Hey Chandler Kasay, What is your Favorite Protein Powder?

A company recently sent me protein powder in hopes that I would positively promote their product. After thoroughly reading through the ingredients I noticed "natural flavors" was listed. Now, I completely understand companies need to have their own special flavor blends in order to set themselves apart from similar market products however it has me asking the bigger question, "what additional elements are allowed in natural flavors?" Surely it just means plant extracts or something similar, right? Unfortunately not.

Here are some of the additional elements allowed in Natural Flavors:

Preservatives

Emulsifiers

Solvents

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Propylene Glycol

Mono and diglycerides

BHT, BHA

Polysorbate 80

To the consumer, "natural flavors" keeps us in the dark as we blindly assume that the company has our best health and interest at heart. However, when asked, is the company able to confirm that these elements are omitted from their product? In my case this particular company was unable to confirm.

Knowing that this is something my family would use throughout the week I had to decline the collaboration. But, what was initially a bummer quickly turned into a fun search for a great protein powder from Just Ingredients.

Just Ingredients Protein Powder is free from sugar, gluten, artificial sweeteners, or any artificial ingredients. Their protein comes from 4 different protein sources (100% super high quality grass fed whey, pea protein, chia seeds, and collagen). Many protein powders use whey as their only source of protein and it tends to upset people's digestion which is why they use 4 different proteins in smaller amounts. Just Ingredients also uses non-denatured whey which contains no casein and very little lactose, so many people that are sensitive to whey have reported they are able to enjoy it!

I purchased the Just Ingredients Protein Powder Travel Pack which contains 7 different flavors in order to determine which flavor our family enjoyed best. Here are our results:

Best Flavors on their own:

Here are our two favorite flavors on their own. I add frozen banana for the creamy texture and A2 for my milk of choice. This is an excellent option if you are looking for something quick that taste like a milkshake.

Link for Creamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Powder

Ingredients:

100% Grass-fed Non Denatured Whey Protein, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Pumpkin Seed Protein, Organic Chia Seed Protein, Organic Peanut Flour, Organic Chia Seed Protein, Organic Coconut Milk, Organic Cacao, Collagen, Sea Salt, Stevia Leaf, Monk Fruit

Link for Strawberries and Cream Protein Powder

Ingredients:

100% Grass-Fed Non-Denatured Whey Protein, Strawberry Powder*, Coconut Milk*, Grass-Fed Collagen, Pea Protein*, Chia Seeds*, Sea Salt, Stevia Leaf Extract*, Monk Fruit*

*Organic Ingredient

Best Protein Powder add ins:

This will likely come as no surprise but here are our favorite protein powder flavors to add with your frozen fruits/veggies. The chocolate is subtle, the vanilla bean is rich. If you enjoy versatile smoothies and time is not a factor choose either of these then add in your frozen fruits, nut butters, spinach, and avocado. Flavor possibilities are endless!

Link for Chocolate Protein Powder

Ingredients:

100% Grass-Fed Non-Denatured Whey Protein Isolate, Pea Protein*, Pumpkin Seed Protein*, Chia Seed Protein*, Coconut Milk*, Cacao*, Grass-Fed Collagen, Sea Salt, Stevia Leaf*, Monk Fruit*. *Organic Ingredient

Link for Vanilla Bean Protein Powder

Ingredients:

100% Grass-Fed Non-Denatured Whey Protein, Coconut Milk Powder*, Pea Protein*, Grass-Fed Collagen Peptides, Vanilla Extract*, Cinnamon*, Chia Seed Powder*, Sea Salt, Stevia Leaf, Vanilla Bean*, Monk Fruit

*Organic Ingredient

What about Organic Natural Flavors?

“Organic Natural Flavor” is made just like other organic ingredients and needs to follow the same regulations. That means that organic flavors won’t contain synthetic solvents or preservatives, and no GMOs. Some of the “incidental additives” banned from organic flavors include propylene glycol, mono and diglycerides, BHT, BHA, and polysorbate 80.