Which drink is high in protein? The answer depends on what you want. Ready to drink protein shakes pack the most punch with 20 to 45 grams per bottle. Regular cow’s milk gives you 8 grams per cup. Soy milk and pea milk match this at 7 to 9 grams per cup. Greek yogurt smoothies can deliver 12 to 40 grams depending on what you add.
How Much Protein Do You Need Each Day?
The recommended daily amount for most adults sits at 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. A person who weighs 70 kilograms needs about 56 grams of protein per day. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 0.8 g/kg per day for adults aged 18 years or greater.
People over 50 need more. Experts recommend older adults consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. Athletes and active people should aim even higher at 1.4 to 2 grams per kilogram.
The good news? General recommendations are to consume 15 to 30 grams of protein at each meal. A few high protein drinks throughout the day can help you hit these targets without much effort.
What Are the Best High Protein Drinks?
Here are the top protein drinks ranked by how much protein they deliver per serving.
1. Ready to Drink Protein Shakes (20 to 45 grams)
Store bought protein shakes offer the most protein per serving. Some shakes provide 40 grams of protein per container from milk and whey isolate. Brands like Fairlife Core Power Elite deliver 42 grams per bottle, and GNC Wheybolic offers 40 grams.
Fairlife’s Core Power Elite High Protein Shakes is the perfect go-to for those looking for a serious protein boost. These work best after workouts or as meal replacements when you need lots of protein fast.
Cost in Australia runs from $5 to $8 AUD per bottle at most supermarkets and supplement stores.
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2. Homemade Greek Yogurt Smoothies (15 to 40 grams)
Greek yogurt smoothies give you control over what goes in while still packing serious protein. A smoothie with Greek yogurt packs over 20 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber per serving.
Add nut butter, chia seeds, and milk to push this even higher. A Greek Yogurt Protein Shake with added protein powder can reach 40 grams of protein per serving.
3. Cow’s Milk (8 grams per cup)
Plain old milk remains one of the most affordable protein drinks. Milk provides 8 grams of protein per serving with 1 gram of protein per ounce. The protein in milk is high quality and contains all nine essential amino acids.
The 8 grams of protein in every cup of milk can go a long way in getting the protein you need.
What makes milk special is its mix of two proteins: casein and whey. It’s a mixture of whey and casein, which allows for a long period where muscle protein synthesis is increased because casein is slower acting.
4. Chocolate Milk (8 to 11 grams per cup)
Chocolate milk works especially well after exercise. Every cup of chocolate milk contains between eight and 11 grams of protein.
Research backs this up. Low-fat chocolate milk consists of a 4:1 carbohydrate:protein ratio similar to many commercial recovery beverages and provides fluids and sodium to aid in post-workout recovery.
A study review found chocolate milk provides either similar or superior results when compared to placebo or other recovery drinks.
5. Kefir (8 to 11 grams per cup)
Kefir is fermented milk that tastes like drinkable yogurt. It offers similar protein to regular milk plus the added bonus of probiotics for gut health.
Beyond its probiotic content, kefir is a true nutritional powerhouse. It’s naturally rich in calcium and protein.
It’s recommended to consume one to two 8-ounce servings of kefir each day for maximum probiotic health.
6. Soy Milk (7 to 9 grams per cup)
For plant based options, soy milk leads the pack. Soy milk consistently delivers around 7 to 9 grams of protein per cup.
What sets soy apart from other plant milks? Soy provides a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs but can’t produce on its own.
Fortified soy milk is the only plant-based milk recognized by the USDA as a nutritionally equivalent alternative to cow’s milk.
7. Pea Milk (8 grams per cup)
Pea milk matches dairy milk for protein content. An 8-ounce serving contains 8 grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fat.
Pea milk has quickly gained popularity for its impressive protein content, matching soy with about 8 grams per cup. It works well for people with soy or nut allergies.
8. Low Protein Plant Milks (0 to 3 grams per cup)
Other plant milks fall short on protein:
- Oat milk gives 2 to 4 grams per cup
- Almond milk provides only 1 gram per cup
- Coconut milk has just 0.5 grams per cup
- Rice milk delivers about 1 gram per cup
With the exception of cow’s milk and soy drinks, which had greater than 3% protein, most milk alternatives contained 1% protein or less and therefore cannot be considered good protein sources.
How Does Protein Content Compare Across Different Milks?
Here is a quick breakdown of protein per cup (240ml):
- Ultra filtered dairy milk: 13 to 15 grams
- Sheep’s milk: 9 grams
- Goat’s milk: 9 grams
- Cow’s milk (any fat level): 8 grams
- Pea milk: 8 grams
- Soy milk: 7 to 9 grams
- Oat milk: 2 to 4 grams
- Almond milk: 1 gram
- Coconut milk: 0.5 grams
As an example, almond milk has roughly 1.5 grams of protein per cup. This means you would need to drink over five cups of almond milk to get the same amount of protein as one cup of cow’s milk.
What Makes a Good Protein Drink?
Look for these features when choosing a protein drink:
- At least 15 to 20 grams of protein per serving
- Less than 10 grams of added sugar
- Complete protein with all essential amino acids
- Low in saturated fat
Choose products that provide at least 15 to 20 grams of protein per serving. Aim for supplements with less than 5 grams of sugar and minimal carbs unless you need them for post-workout recovery.
When Should You Drink High Protein Drinks?
Timing matters. Spread your protein across the day rather than loading up all at once.
Studies show that higher intakes in one sitting, more than 40 grams, are no more beneficial than consuming the recommended 15 to 30 grams at one time.
Best times to drink protein:
- With breakfast to start muscle building early
- Within 30 minutes after a workout for recovery
- Between meals as a snack to prevent muscle breakdown
- Before bed with casein protein for overnight repair
For workout recovery, consuming chocolate milk immediately after exercise and again at 2 hours post-exercise appears to be optimal for exercise recovery and may attenuate indices of muscle damage.
Can Plant Milks Replace Dairy for Protein?
Soy milk and pea milk can work as protein replacements for dairy. Soy milk typically contains 7 grams of protein per cup, while pea milk can contain up to 8 grams, making them excellent choices for those avoiding dairy.
Other plant milks fall short. Complete replacement of milk with plant-based drinks without adjusting the overall diet can lead to deficiencies of certain important nutrients in the long term.
If you choose low protein plant milks like almond or oat, add other protein sources to your diet to make up the difference.
FAQ
Which drink has the most protein?
Ready to drink protein shakes top the list with 20 to 45 grams per serving. For everyday drinks, cow’s milk, soy milk, and pea milk all provide around 8 grams per cup.
Is milk a good source of protein?
Yes. Milk is a good source of protein with high-quality proteins that include all nine amino acids our bodies can’t create. One cup delivers 8 grams of complete protein.
How much protein should I drink per day?
Most adults need between 0.8 and 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This works out to 55 to 110 grams per day for someone weighing 68 kilograms. Drinks can contribute 20 to 40 grams of this daily total.
Is chocolate milk good for recovery?
Yes. Research shows chocolate milk has either similar or superior results compared to placebo or other sports recovery drinks. It has the right mix of carbs, protein, and electrolytes for muscle repair.
What plant milk has the most protein?
Soy milk and pea milk tie for first place. Soy milk and pea milk tie for the highest protein content at 7 to 9 grams and 8 grams per cup respectively. Both contain all nine essential amino acids.
Is Greek yogurt good for protein smoothies?
Greek yogurt adds 10 to 20 grams of protein per serving to smoothies. With a quarter to third cup serving size of greek yogurt, the greek yogurt in these smoothies generally contributes at least 10 grams of protein per recipe.
How much protein is in kefir?
One cup of kefir contains about 8 to 11 grams of protein, similar to regular milk. It also delivers probiotics that support gut health and may help with digestion.
Should I drink protein shakes every day?
You can drink protein shakes daily if you need extra protein. Focus on getting most of your protein from whole foods first and use shakes to fill any gaps. There’s a vast array of protein shakes, powders, bars, cookies and other supplements on the market, though a food-first approach is advocated.
What is the cheapest high protein drink?
Regular cow’s milk offers the best value. At just about 25 cents per glass, dairy milk offers more nutritional bang for your buck than just about any other beverage you can buy, providing thirteen essential nutrients including 8 grams of high-quality protein in each 8-ounce glass. In Australia, a litre of milk costs around $1.50 to $2.50 AUD.
Can I get enough protein from drinks alone?
Drinks can contribute a big portion of your daily protein needs, but eating protein from whole foods gives you other nutrients too. Use high protein drinks to supplement meals rather than replace them entirely.
Protein drinks offer a convenient way to boost your daily intake, especially post-workout. Learn whether 200g of protein a day is too much before loading up on shakes, and discover what protein does to your hair as an added benefit. Work with a personal trainer in Elwood to integrate supplements effectively into your nutrition plan.
