Photo:Courtesy of Brand
Courtesy of Brand
PHOTO: Amazon
$37 at Amazon
Garden of Life SPORT Grass Fed Whey Protein PowderPHOTO: Amazon$55$39 at Amazon$63 at Walmart$42 at IHerb
Garden of Life SPORT Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder
$55$39 at Amazon$63 at Walmart$42 at IHerb
AsI’ve written before, protein is a nutrient I probably think about more than the average person. I’ve been powerlifting for several years, and an essential ingredient for muscle growth is, you guessed it, protein. The average person only needsabout 0.8 to 1.2 grams of proteinper kilogram of body weight. However, since building muscle is one of my goals, I strive to hit 100 grams daily. Like most nutrients, you’re better off getting protein fromwhole food sources like chicken, eggs and lentils. But a scoop of protein powder is often a quick and easy way to get closer to my goal (plus, there’s only so much chicken breast a person can eat).
To see how my bargain whey protein pick (you can usually get a tub of Elevation for under $25 at Aldi) stood up against a pricier favorite, I compared the two based on taste, texture and nutrition. Here’s what I ultimately thought.
Naturally, nutrition will be at the top of the list when comparing whey protein powders. I decided to put together a quick nutritional rundown of the two to compare them:
As you can see, the Elevation whey protein powder has more protein per gram than the Garden of Life version. The tradeoff is that it also contains more fat and sugar. However, the Elevation protein powder has the added benefit of containing 2 g of creatine monohydrate per serving (which is at the lower end of the recommended dose range). Creatine has numerous health benefits, the most well-known of which is its ability tohelp you build more muscleduring strength training. Adding in that extra boost along with my protein powder is a huge plus for me (though if you want to take a creatine supplement, we havea few we recommend).
However, one of the biggest differentiators is that while Garden of Life is independently verified, Elevation is not. Why is that important? Independent verification is one way to ensure that the ingredients and quantities listed on the supplement facts labels are accurate. While Aldi Inc., the owner of Millville, indicates that it has rigorous quality and safety standards, it does not list any independent certification on its corporate site or its supplement facts label.
EatingWell / Katie Tuttle
EatingWell’s Supplement Philosophy & Methodology
Texture
Taste
While both have a solid, chocolatey flavor courtesy of cocoa powder, no one would mistake either for a milkshake. However, the sweeteners in each are what differentiates the two. The Elevation whey protein powder is sweetened with sucralose, while Garden of Life uses organic stevia extract. I personally find I’m very sensitive to the flavor of stevia; it lends an artificial note that I find unexpectedly cloying. However, if you prefer a natural sweetener, Elevation’s use of sucralose may be a turnoff.
The Bottom Line
Our Trusted Expertise
Katie Tuttleis an editor who specializes in testing kitchen tools, meal kits and wellness products. She has been powerlifting for six years and testing food and kitchen products for two.
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