Protein is a must-have nutrient at virtually every meal, and for good reason. Protein makes up 20% of your body weight and is present in every cell, carrying out life-supporting roles. Research also says your body needs about 50–100% more protein in the diet with a routine fitness plan. Your body must get certain building blocks of protein, called amino acids—specifically, essential amino acids—from the foods or supplements you eat. But protein powders are not created equally, since amino acid profile and content differs between food sources; say dairy protein versus plant protein, like pea.

Plant-Based Protein Powders: Plant-based proteins are isolated from plants such as soy, pea or quinoa. For this reason, their composition of amino acids varies greatly from animal proteins such as whey and egg. Essential amino acid composition—specifically BCAA levels in single-plant proteins, such as pea—are very different. In fact, plant protein is substantially lower than whey and other animal proteins except for soy, which supplies all the essential amino acids in amounts needed. Let’s run the numbers: 20 grams of pea protein used in a smoothie meets 28% of your protein needs, while 20 grams of whey protein packs 40% of needs and ample BCAAs. All this said, plant proteins do supply fiber, good taste and a vegan alternative to animal proteins.

Whey Protein Powders: Whey is a popular protein powder and comes from dairy as a byproduct of making cheese. Proteins in whey are high-quality, which means whey provides the essential amino acids in amounts proportional to our needs. Various studies have shown that whey protein (about 20 grams, or 40% of the Daily Value taken within about an hour of strength training exercises) promotes muscle recovery. Also, whey protein supplies ample Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), which are critical in muscle recovery and growth. In fact, muscle recovery (repair and building) improves with BCAAs in sufficient amounts that are found in whey but not reliably in other protein supplements. When picking a whey powder, avoid added sugars on the label which ups calorie counts.

Nugget Note: Drop by your local Nugget Market's Healthy Living Department to find fantastic protein options like these!

Truvani Organic Plant Based Protein: Fuel your day with organic protein powders made with just 5–12 clean ingredients like pea protein, pumpkin seeds and monk fruit—no fillers, preservatives or artificial sweeteners here! Find your favorite flavor for gut-friendly goodness.

Simply Tera's Whey Protein: Starring just a handful of ingredients, these simply delicious protein powders star grass-fed, non-GMO whey with no added sugar, making them a complete and versatile protein you can enjoy in smoothies, baking and more. Whey to go!

Selection may vary by store.