Best Paleo Protein Powders (2020 Guide)

The paleo diet, praised as a holistic return to our ancestor’s dietary roots, has boomed in popularity since the early 2010s.

Like with most diets, protein shakes are a popular supplement for those on paleo diets. So we’ve scoured the market to find the 11 best paleo protein powders.

Farther down, we present research and information on the paleo diet and protein powder itself.

(As a side note, strict paleo diets don’t allow dairy products, so this list is lactose-free.)

Top 11 Best Paleo Protein Powders

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Overview: Paleo Diets & Protein Powder

The paleo diet has sprung up in popularity since the early 2010s. From a time in which dieters adhered to strictly low-fat or low-carb diets with less consideration for food quality, the paleo diet and its focus on whole, healthy foods rose from the mire.

Chances are, if you’re looking for the best paleo protein powder, you’re already familiar with the paleo diet. For those who need some more information, though, we’ve summarized pros, cons, and criticisms of the paleo diet.

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet is a high-protein, low-carb diet based on the supposed dietary habits of ancient man. Often called the caveman diet, it’s a whole-foods diet comprising foods that may have been eaten by hunter-gatherer societies.

The paleo diet is most often used for weight loss goals. However, the diet’s early founder Loren Cordain, PhD claims it can help manage or mitigate risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems.

This is not without criticism, however. Many experts believe that cutting out processed foods and replacing them with whole foods will itself lower these risks, with or without the food group-based dietary restrictions of the paleo diet. We’ll discuss these criticisms further below.

What You Can and Can’t Eat on the Paleo Diet

Different variations of the paleo diet will have different allowances and restrictions, but here are some common examples of what can and can’t be eaten on a strict paleo diet.

Is Whey Protein Paleo-Friendly?

We’ll get this out of the way before addressing the pros and cons of the paleo diet. Many people wonder if whey protein is paleo-approved. This question would also apply to other dairy-based proteins, such as casein protein powder.

Strictly speaking, no, whey protein is not paleo-friendly. One of the key premises of the paleo diet is to avoid foods that are derived from agriculture and farming practices. This would include cows’ milk, from which whey and casein are made.

However, many variations of the paleo diet do allow dairy products, and therefore would allow whey and casein protein powders. One of the primary criticisms of the paleo diet is its rejection of certain healthy foods, such as dairy. In response, many people choose to eat these healthy foods despite the premise of the diet.

Should you eat whey protein on the paleo diet? That depends on your personal reasons for following the diet. If you’re trying to eat strictly as if you were living in a hunter-gatherer society, then no, you should not eat whey. If you’re simply trying to improve your health by eating whole, natural foods, then whey protein is fine.

Naked Whey protein powder

For those on diary-lenient paleo diets, we recommend Naked Whey protein powder. This grass-fed, GMO-free, US-based powder contains only one ingredient: 100% whey powder.

Benefits of Paleo Diets

There have been a number of studies that have indicated several health benefits for those who stick with paleo diets.

Research-Backed Benefits of the Paleo Diet:

• Fat loss¹A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease.²Effects of a short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet in healthy volunteers.³A Palaeolithic-type diet causes strong tissue-specific effects on ectopic fat deposition in obese postmenopausal women.⁴Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease factors⁵Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study.⁶Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet.⁷Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis
• Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes factors⁸Metabolic and physiologic effects from consuming a hunter-gatherer (Paleolithic)-type diet in type 2 diabetes⁹A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease.¹⁰Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study.

As previously mentioned, many of these findings have not been narrowed down specifically to the paleo diet itself. Weight loss and reduced risk of certain diseases is expected with any healthy, holistic diet.

Side Effects of Paleo Diets

Practically every diet is going to come with some unpleasant side effects. Here are some associated with paleo.

Possible Paleo Diet Side Effects:

Ancient Nutrition – Energizing, Caffeinated Paleo-Friendly Protein Powder

This paleo-friendly protein powder fights the energy slump with caffeine, ashwagandha root, and other healthy herbs.

Criticisms of Paleo Diets

The paleo diet is not without its critics. We’ll lay out some of the most common complaints put forth by experts and practitioners alike.

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How to Take Paleo Protein Powder

Once you’ve picked the best paleo protein powder for your goals, you’ll need to figure out your dosage and timing. Here’s some helpful information.

How Much Protein to Take

When to Take Your Protein

For more thorough information on protein powder dosage and timing, check out our protein powder guide.

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Brief Protein Overview

Regardless of whether you’re on the paleo diet, not sure if protein supplements are right for you? Here’s a quick overview on protein itself to help you make a decision.

What Are Proteins?

Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are essentially the building blocks of the entire body. When you eat food containing proteins, your body breaks them down into those amino acids. From there, they’re used to build all sorts of structures within the body. They also play vital roles in many other functions throughout the body.

There are 20 total amino acids, of which 8 cannot be produced by the body on its own and have to come from external sources. These are called essential amino acids. (Though there are 9 essential amino acids for infants.)

Every protein source contains different levels of each amino acid, creating what’s called an amino acid profile. Foods that contain every essential amino acid are called complete protein sources. Most animal sources, including dairy, egg whites, casein, and meat, are complete. A few plant sources, such as hemp protein and soy, are complete sources as well.

Benefits of Protein Supplements

The following information is summarized from our complete protein powder guide. Check it out for more thorough information.

Athletics

Weight Loss

Research has demonstrated that drinking protein shakes can help with reducing fat mass while increasing or maintaining muscle mass.⁴⁰Whey Protein Supplementation Improves Body Composition and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis⁴¹A whey-protein supplement increases fat loss and spares lean muscle in obese subjects: a randomized human clinical study⁴²Effects of protein supplements consumed with meals, versus between meals, on resistance training–induced body composition changes in adults: a systematic review

There are a few contributing factors here. The simplest is that protein shakes are filling, and can often replace unhealthy food choices. They can help with both appetite control and responsible dietary choices.

But beyond simple meal replacements, protein shakes help increase muscle mass, which in turns helps with burning fat.

Even at rest, muscle consumes more calories than fat does. This means that the more muscle tissue you have, the higher your resting metabolism. And the higher your resting metabolism, the easier it is to maintain a calorie deficit and burn fat.

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Summary

Protein supplements can be very useful tools for supporting the paleo diet. There are plenty of paleo protein powders on the market, and you should now have enough information to make an educated choice.

For more information on protein supplementation, see our complete protein powder guide.