
Optimum Nutrition
Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
Trusted all-rounder, but price hikes and quality decline concern.

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Not every ON flavor mixes the same but generally they are both as good or better. There's nothing wrong with the Nutricost BUT the good flavors are literally just vanilla, strawberry, and salted caramel. The rest are weak. Nutricost supps are really stripped down so you get a cleaner product but they aren't just super yummy. Dymatize is both tasty, and mixes decent but has more great flavors.
Hey guys, For some reason I I don’t like some of the “goated” mainstream protein powders. I was so addicted I would just us water + ryse protein powder and that would be enough, however addictions slowly fade away and you start cravings some luxurious tasting stuff. **What I love but now kind of bored of:** * Ryse protein (Chocolate cookie blast, Peanut Butter cup, Cosmic Brownie), I have eaten 6 pints per day of these for about a year. Served me well * Ghost whey (Slowly hated the chip’s ahoy, noticed it wasn’t rly my cup of tea, I loved the Coffee Ice cream) * Muscle Sport Lean Whey (overall I did not mind the flavors, I can finish a tub even tho it wasn’t my favorite flavor) * PandaSupps (I like their formulations but need to find the perfect flavor, ordered some more) **What I tried and rly tried to love but couldn’t:** * PEScience, I tried so many times and so many flavors, they just never hit home for me. (chocolate truffle, CnC was very cream heavy) * 1up, their protein powders were rly cream flavor heavy * Axe and Sledge (C&C, Chocolate macadamia) * Legion (Salted caramel, dutch chocolate) * Transparent labs (used to love their dark chocolate but flavor was too mild after a while) * Myprotein (Several chocolate flavor, salted caramel) * Jocko Molk (chocolate, didn’t mind it but didn’t topple ryse, wasn’t worth it for me) * Applied Nutrition (Choco Beuno, White choco Beuno) * Isopure (chocolate) * Mre Lite (Chocolate, Fudge Brownie) * Clean Simple Eats (brownie batter) * Dymatize (Cocoa Pebbles, flavor weren’t rly strong for me) * Ekkovision (Tiramisu, Brownie batter) * Fairlile milk + vanilla extract was abysmal IMO * Orgain (tasted rly weird, maybe its the plant-based formulation) * Optimum Nutiriton (l was hesitant to put this, last time I used it was 2022/23, at the time it wasn’t rly good, but they could have improved so. I tried their chocolate/vanilla, milk was okay but with water, I didn’t like it) **Btw: this has been a very expensive trial and error but worth it.** **Final notes:** It sounds like I am a pain to recommend to, hopefully someone as messed up as me can be helped. As you notice I am chocolate heavy advocate, Idm a vanilla here and there if it’s amazing, lean whey and panda supps vanilla are great. **Flavors I despise, (or maybe haven't tasted good one):** * I don’t like mint (non-negotiable) * pure peanut butter flavored * fruity/cream heavy flavors as you see. For example strawberry shortcake by ryse was more cake/cream than pure strawberry. **Possible flavor/goals:** * I guess the best case scenario for me would be a great vanilla which I think I have, but have never found a good salted caramel (awaiting my panda supps order) * Also Biscoff (cookie butter) * But as you see I like chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, Ferraro Roche/Nutella vibes I get tempted to re-order most protein I don’t like from the sheer positive reviews they get. **Attempts:** I have tried normal cacao, very expensive dutch powders, black cacaos and expensive vanilla bean extracts. They all just try and mask the protein flavor and are dominant, I don’t like the intense dry pure cacao flavor For example when I use a 1Tbsp of Dutch chocolate it overrides any flavor and I just taste that powder, it doesn't seem to blend, just overpower. If i use too little, I can't even sense it's there. I like rich/luxurious gelato/Haagen-Dazs/Lindt vibes. Sorry for the long post. I hope I am not being annoying and hope someone can help me out 😭. Edit: I don’t mind other solutions as well, anything that would work and is not a calorie bomb. I am trying to replicate PinkBerry’s Chocolate Hazelnut rn, I hate normal yogurt and love Greek. I know Pinkberry uses yogurt but their chocolate hazelnut is heavenly.
Avoid: * Naked Nutrition * Huel Once per week: * Garden of Life * Momentous 100% Plant Protein Occasionally: * MuscleMeds * Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass * Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein Shake * Jocko Fuel * Vega * Quest * Orgain * Equip Foods * Plant Fusion * Ensure * Muscle Milk * KOS Better Choices for Daily Consumption: * Owyn * Transparent Labs * Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey * BSN * Momentus Whey Protein Isolate * Dymatize * Muscle Tech Only the last one - Muscle Tech - is listed as no limit on safe consumption.
negative. Optimum Gold Standard Protein Shake was orange, at above 150% of consumer report's level of concern for lead, and recommend to limit to 4 2/3 servings per week. The Optimum Gold Standard 100% Whey is what was green across the board and recommend 1 3/4 servings per day.
well I guess we can chalk up the disagreement to lack of specificity. "Optimum Gold Protein Powder" isn't listed in the consumer reports article (unless I am blind, which may in fact be the case). There are two Optimum products listed: * Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein Shake - not recommended * Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey - recommended If I've missed one or miscategorized one I'll edit my post right away, but I believe I've got them listed correctly.
Careful - Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein Shake is listed under "occasionally" and their Gold Standard 100% Whey is listed under "better choices for daily consumption". Kudos on calling out Muscle Tech as having no limit on safe consumption. I missed that and grouped it with the rest of the ones in the same category.
I bought banana flavored Dymatize when I was in Abu Dhabi 12 years ago. Best thing ever. Either it was discontinued or just not available in the states.
Dymatize is only 120 cal for 25g Muscle milk has 100 calorie servings but those including the vanilla are kinda gross. Also some people are not happy with the ingredients.
The great protein shortage of 2026 is coming and its ready to ABOSLUTELY RIP. [https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/05/protein-powder-shortage/687193/?taid=6a07a96ce5e84300012701da&utm\_campaign=WigwamQuan&utm\_content=edit-promo&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=twitter](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/05/protein-powder-shortage/687193/?taid=6a07a96ce5e84300012701da&utm_campaign=WigwamQuan&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter) ***THE SETUP:*** **One in eight American adults are now on a GLP-1.** but it strips muscle along with fat and 20% of the weight lost can come from lean mass, so everybody and their mother is being prescribed the same thing: PROTEIN. Surveyed GLP-1 users reported their protein intake jumped roughly 65%. This means that almost 50 million Americans are trying to intake VASTLY more protein than before, but they don't have the desire to eat... So what's the best way to intake protein? **Protein Powders.** That's right morons. We're talking about a supply shortage massive scale with millions of new consumers in a market and GLPs are the driver. ***THE PRODUCT:*** **BRBR (BellRing Brands)** makes Premier Protein, known for their brand Dymatize. I use this shit everyday and besides giving me the absolute gnarliest farts, it works like a charm. But farts not included, I've recommended it to everyone on GLP-1s for one important reason. Consumer Reports tested a bunch of the popular protein powders and found roughly **two-thirds carried concerning levels of heavy metals.** Lead, cadmium, the fucking works, with plant-based products averaging about twice the lead of whey. BUT, when they tested Premier Protein, it passed. It's one of the only brands out there that has both quality and flavor, and because of this it's been flying off the shelves and catching up with demand is becoming more and more challenging. ***THE FACTS:*** I posted the link above to the artice by The Atlantic ran a piece titled "The Protein Shortage Is Coming." Wholesale whey prices are up more than 50% since January to a record high, the USDA reports tight inventories, and some manufacturers have already sold out for the entire year. BRBR is way undervalued. As one of the only direct to consumer protein brands that is publicly traded, I think the recent price drops haven't factored in the shift and shortages, and I think we could see a potential for BRBR to really boom if they play their cards right. Positions: 1500 shares at $8.19 https://preview.redd.it/0hee7pgeto4h1.png?width=1063&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf99de9592209a0912b8ba28068e0a339f76990e Not financial advice.

Optimum Nutrition
Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
Trusted all-rounder, but price hikes and quality decline concern.

Dymatize (BellRing Brands)
ISO100 Hydrolyzed Protein Powder
High-quality hydrolyzed isolate, great taste, but pricey with sucralose concerns.

Transparent Labs
Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate
Clean, third-party tested isolate; premium price for quality.
Kirkland Signature (Costco)
Whey Protein
Budget king; great value, but clumpy with artificial taste concerns.

Oath Nutrition
Clear Whey Protein Powder
Refreshing, juice-like fruit flavors; pricey, low carb, but gentle.

Ranked #1
PEScience - Select Protein

Ranked #1
Optimum Nutrition - Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder

Ranked #1
Optimum Nutrition - Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder

Ranked #1
Optimum Nutrition - Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder

Ranked #1
Oath Nutrition - Clear Whey Protein Powder

Ranked #1
Equip - Prime Protein