Optimum Nutrition vs Premier Protein Powder: 24 g or 30 g?

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Double Rich Chocolate lists 24 g of protein per 31 g scoop (120 calories), while Premier Protein Chocolate Milkshake Protein Powder lists 30 g of protein per 41 g, two-scoop serving (150 calories). Both labels use acesulfame potassium, only Premier's listed ingredients name sucralose, and Premier's panel carries a 'Do not use for weight reduction' notice that the Optimum Nutrition panel details do not show. This page puts the two US labels side by side so you can compare the facts yourself.

Key takeaways

• Per labeled serving, Optimum Nutrition gives 24 g protein per 31 g (about 1 scoop) and 120 calories. Premier gives 30 g protein per 41 g (2 scoops) and 150 calories.
• Both are sweetened with acesulfame potassium. Only Premier's listed ingredients include sucralose.
• Premier's panel reads 'Notice: Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction.' The Optimum Nutrition panel details on this page show no equivalent line.

Which Has More Protein Per Scoop, Optimum Nutrition or Premier Protein Chocolate?

Premier Protein lists more protein per labeled serving, 30 g compared with 24 g. The servings differ in size, though: Premier's serving is two scoops (41 g), while Optimum Nutrition's is one scoop (31 g).

Optimum Nutrition's US Nutrition Facts panel lists 24 g of protein (48% Daily Value) per 31 g serving, with 120 calories, 1.5 g total fat (2%), and 1 g saturated fat (5%). Its product page says the same 24 g of protein and adds 5.5 g of naturally occurring BCAAs per serving, with whey protein isolate as the primary source.

Premier's panel lists 30 g of protein (60% Daily Value) per 41 g serving, with 150 calories, 2 g total fat (3%), and 1 g saturated fat (5%). Protein is about 77% of Optimum Nutrition's serving weight (24 of 31 g) and about 73% of Premier's (30 of 41 g). One Premier serving contains 1.25 times the protein of one Optimum Nutrition scoop for 30 more calories. Leucine content and BCAA grams for Premier are not disclosed.

Is Premier Protein Powder Good for You?

The label facts here do not rate Premier as good or bad for any individual. Per two-scoop serving, its panel lists 150 calories, 30 g protein, 170 mg sodium (7% Daily Value), 50 mg cholesterol (17%), and 0 g added sugars. Those numbers describe the product only and cannot show how it affects a particular person.

How Do the Sweeteners Differ Between These Two Chocolate Protein Powders?

Both labels list acesulfame potassium, and only Premier's ingredient list also includes sucralose. The FDA states that acesulfame potassium is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, with general-purpose approval in 2003, and that sucralose is about 600 times sweeter, with general-purpose approval in 1999.

The Optimum Nutrition US panel lists acesulfame potassium as its only sweetener. Premier lists acesulfame potassium and sucralose.

Sugar content is similar. Optimum Nutrition lists 1 g total sugars and describes itself as not a significant source of added sugars. Premier lists 1 g total sugars including 0 g added sugars per two scoops.

Does Premier Protein Powder Have Sucralose?

Yes, the Premier ingredient list includes sucralose alongside acesulfame potassium. The same list also includes soluble corn fiber (2% or less), xanthan gum, and salt.

What Are the Ingredients in Optimum Nutrition Double Rich Chocolate vs Premier Protein?

Optimum Nutrition's ingredients begin with a protein blend of whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and hydrolyzed whey protein. Premier's begin with whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate. Both list cocoa processed with alkali and a lecithin, and both list natural and artificial flavors.

• Optimum Nutrition: Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein), Cocoa Powder (Processed with Alkali), Sunflower and/or Soy Lecithin, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Acesulfame Potassium. Contains: Milk, Soy.
• Premier: Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Contains 2% or less of Soluble Corn Fiber, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Xanthan Gum, Salt. Contains: Milk.

The lecithin source differs. Optimum Nutrition lists sunflower and/or soy lecithin, while Premier lists sunflower lecithin. Premier also lists gums and fiber that the Optimum Nutrition panel does not show.

Is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein Healthy?

The label facts here do not rate Optimum Nutrition healthy or unhealthy. Per 31 g scoop, its panel lists 120 calories, 24 g protein, 130 mg sodium (6%), and 55 mg cholesterol (18%). The panel carries the Informed Choice logo with the words regularly tested for banned substances, but the panel details here do not describe what that testing covers.

Does Premier Protein Use Whey?

Yes. Premier's ingredient list names whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate. Whether either powder contains lactose is not disclosed in the label facts on this page.

What Does Premier's 'Use This Product as a Food Supplement Only' Notice Mean?

Premier's panel prints the line 'Notice: Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction.' That wording matches the statement that 21 CFR 101.17(d)(3) requires on foods for dietary supplementation that get more than 50% of their calories from protein and are not represented for weight reduction.

The notice is a federal food labeling requirement, and it does not state that a product is unsafe. It tells the reader how the product is labeled and represented. The Optimum Nutrition US panel details shown here do not include an equivalent line. Whether that line appears elsewhere on the Optimum Nutrition label is not disclosed.

Is Premier Protein Powder Good for Weight Loss?

The Premier label says 'Do not use for weight reduction,' and the label facts on this page contain no weight-loss outcome data for either product. Any claim about weight outcomes would need evidence that is not included here.

Is Premier Protein Powder Third-Party Tested?

Premier's product page does not state whether the powder is third-party tested, so neither yes nor no can be confirmed from the label facts here. Optimum Nutrition's panel, by contrast, carries the Informed Choice logo with the words 'regularly tested for banned substances.'

How Do Calories, Fat, Sodium, and Allergen Statements Compare on Each Panel?

Premier's two-scoop serving has more calories (150 vs 120), more sodium (170 mg vs 130 mg), and less cholesterol (50 mg vs 55 mg) than Optimum Nutrition's one-scoop serving. Use the table below to compare the panels at a glance.

Panel field	Optimum Nutrition Double Rich Chocolate (31 g, about 1 scoop)	Premier Protein Chocolate Milkshake (41 g, 2 scoops)
Calories	120	150
Total fat	1.5 g (2%)	2 g (3%)
Saturated fat	1 g (5%)	1 g (5%)
Trans fat	Not a significant source	0 g
Cholesterol	55 mg (18%)	50 mg (17%)
Sodium	130 mg (6%)	170 mg (7%)
Total carbohydrate	3 g (1%)	4 g (1%)
Dietary fiber	Less than 1 g	1 g (4%)
Total sugars	1 g	1 g, including 0 g added sugars
Protein	24 g (48%)	30 g (60%)
Calcium	130 mg (10%)	160 mg
Iron	0.7 mg	1.2 mg
Potassium	200 mg	270 mg
Sweeteners listed	Acesulfame potassium	Acesulfame potassium, sucralose
Contains statement	Milk, Soy	Milk

The Daily Value percentages use FDA reference amounts: 50 g for protein, 2,300 mg for sodium, and 300 mg for cholesterol. Those reference amounts apply to a whole day's diet, so a percentage on one panel is not a full-day recommendation.

How Do You Spot Sweeteners, Protein Sources, and Allergen Statements on a Label?

Start with the serving size, then read the ingredient list in order, then check the Contains line. The Contains statement is where major allergens are declared.

• Serving size: compare grams and scoops before comparing grams of protein.
• Protein sources: whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate are listed by name on both labels.
• Sweeteners: look for acesulfame potassium and sucralose in the ingredient list.
• Contains line: Optimum Nutrition lists milk and soy, while Premier lists milk only.
• Notices: check for weight-reduction or supplement statements, which are printed on the panel itself.

Soy sensitivity is a practical reason to read the Contains line on each tub, because the Optimum Nutrition label lists soy and the Premier label does not.

What Should You Compare Against These Labels When Shopping Alternatives?

Use the same fields for any other protein powder: protein grams per labeled serving, serving weight, sweeteners, the Contains line, and any weight-reduction or testing statement. Comparing grams of protein without comparing serving size can make one product look stronger than it is.

Price per serving and price per gram of protein are not disclosed for either product, and taste or solubility claims are not covered by the label facts here. For another example of reading ingredient lists side by side, see Coffee mate vs International Delight ingredients and sugar.

The label facts on this page cannot establish individual responses to either powder, how either product performs in people with specific health conditions, or outcomes from research that is not cited here. Those questions remain open.

Aurascan is a food-label scanner app for iPhone with a free tier. Scan the tub in your own kitchen and read each ingredient explanation yourself.

Related reading: for collagen powders, see Vital Proteins vs Sports Research: 18 g vs 10 g Protein.