4 Gluten-Free Protein Powders and Shakes for On-the-Go, Nutritious Meals

As with many nutrients, people with celiac disease often have difficulty absorbing protein. Protein is really important to maintain energy and keep your body firing on all cylinders, so protein powders and shakes can be very useful, especially if you’re busy. Whether it’s a for a snack or meal replacement, protein shakes are a great way to fill in the gaps.

Now you may be thinking, “Aren’t protein shakes just for weightlifters and bodybuilders?” The answer is no. Eating gluten-free on the go is a difficult enough task, and further, it’s almost impossible to eat nutritiously on-the-go and also feel fulfilled. Especially if you’re a busy person juggling a number of work and family responsibilities, a gluten-free protein shake is the perfect solution.

Now, for protein shakes especially, gluten-free labeling is a huge issue. Just like any food or drink, you have to read labels carefully, but protein products can contain ingredients that are a little bit more difficult to get through.

Well, we want to make your job as easy as possible. Let’s take a look at four products that are not only packed with protein and make for great on-the-go snacks or meals, but most importantly are truly gluten-free…

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Why You Cannot Use Just Any Protein Powder or Shake

Though the FDA insists that any product containing wheat indicate as much on its labeling, there are so many food ingredients that “hide” gluten that it can be a bit scary. Even worse, the FDA still doesn’t have any defined definition of “gluten-free”, so you can’t always be sure what that means.

The only option is to stay vigilant.

This means knowing what certain ingredients are, constantly looking up ones you’ve never heard of, and becoming an expert in identifying hidden gluten ingredients. To make this even more difficult, protein shakes often have additional, hard-to-pronounce ingredients you should probably stay away from.

Many manufacturers additionally provide themselves with a bit of flexibility by using relatively generic terms for ingredients that could easily contain gluten. For instance, terms like “artificial flavors” and “modified food starch” can easily be describing ingredients using barley or other glutinous grains. You just don’t know.

If you’re looking to skip to the chase and find gluten-free protein powders and shakes that are entirely safe for you, the following four are guaranteed to be free of any questionable ingredients…

4 Recommended Gluten-Free Protein Powders and Shakes

Because you’re gluten-free, you may have other dietary restrictions as well. For example, whey (a form of milk) protein may not agree with you, so I wanted to lay out a diverse group of options:

• True Athlete Whey Protein Chocolate – As its name suggests, this is a whey protein. It’s a great product that’s not only packed with protein but also has enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics to support healthy digestion. If whey works alright for you, this is a great choice.

• Revival – This doctor-formulated brand of soy protein packs its shakes with 20 grams of protein per shake. What I like most about these is that they’re also low-glycemic and packed with calcium. These shakes are also dairy-free, egg-free, and vegetarian.

• Ruth’s Hemp Protein Powders – This is an entirely “raw” protein powder that is organic and uses only hemp for its protein. Highly recommended! (They do not mention on this product page that the protein powder is gluten-free, but they do clarify in the FAQ that it is.)

• Navitas Hemp Protein Powder – This is another great all-natural, hemp-based protein powder. This well-balanced, vegan, organic protein powder is also a good source for all kinds of other nutrients beyond just protein.

You can rely on these four manufacturers to keep you safe from hidden ingredients that would irritate any sort of gluten issues. As a friendly reminder, you should always check labels to see if a manufacturer has changed any ingredients because outdated labels can be your worst enemy.

Enjoy these gluten-free protein powders to make delicious and healthy shakes, meal replacements, or to provide a healthy energy boost during a busy day. They make a great addition to any gluten-free diet!