Protein powders & shakes
Protein powders and meal shakes tested for heavy metals, with every ingredient and amount on the label.
What we look for
We look for
- Third-party tested: NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, Informed Sport or a Clean Label Project certificate, for the exact product and pack size.
- Heavy metals checked: lead, cadmium and arsenic per serving from an independent lab. A certification alone does not mean low lead.
- A plain label: the protein source and grams per serving, with no proprietary blends. The fewer ingredients the better; unflavored is best.
- Nothing artificial: no artificial sweeteners or flavors, and any sweetener, gum or flavor named.
- A clear source: grass-fed or organic claims backed by a certification or a named farm.
We avoid
- Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin) and artificial flavors.
- “Amino spiking”: added glycine, taurine or other cheap amino acids that inflate the protein figure.
- Proprietary blends of greens, mushrooms or “superfoods” with no amounts.
- Plant proteins with no heavy-metal results. Lead turns up more often in plant protein.
- A California Prop 65 lead warning on the label or product page.
Read the research
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7 products · best rated first
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LevelsLevels Grass-Fed Whey Protein (Unflavored)
A two-ingredient whey concentrate whose UPC is on a Clean Label Project Purity Award certificate, which covers heavy metals. CLP does not publish the numbers, and the powder is not on NSF’s or Informed’s lists. Clean Label Project Purity Award (certificate SPP0042-2025A-07) -
MomentousMomentous Whey Protein Isolate (Unflavored)
An unflavored grass-fed whey isolate listed by NSF, with a certificate of analysis for every lot online. Lead was under 0.05 µg a scoop in both lots we read. It costs the most per serving on our list, and “grass-fed” has no certifier. NSF Certified for Sport (unflavored, listing id 1518123) -
PuoriPuori PW1 Grass-Fed Whey Protein (Bourbon Vanilla)
Whey with batch reports from an outside lab under Clean Label Project: lead 0.25 µg a serving, against a 0.5 µg tolerance, in the March 2026 report we read. CLP lists the vanilla and chocolate, not the unflavored. Premium price. Clean Label Project Purity Award and Pesticide Free -
Transparent LabsTransparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate (Unflavored)
An unflavored whey isolate listed by NSF, with lot-by-lot heavy-metal reports posted by the maker (lead 0.23 µg a scoop in the one we read). The reports are the maker’s own, and the grass-fed claim has no certifier. NSF Certified for Sport (unflavored) · Informed Choice (named on its October 2026 list) -
Heart & SoilHeart & Soil Grass-Fed Whey Protein (Unflavored)
A one-ingredient whey concentrate listed by NSF Certified for Sport. Heart & Soil’s pages show California visitors a PFAS warning that follows a settlement over its liver capsules; we cannot tell if the whey has PFAS. NSF Certified for Sport (unflavored, listing id 1721676) -
Naked NutritionNaked Whey (Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder, Unflavored)
One-ingredient whey that Informed Choice lists. Naked says NSF certifies its contents, which we could not check. Eight Prop 65 lead notices since 2018 name the company; one names its chocolate whey, not this one. Informed Choice (named on its October 2026 list) -
Raw Organic WheyRaw Grass Fed Whey Protein (Unflavored)
A one-ingredient whey concentrate that is cheap per serving. “Raw” is a brand name: the maker says the milk is flash-pasteurized. No certifier lists it, and its lab reports are available only by email.