Smart138 Total Milk Protein // 80% Casein 20% Whey // Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Non-GMO, USA, Keto Low Carb, Natural BCAAs (1000g / 2.2lbs, Unflavored)

I love this casein protein! I hate the packaging! The zipper seal came off one side of the bag rendering it unsealable but what's inside was worth the hassle of buying a container to store it in. I've put it in smoothies and mixed it in Greek yogurt with cacao powder and a little monk fruit (after hanging out in the fridge for an hour or two it's like a chocolate mousse). I like that it is just plain, unflavored protein powder, no Sucralose, no questionable ingredients. I can add whatever I like, make the flavor I want or am in the mood for on the day and I'm not stuck with a single flavor for weeks. Great way to add protein without a ton of added calories.

I was looking for a product that I could use to make a low carb version of dairy milk. This is NOT the same as the nonfat dry milk widely available in grocery stores. It is the proteins ONLY concentrated from cows' milk with no fat and almost none of the lactose. However, I have used this product to make a fluid milk replacement that tastes quite favorably compared to whole milk. 1 scoop product mixed with 1 cup tepid or lukewarm water (use a stick blender for a few seconds) then add 1 cup heavy cream plus enough water to make a quart. I add 1-2 tsp stevia or erythritol blend and a tiny pinch of salt. It is the best I have tasted and nearly eliminates the milk sugar to allow for low carb/keto folk. Makes great hot chocolate!

The flavor -- it's unflavored, so what does one expect? It tastes like powdered milk, and it takes more flavoring than I expected to cover it. Once I found that, however, it does just fine. It's powdery, so it gets in the grooves of the zip, so I had to put it in a regular zip top back -- but that's normal with a lot of powders and the zips they use. The current bag’s zip wasn’t connected all the way across, so this one seriously needs another container. It blends pretty well -- as long as ALL the powder gets wet. If it isn't wet, it isn't going to blend, so scraping the sides is a common step. It's smooth -- not chalky, so that's a plus. I think it will do what I need it to do.

I never liked the taste of whey. No matter what flavor, I always got sick of it after like 2 shakes. Even the unflavored stuff always tasted bad to me. But this stuff is great! Very neutral taste which is great for shakes and for cooking. Macros are awesome. Definitely buying more. Just be aware that it thickens up whatever liquid you put this in. Blends up really well; doesn't clump. It's ground up very fine so don't sneeze around it. Only problem I have is that the plastic zipper on the bag broke right when I first opened it. No worries; I put the whole thing in a ziploc freezer bag and I'm golden.

I usually have a casein shake in the morning, but it blends up so thickly, I wanted to see if the whey/casein blend made a difference. I normally use Optimum Nutrition but have tried a few other brands, so I decided to give this brand a try as well. The nutritionals on this are good - maybe even slightly better than a typical protein brand. I opened my package this morning for my shake. First issue: A bunch of powder dust came flying up out of the bag. I thought, "Ok, at least thinner means a smoother drink." WRONG! More on that in a moment. It did make a mess in my kitchen and on my clothes though. Second issue: The bag doesn't seal properly. Reduced shelf life and more powder dust. But wait... THERE'S MORE! The scoop: For some reason they gave it a ridiculously long handle. Not only that, but because of the consistency of it, the protein doesn't come out of the scoop easily. More waste, and MORE POWDER DUST. So about that smoothness: The powder is less granular. Unfortunately, even with that and the whey mix, it actually mixes thicker than my other brands. Now the worst part: The taste is awful! I don't mean, "meh, it's not the best." I mean, "WHY DOES IT TASTE LIKE I AM EATING A CORN TORTILLA!?!?" Seriously. I used peach, pineapple, vanilla almond milk, and the protein powder. It tastes delicious with every other brand I've tried. This brand legitimately tasted like I was eating a corn tortilla! So I've used one serving, and had about 1 1/2 additional servings to clean up, and the rest of the bag will be going in the garbage.