Even if you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, chances are, you’ve toyed with the idea of taking protein powders to maximise your gains. They might seem like the holy grail supplement meant exclusively for gym bros, but adding these to your diet can be a game-changer for even the most casual of lifters.
With vegan options and a whole spectrum of flavours to choose from, here are protein powders to consider – including recommendations from trainers and athletes – for both your muscle building or weight loss needs.
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Drinking protein shakes is arguably the easiest way to get a substantial amount of protein into your body.
Before we dive straight into the diverse selection of protein powders, let’s clear up some common misconceptions people have about the supplement.
Numero uno: protein powders should never be used as a replacement for meals. Yes, they contain a hefty amount of protein, but these powders don’t have an adequate amount of other essential nutrients, like carbohydrates and fats, that your regular lunch meal does.
Another myth that needs busting is that taking protein powders will magically transform your body into that of Captain America’s. The supplement’s primary functions are to boost muscle performance and recovery, so you’ll need to use it in tandem with a dedicated workout regime in order to see prominent results.
Image credit: @myproteinsg via Instagram
At first glance, protein powder labels ridden with random words like ‘isolate’ and ‘BCAAs’ might seem confusing. Here’s a breakdown of common protein jargon so you know exactly what you’re reading on the nutrition tags:
To maximise muscle gains and recovery, the swole gym bros’ rule of thumb is to down your shake within 2 hours of your sweat sesh. If not, you can have a shake to accompany your lunch or dinner if you’d like to pile on more protein to your nosh.
Most protein powders on the market are labelled whey, which is a protein derived from cow’s milk. Plant protein, however, can be made from peas, hemp, and soy. Needless to say, plant protein is vegan-friendly since it doesn’t contain any animal byproducts, including lactose.
In terms of performance, whey protein tends to have a higher protein content at about 20g-30g per serving, while plant protein comes in at about 15g-25g of protein per serving. However, plant protein takes a longer time to digest, so you’ll feel full longer. If it’s muscle recovery that you’re after, then whey protein would be more adequate, as they contain all 9 essential amino acids.
Beyond just a source of protein, whey powders are usually high in calcium, which is needed for strong bones and teeth. Plant protein, on the other hand, includes fibre to help maintain a healthy digestive system.
| Protein Powder | Feature | Whey or Plant Protein | Protein Content Per Serving | Price Per Serving |
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey | Readily available | Whey | 24g | From $2 |
| Sustyfoods Nutritional Yeast Protein Shake | Dairy-free alternative | Plant | 20g | From $3.58 |
| Proteus Nutrition | Try before you buy whey & vegan options | Whey & Plant | 22g-25g (whey) / 21g-23g (plant) | From $1.97 |
| Go Good | Organically made protein powders | Whey & Plant | 25.8g (whey) / 23g (plant) | From $2.09 |
| Shake Baby | Convenient ready-made protein shake pouches | Whey & Plant | 10g-16g | From $5.70 |
| Amazin’ Graze | Vegan protein with added probiotics | Plant | 25g-26g | From $2.49 |
| Isopure Zero Carb | Ideal protein for weight loss | Whey | 25g | From $2.21 |
| Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Organic | Non-grainy vegan protein | Plant | 17g | From $1.50 |
| MyProtein Impact Whey | 69 flavours like brown sugar milk tea | Whey | 21g | From $1.09 |
| AllMax Isoflex | Great-tasting even with water | Whey | 27g | From $1.17 |
| Ghost 100% Whey Protein | Exclusive Chips Ahoy! flavour | Whey | 20g-25g | From $3.54 |
| California Gold Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate | Highly rated by users | Whey | 27g | From $2.14 |
| Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein | Sugar-free & vegan | Plant | 22g | From $3.09 |
| Jetpack Protein Smoothie | Real freeze-dried fruits | Plant | 15g | From $4.54 |
Image credit: Optimum Nutrition
Pop by your local GNC and you’re bound to see bottles of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey stacked atop their shelves. Communally known as the gateway protein brand for first-timers, a single scoop of this powder contains 24g of protein and just 1g of sugar to help with your muscle building needs.
It also contains a minimal amount of lactose, so those with mild lactose intolerance are still able to stomach this protein.
Fun fact: Most, if not all, protein powders have a dedicated scoop sunken within its bag or container. Serving sizes differ from brand to brand as different-sized scoops are used, so make sure to check each brand’s nutritional information for exact portion details.
Protein content per serving: 24g
Price: From $2 per serving
Get Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey.
The Dark Chocolate flavour is rich, smooth to drink, and made from real Swiss cacao.
Taking protein powder if you’re lactose intolerant can be challenging, especially if you don’t fancy the gritty, chalky taste associated with vegan products made from pea or soy. If you’re looking for a dairy-free protein powder that is high in quality and tastes great, Sustyfoods Nutritional Yeast Protein Shake checks all the boxes.
Because the powder doesn’t go through any chemical processing and is extracted using only water, it’s friendly to the stomach and your skin.
With a perfect protein quality score of PDCAAS 1.0/1.0, this formulation contains 20% more essential amino acids than the average plant-based protein powder on the market. To put it simply, it’s designed to help enhance your post workout recovery so you can lift heavy and lift often.
Protein content per serving: 20g
Price: From $3.58/serving
Get Sustyfoods Nutritional Yeast Protein Shake.
These days, it isn’t uncommon to see protein powders in a myriad of flavours like mint chocolate and strawberry cheesecake. But it can be a gamble committing to a whole bottle of a new flavour, especially when protein powders don’t come cheap. Thankfully, Proteus Nutrition sells a sampler pack of their protein powders so you can try out every flavour they have.
Image credit: @proteusnutrition via Instagram
The Whey Protein Sample Pack ($20) comes with 1 each of these flavours: Chocolate Lava Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Vanilla Ice Cream, Banana Cream Pie, Bubble Tea, Mint Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet Cake. If you’re looking for a vegan alternative, their No Whey Protein Sample Pack ($20) has 3 each of these flavours: Dark Chocolate and Masala Chai.
Image credit: @proteusnutrition via Instagram
While you can use their protein powders in shakes, Proteus Nutrition also recommends using them in your cooking and baking too. The Proteus Nutrition website has plenty of recipes on how to use their protein powders in pancakes, muffins, and parfaits.
Protein content per serving: 22g-25g (whey) | 21g-23g (plant)
Price: From $1.97/serving
Get Proteus Nutrition protein powders.
You’re working hard to carve and contour that body of yours by hitting the 24-hour gym any chance you can get. So it makes sense that you’d be conscientious about the kind of protein you’re putting into your body. With Go Good, you can at least rest easy knowing their protein powders are made from ethically sourced organic ingredients.
Their entire packaging is recyclable, while their scoopers are made of plant-based plastic.
Image credit: @gogood via Instagram
You won’t find artificial sweeteners or binders like xanthan gum in Go Good protein powders. Instead, you’ll get pure whey extracted from grass-fed organic cows or non-GMO pea protein. They also use organic bananas, cacao, strawberries, and vanilla to flavour their protein powders.
This produces clean tasting shakes without the bitter aftertaste you’d get in commercial protein powders.
Image credit: Go Good
P.S. Go Good sells a 10x Sample Pack ($39), which comes with a free stainless steel shaker that keeps your protein shakes cold throughout your workout.
Protein content per serving: 25.8g (whey) | 23g (plant)
Price: From $2.09/serving
If you’re too busy to even measure out protein powder to make your shakes, then Shake Baby’s Spout Pouch ($39.90 for 7 pouches) would be right up your alley. Just add water or milk to the fill line, twist the cap on, and shake. You now have a handy pouch you can sip on as you go about your day.
Image adapted from: @shakebaby_official via Instagram
Each pouch contains 10g-16g of protein and caps at 150kcal if you just add water, so you could drink this as a dietary supplement for weight management. The pouches come in 5 flavours: strawberry, chocolate, grain, matcha, and cornflakes.
Protein content per serving: 10g-16g
Price: From $5.70/serving
Whey protein powders can leave those who’re lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy feeling bloated and queasy. It’s why Amazin’ Graze only sells vegan protein powders made from peas, mung beans, and pumpkin, so it’s suitable for those with soy allergies too.
Image credit: @amazingrazesg via Instagram
The protein powder even has probiotics, turmeric, green tea extracts, and Fibersol added to it. This additions aid in boosting gut health, immunity, and metabolism, as well as manage blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
You can get Amazin’ Graze protein powders in 3 flavours: vanilla, chocolate, and matcha.
Protein content per serving: 25g-26g
Price: From $2.49/serving
Get Amazin’ Graze protein powders.
Image credit: Isopure via Facebook
Those looking to shed some weight know that it’s imperative for them to avoid consuming excessive amounts of carbohydrates in order to reach their fitspo goals. To stay in a caloric deficit while getting your protein fix, look no further than the Isopure Zero Carb.
As its name suggests, the Isopure Zero Carb contains zilch carbohydrates – you won’t be flouting your keto diet rules when you take this supplement. The 25g of protein found per scoop is also completely made out of whey isolate, so you’ll continue to reap the muscle recovery benefits even while you’re on a strict cut.
And if you don’t have a knack for desserts, Isopure’s got refreshing fruity flavours like Mango Peach and Pineapple Orange Banana for you to consider instead of richer flavours like Dutch Chocolate and Creamy Vanilla.
Protein content per serving: 25g
Price: From $2.21/serving
Get Isopure Zero Carb.
Image credit: Sunwarrior
If you’re religiously following a plant-based diet, the Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Organic is a vegan powder that’ll help add a welcome influx of protein to your diet. Containing 17g of protein and 6g of BCAAs, this Keto and Paleo-friendly supplement slots in nicely into pretty much anybody’s meal plans.
One gripe people have with vegan protein powders is their unpleasant grainy taste, so national canoe polo athlete Marissa Yeo was thrilled that this Sunwarrior blend was devoid of that yucky texture.
“I really like it because it dissolves in water super easily and it’s significantly less grainy compared to other vegan proteins, making it so much more palatable texture-wise,” Marissa says.
Protein content per serving: 17g
Price: From $1.50/serving
Get Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Organic.
Each scoop of MyProtein’s Impact Whey contains roughly 21g of protein and 4.5g of BCAAs.
Image credit: Myprotein via Facebook
A cult favourite among fitness fanatics and occasional gym-goers, the MyProtein Impact Whey is an affordable option that comes in a whopping 69 different flavours. Apart from the usual suspects like chocolate and vanilla, they’ve also got exotic flavours that include the likes of Creme Brulee and every Singaporean’s favourite, Brown Sugar Milk Tea.
MyProtein’s Impact Whey also gets the athlete stamp of approval, as Marissa’s teammates use this protein to fuel their intense training sessions. And although MyProtein is based in the UK, there are sellers stocking it on Shopee, so you don’t need to foot exorbitant shipping fees to snag your protein fix.
Pro tip: The MyProtein site perpetually has handy discount codes that slash 30%-50% off their range of protein powders and other exercise accessories. These promos are in plain sight once you’ve entered the website, so just plop the code in at checkout and you’re golden!
Protein content per serving: 21g
Price: From $1.09/serving
Apart from your traditional shakes, you can mix protein powders to make variants of in-trend drinks like Dalgona Coffee.
Image credit: ALLMAX Nutrition via Facebook
After sifting through seven different brands over the course of his 20-year-long fitness journey, casual bodybuilder Alvin finally settled down with the AllMax Isoflex. The brand’s nutritional values don’t lie, as this 100% whey isolate blend contains 27g of protein per scoop with no sugar whatsoever.
And if taste is of the essence, the saviour for your tastebuds is AllMax’s Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour. Alvin personally swears by this flavour, specifying that “it tastes like a Starbucks Hazelnut Latte” whenever he drinks it in the morning.
Fun fact: When we look at percentages, a single scoop of the AllMax Isoflex is composed of 90% protein. This ratio is significantly higher than that of other natural protein sources like a trimmed steak (23% protein) or even chicken breast (17% protein).
Protein content per serving: 27g
Price: From $1.17/serving
Get AllMax Isoflex.
Image credit: GHOST via Facebook
If protein shakes are a drink you’re consuming on the daily, then they sure as heck better taste good. Fitness brand Ghost Lifestyle prides itself on the great-tasting, decadent flavours found in their Ghost 100% Whey Protein line.
Some of their bestselling flavours include Marshmallow Cereal Milk, which contains additional chunks of actual marshmallows mixed in the sea of powder. But the brand’s pièce de résistance is their fabled collab with cookie brand Chips Ahoy! – mini bits of cookies are present in every scoop to add some sweet mouthfeel.
Though this brand’s a rare sight in Singapore, they are available on Shopee.
Protein content per serving: 20g-25g
Price: From $3.54/serving
Image credit: iHerb.com Russian via Facebook
Garnering over 2,500 positive reviews on reputable online supplement site iHerb, the California Gold Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate is a highly-raved supplement for good reason. The product’s trifecta of nutritional values speak for themselves; its unflavoured variant boasts 27g of protein, 6.2g of BCAAs and 0g of carbohydrates per scoop.
It’s also about as natural a protein powder you can get too – it contains no artificial sweeteners, colours, gluten and GMOs.
Protein content per serving: 27g
Price: From $2.14/serving
Get California Gold Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate.
Image credit: Garden of Life via Facebook
Another vegan variant worth looking at is the Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein – a plant-based raw protein made up of 22 different organic grains, seeds and sprouts. Being a sugar-free protein, not even natural sweeteners like Stevia are incorporated into the powder’s formula.
And with 22g of protein and 4g of BCAAs per serving, this dairy-free and soyless protein is an apt buy for those with dietary restrictions.
Fun fact: Raw protein powders don’t undergo as many heating processes as regular ones, meaning that they’ll contain additional nutritional benefits like healthy fibres and vitamins.
Protein content per serving: 22g
Price: From $3.09/serving
Get Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein.
Image credit: @blendjet via Instagram
If you’re looking for something that’ll give you extra flavour, we recommend Jetpack Protein Smoothie. Protein smoothies are an easy way to incorporate fruits into your diet for extra vitamins. Now, you can now bid goodbye to a life of washing, peeling, chopping fruits.
All you need to do is open a pack, blend it with ice and milk – water works too – and you’ll have a bottle of nutrients and antioxidants packed smoothie ready to drink on the go.
There’s an on-going bundle where you can get their blendjet on top of the smoothie packs for $92.15.
Image credit: @blendjet via Instagram
The Jetpack Protein Smoothie is also gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan-friendly, so it’s safe for those with dietary restrictions. What you’re tasting isn’t artificial as well – each packet contains freeze-dried fruits to give it a natural sweetness. You’re also getting 15g of plant-based protein with each smoothie. There are 6 different flavours available, including Strawberry Banana and Very Berry.
Protein content per serving: 15g
Price: From $4.54
If you’re looking to transform into lean, mean, muscle-building machines, getting a regular dose of protein powder into your system is your best bet.
Whether it’s tasty flavours or zero carb options, you’re bound to find a formula tailored to your needs from this eclectic spread of protein powders.
Check out our other health-related articles to up your fitness game
Cover image adapted from: Myprotein, Isopure via Facebook
Last updated by Raewyn Koh and Shannon Lee on 17th August 2024.
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