Protein powder’s gone from “bodybuilder’s only” to a staple in many Americans’ pantries. You can even find it taking up a whole row in the average grocery store.

Nowadays it seems like everyone and their grandmother is using it, but is that wise? Is protein powder good for your health? And if so, how should it even be used? Is there a certain kind that’s best, a perfect time of day, an ideal amount?

Not gonna lie, protein powder confused me for the longest time. I actually avoided jumping on the bandwagon for a while simply because it can be so expensive. Now I have a protein powder that I LOVE (I’ll get to that) and use pretty frequently. I will say, it took me a long time to find one I trusted.