INTRODUCTION
What would I say is the most used supplement? Protein powder! It comes in many forms, many flavours and also many shape and styles. However, no matter how you make it look, they all do the same thing, give you as much protein in as little calories as possible. Some of you may have been using a protein for a while, you may have a few in the cupboard. If this is the case then this article is not for you. This article is aimed at someone who hasn’t ever used, bought or considered a protein powder.
Now we aren’t going to go into why you should use a protein powder, or even what they are for and how they are misunderstood. We have several blogs about that. (Like this one). Today we are going to go over what you need to look out for when buying a protein supplement. We are going to cover the basics and then maybe release another post going into more detail about ingredient etc.
PROTEIN QUANTITY PER SERVING
This one is fairly simple but often overlooked by everyone. How much protein are you getting per serving size? There are a lot of brands out there, big brands mind, that don’t provide that much protein per serving size. Meaning you have to use 2 sometimes 3 servings to get the same as another brand. Meaning you use more then have to buy more.
So when looking for a protein supplement make sure you just check the label, check the serving size (most proteins are 25g per scoop) and then compare how much protein you get. (Again, most would be around 20g). As we just mentioned, we would look for at least 20g of protein for every 25g serving. Obviously, if the serving size is bigger you might get more protein, if not you are just drinking more calories, speaking of which.
CALORIES PER SERVING
This is a big one if you are dieting or cutting, but pay attention to how many calories are in your shake. Not every shake has the same calories. Some have 150+ calories per serving and some have less than 100.
For example, if we compare two of my favourites, MyProtein’s Clear Whey to Ghost Lifestyles Chocolate Chip Cookie, you will see a huge difference. The clear whey only has 89 calories per serving whereas the Ghost lifestyle has 155 calories per serving. This is due to the chocolate chunks in the ghost whey. If you looked at that from a dieting perspective, the Clear whey is perfect.
This isn’t saying you should be put off from “higher” calorie shakes, some are worth it, amazing to bake with and have a ton of flavour. It tends to be nice flavour proteins that have higher calories. So that is a sacrifice you will have to take.
FLAVOUR
Flavour is a big one, you want a shake you want to drink. I don’t get why you would force a shake down. Find a flavour you like and it won’t feel like a chore! How do you find a nice flavour? Well, you are going to have to try a lot of shakes. Which sound expensive and it can be but here are a few tips to help.
- Try a friends or gym buddies shake, See what they have and if you like it.
- Ask at your gym, most gyms serve post workout shakes and will have a huge array of brands and flavours
- Some brand sell sample packs, MyProtein are good for this, they sell almost every flavour in a sample size (1 Serving)
- Read reviews! We have some reviews on this site, as do other sites! Keep in mind that taste is very personal, so one that someone likes you might not.
- Go basic and work up! Start with a simple flavour (Chocolate, Banana or Vanilla) and then go up from there. You could then go onto Chocolate mint, Cinnamon and build up.
Don’t hold yourself to one brand and one flavour. I have 3 flavours on hand, 1 for making French Toast (MyProtein Chocolate), one for overnight oats (Ghost Chocolate Chip Cookie) and one for drinking (MyProtein Orange Mango Clear Whey). Have more variety keeps it fresh and stops you getting bored of the same flavour. If you like a flavour make sure to grab a big tub/bag, always works out cheaper. Which leads us nicely onto our last point.
PRICE PER SERVING
The last thing to think about is how much are you paying? Think about how much protein you are getting for your buck. If you have time you can work out the price per serving, then the price per gram of protein and then compare protein supplement.
You might find that the same protein you are looking at is on sale at another store, or using a discount will bring the code down. Or the other way, you might think that it is really expensive so you will look for an alternative. Remember, it’s just a supplement, don’t go spending big bucks on this stuff. You want to buy it to use it as little as possible.
Also, be warned, some companies ship their proteins in small tubs meaning fewer servings so you have to restock quicker. If you can buy in bulk, companies like Bulk Powders and MyProtein have various size and weight options when selecting their range. The bigger you go the more you save. So shop around, have a look at different shops and also go through Facebook and Instagram, someone is always endorsed by that company and will have a discount code.
CONCLUSION
So there you have it. A simple rundown on how to buy your first protein supplement, what to look out for. As mentioned various times, if you don’t know where to start, check out MyProtein. They have a huge range of flavours and size available and always have a sale on. We are not getting paid or are endorsed by them, we just like their products.
Let us know what you go for or what your go to’s are currently for your protein supplement. We would love to see what shakes you are all using. Might even change up ours if we see one of interest. Let us know in our comments over on our Instagram.
If you are counting macro’s you should try to swap to counting protein and calories it make things so much easier! If you want to know how many calories you should be eating, our app has a free helpful calorie and macro calculator! You can download it here for free!
Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.