Getting in enough protein seems like a full time job these days, especially if you’re a woman over 40 trying to protect your muscle mass. I see you. If you’re a meat and dairy lover, this may not feel like such a chore, but being mostly plant-based and avoiding dairy most of the time does NOT help with the daily protein intake. Enter Drink Wholesome. One of their RDs was kind enough to send me samples of their protein powders and as soon as I received these, I got to sampling!
Variety of Protein Types
I absolutely love that Drink Wholesome thought about how to cater to different customers with different needs. Vegan? Not a problem, they have a vegan almond protein powder for that. Looking for a non-dairy alternative? They’ve got an egg white protein powder as well. It’s great because if I’ve learned one thing from coaching clients over the years, it’s that health means different things to all of us. Some people don’t do well with eggs at all, some do well with egg whites, but not the yolks, and others need everything to be animal-product free. If you’re not sure what protein types may work best for you, be sure to check my post on plant protein vs animal protein. It’s not a one-size fits all. I tried both their vegan and egg white based protein and the one thing I noticed right away is that neither of them hurt my stomach. A big deal. I work really hard to keep my digestive system in great shape (this is what you do as a certified health coach and wellness founder!) and I care a ton about gut health, so the fact that neither of these caused any digestive issues is definitely a plus. Drink Wholesome even has a guarantee that if their mixes upset your stomach, it’s free. Hard to beat!
Ingredient Profile
You all already know that I’m a stickler for ingredients, but switching hats from holistic health coach to wellness founder (in progress!) has also opened my eyes to what exactly “clean” ingredients mean. Just because something is not pronounceable, does not mean that it’s automatically bad for your health. Many extra ingredients are added to extend shelf life, stabilize a formulation, or, prevent clumping, for example. On the flip side, many ingredients are also added unnecessarily and are not of the highest quality. Drink Wholesome’s ingredients are on the front of the package, which I really appreciated since you can see what you’re consuming at a glance. I absolutely love their ingredient profile since it gets you pretty close to consuming whole foods.
Taste
Ok, we all know a protein powder isn’t any good if it tastes chalky or has that heavy feeling or lingering aftertaste. None of those were present when I sampled Drink Wholesome. As you probably know, I’m not a big fan of Stevia because of the lingering aftertaste that gives me (and the bloating!), so not having any of this present was a win for me. My favorite flavor is the Maple Cinnamon. It’s subtly sweet and can stand alone, meaning it tastes really great by itself. Kayla at Drink Wholesome told me that she pairs it with her coffee to make an iced maple cinnamon latte and I think that’s just genius. Way better and much more nourishing for you than throwing in some Premier Protein with your coffee. Truly delicious. I have not yet tried baking with this yet, but I can definitely see myself using it in my Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal and Pumpkin Spice Pear overnight oats. Yes, I know those are in the pumpkin spice category, but I think they would both be fantastic with a hint of maple cinnamon and dose of gut-friendly protein.
Overall, I think Drink Wholesome offers solid choices for those with sensitive stomachs and an eye for clean, real, whole ingredients. If you’d like to give it a try, use code “wellandgreat” for 10% off your first subscription. Let me know when you give this a try, I’d love to know what you think!
