Here is the Place to Buy Cheap Protein Powder
I get it. Protein powder ain’t cheap! You can easily go to your local health store and drop $70 on 4 or 5 pounds of the stuff!
And the selection of product is mind-boggling! So much protein, so little time! How do you know what to buy, and how do you know if it is any good?
First of all, if you decide to buy protein powder in a store at the mall, do NOT take the salespersons advice! They mean well, but they are also required to “recommend “ certain products, usually the house brand. And honestly, if they are relatively new to selling sports nutrition, they probably don’t know as much as you think. Do your own research and know what you want.
I have been buying and using protein powder for 30 years and I can tell you that buying ANY supplement online is the way to go if you want to save money.
When I was introduced to it in my teens, (WAY before the internet) there were maybe 2 companies that made it, and it came in two flavors, Bad and Nasty! Bob Hoffman made a product that tasted like maggots, but I wanted every possible edge to help me build muscle (I was super skinny) so I bought and used as much as I could afford.
How Do I Know If the Cheap Protein I Buy is Any Good?
As with almost any product, protein powder is available in a variety of qualities. Even cheap protein powder can vary.
Name brands are usually a good way to ensure quality, but even these companies have a “low end” product. The quality and purity of a protein powder product is determined by the ingredients. Specifically what type of protein it is made from. There is whey concentrate, whey isolate, whey hydrolysate, etc. For more on these types, see this Wikipedia article on whey protein isolate.
One way to tell if a protein powder actually has a decent amount of protein in it, you need to look a two items on the label. They are “Grams of Protein Per Serving” and “Serving Size” in grams. Then pull out your iPhone calculator and divide the Serving size in grams by the Grams of protein per serving.
The answer will be the percentage of each service that is actually protein. Now there are always preservatives, emulsifiers and flavoring in any protein powder product, so it won’t be 100% pure, but the best, purest protein supplements, such as Whey Protein Isolate, should be in the 90% or higher for a great quality protein.
In the picture, you will see that the serving size is 32 grams and the protein per serving is 24 grams. 24 divided by 32 equals 75% protein. Despite the fact that this is the label for Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein, which has been the #1 selling whey protein for YEARS, that is not a great number! Can anyone say “great marketing”?
I have actually used this protein myself for many, many years as well. Not any more. I did some research and wrote an article called 5 Whey Protein Powders That are Actually High in Protein.
The cheapest high-quality whey protein currently on the market hands down is whey protein and Whey Isolate by myprotein.com. Normally I would say that the more you pay, the better the product. Name brands are expensive because they spend millions on huge full color glossy ads in the front and back of magazines such as Muscle & Fitness, FLEX (which has now combined with Muscle & Fitness to create one magazine), Muscular Development and Mens Health, to name a few. The big companies also spend lots on fancy packaging and heavy plastic containers.
If you go to MyProtein Impact Whey Protein page and look at the Nutritional information, you will see it comes to 76%, so it is comparable to Optimum, but the price is lower, and there is almost always a 30% off sale code right on the website, so you will get 5.5 lbs for around $36! And free shipping over $49.
Currently I am buying the Impact Whey Isolate protein,which is 90% pure in the Unflavored version and 84% pure in the Mocha flavor, which is my favorite. I always buy the 11 lb bag as it is the cheapest Whey Protein deal I can find. It comes to around $7.31 per pound. Try to find another whey protein powder supplement even close to that with purity over 80%. I have tried, and Myprotein is the cheapest whey protein that actually is high in protein anywhere.
The flavor is pretty good and it mixes easily in water of milk. I use milk as it adds more protein and gives it a creamier flavor.
Here is the label from my 11 pound bag of Impact Isolate Mocha flavor:
This one comes out to 84% pure. I know that the unflavored version is higher, because the cocoa and flavoring takes up some of the product. On the website, the unflavored Whey protein isolate comes in at 90% You can’t get any better then that!
The first thing you will notice with myprotein products is the packaging is not very fancy. This is partly why their prices are so low. And they do not advertise nearly as much in the magazines as most other companies, saving even more money. Then they pass the savings on to you!
also see my article on Best Vegan Protein Powders.
Myprotein comes in many flavors, so they are sure to have the flavor you want. Go to the website and see for yourself!
The quality of this protein is actually higher than some of the popular name-brand protein powders on the market for twice the price!
Hi Dave Although I am not into body building I was struck by the passion you have for this activity. Along with lifting weights to build up your muscles does the protein powder also help with that or does it help you gain the necessary strength to lift more weight?Does the amount of protein you would take in a day have anything to do with how much you workout lifting weights?Are these protein powders good for you if you are not into body building?
Hi Maureen,
Thanks for your comments and questions! These are all excellent questions!
Basically, everyone needs protein to be healthy. Your body needs it just to survive as it is necessary for many processes at the cellular level. Protein is also necessary to maintain and increase muscle mass.
While most people need a moderate amount to stay healthy (RDA of protein in men is 56 grams per day, 46 grams for women), individuals looking to increase strength and muscle mass need far more. Most bodybuilders, including myself, take in about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. That is 200+ grams per day for me.
This is because during exercise and especially intense exercise, such as weight lifting, muscle is actually torn down to a certain degree then requires proteins to repair, rebuild and get stronger. Think of protein as the building blocks for muscle.
Protein powder is simply a convenient way for most people to increase their daily intake if they struggle with getting appropriate amounts of protein from regular food.
I hope this answers your questions!
Dave
Hi Dave Yes you have definitely answered all my questions. thank-you
Hi Dave,
I was worried that this post was going to be just about cheap protein and not quality protein powder. Thank you for making it about sourcing quality protein powder at the best prices! You are right, it is hard sorting out what is the best and most affordable protein to buy. I like your suggestion to compare the grams of protein in a serving size to see what the percentage of “other” ingredients is. In essence, higher quality protein is cheaper because you are getting more protein in each serving. Next time I need to order, I’ll come find your page!
Tammy
Tammy,
Thank you for your comment! There are so many protein powders out there and most of them are good but you do need to be careful and look at the ingredients to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for it!
Great advice to buy protein powder online. That’s what I do and find it more affordable, and of course convenient.
Palatable powders, that aren’t full of inferior ingredients are certainly a commodity and hard to find. I have been on the hunt for years.
I always buy whey protein isolate rather than concentrate. Many people think concentrate is the way to go, but I beg to differ. Thanks for confirming that for me.
I’m looking forward to reading your review of 5 Whey Protein Powders That are Actually High in Protein, and checking out the powders you suggested. Thank you for this article.
Thanks for the comment, Holly. Whey Isolate is definitely the way to if you are looking for a protein that is high in purity. Whey concentrate can be ok as long as It is part of a blend of isolate and hydrolysate. Always be sure the isolates are listed first, indicating that there is more of it in the product.
You got this down in numbers, love it! I have to tell this to my husband since he loves putting the portion powder in his smoothies. Currently, he uses the hemp protein powder and also some peas powder. Have you heard that the soy in the protein powder isn’t good for you? I am also allergic to soy, do you have any options that has high protein without soy? Thank you for all your suggestions and researches. Happy holidays
Nuttanee,
Thanks for your comment! Yes, there is a certain amount of controversy surrounding soy protein. The thinking was that it raised estrogen levels in men, but that has been somewhat debunked recently.
There are plenty of protein powders available including the ones mentioned in my article that do not have any soy protein in them. You would want to stay away from some of the blended proteins as they may contain soy, but definitely look at the ingredient list before you buy.
Dave
Dear Dave,
This is an interesting and helpful post. I can tell you that, I have taken some great insights from this post.
Protein supplement is a must and we all know its not possible to consume or intake the required protein via food. As you mentioned protein powder is not cheap.
Information is wealth! You have provided a great advice and recommendation. Thanks for sharing from your own experience of 30 years. The advice you given on finding whether the protein powder has a decent amount of protein is very helpful.
Thanks for saving people money and guiding us towards a quality product.
Wishing you much Success!
Paul
Thanks for the comment Paul! Cheap protein that is good quality is not easy to find!
I liked your post, you are really very enthusiastic. I have know about protein powder, but do all of them are from whey? I have some friends using powder protein to improve the weight lifting but I never notice that all is from whey. Whey is not the only source to get protein. Do you think is it good for people over 60s?
Maria,
Thank you for your comment! No, all protein powders do not come from whey. There are protein powders made from plant sources as well such as hemp, peas and rice. Casein protein Is another protein that is made from milk that takes longer to digest and is an excellent protein powder to take before bedtime.
I do think that protein powder can be beneficial for people of all ages, especially if they struggle to get the recommended daily allowance of protein each day.
Dave
This is great article Dave. I like to consume whey protein primarily because of health, I heard that it can positively affect our digestion and muscles very fast absorb it. I am not a bodybuilder but I lift weights and whey protein gives great results. For now, I am using Isolate whey protein and I am more than satisfied.
Daniel, thanks for the comment! Glad to hear you have found a whey isolate that you like! I did not know about the vast differences in purity among even the most popular protein powders until recently. Stay healthy!
Dave
Hi Dave,
I never took time to calculate the % ratio of the protein and, that make sense how you did the Maths. I have a better Idea what to look and how to look before to buy.
I live in Vancouver, Canada and one of the popular store is Popeye. When I go there, it’s very overwhelming with all the product they offer. I do not know what to look because I’m totally ignorant about this subject. Like you said, sometimes, those sell people take probably advantage of my ignorance to sell me the best product for them and not necessary for me.
I will go have a look to the website you suggested and compare all the product.
Thanks for you clarification,
Mathieu
Matthieu, thanks for reading my article and writing a comment! Checking the ratio is a quick way to know what you are getting g for your money. If you want to buy protein, you don’t any to spend your hard earned money on a product that has a ton of ingredients in it that are NOT protein, so be sure to get the purest powder you can find.
Dave
I really recommend buying cheap solid body building powder online here. I really agree with you when you say it is not good to take a persons advice when buying in the mall or stores the best way to go is to do my own research. OK let us say i do buy in a local store where there is maybe no fan or air conditioner to maybe keep it at room optimum temperatures, what are the good temperatures to store this even after you have purchased it in your home?
Thank you for reading my article and leaving a comment! Protein powders in general should always be stored in a cool, dry area at room temperature. This would mean about 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22.2 Celsius) or lower. However, do refrigerate or freeze.
Dave
Thanks for this awesome post.Whenever I want to buy protein powder I do take to the salesperson advise on which one to purchase, but this article has showed me not to take their advice. l want to ask you since protein powder helps in building muscle can I substitute it for gym or workout because I’m somehow lazy .Now I know how and where to get quality protein powder.Thanks once more for this information.
Lok Which,
Thank you for reading and commenting on my post. Unfortunately no, protein powder cannot substitute for workouts! Protein powder supplements are only to help you get enough protein so your body can rebuild the muscles that were broken down during a workout. Consuming a large amount of protein and not working out will simply add to your total caloric intake.
Dave