Contrary to what Jordan from the most recent season of Netflix’s Love Is Blind seems to believe, you don’t need to blend an entire cooked chicken breast with water and Crystal Light to get your protein in. Why the man doesn’t just eat the chicken is beyond me, but if drinkable protein is what he’s after, I’ve got a suggestion: Maybe try a protein shake?
During my time at BA, I have become somewhat of an expert when it comes to the best-tasting protein products. My pursuit of shakes, powders, bars, snacks, and cereals that I actually look forward to consuming is equal parts professionally and personally motivated. I write about these things for a living, yes, but I also use these products almost every day to help keep me full.
Our top picks
- The best dairy protein shake: Fairlife Core Power Elite
- The best plant-based protein shake: Rebbl
- The best shelf-stable plant-based protein shake: Koia
As someone who regularly bought protein shakes from the gym or a bodega when I needed some nutrition on the go, I’d tried many different brands even before testing a dozen more for this article. My biggest takeaway is this: There are a lot of disgusting ready-to-drink shakes out there—in fact, I’d argue the market has more bad-tasting shakes than good. But after trying multiple flavors from some of the most popular brands side by side, I’ve identified some surprisingly tasty options. Read on for all of my picks.
The best dairy protein shake: Fairlife Core Power Elite
Pros and cons
Pros
- Extremely high in protein
- Great taste
Cons
- Limited flavor options
Nutrition and ingredients (Vanilla)
- Nutritional info: 230 cal, 42 g protein, 3.5 g total fat, 8 g total carbs
- Ingredients: Filtered Low-Fat Grade A Milk, Contains Less Than 1% of: Natural Flavors, Lactase Enzyme, Acesulfame Potassium, Carrageenan, Monk Fruit Juice Concentrate, Salt, Cellulose Gel, Cellulose Gum, Stevia Leaf Extract, Sucralose, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3
While I had never tried Fairlife’s Core Power Elite protein shakes before working on this article, people in my life had sung their praises for years. With a whopping 42 grams of protein per bottle, I felt like there was no way these things could taste as good as people said they did—but I was wrong.
What we love: The primary criterion I used when evaluating protein shakes was taste, and I can wholeheartedly say that Fairlife’s low-fat-milk-based shakes were the most delicious of the bunch. The vanilla tastes nostalgic, like a thinned-out milkshake, and the chocolate is essentially chocolate milk—if chocolate milk had 42 grams of protein (that’s more than three times what you’d get in a similarly sized bottle of chocolate milk). The strawberry would appeal to any Nesquik fans, and I’m planning on trying it in place of milk in my next iced matcha latte. While each flavor is definitely sweet, my fellow taste testers and I didn’t find them to be cloyingly so. I also appreciated that there was no overpowering aftertaste or grittiness to speak of, which made the shakes easy to down.
Depending on your nutrition and fitness goals, you may want to opt for Fairlife’s lower protein Core Power offering, which has 26 grams of protein per serving and tastes essentially the same as the Core Power Elite.
What we’d leave: Fairlife’s shakes are cow’s-milk-based, so vegans and people with lactose sensitivities will need to look elsewhere (though the shakes do include lactase enzyme as an added ingredient to help with digestion). We also wish these shakes came in more flavors. At the time of writing, the only options are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
The best plant-based protein shake: Rebbl
Pros and cons
Pros
- Interesting flavor options
- No strong pea protein aftertaste
Cons
- Not all flavors are tasty, some may be divisive
- Must be refrigerated
Nutrition and ingredients
- Nutritional info: 180 cal, 20 g protein, 8 g total fat, 5 g total carbs
- Ingredients (Vanilla): Organic Coconut-Milk (Water, Organic Coconut Creme), Organic Pea Protein, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Cinnamon Extract, Organic Cardamom, Organic Ashwagandha Extract, Organic Maca Extract, Pink Salt, Organic Stevia Extract, Organic Reishi Mushroom Extract, Organic Acacia, Gellan Gum, Organic Monk Fruit Extract, Organic Black Pepper, Zinc Gluconate
If you’re looking for a plant-based option, Rebbl was the crowd favorite of the brands we tested. The brand’s vegan protein shakes have a coconut-milk base and come in 20-gram, 26-gram, and 32-gram varieties, but the 20-gram seems to be the easiest to find.
What we love: We tasted multiple flavors of both the 32-gram and 20-gram Rebbl shakes and found a lot to love. The 32-gram varieties get their protein from a mix of barley, rice, and pea proteins while the 20-gram shakes are solely pea-protein-based, but none of the shakes we tried tasted overly legume-y, as is so often the case with pea protein products.
The 32-gram chocolate and vanilla were both pleasant, with no strange aftertaste or texture—just make sure to give them a really good shake before taking your first sip. If you’re looking for something a touch more interesting, though, opt for the 20-gram versions: The vanilla is laced with cinnamon and cardamom, while the chocolate has some earthy undertones thanks to an addition of reishi mushroom extract (which you’ll find in all of the 20-gram flavors). After some initial surprise at the warm spices, our testers agreed they liked the vanilla. The chocolate was a bit more divisive, but if you’re the kind of person who likes “healthy” dark chocolate (think Honey Mama’s), you’ll probably like this. I did!
What we’d leave: Rebbl’s shakes require a vigorous shake in order to homogenize and have a more viscous texture than lots of other protein shakes. We also didn’t love all of the flavors we tried—the Hazelnut Chocolate in particular earned a big “nope” from our staffers, despite sounding tasty.
While we were able to find the 32-gram shakes in a local Whole Foods, they don’t seem to be available for purchase anywhere online.
The best shelf-stable plant-based protein shake: Koia
Pros and cons
Pros
- Smooth and creamy
- Shelf-stable
- Great taste
Cons
- Limited flavor options
Nutrition and ingredients (Chocolate Banana)
- Nutritional info: 180 cal, 20 g protein, 6 g total fat, 12 g total carbs
- Ingredients: Blend of Almond Milk and Coconut Milk (Filtered Water, Almonds, Coconut Cream), Koia Proprietary Protein Blend (Brown Rice Protein, Pea Protein, Chick Pea Protein), Banana Puree, Prebiotic Fiber Blend (Agave Fiber, Chicory Root Fiber), Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Natural Flavors, Koia Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Tricalcium Phosphate, Tripotassium Citrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbate, Zinc Gluconate, D-a-tocopheryl Acetate, Beta Carotene, Niacinamide, Potassium Iodide, Ergocalciferol, Sodium Selenite, Calcium D-pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate Monohydrate, Chromium Chloride, Biotin, Copper Gluconate, Sodium Molybdate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Methylcobalamin, Methylfolate ), Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Monk Fruit Extract, Locust Bean Gum and Gellan Gum. Contains: Tree Nuts (Almonds, Coconuts)
If you’re looking to stock up on protein shakes without sacrificing half of your fridge or want an option to throw in your gym bag in the morning for your post-office workout, the shelf-stable shakes from Koia are your best bet. Available in four flavors, they pack 20 grams of protein and won the hearts of several staffers during testing (mine included). The Chocolate Banana in particular has become a new favorite of mine—it’s the shake I reach for most often since testing for this article, and I’ll definitely be buying a new case once my stash runs out.
What we love: Koia’s shelf-stable shakes are incredibly smooth and creamy—somewhat of a rarity in the world of plant-based shakes. They also taste great no matter which of the four flavors you opt for. The chocolate and vanilla are straightforward and inoffensive, but the Chocolate Banana and Cold Brew Coffee are where Koia really shines. The Chocolate Banana tastes like dessert in the best way, but isn’t so sweet that it feels inappropriate for breakfast. The Cold Brew has a nice mellow coffee flavor and about as much caffeine as an 8-ounce mug of coffee at 100 milligrams.
We also like that Koia includes a prebiotic fiber blend and a number of vitamins and minerals in its shakes.
What we’d leave: We wish Koia would release more flavors—the shelf-stable shakes only come in four, as opposed to the 14 different refrigerated shake varieties the brand currently offers. It’s also worth noting that these shakes have an almond milk base and aren’t suitable for anyone with a nut allergy.
How we tested and what we looked for in protein shakes
To test protein shakes, we did what was necessary: drank a lot of them. We gathered a group of staffers—some regular protein shake drinkers and some not—and tasted various flavors from popular brands side by side, taking note of overall flavor, texture, and grittiness (or lack thereof), and any weird aftertastes. We also considered a variety of flavor offerings, ingredients, and protein content, but our final ranking was primarily based on taste.
Other protein shakes we liked
Remedy Organics
Nutrition and ingredients (Matcha Fuel)
- Nutritional info: 190 cal, 20 g protein, 8 g total fat, 13 g total carbs
- Ingredients: Organic Almond Milk (Water, Organic Almonds), Organic Pea Protein, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Matcha, Organic Natural Flavor, Organic Gum Acacia, Gellan Gum, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin Blend (Calcium Derived From Seaweed, Vitamin D), Organic Spirulina, Guar Gum, Organic Turmeric, Sea Salt, Organic Monk Fruit, Organic Prebiotic Powder (Derived From Taріоса)
Remedy Organics’ plant-based protein shakes have an almond milk and pea protein base, contain prebiotic fiber, maca, and MCT oil. They also come in over 10 flavors. After tasting several of them, there were some we quite liked and others we didn’t care for. The Super Chai Fuel was a touch bland, but could be a good option for those who prefer something less sweet. The Cacao Essentials was perfectly drinkable but not something I’d buy again. The Matcha Fuel, however, I thoroughly enjoyed—it tasted like the matcha-infused white chocolate bar I’ve been obsessed with lately. Delicious, but I’d imagine it might be hard to finish a whole bottle in one sitting due to how sweet and viscous it is.
Ripple
Nutrition and ingredients (Vanilla)
- Nutritional info: 200 cal, 20 g protein, 8 g total fat, 10 g total carbs
- Ingredients: Water, pea protein , cane sugar, vegetable oil (sunflower or safflowr oil), natural flavor, contains less than 0.5% of dipotassium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, mixed tocopherols (to preserve freshness), gum arabic, sea salt, monk fruit extract, gellan gum, guar gum
Okay, maybe liked isn’t the best word for our experience with Ripple. The best word I can use to describe the pea protein-based shakes is inoffensive. Each of the three flavors (chocolate, coffee, and vanilla) fared decently in our taste test, eliciting no overtly negative feedback. That said, no one was raving about these shakes, either. If you’re looking for a plant-based shake with a relatively thin consistency and mild flavor, you might give it a try.
Oikos
Nutrition and ingredients (Vanilla)
- Nutritional info: 170 cal, 30 g protein, 3.5 g total fat, 8 g total carbs
- Ingredients: Filtered Water, Milk Protein Concentrate, Micellar Casein Isolate, Inulin, Contains less than 1% of: Coconut Oil and High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Sea Salt, Gellan Gum, Stevia Extract, Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3
Given that Oikos’s flagship product is Greek yogurt, I was expecting its vanilla shake to have more of a lactic tang to it. Instead, this shake delivered a mild (but pleasant) vanilla flavor and a creamy (but not heavy) consistency that testers liked. With 30 grams of protein in each bottle, this is a good milk-protein-based option for the lactose-tolerant.
Forager
Nutrition and ingredients (Cocoa)
- Nutritional info: 320 cal, 14 g protein, 17 g total fat, 31 g total carbs
- Ingredients: Filtered Water, Cashews, Dates, Coconut Cream, Rice Protein, Cocoa Powder, Organic Flavor, Vanilla Extract.
Forager Project’s protein shakes have an impressively short ingredient list full of recognizable foods like coconut cream, cashews, and dates. They’re a favorite of senior commerce editor Olivia Tarantino’s because they use rice protein instead of the more common pea protein, which Tarantino can’t eat. A base of coconut cream and cashew makes these very creamy and thick, which one tester noted made the shake “feel like a smoothie, but not in a way I enjoy.” Flavor-wise, the Forager Project shakes are quite mild, which someone who’s averse to cloying sweetness may appreciate. We tried the cocoa and coffee flavors, and while the coffee flavor tasted a bit off to most testers, the cocoa had some fans. Given the higher sugar and calorie content of these shakes, they’d make a good option for a post-workout boost.
Koia (Refrigerated)
Nutrition and ingredients (Vanilla)
- Nutritional info: 190 cal, 18 g protein, 7 g total fat, 13 g total carbs
- Ingredients (vanilla): Almond Milk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Koia Proprietary Protein Blend (Brown Rice Protein, Pea Protein, Chickpea Protein), Koia Prebiotic Fiber Blend (Agave Fiber, Chicory Root Fiber), Organic Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Vanilla Extract, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Monk Fruit Extract, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum and Nutmeg. Contains: Tree Nuts (Almonds, Coconuts)
In addition to shelf-stable shakes, Koia also has a line of refrigerated plant-based shakes available in 14 flavors. We enjoyed the ones we tried and appreciated the wide variety of options. The Cinnamon Horchata in particular was a favorite for its just-right balance of sweetness and warm spices.
Protein shakes we don’t recommend
OWYN and OWYN Elite Pro
We tried both the standard 20-gram and the 32-gram Elite Pro protein shakes from OWYN and found that both varieties had a strong pea protein flavor and monk fruit aftertaste we just couldn’t get past. It might be a slightly different situation if you’re looking specifically for protein coffee, where OWYN’s Double Shot did make our short list, but there are fewer protein coffees to compare it to than there are standard protein shakes.
Slate’s canned protein shakes were drinkable, but not something we’d necessarily buy again. The chocolate had a slight monk fruit aftertaste we didn’t love, and the vanilla had a strangely fruity, cereal-milk-like undertone that was off-putting.
Muscle Milk’s Pro line has an impressive 40 grams of protein per bottle, but all three flavors we tried were cloyingly sweet, very artificial tasting, and quite viscous.
Orgain makes a few different varieties of protein shakes. We tried the one with 26 grams of protein derived from milk and whey and felt it was aiming to emulate our beloved Fairlife Core Power, and it ended up somewhere closer to Muscle Milk—too sweet, too artificial tasting.
FAQs
Should you drink protein shakes?
“People may think they need really high amounts of protein because of the protein craze on products left and right, but, actually, most people are getting enough from their food,” says Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN. That said, Del Coro explains that some individuals—such as plant-based eaters, older adults, pregnant or breastfeeding adults, people on weight loss medication, highly active/athletic people, or people recovering from an injury or illness—may need to be more mindful of keeping up their protein intake.
Both Del Coro and Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN, encourage anyone trying to increase their protein intake to focus on whole foods first—think beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and tofu. “After that, consider the use of protein shakes as an option, but aim to only use them as supplements, not replacements for quality whole food nutrition,” says Newgent.
What should you look for in a protein shake?
Del Coro explains that the first step in choosing a protein shake is thinking about your intention: “Are you drinking it as a meal replacement? Protein booster alongside a meal? A snack between meals? Depending on what your needs are, that will determine what macronutrient breakdown you should target,” she says.
Newgent advises checking labels for real ingredients, “similar to what you might find in a recipe.” She notes that transparency is a major green flag, and that ideally you should try to “stick with brands that provide third-party testing or carry certifications, such as NSF Certified for Sport.” This is especially true if you’re concerned about heavy metals (which I’ll get into below).
Both Del Coro and Newgent advise keeping an eye on the amount of added sugar, and Del Coro notes that some non-nutritive sweeteners may have GI side effects for some.
Del Coro says that finding a protein shake with fiber is important if you’re intending to use it as a meal replacement, but warns that the form of fiber often added to a shake (typically some form of inulin or acacia gum) can cause GI symptoms for some people. “If you can find fiber added in the form of a whole food like chia, flax, or hemp, that is ideal since it mimics a homemade smoothie and is less processed,” she says.
Should you be concerned about lead in protein shakes?
On October 14th, 2025, Consumer Reports put out an article about its discovery of lead in certain protein powders and shakes. If you’re wondering whether you should be concerned, I would advise reading through the report and doing your own research—but I also asked Del Coro and Newgent for their thoughts on the matter as registered dietitians.
According to Del Coro, the levels of concern cited in the CR article “were measured against California's state laws (CA Prop 65), which has a much lower maximum allowable dose level for lead compared to the FDA guidance (0.5 mcg per day vs. 8.8 mcg per day); FDA's guidance is an ‘interim reference level’ (IRL) designed to protect against lead toxicity for adults.” No amount of lead is safe, but Del Coro explains that “the greatest health risk will come from repeated or continuous exposure at high doses.” If you’re a daily protein shake drinker, it’s worth it to seek out brands that are NSF Certified for Sport—“or at the very minimum confirm some type of third party testing for heavy metals,” Del Coro says. “Keep in mind that heavy metals can naturally occur in the soil, so it's about selecting brands that regularly test their products for contaminants and that are transparent about findings,” Newgent says.
More stories for protein lovers
- While protein bars may never be as delicious as candy bars, these picks will satisfy your hunger and your taste buds.
- Jump-start your morning with these high-protein cereals that actually taste good.
- I tasted more than 40 whey protein powders to find the best one.