Price: $3 per bottle
Flavors Tried: Vanilla and Chocolate
Nutrition (per 12oz bottle): 160 Calories, 2.5g Fat, 5g Carbs (1g Sugar & 1g Fiber), 30g Protein
I’ve had plenty of protein shakes over the years, and there is quite a variety out there. On one end, you have staples like Quest and Premier Protein that have been around forever. On the other, you’ve got newer ultra-filtered shakes like Fairlife, Slate, and Nurri, which are taking over shelves lately thanks to their impressive texture, flavor, and macros.
RAW protein shakes fall into the camp of “regular” protein shake. These aren’t ultra-filtered milk shakes like Fairlife or Nurri, they’re your typical water + protein shake, and as soon as I saw that, I lowered my expectations.
That’s not a knock, necessarily. Premier Protein and the newer Oikos shakes have shown that a standard protein shake can still taste great. But generally speaking, these types of shakes tend to be hit or miss.
Unfortunately, this one was mostly a miss.
Vanilla RAW Protein Shake Review
Vanilla was insanely sweet, and even if you have a big sweet tooth and I think you’ll find this to be too much. It’s like drinking sugar-free vanilla pudding in liquid form, which is not something I’m itching to do. The flavoring is overpowering and lingers for way too long in the aftertaste.
It doesn’t have that classic artificial sweetener “bite” that some shakes have, but the over-the-top vanilla flavor tastes way too fake. It’s not necessarily the sweetener itself, but the flavoring just feels cranked up way past 10. If you’re someone who loves sugar-free pudding mix and have always wished that you could drink it, you’ll love this one
But for me, the sweetness made it undrinkable. This one is a hard pass.
Chocolate RAW Protein Shake Review
Chocolate was better… but that’s not saying much. It’s definitely more tolerable than the vanilla, and the flavor leans closer to chocolate milk than chocolate pudding, which is a positive. It’s still noticeably a protein shake, and you’re not going to confuse this with Fairlife, but they at least didn’t overdo it with the flavoring like they did with vanilla.
It still has a bit of that lingering artificial taste, but it’s more balanced overall. I didn’t love it, but I could get through a bottle if I were in a pinch.
Final Thoughts: RAW Protein Shakes
RAW protein shakes just didn’t work for me. The chocolate is tolerable if you’re stuck and need something with 30 grams of protein, but I’d avoid the vanilla at all costs. Unless you love pudding mix, of course.
If you’re used to the creamy, smooth taste of ultra-filtered shakes like Fairlife, these are going to be a letdown. Even compared to older options like Premier, they fall short in flavor.
There are just too many better options out there today, so these are a skip.
