Best tasting protein supplement
 

I stopped by my local vitamin / fitness store today to pick up a protein supplement to support some muscle development. After browsing over a wall of different bottles, I settled on Designer Whey in the French Vanilla flavor. In the past I've done almost anything to avoid drinking medication / supplements, as I really cannot stomach tasting anything unpleasant. I thought this would be a little better, since it's just protein and they can flavor however they want (versus a medication which takes on certain flavors naturally). Needless to say, one sip of this stuff, I was already gagging.

Instead of going back and spending hundred of dollars trying out different bottles (most of them only come in these huge jugs) I figured I'd ask around to see if anyone had used a particular brand and flavor in the past that was a little more on the tasteful side. Doesn't have to be any super fancy supplement, just looking for a basic protein. I've seen a few suggestions for "Muscle Milk" but to be honest, the name kind of scares me. Any help is appreciated (by me and my stomach).

The best tasting protein supplement I know of is a big Porterhouse Steak ;)

Now, as to actual supplements, none of them taste good, but some are tolerable. Your tastes may vary, but I use this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/op...&CJPID=3059309

Tastes like hell, but it works.

I started stocking BSN supplements at the club, due to member demand. One of the reasons was taste.

Muscle milk is actually really good. If you have never tried it I would recommend the vanilla and mocha flavors for starts. The chocolate just tastes like thick chocolate milk, nothing special imo.
I do agree with the steak suggestion. Real food > Supplement, every single time. I'm not saying never drink a protein shake, I totally know how my appetite is after 50 miles (non existent), but real food is cheaper, and contains beneficial properties that supplements only try to mimic (minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, hormonal actions, etc. etc.)
Warrior Whey/Warrior Milk, found on www.defensenutrition.com, is hands down the best tasting supp on earth if you can afford it and it means that much to you.

Thanks for the replies. I just ran back to the store and picked up a bottle of Muscle Milk in the Strawberry flavor. Tried mixing it with water, milk, even certain kinds of fruit juice - it turned everything into pepto-bismal. Better then the Designer Whey, but certainly not something I could drink every day. I think I'll try the Vanilla, and if that isn't acceptable, I'll probably just give up / design something myself in lab.

Optimum Nutrition Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream are quite drinkable.

Perfect. Go for a can of pink or sockeye salmon. Per gram of protein you're looking at about the same price as a protein shake. You also get all the fancy oils to make your fur coat shiny... and it's mercury free!

I just throw in a little miracle whip and chop in a stalk of celery and I'm good to go. Toast some bread and you've got your carbs too!

in my area it's 1.60$ per can of pink, 44g of protein (complete). Tastes good.

I also find that when I eat the salmon my mood increases. It might be a placebo effect, but I swear I'm happier and my body doesn't hurt as much when I eat the salmon. I know it has anti-inflammatory effects and it's rich in omega 3 oils - that might have something to do with it.

edit:

you can go for tuna, but tuna has mercury in it. I stay away from tuna for this reason. Salmon is mercury free as I already said. You can also try sardines. Mercury free + you can eat straight out of the can!

Zan, I don't eat seafood or any other organism that lives, eats, excretes waste, reproduces, and dies all in the same medium. I do appreciate the suggestion tho.

oh, you're one of those people...

Well in that case, I personally would recommend Hemp and Hemp protein powder. It has a very desirable balance of omega 3, 6, and 9, has protein that is more complete and more easily assimilated than soy, and balances hormones (whereas non fermented, processed soy, as in protein products, tends to be estrogenic.)

if you want to be picky.... plants do this as well.


however, while I agree on the porterhouse steak, (with a loaded baked potato and a good beer) lean protein such as chicken breast or fish (salmon as noted above) are my choices.

I like this http://www.kaizenprotein.com/index.html

The vanilla flavour is pretty good - I don't mind it just mixed with water (I've bought some pretty unpalatable stuff before)

+1 on Optimum Nutrition, best tasting in my opinion

www.trueprotein.com

You can buy unflavored protein cheap and get the flavor packs separately. That way you don't have to go thru 5 lbs of the same flavor before moving on to something else.

+10

I use Optimum Nutrition as well and it tastes great. Take a scoop and toss it into a blender with some fruits and you have a delicious smoothie. Chocolate and peanut butter shakes anyone?

I just buy the cheapset bulk protein and just buy flavors to flavor it

I have been getting my flavorings and protein from these people for years..best prices you can find

http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_D...id=22&pid=1770
True Protein | High Quality Nutrition and Protein Supplements


http://www.trueprotein.com/product_listings.aspx?cid=22
True Protein | High Quality Nutrition and Protein Supplements

I like this stuff.
http://proteinfactory.com/shop/produ...5&cat=0&page=1

They have flavors if you want them, I get it plain. It mixes well and is pleasant.

I just ordered a variety pack of the Optimum stuff from a place online. $19 and comes with something like 16 different flavors. I'll give each of them a try and see if I can stomach one of them.

I do not see why it's so hard for companies to just make a good tasting mix. They managed to make a fiber supplement that dissolves completely tasteless and colorless, why not protein.

I am almost finished with the Optimum sample pack. Here are my opinions:

Double Rich Chocolate - very good. I bought a 2lb container of it as well because I know it tastes good plain or blended with peanut butter and/or a nice ripe banana. Too good.

Caramel Toffee Fudge - pretty good. Don't know if I would want to drink it everyday.

Chocolate Malt - not bad. Pretty much chocolate with a slight Whopper candy aftertaste.

Cookies and Cream - OK. Had high hopes, but wasn't that impressed. More cream than cookie.

Delicious Strawberry - good. Pretty close to strawberry NesQuik.

Extreme Milk Chocolate - OK. Slightly more chocolate taste, but I am partial to the Double Rich Chocolate. It's plenty chocolaty.

Vanilla Ice Cream - good. Would probably be very good blended with fruits.

French Vanilla Creme - good. I think I liked the vanilla flavor of the French more than the ice cream.

Mocha Cappuccino - OK. I think the plain coffee flavor would be better.

Orange Cream - Pretty good. Good balance between orange and cream. I might buy a container of this one.

Rocky Road - good. Tastes like a mix of chocolate and vanilla.

Banana Cream - OK. More banana than cream. Has an slight aftertaste to me, but pretty much EVERY banana-flavored product I have ever tried had an aftertaste.

Strawberry Banana, Root Beer Float, Chocolate Mint, Tropical Punch - have not tried these yet.

I mix my protein with 8 oz of 2% milk. Water is OK, but I like thicker results and extra calories from milk. Also, I have always had issues using a shaker bottle with Optimum whey protein. It always seems to form lots of little clumps on the side of the bottle. My method is to mix in a short, wide-mouth glass. I pour in the protein and add about 1/3 of the milk. Then I use a fork to make a slurry and try to get the powder completely blended/wet. Then add the rest of the milk and stir well. Use the fork to scrape the sides of the glass. THEN, I set the glass in the freezer for a few minutes to let any undissolved powder go into solution. This might sound complicated, but it does provide the best (smoothest) results if you don't want to dirty and clean your blender every time. I do this almost every day before my morning shower.

Tip: When I do use a blender, I freeze a banana beforehand. Makes a great thick shake. Add some peanut butter and you have a nice meal replacement. I've also added some plain instant oatmeal to add even more carbs and texture.

Double Rich Chocolate is still the best to me. I bet they have sold tons of this over the years. I'll probably go with a vanilla or the orange cream next.

optimum nutrition.

stay away from vanillia PERIOD...in any protein..

Vanilla and strawberry seem to always come out poorly. It's as if there's only one strawberry flavor maker in the world, and they supply pepto-bismal and everyone else.

check out syntha 6 vanilla, or bsn dessert, it tastes just like vanilla ice cream.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/dessert.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/synth.html

this website has the best prices, and i am not affiliated with them.

Well most of them taste pretty neutral to me, but the Pure Protein chocolate tastes good to me, as does the mocha and chocolate Muscle Milk. I use Apex Max Protein though, it's like 45 grams of protein or something and the vanilla mixes just well enough with soymilk.

Hemp Seed

chocolate milk.