Foodspring Clear Whey review: refreshing and light but a bit too sweet

Foodspring Clear Whey offers a light and zingy alternative to regular shakes with a decent dose of whey protein isolate.

We all know that protein powders are a great way to kick-start the post-workout recovery process. But many people either don’t like the taste of milk or don’t want a milkshake-like drink immediately after an intense workout. That’s where clear protein powders come in. They tend to lighter on the stomach and easier to digest. One such offering is Foodspring’s Clear Whey, which our expert sports nutritionist James Hudson put to the test.

Foodspring Clear Whey ingredients

Before tasting Foodspring’s lemonade flavored Clear Whey (buy now), I scanned its ingredients list. I’m always pleased to see nutritional products with relatively few ingredients. Here there are only half a dozen, and each recognizable – even to an untrained eye. Whey protein isolate makes up 93% of the product. Whey protein isolate has most of the fat and carbohydrate removed, which makes it more likely to mix well.

You get the same quantity of quality protein per serving in Foodspring’s other two flavors – raspberry mojito and peach tea and hibiscus.

There’s citric acid, which gives the sharpness to the lemonade flavor and acts as a preservative. It’s also good to see lemon Juice concentrate powder as it shows that the lemon flavor doesn’t solely come from flavouring. Although the flavoring is natural there are artificial sweeteners (sucralose) as well as natural ones (stevia) – and more sucralose is used here.

Protein content

With 87g protein per 100g, that means you’ll be getting a decent 26g per recommended 30g serving. There’s also 5.4g carbohydrate per 100g so just 1.6g in a serving. So it’s a high-protein, low-carb choice. The main ingredient is whey protein isolate (WPI) which is a complete protein. That means it has enough of all the essential amino acids that we need to consume in our diet because our body can’t make them. Whey protein isolate also has a high leucine content. Leucine is the key amino acid which drives muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth and repair signalling) and is found in higher quantities in an isolate than a concentrate.

User experience

After smashing a sweaty interval circuit session and sat down ready and consulted the Clear Whey instruction. Foodspring instructs you to stir in 3 tablespoons of powder to 300ml of water. However, I’m sure most people will just pour it straight into their drinks bottle, shake and consume. However, using a tablespoon doesn’t seem an exact measurement as they aren’t a standard size (and should it be level or heaped?). I was a little surprised that there is no scoop included but perhaps that is a choice driven by sustainable practices. I can certainly get on board with that if so.

Initially I was greeted with a huge amount of froth. If you had a pint with that much froth you’d send it back! It was easily a quarter of the height of my bottle. The froth did reduce over time, but if you’re going to finish the product in 10-15 minutes (especially if you’ve shaken it), you’ll be enjoying a frothy moustache. Under the froth the majority of the product mixed well and dissolved nicely, creating a very thin watery texture. 

Foodspring Clear Whey taste and texture

I was also somewhat disappointed to find the Clear Whey is not in fact clear. Actually, it’s not even translucent, as you simply can’t see through it. The image of crystal clear liquid on the packaging is pretty misleading.

The initial flavour is big and intense. It’s like drinking a liquidized bag of lemon sherbets. With that thinner texture it’s quite different to your standard protein shake. When the lemonade flavor cuts through it’s refreshing and really lemony, but in my view still far too sweet. I did start to get used to it and once I’d finished my first serving I didn’t feel bloated or full, like you sometimes do after nailing a protein shake.

I’d describe the taste and texture to be much closer to a BCAA product than a protein shake. If you told me there were no ingredients derived from milk in the Clear Whey, I’d believe you. Which is quite a feat when 93% of the product is WPI which is derived from milk. So it definitely has a use for those who not only have a sweet tooth, but also don’t like the taste or texture of a regular protein shake.  

Foodspring Clear Whey mixability

Having previously shaken the powder in the bottle, I later tried to follow Foodspring’s instructions. Stirring 30g into 300ml water just didn’t work. The powder clumped and stubbornly refused to dissolve into the water. I whisked faster but to no avail. Eventually after a good 3-4 minutes of stirring and aggressive whisking I was satisfied with the mix. So I’d ignore Foodspring’s instructions if I were you and shake it in your bottle as you would a regular shake.

Conclusion

At £35 for 480g, Foodspring’s Clear Whey is competitively priced and on a par with most of the best clear protein powders. It’s not the easiest to mix, and was a little too sweet for my personal preference. But I think it would be a good option for those who don’t get on with regular protein shakes, but want a sweet-tasting, refreshing and easy-to-drink protein supplement. I only tried the lemonade flavor, and perhaps the raspberry mojito is equally sweet, but the peach iced tea and hibiscus might be a better option.  

How we test the best protein powders

James Huston is a registered sports nutritionist with a background in supplement development. He tested the lemonade flavor of Foodspring’s Clear Whey after numerous workout session. His overall ratings are based on taste, nutritional effectiveness, variety of flavors, texture and solubility. Rob also took into account factors such as the cost per serving and whether or not the packaging is recyclable.

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