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Keto Protein Powder

Written By Stephanie Contomichalos

From weight loss to metabolism boosting to speeding up recovery, the benefits of protein are well recognized. You can of course meet your protein needs through your diet, but protein powders provide an easy and accessible way to up your consumption.

Many who follow low carb ketogenic diets will turn to protein powders to complete their diet. However, with the enormously wide range of protein powders available, picking the right protein powder supplement for you can feel overwhelming.

THE KETO DIET

The keto diet alters the way in which your body transform food into energy. The goal is to achieve ketosis, a metabolic state where your body uses and burns fat instead of carbohydrates as fuel. To achieve this you must eat a lot of fat, and very few carbs.

When you consume something high in carbohydrates, your body produces glucose and insulin.

Glucose is the simplest molecule for your body to convert to energy and therefore is the number one source of energy.

Insulin is produced to manage the glucose in your bloodstream by transporting it around the body.

When glucose is readily available as a primary source of energy, your fats are not needed and are therefore stored. By reducing your intake of carbohydrates your body is driven into a state known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a natural process that our bodies introduce in order to help us survive when food consumption is low. When we are in this state, we produce ketones, which are generated from the breakdown of fats in the liver.

A properly maintained keto diet, where you maintain the state of ketosis, is achieved through minimizing the consumption of carbohydrates, NOT calories.

Achieving ketosis can seem complicated and confusing, but if you stick to these basic tenets it can be fairly simple:

Limit Your Carbohydrates: This will depend on your goals with keto but the general rule of thumb is between 20-50g a day.
Regulate Your Protein Intake: Overloading on protein can also take you out of ketosis. Preferably for weight loss, you want to eat between 0.6 and 0.8g protein per pound of lean body mass.
Don’t Worry About Fat: This will be your primary source of energy on keto, so be sure to eat enough healthy fats.
Start Supplementing Properly: Although it is not entirely necessary, it will make it easier to maintain your body in ketosis.

To maintain ketosis, you must be careful with your macros. This can make choosing your protein supplements a little trickier. Read on for some tips on how to pick out the best protein powder for you.

WHAT MAKES A TOP KETO PROTEIN POWDER?

There are three things to look for in your next protein powder:

Good macros – if you want to stay in ketosis the carb count will be very important. Look for low carbs and healthy fats.
High quality protein sources
Additional ingredients – extra healthy fats added, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, colostrum. – or even superfood ingredients are all great!

Here is what you want to avoid:

Artificial sweeteners. It isn’t worth sacrificing your health for a flavor. Stick to stevia or monk fruit on keto.
Soy of any kind!
High sodium levels.
Vegetable oils – on the keto diet you want to maintain high levels of high-quality and healthy fats, look out for MCT or coconut oil.
Artificial flavoring.

WHAT MAKES A PROTEIN "HIGH-QUALITY"?

A high-quality protein is dependent on three variables:

How digestible the protein is? (In other words, is your body able to break it down?)
The amino acid content. (What is it made up of?) You want a protein powder with a complete amino acid profile.
The remaining amino acid readiness to support metabolic function (will your body be able to use those amino acids in a necessary way?)

BEST PROTEIN POWDERS FOR THE KETO DIET

GRASS-FED WHEY PROTEIN

Whey protein is a component found in milk and is derived by separating whey from casein. Whey protein powder is sourced from the milk of grass-fed cows is one of the top choices for performance purposes because:

It is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream.
It is a complete protein (meaning that it contains all nine of the essential amino acids).
It is naturally low in lactose, so those who are sensitive to dairy products are often able to consume it.

There are two main types of whey protein: isolate and concentrate.

Whey Protein Isolate is the purest form of protein, it contains at least 90% pure protein, while the remaining 10% is made up of fats and carbs. This is a very good option for people on the keto diet as it often has a very low percentage of carbohydrates while providing a high percentage of complete proteins.

Whey Concentrate, despite its name, tends to only contain about 80% protein.

A clean whey protein isolate like our Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate is a fantastic choice for keto dieters. There are only 5g of carbs per 100g and it has a very high amount of amino acids (11.4g of essential amino acids and 5.3g of branched-chain amino acids per 25g serving of protein). Additionally, probiotics and bovine colostrum have been added for extra health benefits.

It is well suited to anyone seeking to:

Support Lean Muscle Development & Strength
Promote Faster Muscle Recovery
Boost Immune System Strength
Support Gut Health & Digestion
100% All-Natural Grass-Fed & rBGH Free

EGG PROTEIN

If you are lactose intolerant or suffer from milk protein allergies, egg white proteins can be a great alternative. Akin to whey, egg protein contains all the essential amino acids and is also easily digested. Additionally, it often has high amounts of leucine, a branched-chain amino acid that studies show makes up one-third of your muscles.

Egg-white protein powders are created by removing the yolk and dehydrating the whites, turning them into a powder. Egg whites naturally contain minimal amounts of carbohydrates and fat, meaning that this is a good choice for a low-carb diet.

However, there are some egg protein powders on the market that contain both the white and the yolk. The yolk contains the majority of the important nutrients in eggs. A clean and high-quality egg protein that contains both the white and the yolk is a great keto protein powder. They are high in fat, contain a moderate amount of protein, and tend to be low in carbohydrates.

COLLAGEN PROTEIN

The ketogenic diet has numerous positive effects on the body, staving off inflammation, alleviating pain, promoting cognitive function, and supporting weight loss to name a few. However, the diet does have some shortcomings, and with its limited protein intake can have some drawbacks for muscle mass, joints, and gut health over time. This is where collagen comes into play!

Collagen accounts for about one-third of the protein in your body. Collagen protein offers so many muscle, joint, and gut benefits, making it a very good choice for keto. The only downside to collagen is that it only contains 8 out of the 9 essential amino acids.

Given the moderate amounts of protein on keto, it is extra important to consume high-quality protein. For your body to efficiently use this controlled amount of protein, it will benefit you greatly if it is easily digestible, non-inflammatory, and bioavailable. Collagen protein powders are all of this and more.

PLANT-BASED KETO PROTEIN

Plant-based protein powders are easy to digest, and a high-quality formula will also deliver the necessary amino acids for satiety, muscle repair, and post-workout recovery.

The highest-quality plant protein sources on keto are:

Seed-derived powders: hemp seed, sacha inchi, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, flax, chia, and sesame seeds.
Pea protein
Alfalfa protein
Goji protein

Preferably, you want a combination of the above sources of protein powder in order to get a healthy mix of amino acids.

A large proportion of fats on the keto diet come from animal products. Vegan keto dieters may want to add some fat sources to their protein mixes in order to make them more keto-friendly.

HOW TO USE KETO PROTEIN POWDER

Once you have picked your protein powder, you can add other ingredients to boost your keto shake.

Adding Fats is popular amongst keto dieters. MCT oil is a popular choice as it is a quick and easy way to add some good quality fats to your protein shake (or even coffee). Coconut oil is another great source of fat that also comes with a flavor punch!

Be aware that some fats also contain carbs, avocados, peanut butter, and yogurt can all add healthy doses of fats but check the carb content to make sure your macros are on target.

Adding Flavor without adding carbs can be challenging. Try unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, or even coffee!

If you appreciate variety in life, keto protein powder offers some fantastic options. There are almost endless possibilities for how to use it.

The simplest form is in a protein shake. A protein shake is great for pre/post-workout, travel, breakfast on the go, or simply a snack. You can make protein pancakes, even keto friendly protein brownies, or mix it into your oats!

Get creative and forward on any recipes you come up with using our Grass-Fed Whey Isolate Protein!