Whey Protein

Breakdown

5 ingredients to avoid

Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein scores 30/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in. It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein lists 12 ingredients, starting with Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate, Cocoa, Maltodextrin and Lecithin. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

At 30/100 Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein scores worse than most protein powders we have scored. A higher-scoring option in protein powders is Truvani Plant Based Protein, Unflavored & Unsweetened, 19.75 oz at 100/100.