AIP Protein Powder • AIP Recipe Collection

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What Protein Powder Does Everyone Recommend?

I think this question comes up ALL THE TIME for a pretty simple reason—AIP breakfast is where a lot of people get stuck.

Smoothies feel like the easy answer… so the search for a “safe,” AIP compliant protein powder begins. Sound familiar?

Before we dive into AIP protein powder options, I want to make two points:

#1 – AIP breakfasts really need to be more nutrient dense, and the smoothies most folks make are heavy on fruit, low on fiber and not nearly as nutrient-dense as they need to be – so we need to start thinking outside the traditional “smoothies for breakfast box.” Now, I’m not saying you can’t enjoy smoothies … you just need to be smoothie savvy! There are lots of ways to make them nutrient-dense, so be sure to try searching my Facebook Group for smoothie and breakfast recipes – there are so many super simple options! Check out my veggie-dense smoothie recipes: Pumpkin Spice Protein Smoothie and Matcha Veggie Energy Smoothie

#2 – It’s VERY difficult if not impossible to find a good, AIP core elimination stage compliant protein powder in regular stores, and it’s hard to know which online options are the real deal! Sadly, the ones that do pop up from time to time typically get bad reviews and disappear quickly from the market.

And this is where collagen usually gets pulled into the conversation—because it’s often recommended as the cleanest protein powder alternative for the AIP.

Unfortunately, this is where things can also get confusing.

Is Collagen a Good Protein Powder For the AIP?

A lot of people assume that if collagen is being recommended as a protein powder, it must be a full replacement protein. It’s not. Collagen is missing some of the essential amino acids your body needs to consider it a complete protein source.

That doesn’t make it less useful—it just means it works differently in the body.

Collagen is incredibly useful, but it plays more of a supporting role in the diet rather than acting as a full protein replacement.

It’s rich in amino acids like glycine and proline, which are especially helpful for connective tissue, skin, gut lining, and joints. However, it doesn’t provide the full spectrum of essential amino acids you’d get from foods like meat, poultry, or fish.

So when you see collagen recommended as a “protein powder,” it’s usually being used as:

an easy add-in
a supportive protein boost
a way to increase overall protein intake without allergens or additives

Rather than a stand-alone complete protein or meal replacement.

What Collagen Brand Do You Recommend?

There are several great brands that I’ve personally tried and would recommend. Autoimmune Health & Nutrition carries both plain grass-fed collagen and compliant protein powders with added vegetables and tasty flavors — simple, clean options without unnecessary extras.

If you can’t find my recommendations locally, the main thing to look for is a high-quality product that clearly states it comes from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows or pigs. (If we were talking about gelatin, that would rule out Knox — just FYI, it doesn’t make the cut.)

For those who can’t tolerate beef or pork, a quality marine collagen is a great alternative. Look for wild-caught, non-GMO sources — it’s nutrient-dense and works well for most people.

Perfect Supplements carries a fantastic line up of products, including Grass-Fed and Pasture Raised Bovine Collagen and Gelatin, powdered bone broth (LOVE IT!), liver powder and capsules (these helped me through my worst nutritional crisis), coconut oil and so much more. They also carry a lot of quality supplement brands I personally trust.

Where to buy: You can shop direct here at Perfect Supplements (Save 10% with code “AIP10”)
Shopping Tip: You will save 20% when you purchase 3 or more Perfect Brand products and 25% when you purchase 6 or more Perfect Brand products – PLUS you can double dip and get an additional 10% off with my code above!

Vital Proteins is a brand recommended by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne – so much so that she even partnered with them to come up with a Collagen Veggie Blend. Unfortunately as of August 2020 this product appears to have been discontinued and Dr. Ballantyne is not longer partnering with them. Vital Proteins has a HUGE line up of products – not all are AIP compliant, but it’s a brand you can trust – just watch the labels and stick to basic products (unfortunately, even the larger canister of beef collagen now has additives that we need to avoid on the AIP – but the smaller canister at present is still clean). Their compliant offerings include Beef Collagen, Marine Collagen, Beef Gelatin, Liver Capsules and Bone Broth Powder which is very convenient and so delicious!

Where to buy: You can find many of their products on Amazon (be mindful that not all of their products are AIP compliant).

Great Lakes Gelatin Co. offers a simple line of quality products – Grass-Fed and Pasture Raised Collagen and Gelatin. They used to offer Porcine (pork) Collagen as well but that seems to have disappeared recently. A WARNING about shopping this brand – the name of the company has the word “gelatin” in it, so you’ll need to watch you choose the right product – the green package is collagen and the orange package is gelatin.
Where to buy: This brand is pretty readily available in health food stores, quality grocers, in my Amazon storefronts (USA, Canada & UK).

Be sure to check out my AIP Amazon Storefronts for more brands … occasionally I am adding more options that may be more economical

AIP Protein Powder!

I’m thrilled to announce that as of July 2022 Autoimmune Health & Nutrition has 5 AIP-compliant protein powders that actually taste great — you can find them in my AIP Storefronts on Amazon – click here to shop.

An important note here — even though these are called “protein powders,” many AIP-friendly blends are collagen-based and not complete protein sources in the same way you’d get from meat, fish, or eggs.

So think of them as tools for convenience and supplementation, rather than a replacement for whole food protein.

What About Plant Based Protein Powder?

This is another big question that I get all the time. Unfortunately, for the most part the plant based powders are not core elimination stage compliant – they typically contain soy or pea protein. If you’ve moved on to reintroductions or are starting out with modified AIP elimination, there are some good clean options out there. Watch the labels carefully and you may find some that are quite good. I’ve added a few to the reintroductions/paleo section of my Amazon storefronts – you can find those by clicking here.

What’s The Difference Between Collagen & Gelatin?

The major difference is how you consume them. In a nutshell, gelatin gels – collagen does not – so you choose your product based on how you’re trying to use it.

Check out my full post on Gelatin vs. Collagen – click here.

Take Me To The Recipes!

Looking for ways to use collagen and gelatin in your daily AIP routine? Use the search feature in my Facebook Group for recipes like smoothies, gummies, jello, marshmallows and more — you might be surprised how many ideas are already there.