10 Best Protein Brands In India According To Fitness Trainers

Whey Protein: Derived from milk, Whey is considered a complete protein because it contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. Compared to Casein protein, it's a faster-digesting and absorbing protein supplement and one of the most popular. 

Casein Protein: Casein protein is also derived from cow's milk. You can find this in everyday foods like cheese and yogurt as well. It takes more time to digest, so it also reduces one's appetite.

Plant-Based Protein: Vegans, it's not like you don't have any choice. Plant-based proteins, as the name suggests, are derived from plants. Usually, this means from soya, pulses (e.g. chickpeas), tofu, etc.

Fitness Goal: One way to choose the perfect protein powder is by choosing the formulas that match your fitness goal. Whether it's weight loss or muscle gain, every product offers its benefits to a specific fitness agenda.

Ingredients: Many protein powder offers vitamins, iron and minerals that are limited for someone who follows a vegan diet. You can also choose the product with carbs and fat levels that suit your dietary plan. Also, try to minimise the use of protein powders with additives like artificial flavours, sweeteners and emulsifiers.

Calories: For muscle building, products with extra calories are preferred by many fitness enthusiasts. It is also recommended to consult with a dietician to plan out your dietary plan and measure the intake to avoid taking additional calories.

Protein Source: Choose a product that suits your needs and matches your goal as well as your body. As every variety of protein has its own benefits, check with a professional dietician or your trainer to identify the right choice of protein powder. Also, if you are allergic to specific food items or ingredients, go for vegan or gluten-free options.

Value: It's common talk among many about how pricey high-quality protein powders can be. But some of the best brands for protein powders in India offer good quality products which are budget-friendly. That being said, always remember that quality over quantity when choosing a protein powder

Established in 1935, GNC is an international brand that not only sells different types of proteins — Whey, Casein and plant-based but also has a wide variety of products that help in the overall health of the body. We're talking supplements for weight gain, beauty and skin care, performance (pre-workouts) and so much more. They're a super trusted brand and all the people we talked to recommended this one.

Price: Starting at INR 150 (35gms) and INR 3,499 (3Kgs)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein, Soy Protein, Casein Protein, Plant-based Protein

Optimum Nutrition's website is amazing; for something as complicated as protein supplements and its many key factors to consider before buying one, they've made it pretty simple. They offer protein powders, weight gain supplements, and products for advanced fitness and energy levels. If you don’t know what to get, just head to their shop by goal section, where you get products segregated into categories like before training, during training, recovery and even advice. 

Price: Starting at INR 1,949 (500gms)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein Isolates and Concentrates, Protein Blends, Plant-based Protein

MuscleTech promises uncompromised quality of all its products. Apart from pre, intra and post-workout proteins, you'll also find a range of other products that help in muscle building, weight loss, mass gain, and regulating testosterone production. From the usual division of products on their website, they also have a product quiz that helps you decide which of their products is best for you.

Price: Starting at INR 2,199 (500gms)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein, Soy Protein, Casein Protein, Plant-based Protein

Protein powders have a bad reputation in the market for the reason that there are a lot of duplicates, and poor quality protein is obviously going to do more harm than good. This is why we trust MyProtein, since this brand doesn’t sell anywhere except their website so there is no chance of duplicity. They have protein powders, vitamins, vegan options, protein-rich snacks and peanut butters, training accessories, and more.

Price: Starting at INR 699 (250gms) 

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein, Soy Protein, Casein Protein, Plant-based Protein

Gain, shred, build, strengthen — whatever your fitness goal is, there is a product to help you reach that goal here. They have been in the industry for over 25 years and claim to get the best of the top protein powder brands in India. As stated on their website, "No banned substances. No unnecessary ingredients. And no mislabeling." You'll also find a section dedicated to recipes that include protein cookies and caramel mocha protein doughnuts.

Price: INR 10,999 for 2.5 Kg

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein, Casein Protein, Plant-based Protein

Given the importance of good quality protein, you can quickly authenticate MuscleBalze protein on their website if there's any doubt. While on most websites products are categorically differentiated by a goal, here you can find a guide according to the level of fitness (beginner, intermediate and advanced) which is always helpful and makes things crystal clear. Apart from protein powders, you can find fit foods such as peanut butter, bars, muesli, and more.

Price: Starting at INR 1,669 (498gms)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein, Casein Protein, Plant-based Protein

With seven products in their line currently —Whey protein, Isorich protein, Nitro Iso Whey, Alpha Whey, Muscle gainer, Mass gainer and Nitro Massive Mass gainer and a series of pre-workouts —Avvatar is one of the up-and-coming homegrown and best protein brands you'll find. They claim that all their products are certified and go through rigorous quality control. You can even authenticate your protein on their website, which makes it easier to make sure you've not got any duplicate product.  

Price: Starting at INR 2099 (1kg)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein Concentrates and Isolates, ProteinBlends

The whole idea behind As It Is is to make sure you get your protein as it is. This means you get pure and natural ingredients without any contamination or additives. On their website, you'll find a rather large number of products under the categories of flavoured protein, unflavoured protein, superfoods, gainers, amino acids and much more. This is easily one of the better protein brands in India and works well. In fact, we know a few people who take protein from this brand too and have only good things to say. 

Price: Starting at INR 713 (250g)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein Isolates and Concentrates,Soy Protein, Plant-based Protein

The Whole Truth has been one of our favourite brands for protein bars, and we're quite excited for their newly launched protein powders as well. Currently, the range houses three flavours of whey protein isolate — light cocoa, cold coffee and unflavored— and one of unflavoured whey protein concentrate. To ensure you get the highest quality of protein, TWT sourced it from the best, the world's most credible manufacturers in Ireland. Every imported batch is tested at independent FSSAI-accredited labs. You can scan the QR code on the pack to see all testing certificates. This one is easily one of the best protein brands on the market for us. 

Price: Starting at INR 3,999 (1kg)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein, Protein Blend, Plant-based Protein

MyFitFuel sells nutritional items that are manufactured using premium ingredients and go through stringent quality testing and audits. Protein products from MyFitFuel can aid in post-workout recovery as well as to aid with muscle regeneration and glycogen-level recovery. Certain protein products by the brand are made to be quickly absorbed and digested. 

Price: Starting at INR 799 (250 g)

Protein Varieties: Whey Protein, Casein Protein, Plant-based Protein

Protein powders are a convenient way for everyone who struggles to prepare protein-rich food or get limitef source of proteins from whole food. It can be easily mixed with shakes, smoothies, oatmeal or baked goods. Many top protein powder brands also offers ariety of flaours and gluten free options as well.

It also provides essential amino acids that promote muscle recovery and growth. Some of the protein powder also contains added nutrients like vitamins, minerals and probiotics that ensure your diet and well-being.

If you are looking for healthy replacements for your meals, intake of protein powder in the form of a protein shake or high protein snack is an ideal choice as it promotes weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness between meals.

Overuse of protein powder can cause health-related issues like nausea, cramps, fatigue, headaches and bloating. It can also lead to serious issues the kidney strain, heart problems or calcium excretion that causes bone loss.

Many top protein powder brands and their products have added calories. So for folks who are aiming to shred some weight, it might have the opposite effect due to added calories in your dietary plan. Always ensure to read the ingredients label and keep a count on your calories throughout your personal fitness goal

1. What is the best time to take a protein shake?

If your goal is weight loss, you can consume it with your breakfast or in between any of your meals for protein intake. But for muscle building, it's recommended that a protein shake is more efficient 30 minutes post your workout, as it enables muscle recovery and growth.

2. How to take protein powder?

Mix one scoop of protein powder with milk, smoothie or oatmeal.

3. Is there any recommended dosage for taking protein powder?

It is safe to use protein powder every day, but make sure to not exceed the intake of more than 2 grams per kilogram of your body weight. Excess use of protein powder can cause health-related issues like kidney strain.

4. Is protein powder useful for weight loss?

Yes, preserving lean muscle mass, and boosting metabolism. However, consuming too much could lead to weight gain instead of weight loss due to the added calories present in the protein powder, which may push your dietary plan beyond your daily calorie requirements.

Check out our recommendations for fitness essentials to fill up your fitness gear here