Diet whey · head-to-head
PhD Diet Whey vs MaxiNutrition Promax Lean.
Two UK diet wheys tested across six weighted dimensions, value, density, macro cleanliness, ingredients, mixability and buyer sentiment. The data picks one for most lifters, the other for a specific buyer.
What a scoop actually contains
Protein is 68% of the scoop
- Protein
- 17.0 g
- (68%)
- Carbs
- 3.0 g
- (12%)
- Fat
- 1.3 g
- (5%)
- Other
- 3.8 g
- (15%)
Protein is 81% of the scoop
- Protein
- 28.4 g
- (81%)
- Carbs
- 1.1 g
- (3%)
- Fat
- 0.6 g
- (2%)
- Other
- 5.0 g
- (14%)
WheyWise verdict
PhD Nutrition Diet Whey Protein Powder wins for most buyers.
Runner-upPrefer MaxiNutrition Promax Lean Protein Powder? It is the second pick here, not a bad one - and Amazon stocks it.
- 68g protein per 100g with CLA, green tea and L-carnitine
- Roughly 30 to 40% cheaper per 25g protein than Promax Lean
- 8,000+ Amazon UK reviews at 4.4 stars, stocked in Tesco, Asda and Boots
How the numbers stack up against the price
PhD Nutrition PhD Diet Whey Protein Powder and MaxiNutrition Promax Lean Protein Powder are the two best-known purpose-built diet whey proteins on UK shelves, and the comparison matters because both are engineered for the same job: hitting a protein target inside a calorie deficit. PhD Nutrition PhD Diet Whey Protein Powder is the supermarket and Amazon mainstay, delivering 68g of protein per 100g from a whey blend with added CLA, green tea extract, and L-carnitine for fat metabolism support, at roughly 95 calories per 25g protein serving. MaxiNutrition Promax Lean Protein Powder fires back with a whey isolate plus calcium caseinate blend at around 72g of protein per 100g, layering in B-vitamins, green tea extract, caffeine, and L-carnitine as an all-in-one formula priced at the premium end of the diet category.
Cost per 25g protein
Lower is better
Protein per scoop
Higher is better
Carbs per scoop
Lower is better
Fat per scoop
Lower is better
Protein density
Higher is better
WheyWise score
Out of 5
Promax Lean is the better formulation. PhD Diet Whey is the better buy. Which of those two sentences matters more is the whole decision.
PhD Nutrition PhD Diet Whey Protein Powder takes the edge for most UK buyers. The 1kg tub regularly drops to around £15 to £18 on Amazon UK and at Holland and Barrett, putting it 30 to 40% cheaper per 25g of protein than MaxiNutrition Promax Lean Protein Powder, which sits closer to £30 for the same size. Both products are honest about being diet wheys, both deliver low-calorie servings under 100 kcal, and the protein density gap (4g per 100g) is too small to matter when total daily intake is what drives fat loss. MaxiNutrition Promax Lean Protein Powder wins on a cleaner macro profile thanks to the isolate base, the added caffeine, and Informed Sport testing, which matter if you train fasted or compete in a tested federation. For everyone else, the price gap is the deciding factor: PhD Nutrition PhD Diet Whey Protein Powder is the better value pick for a 12 to 16 week summer cut.
Where each one wins
Takes cost per 25g protein.
- Best value
- Roughly 30 to 40% cheaper per 25 g of protein. Stocked across UK supermarkets so deals appear often, and the 1 kg tub regularly drops below £18.
- Big-volume bulking
- Cheap enough to drink twice a day without flinching at the cost-per-month. The flaxseed and CLA add fibre without inflating the calorie count.
- Best-tasting shake
- Reviewer consensus on Belgian Chocolate and Salted Caramel lands closer to a milkshake than a chalky cut shake.
Takes protein per scoop, carbs per scoop, fat per scoop, protein density and the WheyWise score.
- Cutting / fasted training
- Whey isolate plus caffeine and green tea extract hits a fasted session harder. Informed Sport tested for anyone competing in a tested federation.
- All-in-one (skip the multivit)
- Built-in B-complex, biotin and folate save a separate supplement run. Useful if you want one tub doing two jobs.
- Sensitive stomach
- Whey isolate is lower in lactose than PhD's concentrate base, which is heavier on the gut for lactose-sensitive lifters.
Neither of these quite right?
Answer five questions about your goal, budget and diet, and the Protein Finder ranks the whole range against them, with the reason each pick won.

