How to Find the Easiest to Digest Dairy-Free Protein Powder​

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the easiest to digest dairy free protein powder​.

Discover how to meet your protein needs without upsetting your stomach.

Last Updated
Jul 21, 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.

Easiest to Digest Dairy-Free Protein Powder​

What Affects Protein Powder Digestion?

Digestion is the process that breaks down food into nutrients your body can absorb and use.

The building blocks of protein – amino acids – are digested at a rate of 1.3-10 grams an hour (Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2006).

The degree to which they are digested also varies from 70-99% (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023)

Both the rate and degree of amino acid digestion depends on the type of protein, how it was processed, the presence of other nutrients and ingredients, and individual physiology.

For example, in older adults with gastrointestinal conditions, protein digestibility might be reduced by as much as 20% (Food Res Int, 2023).

So what makes one protein powder easier to digest than another is complex and highly individual.

Plus, digestion rate and degree do not tell you much about the overall digestive experience – how it makes you feel.

What Is the Easiest Protein Powder to Digest?

There are several scientific methods used to determine how easy a dietary protein is to digest.

One is the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS), which takes into account a protein’s amino acid composition and digestibility.

Another method is the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS), which measures digestibility differently and scores each individual amino acid’s digestibility separately.

DIAAS is considered the scientifically superior and more accurate method, but PDCAAS is more widely used.

That said, neither method considers how other nutrients and/or ingredients might affect digestion.

Whey protein, for example, has one of the highest PDCAAS and DIAAS of any protein source.

But many whey protein powders contain lactose – a sugar that most adults cannot fully digest (Nutrients, 2024).

For this reason, whey protein powder is notorious for causing side effects like bloating and constipation.

Neither the PDCAAS and DIAAS take into account individual sensitivities either.

Certain casein proteins, for example, despite having high PDCAAS and DIAAS, can release a bioactive peptide during digestion that has been linked to digestive issues (Adv Nutr, 2017).

So while whey and casein protein powders are easy to digest on paper, they can actually be hard to digest for many people.

Finally, and arguably most importantly, many protein powders contain more than just a protein source, which can have a big impact on digestion.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Generally speaking, the fewer added ingredients a protein powder contains, the easier it should be to digest.

For starters, ultra-processed food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners can upset your stomach.

This might be because the mechanical and chemical processing required to make them breaks down their natural food matrix – the physical structure of their cells.

Because your gut evolved to handle whole food structures, not disrupted ones, a diet high in ingredients like these might contribute to digestive issues (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2024).

Regularly consuming certain food additives might also alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the community of microorganisms living in your digestive tract (North Clin Istanb, 2020).

These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been linked to the development of chronic digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (JGH Open, 2021).

Gut dysbiosis has also been shown to impair digestion through multiple interconnected mechanisms, including damage to your intestinal lining (Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2026)

⚠️ 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

If you have pre-existing digestive issues, you might also want to avoid 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.

They might be more gut-friendly.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Which Protein Powders Are Dairy-Free?

A dairy-free diet excludes all dairy products, including butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, and casein.

Whey and casein come from cheese and yogurt production, meaning whey and casein protein powders are not dairy-free.

While lactose-free whey protein isolates exist, there is no such thing as dairy-free whey protein powder.

People with dairy allergies or sensitivities should also avoid dairy-based food additives like sodium caseinate.

To ensure a protein powder is dairy-free, look for these labels: “dairy-free,” “vegan,” or “plant-based.”

They clearly indicate that the product contains no dairy.

It is important to add that manufacturers must include allergen statements on their packaging.

If a protein powder contains dairy, a common allergen, it will appear on the ingredient list.

Sources

1. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr). Effect of processing on in vitro digestibility (IVPD) of food proteins. 2023.
2. Food Research International (Food Res Int). Comparison of protein in vitro digestibility under adult and elderly conditions: The case study of wheat, pea, rice, and whey proteins. 2023.
3. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab). A review of issues of dietary protein intake in humans. 2006.
4. Nutrients (Nutrients). Prebiotic Strategies to Manage Lactose Intolerance Symptoms. 2024.
5. Advances in Nutrition | Journal (Adv Nutr). Systematic Review of the Gastrointestinal Effects of A1 Compared with A2 β-Casein. 2017.
6. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol). Ultra-processed foods and food additives in gut health and disease. 2024.
7. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2020.
8. JGH Open (JGH Open). Gut microbiota dysbiosis in functional gastrointestinal disorders: Underpinning the symptoms and pathophysiology. 2021.
9. The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol). Mechanisms and pathophysiology leading to development of small intestinal microbial dysbiosis. 2026.
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.

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.