Isopure Low Carb 100% Pure Whey Isolate Protein Powder - Lactose Free, Gluten Free, 25g Protein Per Serving, Vitamin Enriched Chocolate Flavor (3 Lbs, 39 Servings) - Perfect for Post-Workout Recovery & Muscle Building

This is a review of the natural vanilla flavor. I did a lot of research on different protein powder brands and flavors before buying this. My husband and I both lift weights, and he makes shakes every day. I find his powder produces a shake with great flavor, but it has a gummy, dare I say, snot-like texture. I just couldn't take it. I wanted something like SmoothieKing but with all of the ingredients under my control (and not so expensive). So the research began to find a powder that made from high quality proteins, with good vitamins and minerals, low sugar, reasonable price, and no gooey texture! Nature's Best Natural Vanilla has met all my criteria:--Protein: whey isolate. Regularly rated one of the best kinds of protein to use. It is their first ingredient. I also did a lot of math comparing grams of protein per ounce (not scoop--scoop sizes differ). 25 g protein in 31 grams of powder is top of the line. You'll find some powders with a slightly higher ratio of protein to grams of powder, but some of them would have required me to sacrifice in my other criteria areas.--Vitamins and mineral: zoom in on the picture of the nutrition label. This powder replaces more than just protein. I was pretty impressed with the range of vitamins and minerals included.--Sugar: only 6 grams total carbs for two scoops (that's 50 g protein). I usually only use scoop (that's 25 g protein) at a time, so that's 3 g carbs. Some people are insane about carb-free powders. I'm not. I have a 6 mile, round-trip bicycle ride to my gym. I can use some carbs when I get back home. In fact, I even add a tbsp or two of honey to my shake to increase the carbs. So unless you're a total anti-carb fanatic, I don't think 3-6 grams will mess up your entire day.--Flavor: The vanilla is not overpowering. I'm not sure if it tastes entirely "natural," so to speak, but it certainly doesn't taste exceedingly artificial like a lot of other brands' vanilla flavors do.--Last, but not least, texture: I ordered this on a hunch that ingredients like xanthum gum cause the gummy texture (logical, right?). This powder does not include any gums. Whether or not that's the actual cause, this powder gets a 10/10 for not being gummy, gooey, or snot-like at all. In the interest of full disclosure, I will also acknowledge that we upgraded our shake-making tools before this powder arrived. We went from a blender from the 1970s to a nutribullet. My husband's shakes are a little less snot-like when made in the nutribullet but still kind of gooey. So I don't think it's just the equipment. If you're sensitive to texture like me and planning to make shakes regularly, do your research about the powders but maybe also consider investing in a nutribullet, vitamix, etc.--Price: It's a little bit more expensive (price per ounce) than what I was buying before, but I think it's worth it for something I'll actually use and enjoy. I'll definitely buy more!My recipe:1 C frozen strawberries2 tsp ground flax seed1 Tbsp honey4 Tbsp milk1 level scoop protein powder