When it comes to purity in whey protein powder, it is difficult to beat Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate. The powder uses pure whey isolates for the protein source and contains no artificial ingredients. The ingredient list is incredibly short and easy to understand, so you don’t have to worry about unnecessary additives. You also have the option of purchasing unflavored whey protein isolate, which is not found through other leading brands on the market today. You get pure protein in every sense of the word, flavor included.
The unflavored whey isolate powder is great for baking and cooking if you don’t want to affect the flavor of your final product. Beyond the unflavored option, you only have two flavor options: Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate. These are the two standard flavors on the protein powder market today, but you can find more variety in some other brands. For example, CytoSport Whey Isolate comes in Green Apple and other unique flavors.
Check the Label
Now Foods is one of the most popular brands in the health and nutrition market right now, and they do have other whey protein powders for sale. You have to read the labels carefully because the names are quite similar, but what you receive inside each tub is a bit different.
For instance, Now Foods Whey Isolate is made from high-quality whey protein isolates but Now Foods Whey Protein is made from whey concentrates. Concentrates can contain far less protein than isolates and contain more glucose. If you are glucose intolerant, you may stomach the pure whey isolates far better than the whey concentrates. If you are simply interested in consuming the highest-quality proteins possible, then the pure whey isolate powder is your ideal pick.
Micro-Filtered for Fast Absorption
Micro-filtered whey protein powders are put through an extra processing step than other protein powders. Once they whey protein isolates are created, they are broken down so that the body can absorb them faster. Whey protein in general is a fast-absorbing protein that the bodily can process rather easily, but the micro-filtering process makes this process even faster.
If you want to use your protein powder for after-workout muscle recovery, micro-filtering can be a benefit. Your muscles will receive their protein supplement faster so that they can begin the process of protein synthesis and recovery.
Since whey protein is already quickly absorbed, many consumers do not want to pay extra for a micro-filtered protein powder. You have to make the decision for yourself based on the prices you can find for Now Foods Whey Isolate and competing products.
Nutritional Profile – What’s In the Powder?
The nutritional profile for a single-scoop serving contains the following:
- 110 calories
- 0.5 gram fat
- <1 gram carbohydrate
- 25 grams protein
The protein content per scoop is about average for competing 100% whey isolate protein powders on the market right now. There are some competitors that contain 20 grams per scoop and some that contain 30 grams per scoop, and they all contain about the same amount of calories, fat and carbohydrates. You can consider this Now Foods Whey Isolate powder mid-market in terms of nutrition.
What Does It Cost?
You will pay about $1.32 per single-scoop serving when you purchase this protein powder at full retail price. This is reasonable, but there are some competitors that sell for a bit less per serving. For instance, CytoSport Whey Isolate sells for about $1.05 per serving and is among the cheapest whey isolate powders currently on the market. The difference in price is not much, so the Now Foods option is still reasonable if you prefer the unflavored protein powder.
Is Now Foods Whey Isolate Right for You?
The nutritional content for this product is similar to other whey protein isolate protein powders out there right now, but the price per serving is a bit higher than many competitors. If you want a standard chocolate or vanilla protein powder, then you may want to go with one of the cheaper options since the nutritional profile is about the same.
If you prefer the unflavored protein powder, then you don’t have many options on today’s market. You need to pay a bit more for the Now Foods option in this case, but you can find it on sale online a lot of times. The sale prices make the per-serving price comparable to the full retail price for CytoSport Whey Isolate and other lower-priced competitors. The lack of flavor is a clear advantage if you want to bake or cook with protein powder.
If your goal is to gain weight or muscle, the 25 grams of protein you will receiver per scoop of this powder is about mid-market. You can get a bit more protein by going with Body Fortress Whey Isolate or Optimum Nutrition Whey Isolate, or you can simply double up to two scoops of this powder to obtain 50 grams per shake. You will still only consume 220 calories in that doubled shake, which is reasonable.
If your goal is to lose body fat, then the low calorie, fat and carbohydrate content make this a great option for your daily diet. You get a nice amount of protein in a shake that is very low-calorie, and you can keep that calorie count down for the final shake by selecting your mix-in ingredients carefully. Even if you double your serving size, you only take in 220 calories per shake.
If you are shopping for a cheap whey isolate protein powder, this is probably not your best bet. Look at some of the other whey protein reviews on this site to find better alternatives.
Best Features Compared to Other Whey Isolate Protein Powders:
- Unflavored option
- Micro-filtered
- No artificial ingredients
- Ideal for cooking and baking with protein powder