Quest Protein Reviews

*We do not make any guarantees and that any comments made above in the FB feed are personal results of that individual. Results may vary from person to person.

Quest Summary

While this might be a tasty meal replacement shake option that reminds you of your favorite indulgent, unhealthy treat, this isn’t a good thing for the nutrition aspect (or lack thereof) in this shake. Though many users have stated that they thoroughly enjoy the wide range of unique flavor options as well as the taste of each shake, if you’re a health buff, you probably want to sit this one out.*

While the shake has a low sugar content which we commend, it also contains some questionable/controversial ingredients (discussed below), and has no vitamins, a very low amount of minerals, and no other superfood blends or nutrients included. It also has an extremely low amount of fiber for a meal replacement shake and healthy diet.*

Let’s learn about this diet shake option…

Quest Protein comes in the following flavors: Chocolate Milkshake, Vanilla Milkshake, Strawberries & Cream, and Peanut Butter.

Quest Nutrition Facts

Quest Protein Powder comes in nine different fun-loving and scrumptious flavors including: Cinnamon Crunch, Cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel, Banana Cream, Chocolate Milkshake, Vanilla Milkshake, Peanut Butter, Strawberries & Cream, and a Multi-Purpose Mix.

For the purpose of this review, we are going to focus on the Vanilla Milkshake flavor…

Quest Protein Ingredients:

Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Micellar Casein), Natural Flavors. Contains less than 2% of the following: Cellulose Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Steviol Glycosides (Stevia), Salt, Carrageenan, Sucralose…

Calories

Quest Protein Powder shines in this area, with only 100 calories per shake serving. Very few shake companies can boast of a shake this low in calories, which obviously speeds up the weight loss process (although our top-rated shake, 310 Shake, actually has less at 90 calories per shake serving).

The low calorie amount gives plenty of room to add healthy ingredients into each shake, or simply to drink it with a low calorie beverage.

Protein

Whereas a high amount of protein is good for weight loss, the amount in the Quest shake (22g per serving) makes you wonder if this formula is focused more on weight loss or bodybuilding. A good meal replacement shake protein content per serving is around 15g, so the amount in each Quest shake is a bit high.

The protein type used in Quest shakes is whey protein isolate (WPI), which contains no fat or lactose and is 90%+ protein. This type of protein is the one used mostly in muscle or bodybuilding shakes. The downside of this type of protein is that it contains less nutrients than whey protein concentrate (WPC).

The other protein used in the Quest shakes formula blend, micellar casein, is another type of protein commonly used in bodybuilding shakes, since it is a slow release protein that can deliver amino acids to the body for up to 12 hours. Slow release proteins are very effective for building and protecting muscles.

Fiber

There is less than one gram of fiber in each Quest Protein Powder shake – which is far, far too low for a meal replacement shake, and for a product that you will take daily as part of a healthy diet.*

Fiber is not only essential for optimal digestion and cleansing your body of toxins, it also helps to keep you full and suppresses your appetite. The high amount of protein in each shake will also help to quell hunger, but in general fiber is an important ingredient for overall health that should not be left out of this shake formula.

Vitamins/Minerals/Superfood Blends

Another pretty shocking detail about Quest Protein Powder shake is that there are absolutely no vitamins included on the label. The best meal replacement shakes will be loaded with daily vitamins that you need for a healthy lifestyle. There are a few minerals listed but there are very low amounts of them.

You will literally be replacing your meals with this shake – yet it doesn’t contain even close to the amount of nutrients that you would hope to get from a good, healthy meal. In addition, the shake does not contain any other added nutrients or ingredients that would further boost the health potential, like superfood blends, digestive enzymes or probiotics.

What this says about Quest shake is that it is an extremely simple shake that is not well-balanced for overall health or long-term use.

Sugar/Sweeteners: The Potential Dangers of Sucralose

Though the Vanilla Quest Shake has 0g of sugar (which is ideal for a meal replacement shake), it uses an artificial sweetener, sucralose (Splenda).

We definitely do not applaud this choice of a sweetener, and whereas people might think they are making a better choice for their health by avoiding sugar, studies show that artificial sweeteners are just as bad, if not worse for both your health and your waist line.²

Sucralose may have many negative consequences from use, including that it can potentially reduce the beneficial bacteria population in your gut, which can lead to faulty digestion and weakened immunity, resulting in reduced overall wellness.

Some of the side effects seen from using Splenda include weight gain, GI problems, migraines, blurred vision and even seizures.

And Sucralose isn’t the only ingredient we don’t like in this shake…

Another Controversial Ingredient: Carrageenan

Quest Protein Powder also includes carrageenan, a thickening agent derived from red algae or seaweed found in many different types of foods including some yogurt, dairy alternatives (like almond and coconut), ice cream and protein powders. The problem is that carrageenan is a very controversial ingredient that has increasingly been linked to disturbing health problems.

Carrageenan cannot be digested and it has no nutritional value, but while many parties claim it’s safe for use in foods, others clearly state otherwise. According to The Cornucopia Institude, animal studies have shown that food-grade carrageenan can cause gastrointestinal inflammation, intestinal lesions, ulcerations and even malignant tumors.³

Even if it is still approved for safe use in foods, the evidence clearly shows that this ingredient can be detrimental to your health and it would be wise to avoid it.

The Company Behind Quest Protein Shake

Quest Nutrition is based out of El Segundo, California and offers a variety of weight loss products including protein shakes, protein bars and even protein chips.

Their Contact Us page provides various options for getting in touch, including phone numbers, an address, live chat, email and social media. There is also a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Quest Protein Price

Quest Protein Shake comes in at a very good price point for about $1.25 per shake ($39.99 for a 32-serving canister). Whereas this is definitely on the cheaper end of things for a meal replacement shake, the unhealthy ingredients included in the shake and lack of nutrients speak for themselves.

Quest Shake Conclusion

Starting with the bad, it’s quite clear that Quest Protein Powder shakes aren’t winning awards anytime soon for their glowing health reviews. The shakes contain sucralose and carrageenan, two ingredients with unsightly track records and recent studies showing they may be harmful to your health.

The shake also completely lacks vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for a well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, and has extremely low fiber, which is needed to cleanse the body and suppress appetite.

The shake does have a good amount of protein at 22g, but it may be too high for a daily meal replacement shake and better suited for a bodybuilding shake. All in all, if you’re looking for a tasty shake that is a good price but isn’t high on the health factor scale, then you might want to try this shake. For everyone else, there are far better options discussed on this review site.

Sources

• 2 – http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/10/new-study-of-splenda-reveals-shocking-information-about-potential-harmful-effects.aspx
• 3 – https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CarageenanReport-2016.pdf