Jarrow Formulas French Vanilla Whey Protein provides the base for making protein shakes, smoothies, and other healthy meal options. How does it compare?

We've tried a large number of protein shake options over the years, and each tends to have its good and not-so-good points. This one does well with either water or milks, so that's a plus. We tend to like almond milk as our mixer. We've used this in a number of shake / smoothie options and it does well.

On the down side, if you're trying to use this to add some flavor to your recipe, you'll be disappointed. Compared with just about every protein brand we've tried, this is quite weak in its flavor. You'll have to use a substantial amount to get a flavor from the Jarrow.

We did a comparison with a random collection of protein powders we currently have in the house, in terms of how much protein you get per gram of serving.

Nature's Bounty - .45g protein / g serving
Jarrow - .61g protein / g serving
EAS - .67g protein / g serving
Simply Right - .77g protein / g serving
Vitamin World - .86g protein / g serving

So the Jarrow isn't very high up there. The Nature's Bounty barely counts as a protein powder, in my mind. It's more like a breakfast drink.

Also, the Jarrow is the most expensive out of the five with the sole exception of the Vitamin World one. Vitamin World is definitely pricey - but they also use high end ingredients that are providing a wealth of extra benefits. So we feel the Vitamin World is well worth that extra money. I'm not sure I consider the Jarrow better than the EAS or Simply Right.

So, what to say. Certainly it's an adequate protein powder. I'll give it 4/5 stars for doing what it should be doing. But in terms of the protein you get, and also in terms of the money you pay, it's just not the best option out there. Even a quick glance at our cupboard showed that, and I know there are many others that I didn't pull off the shelf to compare with.

So certainly you can try this one to see if its flavors suit you. Maybe you enjoy the mild flavor. But I'd also say to try the others that cost less and have more protein, to see if they might be better options for you.

We were sent a review sample of the Jarrow Whey Protein from the Amazon vine program.

Buy the Jarrow Formulas French Vanilla Whey Protein from Amazon.com


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