How to Drink Whey Protein

Co-authored by Lyssandra Guerra and Eric McClure

Last Updated: July 15, 2022

Drinking whey protein is an excellent idea if you want to build muscle, burn fat, or replace a few meals. To drink whey protein properly, you’ll need to select a type of whey, weigh your powder correctly, and mix it into a tasty shake or smoothie. Then, time when you drink your shakes or smoothies based on what function you want your whey to perform. Drink it in the morning if you’re replacing breakfast or trying to start your day, or drink it after a workout to aid in muscle repair and weight loss.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Selecting a Whey Powder

1
Buy a whey concentrate powder if you’re just starting out. Whey concentrate is the most common form of whey on the market, and the amount of actual protein in it varies between 25-90%. Most brands of concentrate whey are around 80% protein with fats and minerals rounding out the other 20%. Start with a concentrate powder if you aren’t used to working out or drinking whey protein. Look for a concentrate that is at least 80% whey.
- If you've ever eaten a protein bar or baked good, you’ve probably consumed whey concentrate.
2
Get a whey isolate if you’re lactose intolerant. Whey isolate comes in powder form and snack bars, and is 90-95% protein. Unlike concentrate powder, the remaining 5-10% has very little fat and lactose in it, usually relying on minerals and moisture instead. Isolate whey protein is much more expensive than concentrate because of its higher purity.^{[1]
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Warning: Some isolates still contain dairy. Read the labels carefully if you’re highly allergic to dairy products.

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3
Get a hydrolyzed whey protein for the purest protein available. Hydrolyzed protein goes through an additional round of processing to remove fats and unwanted minerals from the powder. This usually means that hydrolyzed whey is the purest form of whey on the market. Get a hydrolyzed whey if you want the purest protein available, don’t want the added minerals and fats, or have trouble digesting isolate and concentrate.^{[2]
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- Due to the additional processing, hydrolyzed whey tends to be much more expensive than concentrate or isolate whey. The benefits may not be worth it to you.
4
Choose a flavor based on your personal preferences. Whey doesn’t taste very good on its own, so it comes in a variety of flavors. You can easily find chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry whey, but other flavors exist. Start off by purchasing small amounts of a new flavor, just in case you don’t like it.
- Avoid purchasing a sweetened whey protein. Even though it tastes better, it’s not a healthy additive if you’re trying to lose weight.
- If you want to minimize the taste of whey powder in your smoothies, get a light vanilla flavor. Vanilla notes will be easily overpowered by any fruit that you add to your drink.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Weighing Your Powder

1
Consume around 30 grams of protein powder once a day depending on your weight. The amount of protein that you need to consume each day is dependent upon how active you are, how old you are, and whether you are male or female. An inactive adult just starting a new workout program should consume around 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight to meet the daily requirement. This means that you should probably consume around 30 grams of protein if you eat 3 meals a day.
- Men should consume a little more protein than women. There are recommendations for ratios printed on each particular whey product.
Tip: Different whey protein brands have different serving recommendations. Look at your container of whey to determine how much whey your brand recommends.
2
Add more whey to your diet if you’re trying to build muscle. If you’re trying to build muscle while on your workout regimen, you need to consume more protein—between 0.6 and 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. If you’re a competitive athlete and are also restricting your daily caloric intake, you may need to move up to 0.9 grams per pound.
- A 180 pound adult on a regular workout routine should consume between 0.5-0.75 grams of protein every day for each pound of body weight.
3
Use 10-20 grams per serving if you’re dieting to lose weight. A lower dose of whey protein will help supplement muscle growth and development while helping you burn fat. If you’re restricting your diet to aid in weight loss, supplement your protein intake by adding some whey. 10-20 grams will help your muscles stay healthy while aiding in the burning of body fat.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making a Protein Shake

1
Add your protein powder to your blender jar. Whey protein product comes with a scooper that holds a designated amount of powder (usually around 30 grams). If your whey protein doesn’t, or if you’ve lost the scoop, use a tablespoon. 1 tablespoon will be around 8 grams depending on the specific density of your powder. You can also use a kitchen scale to weigh it.
- If you just opened your whey protein and don’t see a scoop sitting on top, take a butter knife and dig around the powder. The scoops are often buried underneath.
2
Drop some vegetables in if you’re making a meal replacement. If you’re replacing your meal with a protein shake, add some vegetables to replace the nutrients that you’re missing from a standard meal. Celery and lettuce are popular choices, but spinach is a good choice if you aren’t fond of vegetable juice since it won’t add much flavor. Add 1-2 cups of veggies to your blender jar.
- If your vegetables already fit in your blender jar, you don’t need to do anything to them. If they don’t, you can snap them in half by hand or cut them once or twice on a cutting board with a chef’s knife.
3
Add 1-2 handfuls of fresh fruit for a fresher flavor. Add any fruit combination that you think will taste good. Classic combinations like strawberry and blueberry or kiwi and strawberry will always go well together. You can also use a single fruit for a less distinct flavor profile. You can use fresh or frozen fruit. Drop your fruit into the blender jar on top of your powder or veggies.^{[3]
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Tip: If you want the fruit to dominate the flavor profile of your shakes, buy vanilla flavors of whey protein. They’ll have less of an influence on the taste of your shakes and you’ll mainly taste the fruit.
4
Include 2 tablespoons of a healthy fat like peanut butter or flax seed. Drop 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of your healthy fat into your blender jar. Peanut butter will change the flavor of your shake, while flax seed will be barely noticeable. Other options include pumpkin seeds, cashews, or almonds. Including a healthy fat in your shake will help your digestive system, keep your energy levels up, and actually aid in the fat-burning process.^{[4]
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5
Top off your shake with your mixer and blend it. The most popular mixing options are water, regular milk, and almond milk. Use water if you’re lactose intolerant or want to stay hydrated. Use milk or almond milk if you want a thicker, tastier shake. Fill the remainder of your blending jar with your mixer, leaving 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) at the top so that your blender blades have room to cut the ingredients.^{[5]
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- You can fill your shake with ice before adding your mixer to make a smoothie, or pour it over ice to keep it cold.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Timing Your Protein Consumption

1
Drink a shake after a workout to keep your muscles healthy. Drink your whey protein within 30 minutes of your workout to help your muscles repair. Your body burns through a lot of protein, nutrients, and calories during a workout session, and the protein shake will help replace these nutrients and proteins in a healthy and productive way.
- If you drink your shakes after workouts regularly, you’ll begin to notice that you don’t get as sore as you used to. This is because whey helps the muscles regenerate after they’ve been strained.
2
Have a shake in the morning to start your day. A protein shake is an excellent replacement for a cup of coffee. The proteins, nutrients, and fats in a whey protein shake will energize and refresh you early on in the day. A protein shake in the morning also helps your muscles relax and get ready for any early morning workouts or running around at work.
- There are coffee-flavored protein powders on the market if you want to replicate that morning cup of coffee!
3
Use a shake to replace a meal if you’re dieting or running late. If you have to run out the door quickly and are about to miss a meal, you can use a protein shake to replace the nutrients that you’re about to miss. You can also use a protein shake as a meal replacement if you’re trying to cut down on calories or restricting your diet to lose weight.
- Try to avoid replacing more than 1 meal every day with a protein shake.
Warning: You cannot replace every meal with a protein shake. It’s dangerous, since your body will be missing out on a lot of minerals and nutrients that you can’t replace with a shake.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you drink protein powder?

Lyssandra Guerra
Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant
Lyssandra Guerra is a Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant and the Founder of Native Palms Nutrition based in Oakland, California. She has over five years of nutrition coaching experience and specializes in providing support to overcome digestive issues, food sensitivities, sugar cravings, and other related dilemmas. She received her holistic nutrition certification from the Bauman College: Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts in 2014.

Lyssandra Guerra

Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant

Expert Answer

Start by adding your fresh or frozen greens or fruit, like spinach, kale, berries, or banana. Then, add your protein powder, followed by 1 tbsp. of unsweetened nut butter like almond butter. Finally, add 12 oz of purified water or a nutrient-dense liquid like coconut water or unsweetened alternative milk. You can also add a nutrient booster like 1 tbsp. of flaxseed or a greens powder.