Protein supplements are a convenient way to add protein to your diet when you’re on the go, and there’s an abundance of them on the market. Following a low carb diet will limit your choices though considering that a lot of protein supplements have added sugars and carbohydrates to enhance the flavor. Finding a protein powder that is both low carb and tastes good narrows your choices even further. However, I am convinced that I have found the best tasting low carb protein powder, and don’t let the fact that it’s vegan deter you!
Benefits of Protein
Your body uses protein to build and repair tissue, making it an essential part of our diets. This is especially true if you pursue any kind of resistance training. Weight lifters and athletes of all kinds can benefit from introducing more protein into their diets.
In addition, clinical studies have shown that high protein diets can decrease hunger and leave you feeling more full when compared to high fat or high carbohydrate diets. This means that adding protein to your diet could possibly aid in weight loss.
Protein Supplements
If you’re following a plant-based diet, or if you’re constantly on the go and don’t have time to prepare all of your meals, protein supplements can be an excellent way to add protein to your diet.
Protein supplements come in many different shapes, sizes, flavors, and varieties. One of the most common formats though is a mixable powder than you can use to make drinks and smoothies.
The Best Tasting Low Carb Protein Powder
Finding a low carb protein powder is challenging as it is, but finding one that tastes good is even more challenging. However, after trying many different supplements throughout the years, I’ve found what I believe to be the best tasting low carb protein powder: Olly Plant Powered Protein.
This protein powder has a rich chocolate flavor that can turn a health smoothie into a tasty treat, and don’t let the fact that it’s plant-based deter you. This would be my low carb protein powder of choice even if I weren’t following a plant-based diet!
And no, this is not a sponsored post, and I am in no way affiliated with the product or its makers. This is just something I found on a store shelf at Target and really enjoyed.
Nutritional Benefits
Not only is this the best tasting low carb protein powder, but it has various nutritional benefits that make it an appealing option.
High Protein
This is especially important to those of us who follow plant-based (or vegan) diets. We’ll take every gram of protein we can get, and Olly’s product has 18 grams per serving.
This isn’t an extraordinarily high amount of protein compared to many other protein supplements on the market, but as I mentioned earlier, our options are pretty thin considering we’re seeking the best tasting low carb protein powder. And it does account for 28% of the RDA, so it can put a nice sized dent in your daily protein needs.
Low Carb
It’s rare to find a good tasting protein powder that is low carb. A lot supplement manufacturers add sugars and various other fillers to enhance the taste of their product. This usually means added carbohydrates though.
Olly’s protein powder contains just 9 grams of carbs per serving, but it also contains 2 grams of fiber, meaning there’s really only 7 grams of net carbs per serving! That’s pretty impressive for a plant-based product!
Plant-Based
I personally aim to eat a plant-based diet for its health benefits and because of how good it makes me feel. The fact that this is plant-based means there’s no cholesterol, which is pretty uncommon for protein supplements.
As I mentioned earlier, don’t let the fact that it’s plant-based deter you. It tastes great regardless!
Omega 3’s
One thing I really love about this protein powder is that the ingredients contains flax seeds, contributing to its 160 mg of omega 3’s per serving! This is quite rare for a protein supplement.
Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to fight inflammation and reduce risk factors of heart disease, among many other health benefits.
Antioxidants
Another thing I love about this great tasting protein powder is that it contains cocoa powder as one of its ingredients. Cocoa powder contains antioxidants known as flavonoids.
Downsides
Although I believe that this is the best tasting low carb protein powder, it does have some downsides in my opinion. Here’s a few you may want to consider.
Sodium
Olly’s plant-based protein powder contains 320 mg of sodium per serving. That’s a bit high in my opinion, especially when you consider there’s only 114 mg of potassium to balance it out.
Increased sodium in your diet can lead to an increase in blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. This means that it’s important to monitor your sodium intake according to your doctor’s recommendations.
Cost
I paid somewhere in the ballpark of $20 USD for a jar of this protein powder at Target, which isn’t very expensive. However, there’s only 12 servings per container. Most protein powders I’ve purchased in the past usually came with more servings for a slightly high price, giving you more bang for your buck.
Despite the price, I still think it’s a good value. I don’t have a problem with spending money on a good product, especially if that product is the best tasting low carb protein powder!
How To Prepare
There’s a variety of different ways you can consume your protein powders. You can make them into smoothies, use them as a baking ingredient, or simply mix them in plain water and enjoy. Personally, I like to use them in fruit smoothies.
Here’s my favorite way to prepare my plant-based protein powder…
- 3 Ripe bananas
- 1 Bag of frozen cherries
- 2 Scoops of Olly Plant Powder Protein (chocolate)
Combine all 3 ingredients in a blender with a cup of water and mix away!
Granted, this isn’t exactly a low carb recipe so I don’t drink it regularly. It tastes great though, and it’s very useful for carbing up the day before a long run.
The best tasting low carb protein powder is just a matter of opinion though. You don’t have to take my word for it. Give it a try, and if you don’t like it I’m sure there’s plenty of other options on the market to try out. I know I’m always trying new things myself. Enjoy!