I sometimes stumble across social media pages or ads for supplement companies. 90% of the time, they are garbage. This is one of the rare times it was not.
Inno Supps at a Glance:
I saw an Inno Supps ad, promising a different approach to sports nutrition by offering naturally flavored products with no artificial colors, dyes, or sweeteners. Owner of Inno Supps, Kevin Gunderson, was quick to point out that he simply wanted to offer some quality alternatives on the market for those who want to steer clear of the standard options. Kevin himself stated he is extremely passionate about the health and wellness category. One look at a few of the products and ingredients and you will see why. Currently providing an offering of proteins, pres, fat burners, and several other unique products (such as a CreaPure based blend that is taken PRE workout) including some HMB and Tumeric/Beat pills, Inno Supps has taken an interesting take on some ingredients and supplements we all know well and use on a regular basis.
Inno Supps is a new company, but Kevin has been around the block in the industry and is taking the best practices approach he gathered from his time with other companies, to fill a void he sees as a growing space. With consumers becoming more and more conscious of what we put into out bodies, Inno Supps wants to earn consumer trust through quality ingredients and formulas.
These products, and specifically the Protein Isolate, will check a lot of boxes for the health-minded individual. No lactose, no soy, no GMOs, no dyes, no artificial sweeteners or colors. All very encouraging signs from a protein powder, or any product for that matter.
Inno Supps already landed their big fish athlete, with Simeon Panda. I know the feelings are mixed, and I still can’t forgive Mr. Panda for selling the exact same meal plan to online clients, regardless of their gender, weight, or age… so hopefully he has moved on to a more efficacious practice.
I will give a fair warning to you all - the brand does have a prop blend pre-workout. I’ll cover that one in a post later this week, but it’s not an “unethical blend” and the caffeine amount is disclosed.
Label:
The first review I am posting is for the company’s whey isolate, “Advanced Iso Protein.” The label promises some clean ingredients, while the calorie content might be slightly too rich for some.
There are currently two flavors: Samoa Cookie and Fruity Cereal Donut. Each flavor has a slightly different calorie/macro count, but they range from 140 calories to 160 calories.
You get a typical 25g of protein per serving, alongside a slightly higher carb (4g) and fat (3g) content.
If you read the ingredient label, you will notice the use of MCT oil and some sunflower lecithin, which explains the slightly higher fat content. As for the added carbs, bear in mind that 2g comes from Fiber - so if you want to play the “net carb” card, then you only need to account for 2g of carbohydrates. In addition to the cocoa powder, I believe the added carbs must derive from the Monk Fruit Extract, Gum blend and Organic Agave Inulin. Along side some Stevia, these are the natural sweetener components to give Advanced Iso it’s sweet flavor.
We know the guar gum and xanthan gum act as thickeners, which gives Advanced Iso a much thicker and more full “mouth feel” as compared to a water-like consistency isolate. I enjoy this, as it makes the shake more “desert like” rather than a flavored water.
Flavors:
Currently, Advanced Iso Protein comes in the two flavors mentioned above, Samoa Cookie and Fruity Cereal Donut. Kevin has stated there are a slew of new flavors to be released in 2020. Bear in mind, the brand does offer two vegan proteins as well, coming in the form of a Chocolate Brownie flavor and Vanilla Birthday Cake flavor. I enjoy both flavors.
Per the label, 6-8oz is the recommended amount of liquid for mixing. Since I utilize around 37g of protein per shake, I rock with 1.5 scoops and 10oz of water. Any more water and it won’t satisfy my very needy sweet-tooth.
Somoa Cookie:
As you see from the picture, there is great consistency with a slight foam, which dissipates over the course of twenty to thirty seconds. As for the flavor, I am a big fan. Please remember, this does not utilize any of the artificial stuff we see sprinkled across most products today, so it may not be as sweet as you would hope for. After a a few sips, the Stevia aftertaste kicks in you get a smooth and sweet finish.
I was very honest with my feedback to Kevin, telling him it’s not the best I have had (due to the sweetness) but that I understand the trade off by going the natural route for flavor. Honestly, as we gravitate to less artificial colors, dyes, and flavors, I may very well switch to these types of products full time, for general health purposes. I tried adding a packet of stevia to “up” the sweetness and that really did the trick for me. I believe most of you know I primarily utilize Xtend Pro as my protein, due to the fact that it primarily relies on Stevia as its sweetening agent.
Somoa Cookie doesn’t quite capture a strong coconut element, but the chocolate and caramel flavor are very noticeable. I found it to be a nice change of pace compared to a standard cocoa flavor, or even a peanut butter flavor (which you all know is my favorite). This won’t blow your socks off if you’re strictly after 10/10 flavor - but if you’re opting more a super clean protein, comprised of isolate and a few thickening agents, this protein should absolutely be something you try.
Fruity Cereal Donut:
Like Somoa Cookie, Fruity Cereal Donut utilizes the same ingredients and flavor agents, minus the cocoa. For the cereal fruit flavor lovers, this is right up your alley. Again, not quite as sweet as Ghost Fruity Cereal Milk, or even Iso Pro Fruity Cereal, but the trade off is the ingredients and sweetening agents used. This was my favorite of the two flavors, and I don’t even enjoy fruity flavors all that much!
As you can see, the color shows you there is no color agents or dyes used. The fruit cereal is very noticeable and reminds me of fruity pebbles. You might not taste a donut, but the creamy vanilla base added with the fruity compliment, does remind me of a pastry-esqu creation, topped with fruit cereal sprinkles.
Again - hardcore flavor chasers, this is not for you. The flavor is so good considering the ingredients used. Add a pack of stevia and it’s just as sweet as the artificially sweetened brands of protein with this same flavor.
You won’t find inclusions in this protein - but the flavor packs enough fruit burst to make you think your drinking a shake blended with fruity pebbles.
Takeaway:
Here is the bottom line - this type of protein is not for everyone, although it should be, as we should ideally all be striving for optimal ingredient ingestion. However, the reality is, we are all flavor chasers to an extent.
I have spent the last year focusing on the additives included in my supplements, to try and find the best path to longevity in health. I am happy there is a brand like Inno Supps, who offers and caters their skus to such a crowd. This will be hammered in some reviews of their other products, but since this is strictly limited to the protein review, I will keep in that ballpark today.
Conceptually, naturally flavored proteins (especially isolates) are tough to nail. Often, we are left with a bland and watery shake, that resembles nothing to be excited about. Protein powder should be a treat you look forward to - and this, although not the greatest tasting isolate I have had, certainly is a treat I look forward to, when I need protein.