Alani Nu Protein Powder Review: Honest Verdict After 1-Month

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Alani Nu is one of the top brands I see advertised on social media, so as a strength athlete, I wanted to try their protein powder to see if it was worth the hype. Also, as a supplement writer for FeastGood.com, I’ve been able to test 22 different proteins, so I have a good sense of how brands stack up against each other.

Key Takeaways

Honest Review Guarantee from FeastGood: Our testing team purchases each product 100% independently and uses the product for several weeks up to several months before writing a review. Learn more about our review process here.

• Alani Nu’s Protein Powder is worth it if you want a fast-digesting whey protein, ideally for post-workout. It’s not an “any-time-of-day” protein that will help keep you satiated between meals.

• Alani Nu mixes well and tastes fantastic. It’s very sweet. I prefer sweet tasting, but if you don’t, you may be disappointed. Also, if you prefer products without artificial flavors and sweeteners look elsewhere.

• Price-wise, Alani Nu comes in at $1.50 per serving, above the average whey protein cost of $1.34. That said, Alani Nu is still affordable when you consider the formula has digestive enzymes that help you avoid stomach upset.

What Is Alani Nu? 

Alani Nu is a supplement company that launched in 2018 and has grown exponentially over the years because of the number of products they offer (it manufactures not just whey protein anymore) and its dedication to perfecting its supplement’s flavors.

In regards to the formulations of their supplements the company says: 

“Alani Nu supplements are strategically designed to provide you with everything they need and nothing they don’t, to help them find the strength inside”. 

You get the point, there’s no fluff when it comes to Alani Nu’s products.  

Alani Nu manufactures protein powder, pre-made shakes, Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), energy drinks, pre-workouts, hormone-balancing capsules, and much more.

Overview of Alani Nu’s Whey Protein

Alani Nu’s whey protein is formulated with whey protein isolate and whey protein hydrolysate, which are the fastest-digesting proteins. It also contains some digestive enzymes, natural and artificial flavors, and artificial sweeteners.

Depending on the flavor, the macronutrient breakdown per serving of Alani Nu’s Whey Protein is as follows:

• Protein: 20-23g
• Carbs: 3-6g
• Fat: 0.5-1.5g
• Sugar: 1-2g

The flavor with the highest amount of carbs and sugar is Munchies (6 grams) and the flavors with the least amount of carbs and sugar are Confetti Cake, Fruity Cereal, and Peanut Butter Brownie (3 grams).

With 110 to 120 calories per serving, Alani Nu’s Whey Protein allocates 73 to 84% of its calories toward protein. 

For reference, a “reasonable” protein powder has 65-75% protein per serving, a “great” protein has 75-85% protein per serving, and an “excellent” one has more than 85% protein per serving.

The Munchies flavor has the lowest percentage at 73% and falls into the “reasonable category” and all other flavors make it into the “great” category with 76-84% protein per serving.

Alani Nu has a decent amount of protein per serving but it doesn’t quite compare to Transparent Lab’s Whey Protein Isolate (click to read my review) which has the most protein per serving that I’ve ever seen in a protein powder at 93%.

Highlights: What I Liked About Alani Nu’s Whey Protein

It Has Digestive Enzymes To Help You Break It Down More Easily

One thing I really enjoy about Alani Nu’s Whey Protein is that it contains digestive enzymes that help you digest the product more easily. 

The digestive enzyme blend is called DigeZyme® and contains the digestive enzymes Amylase, Protease, Lactase, Cellulase, and Lipase. So this particular blend of digestive enzymes will help you break down carbohydrates, protein, lactose, cellulose, and fats.

These digestive enzymes will work for those who have food sensitivities or trouble digesting foods. As someone who struggles with dairy intolerance, I certainly appreciate the addition of these digestive enzymes.

It Has A Reasonable Percentage Of Protein Per Serving

I also like that Alani Nu’s Whey Protein has a decent amount of protein per serving, especially since the flavor component of their protein is one of their main selling factors.

With 73 to 84% of protein per serving Alani Nu ranges from “reasonable” to “great” in the protein department.

That said, going forward I will probably stick to the flavors with higher percentages of protein like Confetti Cake, Fruity Cereal, and Peanut Butter Brownie (all 84%) because I want to make sure I’m getting the most out of my protein powder.

It Has A Variety Of Flavors That Taste Great

Alani Nu is known for its great-tasting flavors and its whey protein is no exception. They have 8 flavors on their website although I suspect that “Santa’s Favorite” and “Everything But The Cauldron” are seasonal flavors.

Although I haven’t tried all of the flavors of their whey, I have tried the peanut butter brownie, confetti cake, and munchies flavors and I really enjoyed them all. 

All of the flavors had glowing reviews from customers (spoiler alert) so I have no doubt that they’re all delicious.

Alani Nu didn’t shy away from flavor which I appreciate; however, I will say that this protein could be too sweet for some people. Read my other article on how to make whey protein less sweet if you fall into this bucket.

Drawbacks: What I Didn’t Like About Alani Nu’s Whey Protein

It Is Sweetened With Sucralose Instead Of A Natural Sweetener

The one major drawback of Alani Nu’s protein powder is its use of sucralose and artificial flavors because they are known to cause digestive issues.

When a product tastes as good as this one does, I can overlook the use of artificial flavors but the use of artificial sweeteners is more disappointing. 

The sucralose in this product can easily be replaced with stevia without drastically changing the flavor. It also wouldn’t affect the calorie content or percentage of protein per serving, so there really is no reason why they couldn’t have used stevia instead.  

My guess for why they did this: it’s cheaper to manufacture.

It’s More Expensive Than Other Whey Proteins

The average price for whey protein is $1.34 per serving, and Alani Nu’s Whey Protein costs $1.50 per serving.

Although it’s not the most expensive whey on the market, it is priced higher than the average whey protein, which is likely a drawback for many people.

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein Review: My Experience

I enjoyed Alani Nu’s Whey Protein because it tasted great, mixed really well, and I found it very easy to digest despite my dairy sensitivity.

Alani Nu’s protein surprised me because I wasn’t expecting it to have as much protein per serving as it does. It also tastes great, and had I not just reviewed and fallen in love with PESCience’s Select Protein (click to read my review), I would have said this was my new favorite.

Alani Nu didn’t knock PEScience out of my top spot because the taste, creaminess, versatility, and formulation of PEScience’s protein is top-notch.

That said, Alani’s whey protein is a great product and I would gladly purchase it again now that I’ve tasted and tested it in multiple use cases.

I tested Alani Nu’s Whey Protein by:

• Mixing it with water
• Mixing it with milk
• Baking it into oatmeal (using this baked oatmeal recipe)
• Using it to make protein balls

Alani Nu mixed and performed really well in all use cases. I never had an issue getting it to dissolve and the texture of the oatmeal and protein balls wasn’t gritty at all.

I found that it had great flavor even when mixed with water, but I preferred it mixed with oat milk because I prefer a creamier protein shake. If you like your shakes on the thinner side, then go for water instead.

All in all, I’m impressed by Alani Nu’s protein and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my clients, but I would give them a heads-up about the artificial sweeteners because some people are much more sensitive to them than others.

How Does Whey Protein Stack Up Against Our Criteria For Protein Powder

There are 8 criteria that we take into consideration when evaluating a protein powder, here’s how Alani Nu’s Whey Protein performs in each criterion:

1. Nutrition Label Transparency 

Rating: 4/5

Alani’s Nu appears to be transparent about the ingredients and amount of each ingredient in their product on the nutrition label (except for trans fats which I’ll address next).

My advice is to always reference the nutrition label on the product because some of the advertising is inaccurate.

For example, some flavors of their whey only have 20 grams of protein, others 21 or 22 grams per serving; despite this, every single product description claims that their “high-quality Whey Protein provides you with up to 23g of protein per serving”.

Although 3 grams isn’t that much of a difference and I’m sure this was simply an oversight, it does reinforce that the information on a nutrition label is more trustworthy than any claims a company makes about their product.

2. Fat Content Transparency

Rating: 4/5

Alani Nu provides information on its nutrition label for total fat content, saturated fat content, and trans fat for MOST flavors but not all.

The Munchies and Chocolate flavors of their protein lack trans fat information, which seems a bit suspicious.

Even if the products don’t contain any trans fats, they should still be disclosed on the label. The fact that they’ve left it off makes it seem like they’re not being transparent about the fat content of these products.

• Santa’s Favorite (seasonal): 5g total fat, 0g saturated, 0g trans fat
• Everything But The Cauldron: 0.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Confetti Cake: 1g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Fruity Cereal: 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Munchies: 1.5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, X
• Frosted Flurry: 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Peanut Butter Brownie: 1.1g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Chocolate: 1.5g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, X

I’m rating them a 4/5 rather than a 5/5 because they weren’t fully transparent with all of their whey protein flavors.

3. Effective Ingredients

Rating: 4/5   

Alani Nu has great ingredients including whey protein isolate and whey protein hydrolysate for fast-digesting proteins that provide your body with amino acids to repair muscle damage more quickly.

It also has digestive enzymes for easier digestion, and vita cherry sport (tart cherry juice) which is thought to help in “preventing post-workout soreness and promoting post-workout recovery”.

However, they also use artificial flavors and sweeteners (sucralose) that bring down the quality of this product because artificial sweeteners are known to cause digestive issues, especially in those who have sensitive digestive systems.

Had they used stevia (a natural sweetener) rather than sucralose, I would have scored this protein a solid 5/5. 

4. Protein Percent of Calories

Rating: 3/5

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein flavors fall primarily within the “great” category for the percentage of protein per serving, except for the Munchies flavor which is in the “reasonable” category.

The flavor components of these protein powders are what reduce the amount of protein per serving. Most of them contain ingredients like cookie pieces, confetti, and thickeners (like xanthan gum) to improve their flavor and texture.

Some people may find the flavor components worth the reduction in protein, while others may prefer a protein powder like Transparent Labs that tastes great and still has a higher percentage of protein.

• Munchies: 73%
• Santa’s Favorite: 76% (seasonal)
• Frosted Flurry: 76%
• Chocolate: 77%
• Everything But The Cauldron: 80%
• Confetti Cake: 84%
• Fruity Cereal: 84%
• Peanut Butter Brownie: 84%

5. Taste/Flavor

Rating: 5/5

I really enjoyed the taste of the Alani Nu Whey Protein, particularly the peanut butter chocolate and the munchies flavors.

I found that the whey protein was packed full of flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness.

For less sweet, less flavorful protein powders like Naked Whey, I have to add honey or maple syrup to my oatmeal and greek yogurt to make it more enjoyable, but when I use Alani Nu’s whey protein my oatmeal and greek yogurt taste delicious without any additional flavors or sweeteners.

6. Mixability

Rating: 5/5

Alani Nu’s whey protein is mixed perfectly with water, milk, and greek yogurt. It also performed well in baked oatmeal and protein balls.

I feel confident giving this protein a 5/5 for mixability because I haven’t found a use case where it doesn’t mix well.

7. Texture (Thick or Thin)

Rating: Thin

The Whey Protein from Alani Nu is on the thinner side despite having many thickeners (indicated as “gum blend” on the ingredient list).

This protein is thicker than water but thinner than other whey protein isolates that I’ve tried (i.e. Transparent Labs).

If you prefer a creamier protein, then this whey protein isn’t the best option.

8. Satiety

Rating: 3/5

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein held me over for 1 1/2 hours when taken on an empty stomach, which is a bit less than ideal but is likely related to the fact that it digests very quickly.

If I were to pair this whey protein with greek yogurt or oatmeal it would give the protein more staying power to keep me full for longer but I tested it on its own mixed with water to evaluate the protein powder itself.

Had the protein powder held me over for 3 hours on its own, I would have scored it a 5/5.

Who Is Alani Nu Whey Protein Protein For? 

• Those who want a protein powder full of flavor

• Those who want a protein powder that digests easily

• Those who want a protein powder that mixes well

Who Shouldn’t Take Alani Nu Whey Protein?

• Those who are gluten-free

• Those who want to avoid artificial flavors and sweeteners

• Those who want an “excellent” percentage of protein per serving

• Those who prefer a less sweet protein powder

Alani Nu Whey Protein Protein Customer Reviews

After having reviewed Alani Nu’s protein powder myself, I was curious about what other users thought about the product so I read through its Amazon reviews to see what users had to say.

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein has 4.4/5 stars from only 2,632 global ratings, which is a great rating but also very few reviews considering how popular this brand is on social media.

The reviews on Amazon have been organized to provide ratings in 5 different categories, the ratings are as follows:

• Sheerness: 4.2/5
• Ingredient Quality: 4/5
• Value For Money: 4/5
• Versatility: 3.9/5
• Flavor: 3.7/5

As you can see most reviewers agreed that Alani Nu’s protein is on the thinner side, had quality ingredients, and is a fair price. 

Reviews were mixed when it came to flavor with some customers thinking the flavors were impeccable while others claimed that the protein was way too sweet for their tastes.

Key Takeaways: Alani Nu is worth the money for those who like sweeter protein powders with unique flavors but may not be as enjoyable for those who prefer more basic flavors, like vanilla, that are less sweet.

Alani Nu Whey Protein Promotions & Discounts

The only discounts available for Alani Nu’s protein are on Amazon and Alani Nu’s website.

On Amazon, you can save 5-10% off your order by subscribing to recurring deliveries. Initially you save 5% off your order, but after 5 deliveries you can save 10% on every order from there on out. 

Delivery frequencies through Amazon range from every 2 weeks to every 6 months.

On Alani Nu’s website, you can save 5% off your orders by subscribing to recurring deliveries. However, the only frequency available is for deliveries every 4 weeks.

Where To Buy Alani Nu Whey Protein? 

You can purchase Alani Nu’s Whey Protein from Amazon, from Alani nu’s website, or perhaps at your local supplement store.

However, keep in mind that with Amazon Prime you can also get free shipping.

You can also likely purchase this product locally if Alani’s store locator indicates that there is a retailer near you; however, prices will likely vary.

Whey Protein Protein Alternatives

Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate

The best alternative for Alani Nu’s Whey Protein is Transparent Lab’s Whey Protein Isolate which is made from grass-fed whey for a higher quality protein and is sweetened with stevia rather than artificial sweeteners like sucralose.

• Check out my complete review of Transparent Labs Whey Protein

Another added benefit to Transparent Lab’s protein is that it has a higher percentage of protein per serving at a whopping 93%, which I’ve never seen before.

Naked Whey

Another alternative for Alani Nu’ Protein is Naked Whey which is better for those who want a protein powder that isn’t sweet.

• Check out my complete review of Naked Whey Protein

Naked Whey is made with grass-fed whey, has minimal ingredients, and is free of artificial flavors or sweeteners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Alani Nu Whey Protein’s Shipping Policy?

Alani Nu’s shipping policy claims that with domestic shipping you can expect your order to arrive in 5 to 7 business days. However, international shipping can take up to 30 to 45 business days.

What Is Alani Nu Whey Protein’s Return Policy?

Alani Nu accepts returns within 30 days of your purchase and doesn’t specify that the product has to be unopened or unused. However, rather than refunding your money, they will issue you a store credit for any returned items.

Is Alani Nu Whey Protein Third Party Tested?

According to Alani Nu, their protein is tested for banned substances and manufactured in a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant facility.

Is Alani Nu Whey Protein Good For Weight Loss?

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein can help with weight loss because it will help you meet your protein requirements to retain muscle while dieting, which ensures that you keep burning calories at a faster rate. However, this protein won’t keep you full for as long as other protein powders so it may not be the best option.

Is Alani Nu Whey Protein Keto Friendly?

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein has approximately between 3 to 6 grams of carbs per serving so it would not be considered keto-friendly. However, it is considered low-carb, so if your goal is simply to reduce your carb intake then this protein powder is a great option.

Is Alani Nu Whey Protein Gluten-Free?

Alani Nu claims that every protein powder flavor except for “Munchies” is gluten-free; however, I always recommend reading the label carefully before purchasing if you have a gluten allergy just to be safe.

What Are The Best Ways To Mix Alani Nu Whey Protein?

Alani Nu mixes well in water, milk, greek yogurt, oatmeal, and baking so you can mix this protein powder however you like.

What Flavors Are Available For Alani Nu Whey Protein?

Alani Nu’s current whey protein flavors are Santa’s Favorite (likely seasonal), Everything But The Cauldron, Frosted Flurry, Fruity Cereal, Confetti Cake, Munchies, Peanut Butter Brownie, and Chocolate.

Does Alani Nu Whey Protein Make You Gain Weight?

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein will not make you gain weight on its own because weight gain can only occur if you’re eating in a calorie surplus (more calories than your body needs to maintain weight).

Can You Use Alani Nu Whey Protein As A Meal Replacement?

Alani Nu’s Whey Protein is not a suitable meal replacement because it lacks calories, carbs, fats, and nutrients to meet meal requirements.

When Is The Best Time To Take Alani Nu Whey Protein?

I recommend taking Alani Nu’s Whey Protein before or after working out because it uses faster-digesting forms of whey which will be best utilized around your workout. However, you can take this protein at any time to help increase your protein intake.

How To Contact Alani Nu

You can contact Alani Nu by going to their website and clicking “Contact Us”.

References

Gilmartin, S.; O’Brien, N.; Giblin, L. Whey for Sarcopenia; Can Whey Peptides, Hydrolysates or Proteins Play a Beneficial Role? Foods 2020, 9, 750. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9060750

Nigg, J.T., Lewis, K., Edinger, T., & Falk, M. (2012). Meta-Analysis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Restriction Diet, and Synthetic Food Color Additives. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(1), 86-97.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.10.015.

Anna E. Kirkland, Mackenzie T. Langan & Kathleen F. Holton (2022) Artificial food coloring affects EEG power and ADHD symptoms in college students with ADHD: a pilot study, Nutritional Neuroscience, 25:1, 159-168, DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2020.1730614

Schoenfeld, B. J., & Aragon, A. A. (2018). How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1