The Worst Aldi Protein Drink Was A Salty And Syrupy Letdown

Finding functional ways to meet your daily protein needs can be a bit tricky — especially if you're going for big gains and great taste. Luckily, here at Tasting Table, we recently ranked protein snacks and drinks at Aldi based on both nutrition and flavor. Ranking low at 10 out of 12 products, the worst out of the protein beverages was the Protein20 Wild Cherry Protein Hydration Drink. The product, which presents "like a cross between an electrolyte-filled sports drink and an after-exercise protein blend," was a salty, syrupy letdown — giving major artificial cherry plus Pedialyte vibes.

The flavored protein water format and the fact that each 16.9 fluid-ounce bottle contains 15 grams of protein and no added sugar are enticing at first glance. But in a crowded market of the best and worst protein sodas, drinks, and waters, the flavor needs to be on point. However, the cherry drink just didn't cut it. The product, also offered at other retailers like Walmart and Amazon, is sweetened with erythritol, and the sugar alcohol likely contributes to "that hard-to-miss Stevia flavor" noted in our ranking. Electrolytes in the drink are appealing as a hydration-protein double-whammy, but they make the drink taste too salty for our liking. On top of that, even though cherry-flavored treats often don't taste like real cherry, the combination of intense sweetener, fake cherry flavor, and electrolytes was just not pleasing in this drink.

Due to the unappealing flavor, other protein snacks and beverages, such as Aldi's ready-to-drink Elevation brand Vanilla Protein Shake, ranked higher than Protein20 in our Aldi taste test. However, especially with protein products, preferences can vary from person to person or flavor variety. So, it might very well be worth trying other versions of the hydrating protein drink.

Though it doesn't seem like the product is a fan-favorite in the scheme of all the protein bars, powders, and shakes offered at Aldi, some customers tend to like other flavors in the Protein20 line. In a Facebook post about snagging the beverages from Aldi, one person wrote, "Found these today at [Aldi], absolutely amazing taste for being water!! I recommend the cotton candy!" In a YouTube review of the Protein20 Harvest Grape flavor, online fitness coach and certified personal trainer, Jesse Rosenthal, was pleasantly surprised that the drink didn't have any chalkiness or a bad aftertaste. Despite his thoughts on single units of the drinks being pricey, he noted, "I think it could be a good alternative for maybe someone who doesn't like traditional protein shakes."