If you’re concerned that the whey protein powder you’re ingesting has more additives and GMOs than you’re willing to put into your body, then you’re probably looking for a cleaner and safer alternative.
It seems natural for people to turn to organic supplements when they want a healthier product minus the nasties. But even organic whey protein powders are not all equal in quality, and in the concentration of beneficial ingredients.
It can take time and a lot of money to try out several different supplements until you find the one you like. So, we’ve decided to give you a head start by offering our choice of the best organic whey protein powders on the market.
We’ll check out the options in a minute, but first let’s take a look at what constitutes a premium quality whey protein powder.
Recognising a premium quality whey protein powder
The obvious first item on our checklist is that it must not contain any additives or GMOs (genetically modified organisms). The National Human Genome Institute classifies GMOs as a plant, animal or microbe in which one or more changes have been made to the genome, typically through high-tech genetic engineering [1].
Ideally, the powder you choose should not only be labelled as organic, but also grass-fed as this assures consumers that the whey protein is completely free of GMOs.
Look out for the following words if you want to avoid harmful substances:
- Dextrin, maltodextrin – added to powders as fillers.
- Sucralose (Splenda, E955), Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, E951), and Saccharin (E954) – these are artificial sweeteners.
- Soy proteins – usually come from GMO sources with high pesticide use.
- Hydrogenated oils and fats – added to give the powder a creamy taste.
- Xanthan gum – used as a thickener.
- Gluten – not a harmful additive as such, but does cause inflammation in people with food sensitivity.
High quality protein powders are made from wholefood ingredients that benefit your health, such as supporting hormones, healthy weight-loss, exercise recovery, and appetite regulation. Unfortunately, the list above is more about taste, texture and colour than it is about health.
Once you remove all the fillers, you’re left with a pretty high concentration of pure whey protein. That’s what you’re looking for. A powder that is >70% whey protein qualifies as a premium concentrate product. This level of quality guarantees all essential amino acids are present, and that it is a balanced vitamin and mineral blend. Grass-fed whey is particularly high in branched chain amino acids which promote muscle growth and recovery, as well as act as antioxidants, protecting your cells from free radical damage.
Right, now that you know what you don’t want, let’s get to our list of the best organic protein powders.
1. Nutriest Organic Whey Protein Powder
Nutriest Organic Whey Protein Powder. GMO Free. Additive Free.
This 100% grass fed organic whey protein concentrate is from the milk of cows that graze freely on nutritionally dense green pastures. These small-farm pasture-raised cows are healthier and happier. The organic powder is minimally processed and is higher in antioxidants and other nutrients than conventional whey powders.
The product is soy free, gluten free, and contains no artificial sweeteners, preservatives or fillers.
Considered to be one of the most important sports nutrition supplements, whey protein isolate is one of the best studied supplements in the world, and it is on the foundation of these studies that Nutriest has formulated their product.
Their whey protein contains nine essential amino acids necessary for muscle building, recovery, wound healing, and immunity. Whether you’re an athlete, bodybuilder, or casual fitness enthusiast, you will benefit from this 80% whey concentrate formulation. Since it contains no banned substances, professional athletes can safely use it.
Other benefits of supplementation include weight loss and an increase in your body’s immune health. Immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, beta-lactoglobulin, glutamine, and selenium are just some of the critical components found in this organic protein powder.
Before we go any further with our recommendations, there is something you should understand about organic protein supplements vs. conventional protein powders. They are good for your health because they do not contain harmful ingredients, but that means that the consistency, thickness, texture, taste and colour of the product may not be what you’re used to.
Reviews of organic products will often say things like, ‘it doesn’t taste like much’, ‘it doesn’t mix well’, ‘the consistency is not what I’m used to’. Remember to balance comments like this with the fact that you are drinking a healthy and highly effective dietary supplement. Most of these concerns are quickly solved by adding the powders to almond milk, organic milk, or adding it to a fruit and veggie blend to make a nutrient dense smoothie.
Reviews of Nutriest’s Organic Whey Protein Powder
Here’s what customers on TrustPilot reported about Nutriest’s Organic Whey Protein Powder. They gave the powder a 4.8 out of 5.
“Can’t find better and cleaner protein not even lecithin on it which is great. Just whey protein that’s it. Tastes great for me and I can make smoothies cakes etc without that aftertaste the other protein give me that I hate” – verified purchase (Evangelia-N)
“Fantastic taste. Dissolves well in water. And if blended with a banana, it makes a perfect milkshake! I recommend it!” – verified purchase (Smart customer)
“Favorite protein powder. Simply without any added taste” – verified purchase (Kristine)
Why is Nutriest the Top Choice?
Ragnar and Aivar, the founders of this small Estonian company, have spent many years testing various nutritional diets, supplements and regimes. During this time, they’ve had their fair share of successes and failures. Their aim is to produce truly organic, high quality and effective nutritional supplements. To do this they source only the finest organic ingredients from their local farming communities.
Also, Nutriest has received support from the EU for the development of a new factory that will continue to process organic animal supplements using cutting edge technology. As they continue to innovate, you can rest assured knowing they are committed to your best health.
Priced at €31 for 1kg of powder, this is a very affordable product considering the high quality ingredients and stringent manufacturing standards.
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2. Naked Nutrition – Naked Whey
Pros of Naked Whey
- No artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners
- Sourced from U.S. dairy farms
- Gluten-free
- Comes in a variety of flavours
- PB flavours come in 2-pound tubs, for customers who want less than the regular 5-pound tub
- Chocolate flavour is made with raw cacao
Naked Whey comes from grass-fed cows raised on small non-GMO dairy farms. Their cows spend more days freely roaming compared to the midwest, resulting in higher quality milk. Not only is grass-fed whey better for the animals and the environment, but it also comes with several health benefits for you. It is marketed as a way of increasing your protein intake, while they keep the bad stuff out of their powder.
Naked Whey is around 82% protein concentrate with the other 18% being made up of amino acids and healthy fats. A container (2.2kg) costs around $94.99 for a once-off purchase, making the cost of this powder on the high end.
Reviews of Naked Whey
87% of the reviewers gave this powder a 5-star rating.
‘Great taste – not too sweet and not artificial like many other brands w/sucralose & other additives. Chocolate is mildly sweet, tastes like real cocoa.’ – Alex (verified)
‘I’ve liked that. It’s only three ingredients and taste very good not too sweet and it smells just like cocoa. The only thing I dislike was the price as it’s pretty steep compared to other protein powders.’ – Stephen (verified)
Why did Naked Nutrition make the list?
Naked Nutrition promises their product comes from grass fed cows on small dairy farms in the U.S. The powder does not contain any heavy metals or banned substances and therefore it is safe to use for athletes.
Founder Stephen Zieminski noticed many supplements included numerous ingredients that hadlittle nutritional value. People trying to live a healthy lifestyle aided by supplements were being marketed a healthy option, but sold something else. That same year Zieminski founded Naked Nutrition, starting with five single ingredient supplements, including the best-selling Naked Whey from grass-fed Northern California and Idaho cows.
3. Raw Grass Fed Whey
Pros of Raw Grass Fed Whey
- USDA-certified organic
- Contains 100% organic whey protein as its only ingredient
- No artificial sweeteners or additives
- Only 2 grams of carbs per serving
- No soy lecithin
This product offers 100% organic grass fed whey protein without GMO, Soy, and rBGH hormone free.
Their jersey cows graze freely on lush, green pastures all year long. These small farm cows are healthier and because of this they produce high quality milk rich in omega-3s, CLAs, and branch chain amino acids. The product is processed at low temperatures preserving the quality of the whey protein and no acids or bleaches are used. This ensures that the essential amino acids are preserved, giving you a super-healthy product for training and muscle recovery.
Available in 340g ($34.99) or 2.27kg ($84.99) this is a reasonably priced product with clean ingredients.
Reviews of Raw Grass Fed Whey
‘Taste is almost non-existent so great to combine with whatever, and dissolves completely! Love the processing (or lack there of) as well.’
-By J
‘I eat mostly organic food, and live an active lifestyle, so I’m always on the lookout for a good protein source. I often have trouble assimilating dairy-based protein powder, but this one is awesome, and I have no troubles digesting it! Great as a meal replacement blended with fruit, excellent for post-workouts. This whey has become an essential part of my daily nutrition.’
-By AV70
Why did Raw Organic Whey make the list?
The USDA Organic seal on Raw Organic WheyTM guarantees higher regulatory standards regarding how the cows are raised as well as how the whey is processed.
Their whey is derived from the milk of pasture fed cows on small, family-owned farms in the US. The farms have strict pasture standards that are implemented in all member farms.
In Closing
There are many products available online that claim to be clean, organic, and grass fed whey proteins. However, once you start scrutinising the list of ingredients, you soon find that they contain either soy lecithin, artificial sweeteners or thickeners.
In this article, we’ve given you three of the best truly organic whey protein powders on the market as options. We’ve examined a number of whey protein powders to create this shortlist and included the vision and ethics of the companies that manufacture the products in our list of reviewing criteria.
Furthermore, premium quality whey protein powders are highly bioavailable and contain essential amino acids needed by your body to maintain and repair muscle fibres and cell membranes. They also have an antioxidant effect in the body, protecting your cells from free radical damage.
We hope you enjoy our recommendations. Until next time when we bring you more clean, organic and high quality health supplements.
Limited Time Offer
Our top choice, Nutriest, is offering their organic grass fed whey protein powder as a bundle for a limited time. The whey protein powder pairs well with their pure oyster extract supplement, and grass fed beef testicle supplement, giving you complete nutritional support for muscle building and recovery.
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