Flavors Tried: Vanilla (egg white, collagen, and vegan protein powders)
Nutrition Facts (for egg white protein): 140 Calories, 6g Fat, 5g Carbs (3g Sugar), 20g Protein
Price: $40 for 14 servings ($2.86 per serving)
When Drink Wholesome offered to send me their protein powder, I’ll admit my expectations were pretty low.
I’ve tried countless protein powders before and never really worried about the ingredients. But with Drink Wholesome boasting only 4 ingredients per flavor, I was skeptical… yet intrigued. Would these minimalist powders actually taste good, or would they be another case of “hold your nose and try to enjoy”?
Drink Wholesome keeps it simple with just three main flavor options: unflavored, chocolate, and vanilla. It looks like they also have some limited edition flavors like strawberry, coffee, and peanut butter.
For this review, I sampled their vanilla in egg white protein, collagen, and vegan varieties.
Right off the bat, Drink Wholesome is upfront about their product’s mixing properties. Each package comes with mixing instructions and a heads-up that it won’t blend as easily as other protein powders due to the lack of emulsifiers.
If you’re a shaker bottle truther, this might not be the protein for you. I always use a frother for my shakes (quicker and easier), and I found these powders mixed up just fine.
It maybe took a couple extra seconds compared to other brands, but nothing major.
The company recommends mixing with milk for the best flavor, which is my go-to anyway. Sure, water works in a pinch, but if you want your shakes to actually taste good, cold milk is the way to go. Trust me, the flavor boost and creamier consistency make a world of difference.
Flavor Review: Egg White Protein (Vanilla)
I was genuinely surprised by this one. With ingredients limited to egg whites, coconut, vanilla, and monk fruit, I expected it to taste like unflavored protein with a hint of vanilla. But it’s actually pretty solid.
The flavor is subtle compared to other brands, so mixed with milk, it tastes more like vanilla milk than a typical protein shake.
The big win here? You don’t taste the protein at all.
No eggy flavor, no weird aftertaste, and since they use real vanilla, you even get those little vanilla bean specks.
I did have to mix twice with my frother to break up a few stray clumps, but it wasn’t a big deal. While the flavor won’t knock your socks off, it’s smooth and pleasantly vanilla. For those with sensitive stomachs looking for a clean protein option, this is a fantastic choice.
Flavor Review: Collagen (Vanilla)
The collagen protein packs a stronger flavor, not necessarily in a good way, with the coconut really coming through.
It’s got good sweetness overall, but it wasn’t really my cup of tea due to the more intense flavor. Egg white protein doesn’t have much flavor on its own, but collagen tends to, which is why the experience with this one is a little different.
On the plus side, it mixed even more easily than the egg white protein. I don’t drink collagen often, so I can’t make many comparisons, but it’s decent for what it is, and the vanilla flavor was still pleasant enough.
Flavor Review: Vegan (Vanilla)
This one threw me for a loop. It looks, smells, and tastes like almonds.
Imagine if you bought powdered almond butter (like PB2, but almond version) – that’s what you’re getting here. The powder and resulting shake are brown, which I wasn’t expecting from a vanilla flavor despite almonds being the main ingredient.
Drinking it feels like having a vanilla almond butter smoothie. It’s thick, but to their credit, still plenty smooth.
If you’re after a true vanilla vegan protein, there are better options out there flavor-wise. But if you love almonds, you might just fall in love with this one. It doesn’t have that earthy taste you often get with pea protein, but you absolutely need to be an almond fan to enjoy this.
But hey, if you like vanilla-flavored almond butter, you may just have your new favorite protein powder right here.
Drink Wholesome Protein Powder: Final Thoughts
I’ve got to say, I’m impressed.
While it’s not a protein I’d personally use regularly, I can totally see the appeal for anyone with a sensitive stomach who needs to stick with minimal ingredients. I can’t speak to how these would hold up in recipes, but for straight drinking, they’re all solid options given what they are.
Sure, they can’t compete with some of the wild flavors out there in the protein world, but that’s not really the point. These are great for anyone who needs a clean, simple protein option that won’t upset their stomach.
The major downside is the price. If you want to try samples, you’re looking at $5-6 per serving. If ordered as a bag, each serving will run you close to $3 per serving, which is nearly double what you’d expect to pay for a typical protein powder.
But if you’ve got digestive issues and have struggled to find a protein powder that works for you, Drink Wholesome might just be worth the splurge.
In the end, Drink Wholesome delivers on its promise: simple ingredients, subtle but pleasant flavors, and a protein option for those with sensitive stomachs. It’s a niche product, for sure, but one that fills its niche quite well.
