The word “clean” gets tossed around loosely in the world of protein powders and supplements. However, Drink Wholesome’s protein powders are nothing short of clean, and they’re fully transparent about it.
Drink Wholesome is a small but fast-growing brand that makes an almond-based vegan protein powder and egg white-based protein powder. It also offers other products, such as a collagen powder and meal replacement powder, but here we’re focusing on the vegan protein powder.
Directly on the front of the product’s packaging, you can see the real food ingredients that make up Drink Wholesome’s protein powders. There are literally 4 ingredients or less (if you choose the unflavored protein powder option, there’s only one).
Simple, delicious, and truly clean, Drink Wholesome protein powder is worth a try. Below I explain why this line of protein powder is a win for many reasons.
Nutritional Review of Drink Wholesome Protein Powders
Before getting into the taste of each product, I was first interested in Drink Wholesome’s ingredients and nutritional profile.
There are subtle differences depending on what flavor you choose. But in a nutshell, here’s what you should know about Drink Wholesome vegan protein powder. One unit offers 14 servings (21 for the unflavored option), with a 5-tablespoon serving size (about one generic ‘scoop’) providing the following.
- One serving contains 15g of protein especially high in the muscle-building amino acid Leucine.
- The Vanilla and Chocolate flavors are higher in fat compared to most protein powders, containing 8.5g-9g of fat per serving. Unflavored contains just 3.5g of fat per serving.
- Drink Wholesome is high in fiber, with the Chocolate containing 8g of fiber per serving. The other two options have 5-6g of fiber.
- One serving of the Vanilla and Chocolate flavors has 3g of sugar and 11-13g of carbs, while Unflavored has just 1g of sugar and 9g of carbs.
- While Drink Wholesome is a clean protein powder with minimal ingredients, it’s not a good source of vitamins and minerals.
I am impressed by the simplicity of the product’s ingredients list, and how Drink Wholesome does not contain any artificial sweeteners, artificial or natural flavors, gums, fillers, preservatives, stabilizers, or thickeners.
The vegan protein powder from Drink Wholesome uses almonds as the primary vegan source of protein. This is a digestive-friendly and relatively safe vegan protein source. But by itself, may not be sufficient for demanding athletes.
Aside from hemp, pea, soy, and quinoa, single-source plant protein products are often missing or low in certain essential amino acids. In the case of Drink Wholesome, though a complete protein with all essential amino acids, is low in lysine, cystine, methionine, tryptophan, and tryptophan.
For those who prioritize optimal muscle recovery or rely on a protein powder for all essential amino acids, this plant-based option from Drink Wholesome may not fit the bill. However, they do invest in testing amino acids and heavy metals, and they transparently disclose the results on the website, which is respectable.
But if you’re not strictly vegan, you can rest assured knowing the egg white-based protein powders are complete in that they contain all nine essential amino acids needed for optimal recovery and overall health.
Coconut is the second ingredient, followed by the flavoring agent, which is either Vanilla or Cocoa. It’s sweetened with monk fruit extract which is far more natural and tastefully pleasing compared to stevia and other natural sweeteners.
Does Drink Wholesome Protein Powder Taste Good?
No creamy whey protein? No problem! Drink Wholesome’s claim of offering a dairy-free protein powder that’s not chalky and gritty is a true statement.
Jack the owner of Drink Wholesome was gracious enough to reach out and offer a couple of product samples. I tried both the egg-white and vegan protein powder options, but this was years ago when the formulas were a bit different. (This review was republished from my other sports-related blog).
What noticed immediately upon sampling both the Mocha and PB Coconut flavors is their smooth, non-gritty texture that blends well into liquid or smoothies. Both protein powder flavors had an honest and natural taste.
While sweet, they weren’t too sweet, or that artificial “fake sweet” you often get with stevia. In my Drink Wholesome taste test, there was nothing artificial, over-powering, or displeasing about each of them. Here are my tasting notes on both flavors I tried:
- Mocha – Pleasantly sweet, milk chocolate flavor (without the dairy) that would elevate any vegetable-dominant smoothie or add a dessert-like layer to other applications like oatmeal or even baked goods.
- PB Coconut – At first scent, this flavor had a very natural and delightful peanut aroma. The small accurately reflected its taste, as it had a deliciously rich peanut butter flavor with mild hints of toasted coconut.
Again, some of these formulas have changed or have been retired. That said, I am due to try some of Drink Wholesome’s new products and flavors to see how they stack up.
Final Thoughts on Drink Wholesome
Drink Wholesome is a rightfully named brand of clean protein powder products that are breaking through the clutter of nutritional supplements.
While Drink Wholesome does not have a certified organic stamp or any notable certifications, they do claim to use free-range eggs, and source local, organic ingredients whenever possible.
A standard container is priced right around $40 per unit which is a fair bargain for clean protein powder like Drink Wholesome. They also offer sample packs if you want to try their products before buying an entire container.
All in all, Drink Wholesome protein powders exceeded my expectations in both nutrition and taste, and I would recommend these products to anyone aiming to increase their protein intake without all the non-food fillers and synthetic ingredients.
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About The Author
This post was written by Tyler Tafelsky, the lead editor here at VeganProteinPowder.reviews. Tyler is an experienced health, nutrition, and athletic writer. He’s tried hundreds of plant-based nutritional products and writes about his favorites here on this blog. Learn more about Tyler by viewing his full author bio or by following him on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. Also, visit his website to learn more about what he’s up to.