CommunityFood & Appetite

Good tasting Protein Powder in the EU

17 replies13 peopleJul 3, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

Which protein powders taste decent mixed with water and are available in the EU?

Forum users report that most whey powders taste poor or chalky with water but improve with milk. Preferences split between standard milky types and clear whey options, with chocolate, nut, or cookie flavors faring better than fruit ones like strawberry. Some accept the extra carbs from milk while others seek water-only mixes to control sugar intake. Availability in Germany or nearby EU countries is a common constraint.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Whether the extra carbs from milk are acceptable or if a truly palatable water-only option must be found.

Still open

No single product or flavor emerges as a consensus winner across the group.

Nothing here is advice.

17 replies · 13 people
BrightBramble77archiveopening postJul 3

Hey everyone, I have a question about protein. Right now I don't track my macros, but I'm having trouble hitting 1 g per kg from food. Normally I'd add a shake, yet most I've tried taste awful when mixed with water. With milk they go down fine and taste decent, but water versions are just bad. Can anyone suggest a specific product that ships or is stocked in the EU, mainly Germany or Bulgaria?

NorthCinder82archiveJul 3

What did you try? I am really keen on one brand in particular.

BrightBramble77archiveJul 3

One strawberry-flavored whey I tried was okay with milk but not great without it. I also tried a supermarket brand and two others whose names I forget.

NorthLantern81archiveJul 3

I used to use one brand and now mostly go with an isolate from Spain or another isolate option.

PatientFenwick91archiveJul 3

Taste is so personal, but if we're talking the usual milky type, one well-known brand works pretty much anywhere in the world.

LevelPebble88archiveJul 3

Did you try any of the clear protein category yet?

ClearQuill84archiveJul 3

One gourmet isolate flavor is king for me right now. Cookie cream has me obsessed, and coconut plus peanut butter versions are also awesome. Another brand is pretty tasty but not quite as good. I prefer nut, coconut, or cookie profiles and am not big on strawberry or vanilla.

SharpCompass21archiveJul 4

My usual choice is a raspberry powder that mixes easily and tastes good with water, even better with milk.

CopperBeacon24archiveJul 4

I usually end up disappointed with protein powder purchases. Coffee flavors in particular have been a letdown because they all come out too sweet. Neutral options like vanilla or chocolate work best since you can add cocoa, cinnamon, or coffee yourself. Clear whey tasted odd at first but improved once I added electrolytes and used an electric shaker to cut the foam. Casein before bed usually tastes better than whey, though one night version I bought didn't. Protein powder still saves me because I can't hit my daily protein from food alone.

KeenFenwick72archiveJul 4

What's the harm in mixing it with milk then? You get a few extra calories but it's not that much. I always used skimmed milk. There's a higher-protein milk available in some places. If lactose is an issue I'd try rice milk, though it has sugar. One banana flavor tasted like a milkshake especially with cooled milk.

CopperBeacon24archiveJul 4
↳ replying to @KeenFenwick72

I use low-fat milk when I have any and it really improves taste and consistency. I do 200 ml milk with 100 ml water.

BrightBramble77archiveJul 4
↳ replying to @KeenFenwick72

The problem with milk is the sugar or carbs. Four hundred milliliters gives about 20 g of sugar, which feels like too much. If I used a shake I'd prefer raw milk over low-fat, or maybe dilute with water, but the ideal is something that tastes fine with water alone. The ones I tried before didn't. For me the texture feels wrong with water, so my body wants to reject it quickly.

LevelBramble14archiveJul 4

You should be fine with a reputable whey and almond or soy milk. Dairy milk gets too frothy and thick for me. One particular product works for me, though I still finish each shake in about five gulps because none taste like a milkshake. I treat it as eat to live, not live to eat.

SteadyWillow88archiveJul 4

I swear by one light-digest whey in hazelnut or pistachio. I mix it with kefir, yogurt drink, or buttermilk for creaminess. Other options I tried made me burp, so I stick with the light-digest version.

KeenFenwick72archiveJul 4
↳ replying to @BrightBramble77

Four hundred milliliters of milk per shake is a lot though, and 20 g of carbs isn't that much. Even on keto you'd stay in ketosis up to 50-60 g. If you can find one that tastes good with water, go for it, but I think they all taste disgusting with water, even the clear versions.

KeenFenwick72archiveJul 4
↳ replying to @CopperBeacon24

I use one scoop per 200 ml milk. With water they taste like nothing good. I try to avoid shakes if possible anyway, and even clear whey versions are disgusting.

NorthBramble68archiveJul 4

One 5 kg whey option works best with milk.

GreenHarbour50archiveJul 7

The only whey that has been borderline palatable for me is one double-rich chocolate version. I've tried at least ten brands and they're all disgusting. Fruit flavors especially don't taste like real fruit. Chocolate is the only one that's somewhat bearable, and this particular one is the least worst.

Add your experience

If you have tried it, this topic is still open. Sign in to reply — it takes a minute.