I’ve had a chance to try out most of the flavors of Dymatize Elite protein powder
from my sample box now, and I can unconditionally recommend this brand to even the pickiest, lactose-intolerant, artificial-flavor-sensitive health nut.

Dymatize Elite is a blend of whey protein isolate (the first ingredient listed) and concentrate with a proprietary blend of digestive enzymes including lactase, the active ingredient in Lactaid pills, thrown in to improve digestibility of the product. In real world terms, this means that lactose intolerant folks like me won’t find their bellies blowing up like beach balls after chugging down a serving of Elite protein. Each serving is 112 calories, with 23 g protein, 2.5 g carbohydrates, and 1.5 g fat.

So far I’ve tried the following flavors:

1)
Gourmet Vanilla
- Very neutral in flavor, not fabulous on its own, but is a GREAT mixer for fruit shakes and smoothies. Add your own baking cocoa powder to get a chocolate flavor.

2) Butter Cream Toffee - Delicious in shakes with milk or soy milk and for making your own homemade protein bars. Flavor may get tiresome after a while, so keep either a vanilla or chocolate around just in case.

3)
Rich Chocolate
- FANTASTIC all by itself with icy cold water. You know that hot cocoa flavor beloved by all chocoholics? Well, this powder has it, and there is no noticeable “whey” aftertaste. My favorite so far!

4)
Berry Blast
- I mixed this one with 8th Continent Light soy milk and got something very much like a slightly thickened, yummy Strawberry Yoohoo drink. I waited for the usual fake fruit flavor migraine to kick in after drinking the shake, but it never developed. Excellent if you like a fruity shake.

5) Chocolate Mint - A mild chocolate mint flavor that is mostly chocolate with just a hint of mint, unlike the minty Mylanta horrors sold by other companies. I also did not get a headache after drinking this flavor, and I am very sensitive to mint flavored foods.

One thing I like about all of the flavors is that they mix very quickly and completely with water. The powders are very finely milled and don’t form the gooey, powdery clumps that make most hand-shaken protein drinks something to dread and fear. I’ve even mixed Dymatize Elite powder in a coffee cup with just a spoon and had it turn out fine. (Coffee with Gourmet Vanilla whey is quite good, by the way.) This also makes this brand a great choice for homemade protein bars, proatmeal, and cooked recipes.

One final thing Dymatize did right with this product is dispensing with the usual chemical thickening agents found in other brands like All the Whey and EAS. Seriously, the last thing I want in a protein powder is a compound that makes my shake thicker and sludgier. When it comes to knocking back a quick protein serving, all I want to do is mix up my water and powder in under 20 seconds and slam the whole thing down the hatch as quickly as possible.

I still have a packet of Smooth Banana to try out this afternoon, but I’ll get back with a review of that one after I’ve given it a shot.

I’m saving the spare packets of the flavors I’ve already tested for some protein froyo (frozen yogurt) and bar experiments this week.

:eat:

(As a final note to anyone looking to purchase the Gourmet Vanilla, Rich Chocolate, or Berry Blast flavors, I’ve included links to their respective product pages at Vitacost.com, which carries 5 lb tubs of Dymatize Elite for a relatively cheap $24.49 each with $4.99 flat rate shipping. My usual online whey merchant, Bodybuilding.com, recently raised the price of Dymatize Elite to $32.99, which makes me very, very grumpy.)