What is a Keto Diet?
As with almost every diet, there are endless variations. So, to prevent any type of confusion, we’ll be focusing on the Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD). This is the most commonly used.
Following the SKD means eating mostly fat, some protein, and very few carbs. The average SKD is generally 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. Although, this ratio tends to vary slightly.
Do Keto diets cause fat gain?
Some people believe a diet rich in good fats cause weight gain. After all, fat is more calorically dense than carbs are, so it’d make sense that eating more would lead to an energy surplus.
In reality, this idea couldn’t be farther from the truth.
That’s because keto diets lower carb intake, which is your body’s main fuel source [1]. Because there isn’t enough glucose, your body will instead mobilize fat cells and burn them for energy.
This process is also known as Ketogenesis.
Many clinical studies from labs across the globe have found ketogenic diets to be effective in achieving a wide range of health benefits, including:
- Reduced risk of cancer [2, 3]
- Improved heart health [4]
- Significant weight loss [5, 6]
- Regulating blood sugar [7]
- Enhanced brain function [8]
What to eat on a Keto diet
Knowing which foods are keto-friendly is necessary for hitting and exceeding your goals. As mentioned earlier, we’ll be discussing foods based on the Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD).
Ketogenic foods should have lots of fat, some protein, and very little carbs. So, healthy foods like avocados, butter, cheese, eggs, meat, fish, olive oil, and low-carb nuts and veggies are ideal.
On the contrary, any foodstuff high in carbs will have to be eliminated. This includes processed foods, sugary drinks, sauces, beans, large fruit, alcohol, harmful fats, and pasta to name a few.
When in doubt, check the nutritional facts of your food to ensure you aren’t disrupting ketosis.
Keto Protein Powder Explained
Most people take keto-friendly protein powder to get more protein without disrupting ketosis. Most keto-friendly protein supplements (bars, shakes, powders) are made with collagen protein.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant and main protein that makes up the body [9]. It’s largely responsible for the ‘flexibility’ of connective tissue, like skin, bone, tendons, and cartilage.
The human body has 28 different types of collagen, but the three main types are [10, 11]:
- Type I – About 96% of collagen is type I and makes up skin, tendons, ligaments, and bone
- Type II – Main component for articular cartilage, vitreous body, and nucleus pulpous
- Type III – Often found with type I, it helps make up skin, vessel walls, and reticular fibers
Your body naturally makes its own collagen, however, this production decreases as we age. This is a contributive factor behind joint pain, wrinkling skin, bone issues, and weak nails.
Keto diets, while highly effective, can reduce collagen levels by lowering protein intake. As you know, starving your body of collagen is not good, which is where collagen supplements shine.
How can collagen protein supplements help?
Our ancestors consumed high amounts of collagen from animal skin, organ meats, and bone broths. Thing is, these collagen sources are almost non-existent in the average Western diet.
This is where collagen protein supplements can help. Collagen supplements help mend the post-modern nutritional gap by providing high-quality collagen in a tasty, easy to digest form.
That said, if you’re looking for non-collagenic protein to build muscle or simply improve your daily intake, we suggest taking a look at these 10 great tasting whey based protein powders.
Best 10 Ketogenic Protein Powders
#10: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
Vital Proteins collagen is an excellent supplement for your collagenic needs. Each container provides 28 servings (567 grams) per canister and is made using pure, 100% bovine hide and is paleo-friendly, kosher certified, and whole 30 approved.
It’s also free of allergens like gluten, dairy, sugar (carbs), and is bottled in a BPA-Free container. This is vital for ensuring a high degree of quality relative to other sub-par competitors.
Vital Proteins is naturally tasteless, doesn’t give off an odor, and dissolves instantly in cold or hot liquids. This is due to a lack of added enhancers, like artificial and natural ingredients.
VP Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 14 servings (280 grams) per container
- Kosher certified and keto/paleo friendly
- Pasture-raised and grass-fed bovine
- Hydrolyzed for immediate dissolution
- Free of GMOs, dairy, gluten, and hormones
- Made with 100% pure collagen protein
#9: Further Foods Collagen Peptide Powder
Made by Further Foods (FF), this collagen protein powder impresses us most with its quality standards. For starters, each of its 28 servings ( about 226 grams) are sourced from high-quality 100% grass-fed and pasture raised bovine.
In addition to its clean derivation and modest serving size, FF claims to be free of potentially harmful allergens such as lactose, GMOs, soy, gluten, nuts, and is even kosher certified.
Further Foods is also paleo and keto friendly and doesn’t contain any carbs. We found it dissolved quickly with no flavor, odor, or gelling because it only has one ingredient.
FF Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 28 servings (226 grams) per container
- Certified kosher and is paleo/keto friendly
- No antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, or sugar
- Grass-fed and pasture-raised cattle
- Unflavored (neutral) for stacked versatility
- Just one ingredient: hydrolyzed collagen
#8: BioOptimal Collagen Protein Powder
Designed with purity in mind, BioOptimal strikes the right balance between quality and price. Each BPA-Free canister contains 45 servings (454 grams) of keto-friendly type I & III collagen powder.
BioOptimal’s collagen protein is sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle and is free of hormones and antibiotics. It’s also free of soy, gluten, yeast, lactose, and GMOs to boot.
For only $25, BioOptimal’s starting to look pretty good- and we aren’t even finished. This supplement also helps further enhance mixability and digestion by hydrolyzing its powder.
BO Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 45 servings (454 grams) per canister
- 10 grams of collagen per serving
- Single source; paleo and keto friendly
- Free of hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs
- Grass-fed and pasture raised bovine
- Provides type I & III collagen peptides
#7: Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Protein 
Developed by Great Lakes Gelatin (GLG), this supplement is among the best bang for your buck. Each canister provides 38 servings, which equates to 454 grams of collagen protein powder.
For only $24 USD, that’s not bad value by any means- especially when you take its other features into consideration. For starters, GLG is lab tested to ensure proper accuracy, potency, and purity.
Additionally, each serving is hydrolyzed (to dissolve fast) and is free of GMOs, pesticides, and antibiotics. Because it only has one ingredient, it doesn’t have any discernible taste, odor, or color.
GLG Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 38 servings (454 grams) per can
- One single ingredient: collagen
- Hydrolyzed for better mixability
- Lab tested for ingredient purity
- Keto and paleo-friendly protein
- No GMOs, pesticides, or antibiotics
#6: Physician’s Choice Keto Collagen Powder 
Manufactured in the USA, Physician’s Choice (PC) collagen protein powder is a digestive beast. This is mainly because of its double hydrolyzed powder and digestive enzyme blend.
As a result, PC is markedly more bioavailable than most other collagen protein brands. Basically, this will help your body absorb and break down collagen peptides more efficiently.
Physician’s Choice has more to offer than superior digestion, though. Its powder is sourced from clean, grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine without the use of hormones or GMOs.
PC Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 30 servings (~211 grams) per canister
- Double hydrolyzed for absorption and mixability
- Added enzyme blend to improve digestion
- Provides type I and III collagen protein
- Non-GMO, grass-fed, pasture raised cattle
- Third party lab tested to ensure quality
#5: Zammex Collagen Protein Powder
Zammex is a household name of sorts when it comes to keto supplements. Made in the USA, this single source collagen protein powder provides effective doses at reasonable costs.
More specifically, each serving of powder is hydrolyzed for better absorption and faster assimilation in hot and cold liquid. It’s also enzymatically processed to preserve quality.
Furthermore, Zammex collagen is sourced from pasture-raised, grass-fed cattle. The collagen peptides are type I & III and are third-party lab certified free of Gluten and GMOs.
Zammex Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 60 servings (600 grams!) per can
- Free of GMOs, rBGH, and Gluten
- Third party lab tested for purity
- Full ingredient label transparency
- Grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine
- Taste-neutral and odorless powder
- Awesome price-performance value
#4: Zint Collagen Peptide Powder
Zint collagen protein is a fantastic option for anyone wanting a premium protein powder without the premium price tag. Each 24 serving bag is free of hormones, antibiotics, gluten, and GMOs. It’s also certified paleo, keto, and kosher friendly.
In addition, Zint’s collagen protein is hydrolyzed (to improve absorption) and derived from prime grass-fed and pasture-raised cattle. This helps improve the quality of the powder.
And finally, because it’s hydrolyzed, it dissolves fast and has virtually no discernible taste. This is because there are no added enhancers, such as artificial ingredients and flavors.
Zint Collagen Protein Highlights:
- Starts at 24 servings (283 grams) per bag
- Keto and Paleo-friendly formula
- Certified grass-fed, kosher, and non-GMO
- Only one ingredient: hydrolyzed collagen
- Free of gluten, hormones, and antibiotics
- Fantastic overall quality for its price
#3: Perfect Keto Collagen Protein
Perfect Keto (PK) rises above the competition with its unique approach to keto protein supplementation. In addition to its 11 grams of high-quality grass-fed collagen protein, each container also includes 5 grams of healthy MCT oil powder.
MCTs (Medium chain triglycerides) help support ketosis by increasing plasma ketone levels, which has been shown to help improve weight loss and provide sustained energy [12].
What’s more, Perfect Keto is hydrolyzed for immediate dissolution and better absorption. It’s also available in four delectable flavors and doesn’t use any artificial ingredients.
PK Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 20 servings (340 grams) per canister
- 2:1 ratio of collagen to MCT Oil powder
- 5 grams of MCTs to raise blood ketones
- Naturally rich, delicious, clean taste profile
- Zero artificial dyes, flavors, or additives
- 100% Grass-fed collagen from USA cattle
#2: Sports Research Collagen Protein Powder
Sports Research (SR) is a collagen peptide protein powder frontrunner. Each canister of SR contains 41 servings (11 grams per) of single source type I and III bovine collagen.
Moreover, SR is third-party certified keto, paleo, and Non-GMO. It’s also offered in three delicious flavors formulated without the use of artificial ingredients or enhancers.
When it comes to taste and mixability, we found it performs quite well. This is because the powder is hydrolyzed to dissolve faster and is naturally flavorless, which is great.
SR Collagen Protein Highlights:
- 41 servings (451 grams) per container
- Lab certified Keto and Paleo Friendly
- Free of soy, gluten, dairy, and GMOs
- Grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle
- Several different flavors to choose from
- Premium collagen at a great price point
#1: TeamKeto Collagen Peptide Protein Powder 
We’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of TeamKeto (TK) by now. TK is at the industry forefront when it comes to keto supplements for value, purity, and unwavering performance.
Designed to last a month, each tub contains 30 servings (412 total grams) of type I & III bovine collagen. It’s also free of junky ingredients and is both keto and paleo friendly.
You’ll also note that it’s derived from high-quality sources, like grass-fed and pasture-raised cattle. Moreover, there’s only 1.5 grams of carbs and less than 1 gram of sugar.
TK Collagen Peptide Highlights:
- Includes 30 full servings per tub
- 11 grams of types 1 and 3 collagen
- Complete ingredient transparency
- No artificial flavors, dyes, or additives
- Hydrolyzed, grass fed, paleo friendly
- Flavorless and dissolves quickly
- Excellent overall quality and value
Learn More About TeamKeto Collagen Protein
The Bottom Line on Keto Protein Powders
Collagen is a critical nutrient for maintaining health and appearances. Unfortunately, collagen production lowers with age, so we have to get it from our diet at steadily increasing levels.
Problem is, modern Western diets provide considerably less collagen than it did just a century ago. Consequently, the body’s health tends to suffer and show signs of aging much faster.
So, to effectively slow this process down and in many cases reverse the damage, we simply have to give the body what it needs (nutrients) to work properly.
This is why collagen supplements are so useful. They help effectively replenish lost nutritional reserves (of collagen) to noticeably improve your energy, health and general appearances.
Tried one of these supplements before? Let us know in the comments below!
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