Unflavoured Protein Powder: What You Can Add It To

TL;DR: Unflavoured protein powder is protein with nothing added for taste, so it can go into coffee, porridge and smoothies without taking over. Collagen peptides dissolve in hot or cold drinks, but collagen is not a complete protein, so use it as a top-up alongside other protein foods.

Ever stirred a scoop of vanilla protein into your morning coffee and regretted it straight away?

Flavoured powders are made for shakes. Your coffee, oats and smoothies need something that stays in the background.

That is why so many people go looking for supplements to add to coffee that bring protein without bringing a flavour.

What is the healthiest unflavoured protein powder?

There is no single winner for everyone. A short ingredient list is the best place to start: one protein, with no added sweetener, flavour or filler.

Next, know what kind of protein you are buying. Whey and pea protein are complete proteins, which means they contain all nine essential amino acids.

Collagen is not a complete protein. It is missing tryptophan, one of those nine, so it should never be your only protein source.

Most of your protein still comes from a wide variety of foods: meat, fish, eggs, dairy and legumes. A powder adds to a meal, it does not replace one.

Your action: read the ingredient panel first, and if the list runs past a line or two, keep looking.

Is unflavoured protein powder a thing?

Yes, and it is more common than you might think. Whey, casein, pea, rice and collagen peptides are all sold with no flavour added.

Each one still has its own natural taste. Whey can taste slightly milky, pea and rice tend to be earthy, and collagen peptides are close to neutral once stirred into a drink.

The texture differs too. Some powders thicken a drink, while others disappear into it.

That matters more than you would expect. A powder that thickens works well in a smoothie but can feel odd in a long black.

Your action: decide where you will use it most, coffee, oats or smoothies, and pick the protein type that suits that drink.

What is the best flavourless protein powder in Australia?

The best one is the one you will actually use every day. For most people, that comes down to three things: it mixes into what you already drink, it has one ingredient, and the label shows clearly how much protein is in a serve.

Our collagen peptides powder was made with that brief in mind. It is one ingredient: bovine collagen peptides (Type I and III).

Every 10 g serve has 9.0 g of protein, and a 300 g tub holds 30 serves. It is unflavoured, non GMO, gluten free and dairy free, and it dissolves in hot or cold drinks such as coffee and smoothies.

Your action: check the protein per serve on any label you compare, not just the tub size.

Which protein is better, flavoured or unflavoured?

It depends on how you take it. If you only ever shake a scoop with water after a session at one of the Fitness Centres you train at, flavoured is easy.

For anything else, unflavoured wins on flexibility. You can always add flavour, but you can never take it out.

Smoothies are a good example. Start with milk, a banana and a handful of oats, then add a scoop of unflavoured protein.

From there, build the taste yourself. A teaspoon of inulin, a plant fibre with a mildly sweet taste, blends in without a trace. A spoon of beetroot powder adds a deep red colour and an earthy flavour that pairs well with berries.

Your action: if you use protein in more than one way, go unflavoured and flavour each recipe to suit.

Can you put protein powder in hot coffee?

Yes, with the right powder and the right method.

Collagen peptides dissolve in hot or cold drinks, so they stir straight into a flat white or long black.

Whey is fussier. It can clump when it hits hot liquid, so mix it into a splash of cold milk first, then pour the coffee over the top.

The easiest method for any powder: add the scoop to an empty cup, pour in a little coffee, stir into a smooth paste, then top up.

Iced coffee is even simpler. Shake the powder with cold milk and ice, then add your espresso.

Your action: try the paste method tomorrow morning and see whether you notice any change in taste.

What is unflavoured collagen powder?

Collagen is a protein found in the connective tissue of animals. Collagen powder is that protein, cleaned and dried, with no flavour added.

Most collagen powders are hydrolysed. That means the long collagen chains are broken down into smaller pieces called peptides, which is why the powder dissolves so easily in coffee, tea or water.

Bovine collagen comes from cattle and is mostly Type I and Type III. Remember, collagen is not a complete protein, so keep eating a mix of protein foods through the day.

If you want the detail on how it is made and how people use it, our specialist guide on hydrolysed collagen peptides covers it step by step.

Your action: look for "hydrolysed" and the collagen type on the label before you buy.

What to do next

Pick one drink you already have every day, coffee, porridge or a smoothie, and add one scoop of unflavoured protein for a week. If it mixes well and you do not notice it, you have found your habit.