The Best Protein Powder for Women
The best protein powder for women is the same as for men: a plain whey with 20 to 30 g of protein a scoop. Our pick is Naked Whey, 25 g a scoop for $1.84 per 25 g of protein. Most women who exercise do well on 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day.
By Erin Rose Updated October 20, 2026 How we score
Ready to buy? Our pick for most women
Naked Whey
25 g a scoop · $1.84 per 25 g of protein · on the Informed Choice testing list
A full scoop of protein on a testing list, with one ingredient and no sweetener. It has no flavor, so a scoop mixes into oatmeal, yogurt or coffee. It is not the cheapest whey on a testing list: tonight MusclePharm Combat costs $1.35 per 25 g. How we picked.
How much protein women need
| You are | At 132 lb | At 165 lb |
|---|---|---|
| Not very active (the minimum) | 48 g | 60 g |
| Active, or losing weight | 72 to 96 g | 90 to 120 g |
| Over 65 | 60 to 72 g | 75 to 90 g |
These are the same targets as for men, per kg of body weight. Try to get at least 20 g at each meal. Breakfast is where most people fall short, and one scoop fixes that. Work out your own number. More in our protein guide.
Skip the “for women” tub
Protein powders sold for women hold the same kind of protein as any other, and some hold less of it. We read 675 labels of protein powders in the NIH label database. The typical scoop held 25 g of protein. The 4 women’s lines we found held 15 to 25 g:
- GNC Pro Performance AMP Women's Advanced Protein: 15 g a scoop
- Vitamin World Whey For Her Protein: 18 g a scoop
- Natural Factors WomenSense MoodFood: 24 g a scoop
- Labrada Nutrition Lean Body For Her Whey Protein Isolate: 25 g a scoop
Buy by grams of protein a scoop, not by the color of the tub.
Which protein is right for you?
Naked Whey suits most women. If one of these sounds like you, this is the better buy.
Watching calories? Pick a whey isolate.
An isolate is filtered until it is about 90% protein, so less of each scoop is fat and milk sugar. BulkSupplements gives 25 g a scoop. It is unflavored, with nothing added. It is on NSF Certified for Sport.
BulkSupplements Whey Protein Isolate
25 g a scoop · $1.73 per 25 g of protein
No dairy? Pick a plant powder with 30 g a scoop.
Plant protein builds muscle almost as well as whey, and strength gains are the same (Reid-McCann 2025). Vega gives 30 g from pea, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed, and is on NSF/ANSI 173, a test with limits for lead. Like most plant powders, it carries more lead than whey: Consumer Reports suggested 3 to 4 scoops a week, not one a day.
Vega Performance Protein
30 g a scoop · $1.87 per 25 g of protein
Want a flavored shake? Pick Gold Standard.
It costs less per gram of protein than Naked Whey and comes flavored (we price Double Rich Chocolate). It is sweetened with ace-K, a no-calorie sweetener, and is on the Informed Choice testing list. Consumer Reports found little lead in it in 2025.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard
24 g a scoop · $1.49 per 25 g of protein
Questions people ask
Will protein powder make me bulky?
No. In 49 trials with 1,863 people who lifted weights, adding protein gave about 0.3 kg (under 1 lb) more lean mass on average than training alone (Morton 2018). Muscle comes from years of training, not from a shake.
Can I take protein powder while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Your protein needs go up, to about 71 g a day in the second and third trimesters and while breastfeeding, and food comes first. Ask your doctor or midwife before you add any supplement.
Is collagen a good protein for women?
Not as your main protein. Collagen lacks tryptophan, an amino acid your body needs, so it does not count toward your daily protein. Some women take it for skin; see collagen.
Sources
- Morton RW, et al. “A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults.” Br J Sports Med. 2018. PubMed 28698222
- Bauer J, et al. “Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group.” J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013. PubMed 23867520
- Reid-McCann RJ, et al. “Effect of Plant Versus Animal Protein on Muscle Mass, Strength, Physical Performance, and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Nutr Rev. 2025. PubMed 39813010
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. 2005 (protein in pregnancy and breastfeeding).
- Protein powder labels: NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database, 675 labels read; women’s lines matched by “women”, “female”, “her” or “ladies” in the product or brand name.