As we’ve discussed before, there are plenty of whey protein powders available to you – and many have similar talking points. But you may have also noticed that Naked Nutrition is committed to bringing you the absolute best.
In our quest to do so, we routinely compare ourselves to similar brands, just to make sure we’re doing a good job. This week, we’re going to take a look at Tera’s whey protein line and see how Naked Nutrition stacks up.
A Little about Tera’s
Tera’s offers several different nutritional products, all with an emphasis on organic, GMO-free products (which is nice). Things do get a little complicated when looking specifically at Tera’s whey offerings, though.
They have several lines that appear to use slightly different types of whey, although they are all organic, pasture-fed and minimally processed. All of Tera's whey proteins are complete proteins, meaning that they provide all 9 essential amino acids that the body cannot create on its own.
They are all also growth hormone-free, non-GMO, certified gluten-free, soy-free, kosher, cold-pressed, and sourced from ethically-treated grass-fed pasture-raised cows.
Tera’s whey comes in several flavors, in addition to their unflavored options, using organic means to achieve the desired results. These flavored powders use stevia extract as a sweetener rather than artificial products or plain old sugar. Available flavors include bourbon vanilla and dark chocolate.
It seems that, overall, Tera’s whey products are free of any preservatives, dyes and the like, although sunflower lecithin does make an appearance as an emulsifier.
Just to Review…
Now that we have a handle on Tera’s and a little about how they market their whey, let’s just go back over a few things about Naked Nutrition.
All of our products are made from hormone-free, GMO-free, grass-fed animals, and they are minimally processed once we get our hands on them. In an effort to keep our whey as natural as possible, no flavorings of any kind are added. There are also no sweeteners or emulsifiers.
When we say “whey,” that’s what you’re getting. So, in several ways, Tera’s is very much like Naked Nutrition. However, we should spend some time looking at some of those differences to understand why Naked Nutrition has made the decisions we have regarding our products.
The Differences
The main difference you may have noticed is the inclusion of sunflower lecithin and stevia in Tera’s whey – both of which are absent from Naked’s catalog. Why?
Sunflower lecithin is an emulsifier, meaning that it’s used to thicken a product. Typically, this is only necessary if the source whey does not contain enough healthy fat to maintain its naturally appealing texture. While sunflower lecithin is certainly less troublesome than its more common soy-based cousin, it’s simply not necessary in Naked Whey.
Then, we have stevia. Often celebrated as a healthy alternative to sugar, the truth is that stevia has a bit of a storied past. Some studies have connected the calorie-free, natural sweetener to an increased risk of cancer, while others have concluded that stevia may actually help protect against certain types of cancer or assist in fighting them.
Additionally, stevia is part of the ragweed family of plants – and if you suffer from seasonal allergies, stevia may exacerbate those symptoms. Stevia and other non-nutritive sweeteners have also been linked to decreased levels of “good” bacteria in the intestines.
Since stevia is relatively new on the market compared to other sweeteners, many experts worry about its long-term effects – which have never been appropriately studied.
How Do They Compare Nutritionally?
A serving (28 g) of Tera’s unflavored organic whey protein rings in at 110 calories, 1.5 g fat, 3 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugar, and 22 g protein.
Our Naked Grass-Fed Whey Protein is a worthy opponent at 120 calories, 2 g fat, 3 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugar, and 25 g protein. Both are relatively similar nutritionally, but if you’re looking for more protein per calorie, Naked’s (0.21 g per calorie) beats out Tera’s (0.20 g per calorie) by a slim margin.
If you’re looking to use whey protein as a means for weight loss or weight management, this small detail can certainly make a difference over time.
Other Considerations
As mentioned, it’s a little challenging to compare Tera’s whey line with Naked’s because there are just so many varieties. The closest product we could find that compares to Naked’s whey is the Organic Plain Whey Protein – not to be confused with the Simply Pure Whey or Plant-Based Proteins.
Overall, there is little nutritional difference between Tera’s whey and our own – apart from those noted above.
It is worth noting, however, the large difference in price. Previously, you were unable to purchase Tera’s whey directly from their website, and you had to go through third party stores with varied prices.
Tera’s has recently started selling their products through their website, which certainly makes things more convenient. However, their prices are relatively steep, at $33.99 for a 12-ounce tub.
If we do some math and make this comparable to our 5-pound (80-ounce) tub, we see that it would cost you $180 to purchase the same amount of Tera’s whey versus $89.99.
The Choice is Yours
Of course, while we hope that you’ll ultimately choose Naked Nutrition’s Grass-Fed Whey Protein over the competition, in the end, it’s your choice to decide how and where to spend your hard-earned money.
If you have no issue with additives such as stevia and sunflower lecithin, Tera’s may be appropriate for you. However, if you’re the type of person that does not want unnecessary additives and wants to know exactly what’s in their food and supplements, you’ll be able to relax knowing that our Naked protein powders are just that – naked protein.
What you see on the label is truly what you get.