Levels Grass Fed 100% Whey Protein, No GMOs, Unflavored, 5LB

Very tasty and works well in a protein smoothie.

For the last six months or so, I've been aiming to eat at least 160 grams of protein every day. I find it almost impossible to hit that mark without the use of protein powder and/or bars. But I was nervous going the whey route at first because I previously had super painful digestive reactions to another powder, enough that it actually swore me off dairy products in general for a few years. The digestibility aspect is what initially brought me to the listing for this Levels protein powder. What left me buying it over other grass-fed whey products, though, was the promise of a "lightly sweetened" product. Most protein powders are *entirely* too sweet for my taste, and generally involve artificial sweeteners that leave a cloying aftertaste. I started with the vanilla flavor, and it was perfect for my needs. One scoop in a blender bottle with 4 ounces of oat milk and 12 ounces of cold brew coffee -- I never had any problems with blending it and the flavor was present but not overpowering against the coffee. I came back and ordered a 5 pound container of vanilla but received chocolate instead (I assume this was an Amazon problem, not a Levels problem). I was out of the previous container, so I used the chocolate anyway. It has the same positive qualities as the vanilla, it just isn't what I would consider particularly chocolatey. I add some cocoa powder if I really want a mocha vibe for my protein coffee. I also bought a 5 pound container of the unflavored powder to use in my overnight oatmeal. It's perfect for that application, blending smoothly with a little water, honey, cinnamon, and Greek yogurt when mixed with a fork (before adding the oats and some berries). I've eaten this every weekday morning for months with none of the digestive issues that previously drove me away from whey. Overall this product is exactly what I was looking for in a protein powder and is now my go-to option.

I received this today (the unflavored whey) and tried it right away. I put it in hot tea. Very disappointed!! It did not mix well at all. I finally had it mixed somewhat decently and tried it. The taste is not acceptable. I tried to return it and was told I couldn’t. I feel very ripped off. This product is approximately $90.00 - expensive! - and now I have to throw it away. Because I can’t return it? Money down the drain. I wish I would have purchased the vanilla flavor at Costco (much cheaper there by the way) because at least Costco would have let me return it. If this company believes in their product so much they should refund me in full for being unhappy. Otherwise they are not very reputable. This will be going in the trash. And I will be buying another product from a different company. I will update this to let you know whether I receive a refund in full. Not holding my breath. Update on 4/27: Changed from a 1-star to a 4-star review. I gave this a better try using it in smoothies. It works well for this when blending it in a blender. However I do not think you could use this in a jar and shake it for a smoothie. It just doesn’t blend up that well and needs a powerful blender to do the trick. Also - and this is important - if you are buying strictly to use in your coffee or tea, I wouldn’t buy this. If you want the full protein benefits of a full scoop, this does not work in a hot beverage. It doesn’t dissipate like some powders do. For the good news, as I said, this absolutely works in my smoothies. I have to assume anyone buying this wants unflavored. This is that powder. If you want your smoothie to be a bit sweeter add nicely ripened bananas. Also, I added some maple syrup. Very good! Extremely filling! Which is great. I think you will be happy if you are buying this to use in smoothies. I can’t comment on how it works in oatmeal as I haven’t tried that yet, but I think it would work well. And give that needed protein boost. So sorry for my first 1-star rating! That was pre-mature and unfair. But I do stand by my opinion not to buy this if “strictly” using in hot beverages. I think it will be a disappointment. However, consider buying it and making smoothies with it. I made a very large smoothie with 2 scoops of the powder and two bananas, 1 T of Maple syrup, 1 tsp. of vanilla and 2/3 cup of high quality plain Greek yogurt. I then divided this evenly for two servings for two days. This helps make it not so time intensive to do daily. The banana got a little brown the second day, but who cares! Tasted just as good. If you like things a bit sweeter you could always use 2T Maple syrup. Or just make sure the bananas are nice and ripe. Mine weren’t as ripe as they could have been.

First I will state problematic facts about the product’s labeling that I arrived at after purchasing this product and tasting it (which raised eyebrows), followed by my qualitative assessment. Truth in labeling?: 1. Questionable amount of stated protein: Label says this is a whey concentrate, yet it states each serving is 86.7% protein (=26g-protein/30g-serving), which is a percentage of protein more likely to be found in a whey isolate with no additives (ex. NOW whey isolate, unflavored 25g/28g= 89.3% protein/serving). 2. Questionable label claim of being undenatured: similarly, undenatured means as much of the raw whey material (its “nature”) has been retained vs. removed, which necessarily reduces the percentage of a serving that is protein (ex. Well Wisdom Vital Whey, natural/no-additives is 16g/20g= 80% protein, NAKED WHEY Undenatured 100% Grass Fed Whey is 25g/30g= 83.3%). 3. Erroneous Label: says "AMINO ACIDS PER SERVING" totals 28.6g (see sum below), yet Nutrition Facts says "Protein 26g" in "Serving size 1 Scoop (30g)". So the former is really a listing amino acid totals as if the whole 30g serving were 100% protein; clearly erroneous since the sum should total to 26g of the 30g total as stated (if that can be believed to begin with per the above). Sum of amino acids from label (copy to calculator if want to check it)*: 28.6g =(1719+675+2940+1048+4988+609+513+272+1302+3298+2778+730+901+2247+1660+1767+579+864+1284)-272-1302. *Note: must subtract back off "HYDDROXYPROLINE 272" and "ISOLEUCINE 1302" since they are already included as components of "VALINE" and "LEUCINE" respectively. Qualitative assessment: The color of this product is slightly yellowish, and unlike a natural non-denatured whey protein which is more like the color of milk (white; duh) and has a tendency to pack like snow underfoot and thus also not mix well, this Levels product seems like it is a high percentage of something else... In fact it has a strong smell and taste very similar to soy lecithin. Go to your local health store and pick up a bag of soy lecithin granules and run them through your coffee grinder, then add a dusting of whey concentrate and I would guess you have duplicated the Levels formula. Suffice it to say that I would assert you would do much better looking elsewhere, unless you like the taste of lecithin vs. being interested in a true undenatured whey or a whey isolate (totally different products). Update: I uploaded a picture comparing Levels (on the left) and Muscle Feast Hormone Free Grass Fed Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate for comparison. Which one has color more like a milk based product and which one is more yellow like lecithin granules? Granted, the one on the right is a whey isolate, but I have never seen any whey powder as lecithin yellow as this Levels ... whatever it is.

This is a great product. However, the price has doubled in the last 4 months. Do not buy this at the current price. It is way too expensive!