The Only Protein Shake Our Editors Would Buy at Costco

Protein is an important macronutrient that plays a major role in keeping us healthy, from supporting digestion to aiding muscle growth and repair. While you’re most likely getting enough protein from the foods you eat, many people opt for protein shakes as a quick, convenient way to support their intake. But protein shakes can be pricey, so buying them in bulk at a retailer like Costco is a great way to save. That’s why we decided to put all the protein shakes at Costco to the test to find the best option available—and our editors’ favorite choice is Fairlife Core Power.

Before we found our eventual winner, we scoured Costco’s shelves in person and searched online for exclusive digital-only products to see which ones would meet our nutrition parameters. We looked for products that had no more than 250 calories and 360 milligrams sodium per serving to align with EatingWell’s nutrition parameters for a side, which is how we categorize a protein shake. As for protein, we looked for products that had at least 15 grams per serving.

After our research was done, we were left with 10 products to try in a masked taste test. Flavors ranged from vanilla and chocolate to café latte and strawberries and cream. Here’s why Fairlife’s Core Power Chocolate Protein Shake stood out to our editors.

The #1 Protein Shake to Buy at Costco

Our testers, who included food editors and registered dietitians, unanimously picked Fairlife’s Core Power as their favorite in the masked taste test (it’s also one of our favorite protein shakes overall, from a separate test). One of the biggest selling factors was the taste (if you like chocolate milk, you’ll like this product!). The chocolate flavor was prominent and rich, but not overwhelming. In fact, one of the testers said the taste reminded them of hot chocolate or Dutch chocolate ice cream. Thankfully, the strong chocolate flavor wasn’t overpowered by the taste of artificial sweetener like it was in other products that we tried. Fairlife uses monk fruit juice concentrate and stevia leaf extract to sweeten the shake, but the chocolate flavor comes through first and foremost.

In addition to the taste, the texture of the shake was top notch. One downside of protein powders and shakes is that they can often have a chalky consistency, but that wasn’t the case for the Fairlife product. The texture of the protein shake was smooth and slightly thicker than milk. It had a more viscous texture that led to a nice mouthfeel. Unlike other shakes that were too watery or chalky, our No. 1 pick had a pleasant texture that our testers found “nice and satisfying.”

Of course, a protein shake wouldn’t be complete without the protein. Here’s the nutrition info for a 14-ounce serving (1 bottle):

• 170 calories
• 4.5 grams total fat
• 2.5 g saturated fat
• 20 milligrams cholesterol
• 260 mg sodium
• 8 g carbohydrates
• 1 g fiber
• 5 g total sugars (0 g added sugars)
• 26 g protein 

Depending on your needs, drinking one of these shakes is a great way to meet your protein goals. The recommended amount of protein you need to eat each day varies, with about 54 grams of protein daily recommended for a 150-pound female and 65 grams for a 180-pound male. With this protein shake, you’d be well on your way to meeting those benchmarks. 

All of these highlights made Fairlife’s Core Power Chocolate Protein Shake the clear winner for our testers. These protein shakes are available in a pack of 10 for $32.49, which comes out to about $3.25 per bottle. So the next time you’re at Costco, consider grabbing a case—we know you’ll love it.

Other Protein Shakes We Considered

Other brands we tried included Muscle Milk, Nurri, Orgain and Premier Protein. Ultimately, these shakes had varying factors that our testers couldn’t get past, from being too sweet due to artificial sweeteners to being watered down and too thin. We did try one other product from Fairlife, the Nutrition Plan Chocolate Protein Shake. It differs slightly from the Core Power option: it comes in a smaller serving size of 11.5 ounces and the nutrition is different (it has 4 more grams of protein). While it wasn’t as creamy and thick as the Core Power shake, the flavor was just as nice, although a little sweeter to some of our testers’ palates. Overall, we think it’s an excellent second choice if the Core Power shake isn’t available the next time you swing by Costco.