Levels Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder, No Artificials, 24G of Protein, Vanilla Bean, 5LB

The Vanilla Bean flavor tasted like some weird type of milk very close to spoiling!
Believe me when I say that I bought, not just one, but two flavors from Levels grass-fed whey protein with very high hopes after having watched several review videos on YouTube regarding their superiority over every other brand of whey protein providers out in the market as of now. I really went into it with an open mind. I mean, I really, really tried to literally last as long as I possibly could. I really wanted to like this, but I couldn’t tolerate it any longer.Now, allow me to explain that scientifically, considering all the nutritive aspects of this brand of whey protein, it’s as good as any other quality brand, such as Optimum Nutrition or PEScience. I have never felt or noticed any type of negative results from using Levels. Nevertheless, the problem lies in their flavors, which are absolutely unpalatable, which makes them completely undrinkable. Therefore, if a certain whey protein is excellent scientifically speaking, yet its flavor is horrendous, what good is it to a person trying to drink it as a post-workout recovery nutritional supplement? It’s utterly worthless at that point. So much for the superior taste that Levels claims to have because of their exclusively grass-fed cows from which their whey protein is derived. Also noteworthy is that their powders never seem to mix very well when compared to the other two aforementioned brands. There are always huge lumps of the powder that just can’t seem to dissolve and mix into the water. I know that cold water does make mixing a bit more difficult, but I’ve never had a problem with Optimum Nutrition or PEScience. Both of them mix in perfectly when shaken by hand in a tumbler.As I have stated, scientifically speaking, the Levels brand of whey protein is just as good as any other quality brand of whey protein. They all contain, more or less, very similar ingredients and very similar proportions of each ingredient. For example, Levels contains 5.4 grams of BCAA’s (Branched Chain Amino Acids) per serving (per scoop), whereas Optimum Nutrition contains 5.5 grams of BCAA’s per serving. As for the specific list of BCAA’s that each brand utilizes, Levels lists them specifically on their packaging, whereas Optimum Nutrition does not (they have actually preferred to maintain that list under secrecy), which might be some cause for concern for some people. Nevertheless, Optimum Nutrition does state on their packaging that all of their ingredients have been tested and approved to be come from clean sources, which is not the case with Levels, as I’ve noticed from a couple of reviews from auto-immunodeficient users who have had flare-ups after using Levels. This is very unfortunate and sad.Continuing with the very similar types of ingredients, it’s very important that whatever whey protein one is purchasing also contain BCAA’s, since they’re interrelated. Now, it isn’t necessary for whey protein powders to also contain BCAA’s, but they would help post-workout recovery all the more. They would especially help if the person were to workout while in a fasted state (not having eating anything prior to the workout). The reason that whey proteins don’t need BCAA’s is that whey proteins, as do all proteins, are already made up of many types of amino acids. Amino acids, as one might remember, are vital for the everyday functionality of our muscles. They’re literally the powerhouse or powder keg fuel of our muscles in their everyday functions. However, BCAA’s tend to specifically help our muscles better cope with the microtears and any other byproducts directly related to strain they’ve endured when working out, such as muscle soreness and feeling excessively tired. Therefore, my reason for saying that it’s extremely important for whey proteins to also include BCAA’s is that you’ll essentially be drinking a far more effective post-workout recovery drink. Although, beginners might not feel the difference as opposed to a more seasoned health enthusiast.The Vanilla Bean flavor was my second and very last flavor from Levels. I had previously bought a 2-lb tub of the Capuccino flavor, but it was impossible to drink even two scoops of it dissolved in 16 oz of cold water. I realize that any whey protein powder will taste much better with milk, for example, but any whey protein should taste just fine, even great, with only water, if one should so choose to drink it (I choose to drink my shakes with only water to avoid any excess or unnecessary calories, since I’m already rather heavyset and am really trying to lose weight; this also leaves out any unforeseen problems with lactose.). Unlike Levels, that’s exactly what PEScience and Optimum Nutrition have proven, especially PEScience. Nearly all of their flavors are spot on, super delicious.Unfortunately, that’s the not case with Levels. Their Vanilla Bean flavor tastes so nasty and disgusting, almost like some type of weird milk that’s very close to spoiling. The only thought that comes to mind for comparison was the bluish milk that Luke Skywalker obtains from the alien cows in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and drinks with a grin on his face. That alone was a nasty picture, but that’s exactly what I kept thinking about when I tried drinking this. Of course, this powder isn’t blue, but the flavor was enough to trigger that movie scene playing out in my head.As for the Capuccino flavor tub, I had bought it back in early September 2022. I don’t know how I mustered the courage, but I had brought it down to about an eighth of the tub within 7 long, torturous months of having purchased it. I finally decided to end my torture and end my affiliation with Levels permanently about two weeks ago. I threw out both flavors. The Vanilla Bean flavor was only a 1-lb bag, but I couldn’t endure more than three or four 16-oz shakes. For those wondering, the Capuccino flavor tasted more like a rancid cup of caramel iced coffee or something like that. Totally nasty!As I had mentioned earlier, I choose to mix in whey protein in nothing but cold water because I’m currently engaged in a long, arduous, gradual fight to lose a significant amount of weight. Using only water is merely an extension of restricting calories and choosing healthy food, which is a full-time process. I cycle 15.7 miles three to four times a week and have lost nearly 75 lbs in 20 months. It isn’t easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort. When the results begin to show, it’s an awesome feeling, and one can only ponder on all the sweat, pain, and patience that one had to endure and utilize to achieve them.I recommend trying PEScience and Optimum Nutrition instead of this garbage. I have tried Optimum Nutrition’s French Vanilla Crème, Chocolate Malt, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Vanilla Ice Cream. Chocolate Peanut Butter was way too sweet and had way too much chocolate and nowhere nearly enough peanut butter flavor, so I didn’t like it. Vanilla Ice Cream was good, but the flavor wasn’t complex enough, which made it very easy to get tired of it, and that’s exactly what happened. However, both French Vanilla Crème and Chocolate Malt are totally awesome, especially the former, which mixes great and goes down very smoothly.I, then, tried PEScience’s Amazing Peanut Butter Cookie, Amazing Strawberry Cheesecake, Amazing Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, and Amazing Gourmet Vanilla. The last two weren’t horrible. In fact, they were actually rather good, but they weren’t awesome. All the other ones, however, are excellent! I’m also planning on trying their Café Series Vanilla Sweet Cream and Iced Mocha flavors.I had begun using whey protein about a year ago when my workouts started weighing down on my daily performance. I started feeling excessively tired and extremely sore. That alone made me realize that I needed a supplement to help counter those effects. I had been working out for about six months. I felt almost immediate relief after taking Quest Vanilla Milk Shake whey protein. It seemed to work fine, but that flavor just wasn’t all that complex and was way too sweet, so when I finished it, I switched to Optimum Nutrition’s Vanilla Ice Cream. While that one wasn’t all that great, I stuck with Optimum Nutrition because, as I stated earlier, they do claim that their ingredients are clean-sourced. I eventually did find two of their flavors that I really like: French Vanilla Crème and Chocolate Malt. PEScience is another one with awesome flavors. Another reason for sticking with Optimum Nutrition and PEScience is that they also seem to work far better than Quest ever did. Do yourself a favor and try those instead. Avoid Levels completely. Do not buy their rancid products. You’ll be much happier, trust me.Although, go ahead and try them out. You might actually like their flavors. The way I see it, the drinkability of a product is extremely important, and from what I’ve seen, that’s not what Levels is concerned with. I give these products 1 star, but I would give zero stars if that were possible.

Good but Clumpy
I bought this protein supplement based on content, protein profile, price point, and overall reviews. The vanilla tastes good enough when mixed with water. My only complaint is that when mixed with water only in a wire shaker carafe it leaves little yellowish clumps to wash out when cleaning. They are not troublesome, but it just requires a little extra cleaning. Other high-powered protein supplements I have tried do not do this.

Good stuff
Good taste. What more can you say for protein powder?

Great for family use
My family loves Levels vanilla whey protein powder! I mix it into pancakes, smoothies and shakes. It mixes well and we feel it increases our protein intake and overall energy. The quality is really consistent as we’ve been using it for several years. Only wish is that it came in less packaging. Would it be possible to sell 2 lbs in a bag so we could reuse the container? And provide test reports confirming zero lead?

SO DELICIOUS VANILA FLAVOUR