RTD Protein Shakes are some of the fastest and easiest ways to get a quick dose of protein. RTD (or Ready To Drink) protein shakes are pre-made shakes that often have calorie totals and protein totals close to the whey you use already. The benefit to using a RTD shake is that it really is ready to go. No carrying around a blender bottle and baggie of whey. Just pop the top and get your protein in!
RTD Protein Shakes – Trying them out.
Truth be told, I really never used RTD protein shakes before trying them out for this article. I throw a scoop of whey in my morning Shakeology and then really just eat whole foods the rest of the day. I will sometimes add a scoop of whey later, but that is normally just mixed up at home.
Again, what makes RTD shakes interesting is that they are ready to go whenever you are. They also proved to be pretty tasty for most of the kinds I tried. The other big perk is that I have been noticing RTD protein shakes at more and more convenience stores. Now you want to check out the macros and calorie totals, but RTD protein shakes could be an easy way to up your protein on the go, if you are getting tired of things like protein bars and beef jerky. Most of these are easy to find at places like Walmart too.
The RTD protein shakes I tried out were:
- EAS AdvantEDGE Carb Control
- EAS Myoplex Original
- Muscle Milk RTD (11 oz)
- Pure Protein (12 oz twist off – 23g of protein)
- Premier Protein
RTD Protein Shake Taste Comparisons
Really, they were all pretty close. The Muscle Milk was pretty good and I attributed that to the extra fat it had in it. Now there was older Consumer Report on Muscle Milk where they found higher levels of some heavy metals. I don’t think I would chance it on Muscle Milk regularly. The leanest RTD protein shake I sampled, the EAS AdvantEDGE Carb Control, was also the worst tasting IMO. It’s protein source was soy and pea protein and the pea protein really gave it a really bad aftertaste.
Macro Breakdowns of the RTD Shakes Tested
This in someway is the most important when picking a RTD. You want it to fit your nutritional goals. You may also want to look into what type of protein is used. Since I don’t, and won’t, use these regularly, I didn’t care as much about the protein source. If there were a staple in my diet, I would be more selective on what I was getting protein-wise.
In GREEN are some of the things I really liked. I liked getting over 30g of protein in a shake. That meant I didn’t have to add too much other protein to the snack to get a good dose of protein. Basically everyone used milk proteins. No one was as specific as whey isolate. I know there are RTD protein supplements that have it (like Isopure) but they are much more pricey. The Premier Protein RTD was a good balance of all macros and only a quarter or so more. That might just be my top pick.
In ORANGE are some things to consider. The low protein and soy in EAS’ Carb Control made it not an ideal choice IMO. It also didn’t taste all that great. The EAS Myoplex was nice with 42g of protein but you just need to make sure you have the other macros (fat and carbs) to fit it in. It might not be as Fat Shredder and deficit friendly. I did like getting a few extra grams of fiber from a lot of these.
The prices were all from Walmart.com. I did notice that if you watch for sales, you can get a lot of these for buy 1 get 1 50% off a lot.
All in all, RTD protein shakes could definitely fit a need in your nutrition. They are super convenient and if you add them to a meal, you can really up your protein intake. Cost-wise (I’m always thinking about that bottom line LOL) you are still better to mix up a scoop of whey. In most cases you can get ~25g of protein for around $1 if you do a powder and water. That’s pretty hard to beat!
Let me know if you have tried any or if I missed some of your favorites that you think I should try!
Bring it!
Coach Wayne
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My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
