Myprotein essential whey protein
For me and thousands of other strength training fans, Myprotein’s impact whey has been the go-to protein powder for years thanks to its impressive flavour selection, consistent quality and (above all else) affordability. So, I thought the best test for this new kid on the block would be to compare it to my old faithful.
The first key difference is the price. Impact whey protein has an RRP of £41.99 for a 1kg bag, whereas the essential whey protein retails at £34.99 for 1.3kg. But, because the essential whey protein has a smaller serving size (25g rather than 30g), you get a lot more bang for your buck per pouch – 52 servings rather than 33. Thanks to a combination of regular offers and discount codes, you’re unlikely to ever pay full price for a Myprotein product either.
The next point of comparison is their nutritional profiles. The vanilla-flavoured essential whey protein I tried has 17g or protein, 4g of fat, 1.2g of carbs and 109 calories per serving. The cookies and cream impact whey in my cupboard, on the other hand, contains 22g of protein, 1.8g of fat, 2.2g of carbs and 113 calories.
For someone preparing for a bodybuilding show, these fine margins might matter, but for everyday exercisers like myself I’m happy to forego a couple of grams of protein for a more affordable product.
The ingredients list is refreshingly short too – it’s 95 per cent whey protein concentrate from milk (the impact whey is 97 per cent), then the remainder of the shake is made up from flavouring and a sweetener in the form of sucralose.
A protein powder can have the best nutritional profile under the sun, but it’s unlikely that people are going to drink it regularly if it tastes abysmal. Luckily, I found the Myprotein essential whey protein mixed quickly with no residual clumps, and it tasted pretty good as well (although I find it hard to get too excited about a vanilla drink).
The biggest drawback is that it only comes in the Neapolitan flavour range of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, as well as an unflavoured option. By contrast, Myprotein’s impact whey has 40 flavours to choose from.
It’s a new product, so of course, this might change over time. But for now, I’m content with chocolate, as I’ve found I don’t get flavour-fatigue with this option and I can also use it in recipes such as protein pancakes or overnight oats too.