Protein works review: get £10 off with our EXCLUSIVE code
Protein shakes have long been a staple of a gym-lovers routine. But, in a highly saturated market, it can be tricky to navigate and choose the best option, so we've done a Protein Works review to see how it compares to other top brands.
Protein is needed for muscle recovery as well as for general health, and it’s the most filling macronutrient out of the carbs, fats and protein macro trio, potentially helping with weight loss.
Protein Works describes itself as the "Most Trusted Nutrition Brand". This award-winning company doesn’t just sell the classic protein shake, but protein snacks and protein foods too, as well as vitamins and supplements. It’s a one-stop shop for all things protein, with a really easy-to-navigate website to boot.
- Shop at the Protein Works website
As a personal trainer and health/fitness journalist, I was interested in giving some of its products a try to see how good they taste and how well they fit into my hectic lifestyle.
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Protein Works has given Sun Selects readers an EXCLUSIVE code to get £10 off orders over £65. Simply enter the code SUN10 at checkout to claim. But be quick: the code is only valid until August 20th.
to go to the Protein Works website.
Pros:
- A great variety of shake flavours (salted caramel is delicious!)
- The powders mix well with water and/or milk
- A LOT of great reviews online
- The protein snacks (biscuit and chocolate bars) taste similar to their 'unhealthier' counterparts
Cons:
- Meal replacement shakes just aren’t as good as a meal
- Extra ingredients don’t always ‘agree’ with you
- Some of the foods are still high in calories
- ‘Protein’ doesn’t mean ‘healthy’
Protein Works review: quick summary
Although I’m not a slave to protein shakes and protein snacks, I do incorporate them into my diet. They’re a useful addition to help support my workouts as well as my busy lifestyle.
As well as protein-filled foods, Protein Works also sells to help support good all-around health.
I chose a few things to try, including protein shakes, meal replacement shakes and various snacks. Honestly, the choices are endless on the Protein Works website; it’s a haven for anyone who exercises or who wants to ensure they’re getting enough protein, and it's also beneficial for anyone who wants some healthier swaps for naughtier snacks such as biscuits and chocolate bars.
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Protein Works says that all of its shakes are manufactured in the UK. It creates shakes that range from to (both sources that come from cows), as well as and specifically aimed at gaining mass.
After all, whether you’re wanting to lose, maintain or gain weight, the "calories in versus calories out" equation is the biggest factor to consider. If you consume more than you burn, you’ll gain weight and if you consume less than you burn, you’ll lose weight.
Protein Works’ — another product I tested out — offers a simple way to get the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs, in an incredibly convenient shake.
I tested the (also available in non-vegan), which is intended to replace a meal or two each day, alongside snacks. This saves time not only in food preparation but also on food shopping itself.,
Protein Works also does a great range of protein snacks, from to and I tried out the (essentially, biscuits) and the which is pretty much like a chocolate bar.
These both contain plenty of protein whilst still tasting great, although they aren’t particularly low in calories. Ultimately, in my opinion, if you’re really wanting to lower your calorie intake, then snacks are likely something that needs to be limited.
I also tried the which basically tastes like a white chocolate Nutella. Honestly, you need willpower to eat just one portion of this spread!
All the Protein Works foods and snacks that I tried were delicious and impressed me hugely, not just with their taste but with their nutritional credentials, too.
However, in saying this, it’s important to remember that just because something has more protein, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you!
- Get £10 off Protein Works when you spend £65 -
Protein Works review: full review
Protein Works kicked off in 2012, and now has customers in over 50 countries, delivering a seriously extensive range of products. Most contain high levels of protein, or at least more protein than ‘regular’ counterparts (such as protein desserts vs a normal dessert).
Vegan Wondershake
The isn’t grainy in the slightest. I’ve tried many, many vegan protein powders and often, they can taste a little earthy, or they don’t mix well and continue to taste powdery even when blended with liquid. But in all honesty, this shake is one of the best I've tried.
- Vegan Wondershake, £24.99 for 30 servings (saving £25) at Protein Works -
A scoop of this is smaller than you'd expect and contains just 89 calories, yet packs in 21g of plant protein which is a great contribution to the day’s protein quota. (Non-vegan shakes often contain more but for this review, I stuck to plant-based as whey protein can often be a bit iffy with my digestion).
Ridiculous Vegan Protein Bar
The is a plant-based bar suitable for vegans and contains 15g of protein and over 7g of fibre; a nice boost for the digestive system.
Each bar has under 200 calories, despite being filled with biscuit, nuts and caramel. That means it really does taste naughty, even though it contains plenty of goodness and less than 1g of sugar.
There are a few ingredients which could cause digestive issues for some (dependent on the individual) such as the sweeteners xylitol and maltitol.
- Ridiculous Vegan Protein Bar, £13.19 for 9 (saving £8.80) from Protein Works -
Protein Grazers
I was excited to try the as these are basically the Protein Works version of biscuits. As a biscuit lover, I threw one of these in my handbag to snack on between meetings.
I did find the ingredient list to be pretty lengthy and these do contain sweeteners as well as 2g of sugar. Sweeteners don’t always agree with my digestion, but one of these Protein Grazers seemed to go down OK.
I loved these, and they were surprisingly filling. They're basically a healthier version of a chocolate-covered biscuit, with 5.5g of protein per biscuit. In my opinion, these are a more fun version of a protein bar.
- Protein Grazers, £15.39 for 18 biscuits (saving £6.60) from Protein Works -
Vegan Complete 360 Meal
Next up, is the a classic meal replacement shake that contains the balance of protein, carbs and fats needed by the body, as well as 25 micronutrients (essentially, vitamins and minerals) that the body requires for good health.
I had this for lunch one day, and in all honesty, I did feel pretty satisfied for a good few hours which surprised me. It tasted lovely (I went for Double Milk Chocolate) and there is a range of flavours to choose from. Plus, it mixes well and isn’t chalky or grainy. The sweetener in this shake, much like the Vegan Wondershake, might not sit well with everyone, but for this particular meal, I felt fine.
The Vegan Complete 360 Meal is also pretty cheap IF you can stick to having just this for a meal, and fight any urge to eat afterwards; 40 meals is £123 so that works out at about £3.75 each, which is often cheaper than a takeaway lunch. And, with this shake you know you’re getting a good balance of nutrients.
- Vegan Complete 360 Meal, £7.55 for 500g (saving £11.44) from Protein Works -
I did also sample the , Protein Works’ lower calorie meal replacement shake, which contains just 200 calories. I tried this for breakfast and I was hungry very soon after. This could be psychological, as I’m used to eating a meal with a knife and fork and chewing actual food, but personally, 200 calories are not enough to sustain me throughout an entire morning.
Protein Spread
Finally, the heavenly in White Chocolate flavour. It contains 92% less sugar than main supermarket brands, which is a huge plus as sugar seems to be blamed for every ailment and illness these days.
It also contains just 81 calories per serving, although a serving is a meagre 15g, and I struggled to cover my two slices of toast with this teaspoon size portion.
One serving also contains just 3g of protein, which is low but still higher than your standard chocolate spread, which contains less than 1g of protein.
This spreads well and is a great replacement for a ‘normal’ chocolate spread, but don’t go thinking that it’s ‘healthy’; moderation still applies here.
What do Protein Works protein snacks taste like?
The is actually delicious. So good, in fact, that I had two servings in one day.
The number of flavours available is pretty impressive, should salted caramel not be your first choice. There’s Apple & Cinnamon, Banana Smooth, Choc Peanut Cookie, Double Chocolate, Strawberries and Cream, White Choc Peanut, to name just a handful.
- Vegan Wondershake, from £24.99 (saving £25) from Protein Works -
Plus, these come in 30, 60, or 90 serving-size tubs. They aren’t cheap mind, with a 60-serving tub coming in at just under £100.
The comes in 6 flavours, including Banana Smooth and Double Milk Chocolate.
Again this mixes well and tastes great. However, having these several days on the trot might lead to a bit of flavour fatigue which could lead to more urges to eat extra food and snacks, which does defeat the point really of the meal replacement shake.
- Vegan Complete 360 Meal, from £7.55 (saving £11.44) -
As for the snacks; the Ridiculous Protein Bar looks and tastes like a chocolate bar.
Chocolate Caramelicious and Triple Chocolate Brownie taste naughty but come with plenty of healthier credentials than their healthier counterparts. Although 200 calories per bar is good, it is still substantial, so don’t go thinking it’s wise to eat several! As tempting as it may be…
There are just two flavours available in the Protein Grazers; Salted Caramel Crunch and Double Chocolate Crisp. You could compare these to a VERY thick chocolate digestive; however, they don’t have quite the same taste. These do make a nice substitute though and the chocolate layer is substantial too without being overpowering.
The final snack is the Protein Spread which really does taste like white melted chocolate. It’s incredibly smooth, spreads great and is so moreish that it’s really not easy sticking to the tiny 15g serving recommendation.
What does Protein Works cost?
The price of the different products I tried does vary. They aren’t particularly cheap, but when divided up into cost per day, they come out OK. However it’s just OK, as some of the snacks are pretty expensive. If you can avoid buying other snacks though, it might work out fine.
There is also currently a massive sale on the Protein Works website, and you can make it even cheaper using our exclusive code; just enter SUN10 at checkout to get £10 off orders of £65 or more.
:
- 30 servings - £49.99
- 60 servings - £97.99
- 90 servings - £144.99
:
- 5 meals - £18.99
- 40 meals - £122.99
:
- 9 pack- £21.99
- 18 pack - £43.49
- 27 pack - £64.99
:
- 18 biscuits - £21.99
:
- 250g - £8.99 (this is likely the biggest shock, cost-wise. A 350g jar of Nutella comes in at under £5).
Protein Works: the verdict
Protein does not mean ‘healthy’, so whilst Protein Works’ foods and snacks are a fantastic addition to a diet to help ensure a healthy level of protein, many of them (such as the snacks and spreads) do still contain plenty of other less favourable ingredients, so just practice moderation.
Plus, if you are opting for the snacks, then be sure that they are actually replacing their ‘non-protein’ equivalent to avoid a calorie overload.
The foods I tried tasted good and I was impressed at how ‘non-fake’ they tasted. Often, protein powders, protein chocolate bars and protein spreads can taste chalky, a little earthy or just like a sweetener explosion, but Protein Works has definitely set a high standard when it comes to ensuring a great taste.
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If you were to stick to moderation and incorporate these foods and snacks into your diet alongside real, whole foods, then I think you can’t go too wrong.
But the key is to never forget that REAL food will always come out on top! The foods and snacks I tried are brilliant supplements and additions, but they shouldn’t make up your whole diet.