What is the Best Lactose-Free Protein Powder? 4 Options to Consider

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Are you lactose intolerant? Then you are almost certainly on the market for lactose-free products, including lactose-free protein powders. Your lactose intolerance doesn’t have to stop you from getting the benefits of good protein powders.

Ten years ago or so, there weren’t that many options for protein powders without lactose; most of them were whey protein powders, which meant they had lactose. And if you can’t tolerate lactose, just a sip of whey protein with lactose would cause you immense digestion problems – from nausea to diarrhea and vomiting.

Today, this market has developed quite nicely. There are many lactose-free powders, so you have options. We’ll help you choose the best lactose-free protein powder based on our experience with them, and after hours of research, these are the best ones we’ve found.

Don’t Want to Wait? Here’s Our Favorite

The Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey Protein Powder is the absolute best lactose-free protein powder you’ll find nowadays. It’s easily digestible and has a high percentage of protein, as well as beneficial BCAAs that will help you grow quickly. We highly recommend this protein powder to anyone who’s lactose intolerant and has digestion problems with usual protein powders – get it now!

Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey Protein Powder – Best Overall

In our search for the best lactose-free protein powders, we looked at many protein powders, but almost every single time, we found ourselves comparing other products to the Optimum Nutrition powder. It’s the best overall option for those who are looking for an easily digestible protein powder.

Review

This protein powder is made with the help of hydrolysis, which breaks down the protein powder into smaller pieces. In turn, this makes the protein powder much easier to break down by our digestive systems, even if you’re suffering from extreme lactose intolerance.

In addition, what impressed us about this product is the high contents of protein and BCAAs inside the powder. You’ll get around 30g of protein per scoop, as well as around 15g of amino acids and BCAAs. This is the most nutritional value we were able to find out of all lactose-free protein powders.

Yes, it is a slightly more expensive protein powder. But if you want the absolute top quality, then you shouldn’t look past this powder. In our opinion, it’s the best lactose-free protein powder out there.

Pros

• Easily digestible thanks to the hydrolysis formula that breaks down large protein particles
• High contents of protein (30g) and amino acids (15g)
• Very tasty protein powder and available in three different tastes
• Blends well with water and milk

Cons

• Slightly more expensive
• Does have some artificial sweeteners and flavors

Isopure Low Carb – Best Low-Carb Option

The Isopure Low Carb protein powder is the best low-carb lactose-free protein powder on the list. If you’re looking for a tasty, low-carb option that’s good for your growth and for your health, then you simply can’t go wrong with Isopure here.

Review

Protein powders are normally loaded with nutrients, including carbs. But that’s definitely not good news for someone who’s actually trying to take care of their carb intakes. If you’re on a low-carb diet and you want to take a protein powder, then you have to consider a low-carb one.

And the Isopure powder is one of the best ones you’ll find, period. First of all, it’s lactose and gluten-free, so it presents a good alternative to whey proteins if you’re lactose intolerant. Plus, it has high contents of Vitamins and Minerals (vitamin C and E, zinc), which will boost your overall health and immune system.

It comes in a variety of tastes (8 of them), and it still has high contents of protein. You’ll get around 25g of pure, high-quality protein for every scoop of this powder, which is quite a lot. This product provides quality over quantity, and it’s really good if you’re trying to keep healthy and mind what you take into your body.

Pros

• Very healthy whey protein with low amounts of carbs
• Additional contents of vitamins C, E, and zinc
• Comes in a variety of tastes
• 25g of pure, high-quality protein per scoop
• Gluten and lactose-free

Cons

• Doesn’t mix that well with water
• Also quite expensive

Naked Rice Protein Powder – Best Vegan Option

If you’re a vegan and if you’re after a high-quality product, then you need to be looking at the Naked Rice protein powder. This organic powder is right for you if you need a healthy product made from proven and reliable ingredients that don’t impact your health negatively. Plus, it’s free of lactose.

Review

There is only one main ingredient inside this powder – it’s the organic sprouted brown rice, which has been carefully selected to create this product. It doesn’t have any artificial products such as sweeteners and flavors, so you can be sure it’s a healthy product.

It’s without lactose, gluten, and GMO. It’s a plant-based powder that only has natural ingredients, so you can be completely sure about the ingredients. But at the same time, you’ll get a lot of nutritional quality out of the powder. You’ll get around 25 grams of protein per serving, as well as 4g of carbs, 4.9g of BCAAs, and some other amino acids.

Note that it has quite high contents of carbs, so this powder is great for bulking up if you’re a vegan. It’s also understandable that if you’re used to the normal whey proteins with a lot of artificial flavors, that this protein powder might taste a bit different from the start. But you’ll get used to it quickly and realize that this is a top-quality vegan product.

Pros

• Made only from natural ingredients
• Without lactose, gluten, or GMO
• High contents of protein and BCAAs – 25 grams and 4.9 grams respectively
• Healthy product

Cons

• Has relatively high contents of carbs and calories
• The taste might be unusual or strange at first

MuscleMeds Carnivor Beef Protein Isolate Powder – Best Beef Protein

Beef is a good alternative to the usual whey proteins. Normally, whey protein is made from milk, which causes lactose for those who can’t tolerate lactose products. However, there are more and more products made from beef, and the MuscleMeds Carnivor beef protein isolate powder is among the best ones. Here’s why.

Review

The biggest selling point of the MuscleMeds Carnivor beef protein isolate powder is that it has higher contents of amino acids compared to whey proteins. This makes sense, as the powder is made from beef, which normally has high quantities of the said acids. It’s made from a sirloin stake, meaning that this powder is full of muscle-building properties.

It has around 23 grams of protein per serving, too. The beef protein powder is made only from fat-free meats that are approved by the FDA, so you can be completely sure about the quality of the ingredients. It’s free of gluten and lactose, and it doesn’t have artificial sugars and unhealthy ingredients that normally come in powders.

If you have a carnivorous diet or mixed diet, then this powder will be right up your alley. And some results from users are very positive. Some have reported massive increases in lean muscle mass in just 8 weeks, although results will be seen earlier with consistent use and training.

This powder is available in five different tastes and contains no artificial sugars, meaning they taste well without those ingredients. If you eat meat and if you want a good protein powder, then you should definitely give this powder a go.

Pros

• This protein powder is made from high-quality, FDA-approved beef
• High contents of amino acids and relatively high contents of protein (23g)
• Available in five different tastes
• Lactose and gluten-free

Cons

• The tastes differ from batch to batch – some taste better than others
• It takes some more time to blend

Lactose-Free Protein Powder Buying Guide

So, now that you know what the best lactose-free protein powders are, you should take a closer look at your own requirements and which type of protein powder you’ll choose.

There are many different sub-types of protein powders, so you’ll have to consider a couple of things before you decide. Here’s what you should know.

Your Diet

The number one thing you should take a look at is your diet. Sure, these protein powders are all lactose-free, but if you’re a vegan, you won’t want to buy the beef protein powder.

Luckily, you’ll find almost every type of protein powder that’s suitable to almost any taste:

• Vegan powders
• Meat-based powders
• Low-carb powders
• Mixed powders
• Egg protein powders
• Brown rice powders
• Soy powders

It’s completely up to you to decide which one you’ll pick. The protein powder market is evolving and is reaching the point where there’s choice for almost every single taste in the world, no matter how “picky” you are about your diet.

The Ingredient Quality

The main reason why some protein powders are more expensive than others are the ingredients. Yes, some powders dictate their priced based on their brand itself, although the vast majority of them can be measured also in terms of the ingredient quality.

In fact, this is the number one thing you should look at when you’re choosing the protein powder for yourself. The powders that are made from organic ingredients will normally cost more than other protein powders.

However, if the powder has some filler content, that’s going to decrease the price of the powder as well as the quality. Not always, but in most cases, the price will tell you a lot about the ingredients inside the powder. But surely it’s better to take something that’s made from organic ingredients rather than with artificial sugars and filler content.

The Amount of Protein

One of the major rules of protein powders is that the higher the concentration of protein is inside the powder, the more nutritional quality it has, and the more you’re getting for your money. Also, it means that it will help you build lean muscle faster.

Again, it massively depend on the ingredients here. Higher-quality protein powders tend to have higher concentrations of protein. On the other hand, the powders that have filler content, then they might not have as much protein inside.

What You Need it For

The protein powder you’ll buy will also depend on what your gym goals are. If you’re looking to bulk up and build lean muscle, then it makes sense to buy protein powders that have a high percentage of protein.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to shed some excess body fat and get some muscle, you’ll probably want to buy a low-carb protein powder. This will help you lose fat while also staying fit and also build mucle in the process.

Price

With protein powders, you’re normally getting what you’re paying for. However, that’s not always necessarily the case.

In most cases, the price largely depends on the quality of ingredients. The better they are, the more expensive the powder is. If it consists of organic ingredients, then you can expect it to be on the higher pricing scale. But if it has a lot of filler content, then it might not be as expensive.

In some cases, the price is overblown because of the brand itself, which is normal – although you’re not necessarily getting the quality you’re paying for. The best way to pick a good protein for the right price is to check the ingredients and really make sure you’re picking the powder that seems to provide the quality for the money you’re paying.

Taste

Taste matters a lot to some people, while others aren’t that bothered and will add natural flavoring ingredients to improve the taste.

If you’re someone who wants a protein powder that tastes nice, then you need to be wary. There are lots of providers who claim their protein powder is the best-tasting one. In most of those cases, those powders have artificial ingredients and flavors that are not very good for your health on the long-term.

There are also some fantastic protein powders that taste great with organic or natural ingredients.

Also, and this is a biggie for some – look at what tastes the provider of proteins has. Of course, you probably won’t find dozens of different tastes with each provider. But that’s to be expected.

FAQs

How do you know you’re lactose intolerant?

For most people, lactose intolerance starts showing in their childhood. Lactose is an ingredient that’s present in most milks of mammals. So eventually, it will be also located in all of the products made from said milk. Research suggests that around 65% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant to a degree.

When you’re lactose intolerant, you will experience unpleasant digestion problems when you drink milk or eat products that derive from milk and have lactose. These symptoms can vary in severity, but the main symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and upset stomach.

Is lactose-free protein powder good for muscle gain?

Yes, lactose-free protein powders are still made with the ingredients in mind that will help you gain lean muscle mass. This includes amino acids and proteins, of course, that will help you bulk up quite quickly.

One thing to note here is that some types of lactose-free protein powders tend to be low in carb content. So if you’re really looking to gain muscle and weight fast, then you might need to add some carbs to your shakes. But still, you should be able to gain steady muscle mass with lactose-free powders, too.

How do I know if a protein powder is lactose-free?

Normally, you would have to look at the label on the product itself. Whey protein isolates are normally lactose-free, so some of those powders don’t say so even on the label.

But most of them have a sign somewhere on the packaging saying they’re lactose-free. If not, you can look at the list of ingredients and find lactose on the list – there should be a zero next to it.

Pick Your Lactose-Free Protein Powder

If you’re lactose intolerant, you can still enjoy a good protein shake. Luckily, there are many lactose-free protein powders on the market, and you’ll find great variety. You just need to decide what type of powder you need, and what you’re looking to achieve.

But you should always know that protein powders are never a substitute for a good, balanced diet. If you have a good diet, workout regularly, and top it off with a high-quality protein powder, then success is not that far away from you. 🙂

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