Drink Wholesome is an aptly branded line of clean protein powder products that’s breaking through the clutter of nutritional supplements. The term “clean” gets tossed around loosely in the world of nutrition and protein powders. However, Drink Wholesome’s protein powders are nothing short of clean, and they’re fully transparent about it.
Directly on the front of the product’s packaging, customers can see the real food ingredients that make up Drink Wholesome’s protein powders. They offer one vegan-friendly protein powder option that’s a chickpea-based protein powder, but the remainder of Drink Wholesome products contain egg whites as one of its protein sources. All products are considered vegetarian-friendly and dairy-free.
Jack at Drink Wholesome was gracious enough to reach out and offer a couple of product samples. Having previously owned a protein powder review blog where I reviewed over 30 different products, this type of review was right in my wheelhouse.
Nutritional Review of Drink Wholesome Protein Powders
Before getting into the taste of each product, I was first interested in both the ingredients and nutritional information of Drink Wholesome, including the macronutrient profile. I must say I am impressed by the level of simplicity behind the products’ ingredients list, and how they do not contain any artificial sweeteners, artificial or natural flavors, colors, preservatives, stabilizers, or thickeners.
While I would be curious to see an amino acid breakdown of each product, I can rest assure knowing the egg white-based protein powders are complete in that they contain all nine essential amino acids needed for optimal recovery and overall health. I can’t say the same about the PB Chocolate vegan option, as it appears only legumes (chickpeas and peanuts) are the only sources of protein. However, both the taste and ingredients do fit the bill of being “clean protein powders.”
Sweetened by maple sugar and monk fruit extract (which is far more natural and tastefully pleasing compared to stevia), all products contain between 4-5 grams of sugar. So while they’re not “keto-friendly,” they do offer a solid macronutrient profile for athletic recovery with 20 grams of protein and varying levels of carbs and fat per serving, depending on the flavor.
How Do Drink Wholesome Protein Powders Taste?
No creamy whey protein? No problem! Drink Wholesome’s claim of offering a dairy-free protein powder that’s not chalky and gritty is a true statement.
What noticed immediately upon sampling both the Mocha and PB Coconut flavors is their smooth, non-gritty texture that blends well into liquid or smoothies. Both protein powder flavors had an honest and natural taste. While sweet, they weren’t too sweet, or that artificial “fake sweet” you often get with stevia. In my Drink Wholesome taste test, there was nothing artificial, over-powering, or displeasing about each of them. Here are my tasting notes on both flavors I tried:
- Mocha – Pleasantly sweet, milk chocolate flavor (without the dairy) that would elevate any vegetable-dominant smoothie or add a dessert-like layer to other applications like oatmeal or even baked goods.
- PB Coconut – At first scent, this flavor had a very natural and delightful peanut aroma. The small accurately reflected its taste, as it had a deliciously-rich peanut butter flavor with mild hints of toasted coconut.
Final Thoughts on Drink Wholesome
While Drink Wholesome does not have USDA certified organic stamp or any notable certifications, they do claim to use free-range eggs, and source local, organic ingredients whenever possible.
Both flavors above that I have tried are available in ~2lb pouch that offers 20 servings. At a price point of $38.50 per unit (and a monthly subscription price of $35 per unit), that’s certainly a fair bargain for clean protein powder like Drink Wholesome. They also offer free samples if you want to try their products.
All in all, Drink Wholesome protein powders exceeded my expectations in both nutrition and taste, and I would definitely recommend these products to any athlete or average joe looking to dial-in their protein intake.
Related Protein Reviews
- Orgain Protein Powder Review
- Vega Sport Protein Powder Review
- Garden of Life Sport Protein Powder Review
Experienced endurance athlete, pro cyclist, and sports writer, Tyler Tafelsky participates in long-distance multisport and cycling events. He competes in ultra-distance cycling races at the professional and elite amateur levels. Since starting Better Triathlete in 2014, Tyler has been the head of content and leads the site's editorial team.