A Taste Test Between 8 NOW Sports Protein Powders

Are you looking for a high-quality protein powder to help meet your goals? Whether you're looking to increase your protein intake to help manage your weight or build muscle mass, NOW® Sports Protein Powders are a fantastic option. To help you decide which one is right for you, I've partnered with NOW Foods to review a variety of NOW® Sports Protein Powders.

When my brother, who has been an avid weight-lifter for decades, recommended protein powder to assist with weight management, I dismissed his advice. It didn't make any sense to me. I wasn't looking to bulk up, I was looking to curb my mindless snacking. It wasn't until I visited NOW Foods in Illinois that I took this advice to heart. John Urban, NOW® Sports' brand manager, told us all about their selection of natural, unadulterated nutritional supplements I soon realized there is a common misconception that protein powder is only for athletes and body-builders for building muscle mass. That's simply not true. Protein is a crucial part of our diets, yet many of us are not getting enough. That leads to decreased satiety and increased snacking and calorie intake. To effectively manage your weight, Protein Powder can be a key player in keeping you satisfied longer and controlling your appetite.

Once I returned home from my trip to NOW Foods, I immediately ordered some NOW® Sports protein powder to try. While I was waiting for them to arrive I picked up a bottle of protein powder from a well-known brand at our local grocery store. Within just a few days I noticed I was snacking less, but I was eager for my NOW® Sports products to arrive. The protein powder I had on hand was sweet and tasted good, almost like a milkshake, but since NOW® Sports supplements are trusted to be pure, safe, and effective, I prefer to consume those instead.

Before I talk about the different NOW® Sports Protein Powders that I've tried, I want to take a few moments to talk about my lifestyle and results. Per my usual routine, I wake up around 6 AM and have two cups of coffee before 8 AM (with Almond Joy creamer because that's how I live my best life, mmkay?). I've never really been one to eat breakfast; normally I would snack throughout the morning until lunch. And, sometimes I'd forget to eat lunch and just snack away until dinner.

Since adding protein shakes to my daily routine, things have really changed for the better. I still have my morning coffee, but now around 9 or 9:30 AM, I make myself a protein shake. I use about 20 ounces of water mixed with ice and 2 scoops of a NOW® Sports Protein Powder. That's roughly 40-50 grams of protein and 220-320 calories per shake. Now I don't feel the need to snack during the morning hours. I have my shake and I'm full until lunchtime. I try to eat lunch around 1 PM, then I might have a light snack before dinner. Nothing else has really changed in terms of the types of food I'm eating for meals, but the protein shakes have certainly helped keep my satiated longer, reducing mindless eating. I've managed to lose 4 pounds within the first 4 weeks of starting this program and have kept it off (despite the holidays!). That might not seem like a lot, but I didn't have much weight to lose (I was 134 pounds, now I'm around 130). I just wanted to shed that last bit of baby weight and feel better in my clothes, and I knew I could do it if I made better food choices. Increasing my protein intake using NOW® Sports Protein Shakes has helped me manage my weight in a healthy way.

NOW® Sports Protein Powders

There are 30 varieties of protein powders on the NOW® Sports website, differing in source (Eggwhite Protein, Grass-Fed Whey Protein, Pea Protein, Soy Protein, Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Whey Protein and Bone Broth Protein Powder, etc.) and flavor. What I like about NOW® Sports protein powders is that their products are all natural. They perform rigorous testing to ensure identity and quality, so you know you're actually getting what the bottle states. They don't use artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or adulterants. If they're good enough for Olympic athletes worldwide, they're certainly good enough for me.

I tried eight different NOW® Sports Protein Powders:

Now Sports Whey Protein Isolate - Cookies & Creme Powder

The Whey Protein Isolate Cookies & Creme Powder was one of the first varieties I tried and I had high expectations after reading good reviews on Amazon. This one did not disappoint. To me, this is one of the best tasting protein powders that NOW Sports has to offer. It's not very sweet, but it's got a nice mild flavor and very little aftertaste. The texture is smooth and there is no grittiness whatsoever. It's a tad frothy when mixed in the blender, but very smooth. It mixes very well with just water and ice.

Whey proteins, especially isolates, are the most popular forms of protein powders because they're easy to digest and have a higher percentage of pure protein (source). In my opinion, they also taste the best. When looking at the bang for your buck, this one just cannot be beaten. It's only 110 calories per scoop and packs an impressive 25 grams of protein.

Now Sports Whey Protein - Dutch Chocolate

The Dutch Chocolate Whey Protein is another winner in my book. Like the Whey Protein Isolate, this one tastes great with a mild chocolate flavor. Since NOW® Sports skips artificial sweeteners, you're not going to get that super sweetness that you might experience with other brands. I like sweet shakes, but the quality and purity trumps that "want" and NOW® Sports really delivers here. It mixes perfectly with water and ice when using a blender and I look forward to drinking this shake each day

The Whey Protein in the Dutch Chocolate flavor has 160 calories and 24 grams of protein per scoop. Again, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck here.

Grass-Fed Whey Protein Concentrate - Dutch Chocolate

By this point, I figured out I'm a fan of whey proteins, so I anticipated really enjoying the Grass-Fed Whey Protein Concentrate - Dutch Chocolate.
Like the other chocolate powders, this one has a very mild chocolate flavor and wasn't too sweet. The texture was creamy and smooth and quite enjoyable. I didn't love the flavor quite as much as the Whey Protein Isolate or Whey Protein though since I noted a slightly tangy aftertaste. I think I'll mix this with vanilla almond milk in the future.

I do really like that this protein powder is concentrated from pure milk exclusively from grass-fed cows that are pasture-raised without any synthetic growth hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. One scoop contains 120 calories and 20 grams of protein.

NOW® Sports Fit & Tone™ Protein - Mocha Flavor

If you like a subtle coffee flavor, I think you'll like NOW® Sports Fit & Tone™ Protein Mocha Flavor. This whey protein isolate has a nice, mild flavor and smooth texture with no grittiness noted. I don't particularly love mocha, but this was enjoyable to me and didn't have much aftertaste.

Fit & Tone™ has 25 grams of protein and 130 calories per scoop. NOW® Sports states that, "To further assist you in your weight management efforts and help you maintain healthy glucose metabolism, Fit & Tone™ includes the clinically tested ingredients Super CitriMax® and ChromeMate®.* Chlorogenic Acid from Green Coffee Bean Extract complements these ingredients by further supporting healthy glucose metabolism.* Green Tea Extract rounds out this product by promoting the use of fat for energy production.*"

NOW® Sports Eggwhite Protein Powder - Rich Chocolate Flavor

The NOW® Sports Eggwhite Protein Powder in Rich Chocolate Flavor has a smooth texture and is absolutely free from grittiness, but it does become quite frothy when mixed in the blender. I'd recommend shaking it in a blender bottle instead. The rich chocolate flavor is mild and not very sweet, but there is a hint of a tangy aftertaste. I think this would probably be better when mixed with something besides just plain water and I've heard great things about the Vanilla flavor so I may try that one next time. One scoop is only 110 calories and delivers 20 grams of protein.

NOW® Sports Pea Protein Powder - Dutch Chocolate

For some reason, I didn't have super high expectations of Pea Protein. I'm not sure why I had a pre-conceived notion about it, but boy was I wrong. The NOW® Sports Pea Protein Dutch Chocolate Powder was delightful. The taste was very good and it had a great flavor. There was very little aftertaste and the texture was smooth. The only thing I did notice was that I was kind of hungry a few hours after my shake. I had a light snack and that held me over until lunch. This would be a fantastic option if you're lactose intolerant and cannot digest whey protein powder. The Pea Protein powder has 120 calories per scoop and packs in 24 grams of protein.

NOW® Sports Soy Protein Isolate - Natural Chocolate

The Soy Protein Isolate Natural Chocolate Powder was a little too frothy when mixed in the blender. I'd recommend shaking in a blender bottle instead of using a high speed blender. The texture was mostly smooth with just a slight bit of grittiness. The chocolate flavor was good, but I didn't really care for the aftertaste. I think this would be another protein powder that is best when mixed with milk, yogurt, oatmeal, or another type of food, rather than just mixed with water. The Soy Protein Isolate delivers 160 calories and 25 grams of protein per scoop.

NOW® Sports Plant Protein Complex - Creamy Vanilla

The NOW® Sports Plant Protein Complex was the first protein powder from NOW® Sports that I tried, but it would probably be the last one I'd recommend. This protein blend is made from pea, brown rice, hemp, and quinoa sources so it's ideal for vegetarians and vegans, but I just did not care for the taste or consistency. It didn't blend well for me and felt gritty. That being said, I think I prefer whey protein powders and this tastes a little more like organic matter than I'm used to. If you're used to eating a plant-based diet, the taste and consistency might be well received by you. This blend delivers 130 calories and 22 grams of protein per scoop.

Have you thought about protein powder for weight management?
Which NOW® Sports protein powders would you like to try?

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.