Just Ingredients and Clean Simple Eats are two really popular supplement and lifestyle brands that are often compared and contrasted. I have personally used both brands for years now, and I often get questions about which one I prefer/use more. 

In this article, I am going to break down the similarities and differences between these two brands, specifically focusing on protein powder - I’ll talk about my experience with both, and give my personal insights and recommendations. 

If you’ve seen both of these popular brands floating around and have wondered which one is better, I’m hopeful that this article will make choosing between them a little easier.

Comparing the Two Brands

I’m not at all surprised that Clean Simple Eats and Just Ingredients are often compared - they have a lot in common. Both brands were founded in Utah by women and both promise clean, natural ingredients and products. 

Just Ingredients was founded by  Karalynne Call, a mom of 6, who began a health journey 15 years ago as a way to battle suicidal depression. Karalynne quickly became passionate about finding safe, natural products to care for herself and her family. If you follow Just Ingredients on Instagram, you will find a wealth of information on how to choose products that contain better ingredients.

When I first started using Just Ingredients products a few years ago, all they had was protein powder and maybe a couple of other supplements. Today, they have expanded their product lineup to include everything from nutritional supplements to beauty products - I can’t believe how many products they’ve added over the last few years!

Clean Simple Eats has a similar mission, but they take a bit of a different approach to their products than just Ingredients. Clean Simple Eats was founded by husband/wife duo, JJ and Erika Peterson, both of whom were into fitness and nutrition and wanted to create high-quality, clean products to fuel their journeys. 

Clean Simple Eats has expanded a lot in the last few years as well, but they have kept their product lineup mostly in the sports nutrition category, expanding with new and innovative products. 

The Mixing Match

My Experience With Just Ingredients

I would definitely consider Just Ingredients to be a “crunchy” brand meaning they focus on natural, holistic, and wellness-focused products and content. Just Ingredients prioritizes non-toxic, organic, and minimally processed ingredients. Furthermore, you’ll find a ton of information and resources on their Instagram page where Karalynne is constantly helping families find better-for-them options and swaps for common products that contain icky ingredients.

My first experience with Just Ingredients was back in 2021 when I ordered a bag of their protein powder. Just Ingredients uses 100% grass-fed whey protein alongside a small handful of other clean and natural ingredients. 

The main selling points of Just Ingredients protein powder include:

• Four different protein sources
• 100% grass-fed non-denatured New Zealand whey
• No hidden ingredients
• Natural flavors
• Casein-free for easier digestion
• 3rd party tested

From a nutrition/macro perspective, each scoop of Just Ingredients protein powder has 22g of protein and 140 calories. The macros on this protein powder are great and very comparable to similar products.

At this point, I have tried multiple different protein powder flavors from Just Ingredients and I have enjoyed them all. These protein powders offer a really nice flavor and texture, despite not having any of the fillers and additives that sometimes can make for a better experience. 

There are a bunch of different flavors to choose from, including the basics (chocolate, vanilla, and plain). I tend to gravitate towards the basic flavors as I find them to be most versatile with baking and making recipes (which I do often).

One thing that I love about Just Ingredients is that they allow you to build your own protein sample packs so you can try a bunch of different flavors to see what you like before committing to a full-sized bag.

My favorite Just Ingredients protein power flavors include:

• Chocolate
• Vanilla Bean
• Creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Coconut

My Experience With Clean Simple Eats

I have a bit more experience with Clean Simple Eats than I do with Just Ingredients as I’ve been a brand ambassador for them over the past couple of years which has afforded me the opportunity to test all of their new product launches (which is always very cool!).

My origin story with Clean Simple Eats is similar to mine with Just Ingredients, I was on the hunt for a good protein powder and had heard a lot of good things in the macro world about them. I took the same approach with Clean Simple Eats that I did with Just Ingredients, I opted to get a sample pack of their protein powders to see which flavors I liked before purchasing a full-sized bag.

I immediately liked Clean Simple Eats protein powder - the flavors are really rich without being overpowering. They have a ton of flavors to choose from, but again, I find myself gravitating toward the simple, versatile ones (Simply Vanilla, Chocolate Brownie). My favorite CSE protein powder flavors include: 

• Simply Vanilla
• Chocolate Brownie
• Cookies and Cream
• S’Mores

From an ingredients perspective, it’s pretty “clean,” (as the name suggests) - there are no artificial ingredients or sweeteners. It’s made from 100% grass-fed whey protein, contains 20g of protein per scoop (at around 100 calories per scoop), and contains digestive enzymes. Additionally, CSE protein is 99% casein-free to help make it easier to digest. If you remember, Just Ingredients is 100% casein-free, so if that’s a sticking point for you, it’s worth noting.

One thing that I want to mention is that Clean Simple Eats protein powders contain a small amount of xylitol as part of their natural sweetener blend. This ingredient is not at all harmful for humans, but it can be deadly for dogs if ingested. I don’t feed my dog protein powder or allow him near it, however, I do think it’s important to know if you have a dog at home. 

Ok, So Which Protein Powder Do I Prefer?

This is honestly a tough question to answer because I truly love them both and find them both to be excellent products. From a price perspective, they are identical ($59.99/bag), so I can’t really make an argument for one or the other there. 

Ingredients-wise, I think Just Ingredients has a slight edge for those who value a truly clean protein powder. I don’t personally experience any digestive problems from either protein powder, Just Ingredients is 100% casein-free and Clean Simple Eats is 99% casein-free with added digestive enzymes. 

I think the decision really comes down to flavor preference and macros. Just Ingredients has a slightly higher protein content (22g), but also slightly higher calories per scoop (140). Clean Simple Eats’ protein powder is slightly lower in protein (20g) and lower in calories (100) - this makes Clean Simple Eats the more “macro-friendly” protein powder because you get a little bang for your buck.

If I had to chooe between the two, I would go with Clean Simple Eats simply because I like macros and I prefer their flavors (I find them to be a bit richer and fuller). 

Final Thoughts

Wrapping this up, I truly enjoy both protein powder brands and will continue to use both. I highly recommend grabbing a sample pack of both Clean Simple Eats and Just Ingredients to taste test them for yourself (and see how you feel using them). Another thing to consider is the other products that each brand has available. You might find that one brand has more items you’d like to purchase than the other in addition to the protein powder, which could definitely sway your decision.

Let me know what you choose! I’d love to hear your feedback.