholesome makes protein powder for sensitive stomachs, GERD, IBS, and other gut issues. It’s suitable for most food sensitivities, including lactose intolerance, and won’t cause side effects like bloating, constipation, and reflux.
Why Is Drink Wholesome Good for Sensitive Stomachs?
Drink Wholesome is the best protein powder for sensitive stomachs because it’s additive, dairy, and gluten-free. It’s also made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds. Other protein powders are made from ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates, which look nothing like real food.
What’s the Difference Between Protein Powder and Meal Replacement Powder?
Drink Wholesome makes gut-friendly Protein Powders and Meal Replacement Powders. Protein powder is high in protein and low in everything else, whereas meal replacement powder contains fats, carbs, fiber, and protein because it’s intended to replace the nutritional value of a balanced meal.
What’s the Difference Between Almond, Collagen, and Egg White Protein?
We make three types of stomach-friendly Protein Powder: Collagen Protein Powder, Egg White Protein Powder, and Vegan Almond Protein Powder. As long as you get protein from a variety of sources, any type of protein can help you meet your total daily protein needs. In other words, for someone with a balanced diet, there is no advantage to consuming one type of protein over another. Order Samples to see which type you like the most.
Ask Nutrition Coach
If you’re wondering which Drink Wholesome product is best for you, ask our Certified Nutrition Coach. For personalized medical advice, consult your healthcare provider.
High Protein Blueberry Pancakes
PREP TIME
5 min
COOK TIME
5 min
SERVES
2
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Drink Wholesome
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup plant milk
- 1 tbsp nut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
In a blender, combine the egg whites, milk, ¼ cup blueberries, and almond butter. Pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl and add the protein powder and flour. Whisk until smooth. Pour ⅓ cup batter onto a heated and greased (or non-stick) pan to form pancakes. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes. This recipe makes 4-5 pancakes. Then, in a small saucepan, heat ¾ cup blueberries and the maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Plate the pancakes and spoon blueberry jam on top.
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