Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. Protein helps facilitate muscle protein synthesis, the reason you get stronger after resistance training[1]. There are a wide variety of reasons why someone would want to opt for vegan protein powder. Of course, the main reason is following a vegan diet. Many vegan protein options don’t contain all of the amino acids, which is why it may be beneficial to supplement with protein powder. Some other benefits of plant-based protein is that it is known to cause less acne breakouts than whey protein and it’s more suitable for people with lactose intolerance.
Out of all of the protein powders brands on the market, picking just one can be difficult. No matter the brand you decide to go with, there are a few things to consider. The reason why whey protein is generally seen as superior is that it contains all of the amino acids and it’s more bioavailable (easier to digest). Therefore, some things to look for in vegan protein powders are that it contains a blend that adds up to all of the amino acids especially leucine, and is digestible. It’s important to choose a brand that tastes good to you and meets your fitness goals, as consistency is number one predictor of success. This list breaks down the top 6 plant-based, vegan protein powders to help you find the best match for you.
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- Orgain Organic Protein: Plant Based Protein Powder- Best Organic
- Trunut Peanut Protein Powder- Best Bulking and Simple
- Wellious Almond- Best Clean and Simple
- UpNourish Vegan Protein Powder- Best All In One
- OWYN Only What You Need Doubleshot Protein Shake- Best Caffeinated
- Healblend- Best Inexpensive
Orgain Organic Protein Protein Powder- Best Organic
Orgain’s organic plant-based protein powder is vegan like most other plant-based protein powders on the market. What makes it stand out for a lot of people is its organic, complete, flavorful, and includes probiotics to help with digestion. Their labeling is relatively transparent and detailed. Their product contains all essential amino acids, making it just as complete of a protein as dairy-based protein products. Their first two ingredients are pea and brown rice protein, which combined will provide the same benefits as an animal-based whey. Due to the denser ingredients, it may a thicker and more grainy texture than some protein powders. The main thing that sets Orgain apart is that its protein powders are generally sweeter and tastier.
Trunut Peanut Protein Powder- Best Bulking and Best Simple
This peanut butter protein powder is a great alternative to peanut butter for people who are bulking. Its consistency is not as suitable for typical protein shakes with just milk through. It can be made into a peanut butter to top waffles, or implemented into a high calorie smoothie. The serving size for this protein as advertised is a bit excessive at 100 grams, which is about 6 tablespoons of peanut butter. A moderate serving size would be about 2 tablespoons, which is roughly 143 calories and 20 grams of protein. However, it is easier to eat more peanut butter than it is to drink 3 protein shakes. It has very simple ingredients- only roasted peanuts and pea protein isolate.
Wellious Almond Protein Powder- Best Simple and Clean
Wellious protein powder uses almond powder, which does not have a complete amino acid profile. Although it does technically contain all amino acids, they’re not sufficient enough to be considered complete. It does however contain all of the branch chain amino acids, which are the most involved in facilitating muscle growth, such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine. If you are eating a wide variety of high protein vegan foods, this could be a valuable supplement. This is one of the cleanest vegan powders. It is very simple, with only almond protein, chickpea protein, cocoa or vanilla bean, and monk fruit. They provide a discount for a 2-pack, which is cheaper than buying them individually.
UpNourish Vegan Protein Powder- Best All In One
UpNourish vegan protein powder is similar to using a protein powder, eating superfood, and taking multivitamins all in one, as it claims to include 54 nutrients. It contains 150 calories and 21 grams of protein per serving similar to other protein shakes. By looking at the nutrition label, it also includes 50% or more of the recommended daily intake of over 20 vitamins and minerals. It has enough nutrients to be used as a meal replacement, so it would be especially beneficial to use to supplement an existing meal to gain muscle. It has surprisingly good flavor for the benefits, and is owned by a small business.
OWYN Doubleshot Protein Shake- Best Caffeinated
Unfortunately, vegan caffeinated coffee protein powder options are limited. We decided to include a premade shake in this post because we felt it was the best option in terms of both supplementation and caffeine, with a complete protein profile and 180mg of caffeine. There are other options like Happy Viking protein powder with interesting ingredients and superfoods such as lions mane, but it only has 90 grams of caffeine per serving. OWYN (only what you need) protein shakes are prepackaged, has more classic coffee flavors, and double the caffeine.
Healblend Protein Powder- Best Inexpensive
Healblend protein powder contains a lot of vitamins and minerals that aren’t present in typical protein powders. It is just under $17 for a 1 pound container, which is relatively inexpensive for a plant-based protein powder. Some disadvantages of this brand include its chalkiness and potential lack of transparency in labeling. However, the advantages include the price and that it is produced by a small business.
Review
Regardless of the protein powder you choose, you’ll want to make sure a vegan protein powder is complete to be effective. If its not a complete protein, such as pea protein on its own which doesnt have a sufficient amount of all the amino acids, you should be getting the rest from high-protein food sources. The 6 best protein powders are Orgain organic protein: plant based protein powder, Trunut peanut protein powder, Wellious almond protein powder, Upnourish vegan protein powder, OWYN doubleshot protein shake, and Healblend protein powder. They’re rated based on best organic, bulking, all-in-one, caffeinated, inexpensive, and clean and simple.
Reference
Church, D. D., Hirsch, K. R., Park, S., Kim, I. Y., Gwin, J. A., Pasiakos, S. M., Wolfe, R. R., & Ferrando, A. A. (2020). Essential Amino Acids and Protein Synthesis: Insights into Maximizing the Muscle and Whole-Body Response to Feeding. Nutrients, 12(12), 3717. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123717
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