Protein Price Boom, What Are the Best Value Protein Powder Options?
Best Value Protein Powder Options?
Have we reached peak protein yet? 🫣📈💰
Combine these factors. . .
📈 Protein-Maxxing (eating as much protein as possible)
📈Weight-loss meds users demand for extra protein, following the guidance to eat more to reduce muscle loss (but you know, you have to lift weights . . . )
📈Food manufacturers spotting the opportunity and adding protein to EVERYTHING
📈Protein being the least demonized macronutrient (carbs are bad, no, fat is bad!)
. . . and we have an insane boom in demand for whey protein in particular, and we can spot added protein in some really odd places. Ice cream? Chocolate? Water? Bonkers.
The price of whey protein has increased about 50% since the beginning of 2026, and trebled since 2024.
Why do I recommend Protein Powder as a Nutritional Therapist?
Now, I do often make protein recommendations to my individual clients and within those, I do sometimes recommend protein powder.
It is an ultra processed food, sure.
However, unlike many UPFs
❌ It is not hyperpalatable, not when you just buy protein powder, not a protein chocolate maltodextrin sucralose milkshake monstrosity
❌ It is not high in fat, salt or sugar
❌ Again, when you buy just plain protein powder, it does not have any objectionable ingredients within, like starches, added sugars, palm fat, seed oils etc that are ubiquitous in other ultra-processed foods
So whilst whey protein is a fantastically high quality protein, based on its digestibility and amino acid profile, if you are looking to reduce your spend, it is well worth considering these alternatives whilst whey protein is around £33 per kg.
Best Value Protein Powders - Alternatives to Whey Protein
These are my four picks for best value protein powders.
Egg White Protein, around £22 per kg
Why? Yes, it is missing the nutrient rich yolk, but you can easily compensate for that with whole foods, like eggs, and this gives you an easy mixing, neutral flavour, very high quality protein about two thirds the cost of whey.
Pea & Rice Blends, around £19 per kg
Pea & Rice together compensate for each other's amino acid weaknesses. It is still not as high quality as whey protein or most animal proteins BUT it is lower cost, and you can just eat MORE of it to get the same total amino acids.
Peanut Protein, around £12 per kg
This is also just called "defatted peanut flour", same thing, but typically costing more when it is called protein powder and given fancy branding. Relatively poor amino acid score BUT if you enjoy peanuts, it does taste like peanuts, and can be used in places you would use flour, like muffins and pancakes.
Pumpkin Seed Protein, around £11 per kg
Basically just pumpkin seeds with some of the fat removed, making it an excellent, micronutrient rich protein source.
Other Protein Powder Factors?
Also, beyond the cost, think about these factors?
Nutrient density, beyond just the protein, what else is the source giving you? Vitamins? Minerals? Essential Fatty Acids? Phytonutrients?
Cost per gram, ignore the smoke & mirrors 'per serving' nonsense. Compare your protein costs on a per 100g gram basis to understand the real cost?
Satiety, how much does the food give you? Fast digesting whey protein doesn't provide comparable satiety to whole food sources (which is one of the reasons it is so popular for weight-loss med users)
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Have you switched onto OR off using whey protein?
Have you changed your protein sources as a result of costs or nutrition?
What is the craziest "added protein" product you've seen?
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Why not book a Personal Health Strategy call to find out how we would enable better health for you? 📲
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