10 Best Vegan Protein Powders
What is Vegan Protein Powder?
A Vegan Protein Powder brand simply means that the protein is derived from plants rather than animals (like dairy, meat, and eggs). Vegan protein powders include soy, hemp, pea, pumpkin seed, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and peanut.
Some argue that plant-based protein sources aren't complete proteins, meaning they don't have all nine essential amino acids required by humans to perform bodily functions like muscle growth and repair. But this is simply not the case! Many vegan protein sources, such as quinoa, soy, and some plant-based protein powder blends, have all nine essential amino acids.
If you want to improve your workouts, lose weight, or build muscle, a vegan protein powder can help you stay energized and full while also assisting with recovery. The average plant-based protein powder has about 20 grams of protein per two-scoop serving, whereas whey protein powders contain 24 grams of protein per serving. Although whey or casein-based protein powders have more protein, vegan protein powders also contain fiber and other important nutrients.
Below are our picks for the 10 Best Vegan Protein Powders available on the market today!
10 Best Vegan Protein Powders
Transparent Labs
Organic Vegan Rice & Pea
This protein is not only completely vegan and free of artificial flavors and sweeteners, but it is also USDA Organic Certified.
ProteinSeries Organic Vegan has a rice to pea protein ratio of 2:1. This results in a smooth, reduced-grit texture that is not only delicious but also gentle on the digestive system. Organic Vegan not only has a high protein content (24 grams per serving), but it also has a whopping 4 grams of fiber per serving (perhaps one of the most understated components of a plant-based protein).
Vegan protein is not only for vegans, but it is also a good source of protein and fiber for anyone looking to improve their overall health.
Naked Nutrition
Pea Protein Powder
Naked Pea is made entirely from yellow split peas grown in the United States and Canada to ensure the highest quality and to promote environmentally friendly farming practices. Switching to plant-based products like pea protein can help you reduce your carbon footprint significantly.
Superior Amino Acid Profile: Naked Pea is mechanically extracted from yellow split peas without the use of chemicals. As a result, the amino acid profile is superior, which is beneficial for muscle growth and post-workout recovery. To make the perfect complete vegan protein shake, combine with Naked Rice, which is higher in the amino acid methionine.
Promote Muscle Gain: Pea protein is easily digestible and has a superior amino acid profile, making it an excellent alternative to whey protein for those looking to gain muscle on a plant-based diet. Pea protein appears to be as effective as whey protein in increasing muscle thickness.
Lose Weight: Pea protein, like whey protein, can help with muscle maintenance and satiety. Naked Pea can help you achieve your body composition goals by helping you stay full for longer periods of time.
BulkSupplements.com
Pea Protein Isolate
Protein Source - Pea Protein Isolate, one of the protein powders, is a great source of protein for people looking to increase their protein intake. This unflavored vegan protein powder supplement is high in essential amino acids, branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), and important nutrients. It's a plant-based protein powder that has no taste and is easy to digest, making it a good choice for people who are allergic to dairy or eggs.
Increases Muscle Mass - Pea Protein Isolate, a vegan protein powder, is a complete protein source, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids your body requires to build muscle and energy. Making Pea Protein Powder, also known as plant protein powder, an excellent addition to any workout routine for athletes and anyone who lives an active and healthy lifestyle!
Muscle Recovery and Endurance - Pea Protein Isolate, a plant-based protein powder, is an easily digestible source of protein that aids in the recovery of your muscles following a workout. This unflavored protein powder, which is also a non-dairy protein powder, aids in muscle repair and rebuilding after a strenuous workout, allowing you to return to the gym feeling refreshed and energized.
Vegan-Friendly and Pure - Pea Protein Isolate, a vegan protein powder supplement, is derived from peas and is a vegetarian source of protein. This Pea Protein Powder, also known as a plant protein powder or vegetable protein powder, is a high-quality protein source that contains all of the essential amino acids. It's also gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free, making it ideal for anyone with dietary restrictions.
HUGE SUPPLEMENTS
100% VEGAN PROTEIN
Introduced by HugeSupplements, Vegan Protein is 100% plant-based and non-GMO. This vegan protein powder has an amino acid profile that is more complete than that of other vegan proteins.
It is composed of Peas, Brown Rice, Fava beans, and Mung beans, making it entirely vegan and plant-based. This protein powder is also dairy-free, gluten-free, and Non-GMO, which is an added bonus.
Making a vegan protein powder that tastes good is very difficult. Fortunately, we have developed the best-tasting plant-based protein powder available on the market. It is available in a variety of delectable flavors that all mix well.
ONNIT Supplements
Plant-Based Protein
Onnit's Plant-Based Protein is distinctive. It contains aminos derived from pea, pumpkin, sunflower, and watermelon seed protein, providing the full spectrum of EAAs that plant-based dieters require but cannot get from traditional plant-protein supplements.
You don't have to sacrifice results if you're a vegetarian, vegan, or simply want to reduce your consumption of animal products.
Benefits:
Aids in body recomposition
Animal-friendly
Assist in reaching optimal protein intake
Promotes recovery
Supports muscle gain
Sustainable and Earth-Friendly
KOS
Organic Plant Protein
Amazing Flavor: Our award-winning protein blend is infused with organic vanilla, Himalayan salt, organic coconut milk, a dash of stevia, and monk fruit. 2 scoops in cold water makes a tasty shake, or mix into smoothies and snacks.
Weight Loss: Excellent protein powder for weight loss. Plant protein's soluble fiber keeps you feeling "full" for a longer period of time. You eat fewer calories, but not at the expense of quality. Even so, each serving contains 20g of protein.
Complete Protein: Our USDA Organic vegan protein powder contains five proteins (Pea, Flax Seed, Quinoa, Pumpkin Seed, and Chia Seed) as well as essential vitamins and minerals. Better for your body and the environment than whey protein powder.
Digestion Support: DigeSEB, a proprietary digestive enzyme blend, has been added to provide powerful digestion support. DigeSEB aids digestion and assists the body in maximizing absorption by embracing and capitalizing on nutrients ingested.
Responsibly Sourced: Every ingredient is certified organic and free of gluten, dairy, soy, hormones, artificial sweeteners, colors, and GMOs. USDA and CCOF certified ingredients are used.
Orgain
Organic Plant Protein
21 g organic plant-based protein (pea, brown rice, chia seeds), 5 g organic dietary fiber, 5 g net carbs, 0 g sugar, 150 calories per serving
USDA certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, lactose-free, low net carbs, no added sugar, soy-free, kosher, non-GMO, carrageenan-free, and no artificial ingredients
For a quick breakfast or snack drink, combine with water, milk, or your favorite protein shake recipe. When baking, use grams to add protein and energy to your cakes, muffins, brownies, or cookies.
Ideal for men, women, and children seeking healthy, on-the-go nutrition. These are excellent for meal replacement, smoothie boosters, lean muscle mass building, muscle recovery, and pre or post workouts.
Naked Nutrition
Brown Rice Protein Powder
Naked Rice is extracted without hexane to produce a protein with a superior amino acid profile that is beneficial for muscle growth and post-workout recovery. Combine with Naked Pea, which contains more of the amino acid threonine, to make the ultimate vegan protein shake.
Promote Muscle Gain: When combined with the right exercise plan, rice protein has been shown to help with muscle gain. Combine Naked Rice and Naked Pea for protein shakes with a complete amino acid profile, similar to whey.
Lose Weight: Brown rice protein, like whey protein, can help with muscle maintenance and satiety. Naked Rice can help you achieve your body composition goals by keeping you fuller for longer.
Increase Protein Intake: Adequate protein intake is essential for boosting metabolism, fat burning, and overall health. Naked Rice has 25 grams of protein and only 120 calories per serving. Brown rice protein is an excellent way to increase protein intake on a plant-based diet.
Garden of Life
Raw Organic Protein
With creamy and delicious Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein powder, you can unlock the nutritive power of living grains and seeds.
Protein-rich: 22 g of complete, sugar-free plant protein derived from peas grown in the United States and 13 g of raw organic sprouts
Recovery after a workout: With a clean nutritional shake, you can help your muscles recover faster and get back into the gym sooner.
Minerals and vitamins: This delectable vanilla protein powder contains fat-soluble amino acids. Vitamins A, D, E, and K were produced by raw food.
Probiotic protein powder: Smooth protein shake with 3 billion CFU probiotics and enzymes for easy digestion, 110 calories.
Protein powder that is vegan: Whole food protein that is organic, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, and non-GMO.
Purely Inspired
Organic Protein
Purely Inspired Organic Plant Protein is a convenient way to supplement your active day with extra nutrition. This delicious protein is USDA Organic certified and non-GMO, and is made with only natural ingredients. A single serving has 22g of plant-based protein, 5g of fiber, and only 2g of sugar. It's an excellent way to combine plant-based protein (organic pea and brown rice) and a probiotic with a delicious fruit and vegetable blend. In a glass or shaker bottle, combine with water, smoothies, almond milk, oat milk, or your favorite nondairy drink. Protein powder can also be mixed into oatmeal, snack bars, pancakes, and waffles, among other things.
Organic Plant Protein Purely Inspired:
FUEL YOUR LIFE WITHOUT THE EXTRA JUNK - This product contains 22 grams of plant-based organic protein powder, including organic pea protein and organic brown rice protein.
CONVENIENT, SUPERIOR NUTRITION - This protein is clean and healthy, with 5 grams of fiber and only 2 grams of sugar.
PROTEIN FOR VEGANS, USDA ORGANIC CERTIFIED, NON GMO, GLUTEN-FREE - It's organic protein you can feel good about NATURALLY FLAVORED AND SWEETENED - No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners added - 2 scoops mixed with 8 ounces water or nondairy beverage
OUTSTANDING TASTE AND TEXTURE - Easy to blend for a silky smooth texture. Chocolate or vanilla flavors are available for a naturally sweetened, delicious shake.
What Are the Benefits of Vegan Protein Powders?
1. Plant Protein Powders Help You Stay Fuller For Longer
The majority of plant-based protein powders are high in fiber. One of the most important advantages of fiber is that it has the natural ability to keep you fuller for longer periods of time. Plant-based proteins contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which contributes to a healthy, functioning digestive system.
Because of their satisfying nature, many vegan protein powders can be used as a meal replacement. This is fantastic news for people who want to lose a little weight without succumbing to cravings caused by low blood sugar levels.
2. Our Body Can Easily Absorb Plant-Based Protein Powders
When compared to whey protein powders, plant protein powder is much easier to break down, process, and absorb by the body. This is especially true when it comes to sprouted plant protein.
Vegan protein powders that have been sprouted are more bioavailable. This means that your body can break it down and use it more effectively for cell growth and muscle tissue repair. This is fantastic news if you have food intolerances, bloating, IBS, or slow metabolism.
3. Plant Protein Powders Maintains Gut Health and Regulation
Vegan protein powders are excellent for regulating your body from within. When compared to whey products, plant-based powders have a distinct gut profile that contains fewer disease-causing organisms and irritants for the gut.
This aids in the prevention of gut inflammation while also promoting the growth of a healthy gut microbiome. Poor gut health can cause a variety of health issues, including hormonal imbalances, fatigue, anxiety, and even depression.
4. Plant Protein Powders Can Help You Lose Weight
Another advantage of plant-based protein powder is how it affects your metabolism. Plant protein requires more time to digest than carbohydrates, fats, and other animal products. Protein is essential for not only starting but also stabilizing your metabolism, whether you're trying to maintain or lose weight.
Plant-based protein powders take longer to digest due to their high fiber content. The more you work on metabolizing plant protein, the better your body will become at metabolizing food and burning fat.
5. Most Protein Powders Are High in Iron
Red meat will always be a good source of iron, but pea protein powder is just as, if not more, effective. One serving of pea protein powder contains 35% of your daily iron requirement. In comparison, the same amount of animal protein contains 0% of your daily iron requirement.
This means you'll need to eat more red meat to get the same amount of iron. In addition, when you consume pea protein powder, you get added protein as well as iron. Pea protein, like any other whey or animal-based protein powder, can be easily incorporated into your diet as a protein powder.
6. Plant Protein Powder Provides More Calorie Control
Plant-based protein powder helps to keep you fuller for longer, which regulates your metabolism and curbs cravings. It's also a great way to control the number of calories you consume in a day if you want to track your macronutrients for weight loss, muscle building, or athletic performance.
Because it is made from plants, plant-based protein powder is naturally lower in calories. The truth is that you can eat twice as many vegetables as animal-based products while consuming half the calories. This means that you can easily track your calorie intake throughout the day when using plant-based protein powder.
7. Limit Your Consumption of Dangerous Bacteria
When you consume any type of animal protein, you may be consuming harmful bacteria as well as animal-based hormones. Unless you opt for organic meats, dairy products, and whey isolate protein powders. However, if you do not, your body will absorb the additional antibiotics and hormones, as well as some strains of harmful bacteria. Salmonella is just one of these common strains.
You can reduce your risk of eating anything unnatural or harmful to your system by reducing your consumption of animal-based protein and increasing your intake of plant-based protein powder. Overall, this results in a happier and healthier gut microbiome.
8. Plant Protein Powders Is a Good Source of Healthy Fats
Many types of vegan protein powder also serve as a source of other important micronutrients. Healthy fats are one of these, and they are required in the diet for the absorption of important vitamins as well as many other functions. Every serving of a vegan protein powder made from coconut protein or containing coconut provides a dose of healthy fats.
Vegan protein powder contains healthy saturated fats that can help regulate your appetite and weight, as well as control your hormone levels, sugar levels, and digestion.
9. Plant Protein Powders Are a Good Source of Vitamins and Minerals
It goes without saying that plant-based diets are high in essential vitamins and minerals. The same is true when it comes to consuming plant-based protein powder. Not only do these powders provide the protein you seek, but they also provide a much-needed dose of vitamins and minerals with each serving.
Pea protein, soy protein, and other plant-based protein powders contain antioxidants and vitamins that whey protein powders do not. In a nutshell, plant protein powder provides a convenient way to meet your daily vegetable and protein requirements with just one scoop! These essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants also help to strengthen your immune system and improve your overall health.
10. Alkalizing Properties of Plant Protein Powders
Plant protein powders have excellent alkalizing properties for the body, which means that the body's natural pH levels can be maintained. Because of their highly acidic nature, animal-based foods and even protein powders have a tendency to throw this pH level out of whack. To address this imbalance, the body begins to extract essential minerals from our bones in an attempt to maintain pH levels.
Plant-based protein powder and other foods are excellent ways to combat pH imbalances and maintain alkalinity. By combining leafy greens, spinach, or wheatgrass with plant-based protein powder, you can create a beautifully balanced meal replacement or snack.
Frequently Asked Questions - Vegan Protein Powders
What are vegan protein powders made from?
Vegan protein powders are made from plant-based sources of protein such as peas, brown rice, hemp, and soy.
Do vegan protein powders contain all the essential amino acids?
Some vegan protein powders are complete proteins, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. However, other vegan protein powders may not be complete proteins and may be missing one or more of the essential amino acids. It's important to read the label and ingredient list to determine whether a particular vegan protein powder is a complete protein.
Are vegan protein powders as effective as whey protein for muscle building?
Vegan protein powders can be effective for muscle building, but it's important to choose a high-quality protein powder and consume it as part of a balanced diet that includes adequate calories and other nutrients. Some research suggests that plant-based protein powders may be less effective for muscle building compared to animal-based protein powders like whey, but more research is needed in this area.
Are vegan protein powders suitable for athletes?
Vegan protein powders can be suitable for athletes as long as they provide an adequate amount of protein and other nutrients to support training and recovery. Athletes may need to consume more protein than sedentary individuals, and choosing a high-quality vegan protein powder can help them meet their protein needs.
Can vegan protein powders be used as meal replacements?
Vegan protein powders can be used as meal replacements, but it's important to choose a product that is fortified with a range of essential vitamins and minerals. It's also important to use vegan protein powders as part of a balanced diet that includes a variety of other nutrient-dense foods.
Are vegan protein powders easy to digest?
Some people find that vegan protein powders are easier to digest compared to animal-based protein powders. This may be because plant-based protein sources are typically lower in fat and lactose. However, individual tolerance can vary, and some people may experience digestive issues with certain types of vegan protein powders.
Are vegan protein powders suitable for people with allergies or sensitivities?
Vegan protein powders made from pea, brown rice, or hemp protein are generally hypoallergenic and may be suitable for people with allergies or sensitivities to dairy, soy, or other common allergens. However, it's always important to read the label and ingredient list carefully and consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
What is the shelf life of vegan protein powders?
The shelf life of vegan protein powders can vary depending on the specific product and how it is stored. It's important to follow the storage instructions on the product label and to use the protein powder before the expiration date. Storing the protein powder in a cool, dry place can help extend its shelf life.
How should vegan protein powders be stored?
Vegan protein powders should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat. It's also a good idea to keep the protein powder in an airtight container to help protect it from moisture and contamination.
How much protein do I need per day?
The recommended daily intake of protein varies depending on a person's age, sex, weight, and level of physical activity. In general, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.36 grams per pound (0.8 grams per kilogram) of body weight. However, athletes and other highly active individuals may need more protein to support their training and recovery.