What do you look for when shopping for chocolate protein powder? Are you all about the flavor, or do you look for a thick, rich shake that will make supplementing your diet with protein more enjoyable?
Your other options are to look for a protein powder that is the most nutritious for your body or which offers the most protein per serving to help with muscle recovery and growth after workouts.
If you are serious about gaining lean muscle mass, you may also look for a protein powder that contains the highest possible amount of BCAAs or which adds glutamine into the mix.
Everyone has their own priorities when it comes to shopping for a protein supplement, so it is important to shop with the factors that are most important to you in mind. This consumer guide will help you identify your primary fitness goals and then narrow down some of the best protein powders designed to help people like you reach those goals. Use this information to select the chocolate protein powder that will offer the most value to your body.
High-Quality Protein for Muscle Building
If your primary health and fitness goal is to build more muscle or look bulkier, you need high-quality protein powder that delivers a lot of protein per serving with a healthy supply of BCAAs in every serving. One of the best products that currently meets those standards is Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate.
This is a high-quality whey protein powder that is 75% protein. It is also loaded with naturally-occurring amino acids which are helpful when your muscles need to recover from an intense workout and grow stronger. Each scoop contains 24 grams of protein for just 120 calories and 1.5 grams of fat, so it is a healthy powder that can work even for those trying to lose weight.
Low-Calorie Chocolate Protein Powder
If your primary health and fitness goal is to burn fat or lose weight, you need a low-calorie powder that still offers enough protein to make it worth the calories it does contain. A good example of a chocolate-flavored powder that meets those criteria is EAS Lean 15 Protein Powder, chocolate fudge flavor. This powder is designed to help create lean, well-toned muscles, and it is a popular chocolate protein powder with women who want to stay lean and trim.
Each serving of this protein powder contains just 100 calories, but it also delivers 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. The fiber is a nice added ingredient for anyone losing weight because it helps keep the stomach full between meals. The calories are so low in this protein powder that you can easily use it as a snack or mix it into smoothies for after-workout pickups.
Chocolate Protein with a Nutritious Twist
If you are looking for a chocolate protein powder that will nourish your body and help you age gracefully, you are looking for something like Cacao Chocolate Infusion Green Superfood from Amazing Grass. This is a vegan protein powder that is 70% organic. It is filled with raw food ingredients proven to nourish and heal the body naturally.
The downside to this type of protein powder is reduced protein content. Each scoop of this Amazing Grass powder contains just 2 grams of protein, but it also contains only 30 calories. This is the type of protein powder you can use when baking or cooking with protein powder. You can also mix it into your drinks to boost your protein intake over the course of the day. If you want to make a protein powder, you will need to use too much of this protein powder for it to be affordable in most cases.
Go for the Taste
If you know that you won’t consume a protein shake regularly if it doesn’t taste amazing, you should shop primarily for a protein powder known to taste good. Some protein powders are hold-your-nose disgusting, but there are some delicious chocolate protein powders on the market. One of the most popular options is the Chocolate Milkshake protein powder from BSN Syntha-6.
This protein powder is loaded with BCAAs and contains 22 grams of protein in every scoop. It is a bit higher in calories than some other protein powders, but is still reasonable for most people trying to build muscle, lose weight or simply feed their body as healthfully as possible.
Since Syntha-6 is known as one of the most delicious protein powder brands on the market right now, it is a good option for anyone seriously concerned about flavor. Since it contains a bit of fiber in every serving, it is a good option for those interested in staying full between meals.
What about Availability?
Some chocolate protein powders are not easy to find in local stores and are often sold out online. That is not good news when you are running out of your favorite shake and need a replacement as soon as possible. That is why it is worth mentioning products like CytoSport’s Muscle Milk. While this is not the highest-quality protein powder that offers a chocolate flavor right now, it is one of the easiest protein powders to find due to the popularity of the brand name. If you want something that you can order in bulk online or pick up at your local store in a pinch, this is a good brand to consider.