Choosing a good protein powder

When choosing a protein powder, one of the most important things to look at is the calorie-to-protein ratio.

This tells you how much of the powder's calories actually come from protein versus carbs or fat. For most people, a good benchmark is a 1:4 to 1:5 ratio. That means for every 100 calories, you should get 20 to 25 grams of protein.

If the ratio is higher, like 1:2 or worse, it means there are a lot of extra calories coming from carbs or fats. Powders like that might work for people needing a calorie surplus, but for general use, they’re not ideal and I would prefer to be getting those extra fats and carbs from other food sources.

Look for powders that keep carbs and fats low—under 2 grams of fat and 3 grams of carbs per 25 grams of protein is a good target.

Whey isolates usually have better calorie-to-protein ratios than concentrates or plant-based proteins.

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