If you are pregnant, the odds are that you are pretty used to watching what you eat. I’m sure you that you are also making sure to take your prenatal vitamins to assure that your little bundle gets everything they need while they are still in your tummy. However, even if you eat right and take your vitamins, it might not be enough. Sometimes, your doctor might want you also to make sure you are using the best protein powder you can find to assure that your baby grows just right.
But how exactly do you know that you are using the right powder for your needs? It can extremely tough to choose between all of the different choices out there, but, no need to fret, I’m here for you!
I have taken the time to find out what makes a powder not just good, but great! In this article, I’ll lay it all out for you so that you can make the best protein powder choice for you and your baby. Alright, let’s get started!
The Best Protein Powders For Pregnancy (Updated)
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(*) Below, you'll find my detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see prices and read customer's reviews on Amazon.
Buyer's Guide
Why You Need Protein During Pregnancy
To put it very simply, protein provides your body with the building blocks for cell growth. If you don’t get enough of it on a normal basis, you could experience weight loss, muscle fatigue, fluid retention, or frequent infections. And all of that is just if YOU don’t get enough protein, imagine what it would do to your poor developing baby.
Protein is especially important to your little one’s development during the second and third trimester, as these are the time periods when they are most rapidly growing. You need to make sure that you have enough protein in your diet so that that little baby has everything they need so that they can grow just right!
Alternative Sources Of Protein
Perhaps you are sick and tired of taking extra supplements every day and don’t want to add protein powder to your daily regimen. I get it, I really do. If you are turned off by the idea of using a powder, you can always eat plenty of beans, lean meat, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, and poultry. As long as you eat three or four servings a day, you’ll be just fine.
However, that is assuming that you have any appetite at all. When I was pregnant, I could barely eat anything at all, let alone three or four servings of anything a day! I could, however, mix up a yummy drink for myself that included the necessary protein in powder form.
What To Keep In Mind When Picking A Protein Powder
Of course, once you begin looking for the best protein powders for you and your baby, there are several things that you need to take into account.
1. Serving Size
Obviously, you don’t want to choose a protein powder that requires you to take a large quantity. The idea is to find a powder that you barely even notice is there, and that will be extremely hard to do if you have to use a giant pile of the stuff.
2. Type of Protein
As I said earlier, there are tons of different types of protein powders out there. You could pick soy, egg, rice, pea, hemp, milk, or whey. Each of these different types of protein powders will offer you different benefits.
For pregnancy, however, it is probably best to stick with whey protein. It has everything you and your baby need and it is easily digested and absorbed by the body.
3. Absorption Rate
Depending on why you are taking your protein (in our case, pregnancy) you need to take the rate at which your body can absorb said protein into consideration. There are some heavy hitter protein types out there that are designed for muscle growth, which will make you gain a TON of weight if you aren’t working out constantly.
This type of protein should be avoided in favor of a more quickly absorbed version that focuses on weight maintenance instead.
4. Flavored vs. Non-flavored
When you are buying protein powder, you have the option of getting a flavored or non-flavored version. This is really up to your personal preference and taste, as the powder’s taste has little to do with its effectiveness.
5. Number of Servings
Let’s be honest here, you are probably trying like mad to save as much money as you can for your little one. As such, it only makes sense that you would want to be sure to get the most bang for your buck when purchasing anything. Which is why you should be sure only to buy powders that have the most servings at the smallest cost to you.
Delicious Ways to Take Your Protein
Protein can be added to pretty much any type of food or drink, but, like most things in life, there is a right and wrong way to do it! Perhaps the most popular way to enjoy the benefits of a protein powder is to mix it into a smoothie or milkshake.
Top Five Protein Powders For Pregnancy
The Good: This is, without a doubt, one of the best protein powders for pregnancy out there for lots of different reasons, which you can check out here. First of all, it is completely natural and doesn’t contain any additives, artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. It only has what you need without any additional fluff, making it perfect for you to use when you are pregnant.
It is whey protein, which, as I said before, is the easiest for your body to absorb quickly and efficiently. For that reason alone, it is a great choice for you to use during pregnancy.
Finally, the price to servings ration is one of the best on the market. Which, of course, means you can spend your money on much better things for your upcoming bundle of joy!
The Bad: Since this product has no sweetness of its own; you will, no doubt, have to add some type of sweetener to your recipes. If you’re not careful, you might end up adding too much sugar to your diet, which could be a bit of a problem.
The Long and Short of It: This protein powder is naturally made and has zero additives. It is a whey protein that is quickly and easily absorbed by your body.
The Good: If you are someone who only likes to eat organic food that comes from a facility where the animals were treated humanely than this is the protein for you! It is naturally processed without any unnecessary additives, providing you with a wholesome way to get the protein in your diet that you desire.
It also boasts about 35 servings per container, which is a great, since you have more important things to worry about than running out and buying more protein powder all the time.
The Bad: In the perfect world, products that were produced at Non-GMO, organic, and humane facilities would be cheaper than products mass produced in factories. This is, unfortunately, not a perfect world. You will end up paying a premium price for the aforementioned conditions, which might make this protein a bit too pricey for your budget.
The Long and Short of It: This product, which you can view here, is great for individuals who have the resources to pay for the premium factory conditions utilized to produce the protein.
The Good: Here we have yet another way to get your protein organically. However, unlike the previous entry, this one has a bit of flavor to it! It tastes just like vanilla, making it great to add to shakes, smoothies, and baking recipes.
This protein is also sweetened with Stevia, which is a much healthier alternative to regular sugar. This will save some calories for you if you choose to use this in dessert dishes.
The Bad: Like any organic product, you will end up paying a bit of a premium price. I also noticed that it didn’t always mix completely into certain drinks, but the water seemed to be the biggest problem area.
The Long and Short of It: This protein powder, which you can view here, is organic and has a nice, natural vanilla flavor. It is a bit expensive, however, and doesn’t fully dissolve in thinner drinks.
The Good: I love the size of this protein package. It is a bit smaller, which makes it ideal for testing out before you take the plunge and buy as much of it as you will really need should you choose it as your desired source of protein.
While this was another organic protein powder sweetened with Stevia, it had a very wholesome taste that wasn’t too strong or faint, but rather just right.
The Bad: While the small package size is ideal for testing, it is relatively expensive because of its organic origins. I know I sound like a broken record here, but the price of this powder could end up being just as expensive as some others on this list if you are not careful.
The Long and Short of It: A smaller portion of protein powder that is perfect use on a trial basis, this could end up costing a ton if you choose to buy more. If you’d like to give this one a try, you can find more info on it here.
The Good: Want to know why I love this one? There are three reasons: the taste, the taste, and, of course, the taste! This protein powder has such a heavenly taste that I could easily see enjoying it every day. Add in the fact that it has no sugar and only 80 calories and it’s a win-win situation.
The Bad: I will say, however, that even though the taste was divine, I didn’t enjoy how chalky it could get if you were just a little off in your measurements.
The Long and Short of It: This great tasting protein powder might get chalky and clumpy if you use just a pinch too much in your mixtures. If you would like more information or flavor choices, you can do so here.
And The Winner Is...
It wasn’t easy, but after testing all of these wonderful choices I found that TGS All Natural 100% Whey Protein Powder - Unflavored, Undenatured, Unsweetened was one of the best protein powders for pregnancy out there! It’s combination of quickly absorbed whey protein, natural ingredients, and low cost makes it a protein powder that I highly recommend using during pregnancy.
What A Healthy Choice!
Well, there you go! There are plenty of great protein powder choices out there for you and your little one. Hopefully, this listing will help guide you to the right powder for you. If you have any questions, comments, or advice, please let me know in the comments section below. Have a great day!
