The 5 best vegan protein powders for anyone on a plant-based diet
- Vegan protein powders allow people on plant-based diets to get the same nutritional benefits of a high protein diet.
- The best vegan protein powders should mix well, not have a bad aftertaste, and be low in both carbs and sugars.
- This article was medically reviewed by Erika Villalobos-Morsink, an MS, RD, and dietitan based in New York City.
Lots of people are going green in the kitchen.
Between 2012 and 2017, the demand for meatless food grew by nearly 1,000%, and in 2018 the vegan food market was valued at over $12 billion. Also, in 2018, Netflix released Game Changers, a popular documentary that highlights the benefits of a plant-based diet. While much of the science in the film is under scrutiny, it still helped to popularize veganism.
That’s not to say that the hype isn’t legitimate. According to Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, a nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City, adding some green to your plate and reducing your meat intake isn’t a bad move.
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“Whether or not you’re a vegan, everyone should be eating a 75% plant-based diet with lots of veggies, fruits, pulses (the umbrella term for beans, lentils, and legumes), nuts, seeds, and whole grains,” Cassetty told Insider. “These foods supply the materials your body needs to operate at its best.”
Prior to taking any supplement, we recommend consulting with your doctor to see if it’s right for your diet. At the bottom of this guide, I’ve included insight into the safety concerns of consuming certain protein powders as told to me by our medical reviewer, dietitian, Erika Villalobos-Morsink, as well as some information on the benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are the best vegan protein powders:
- Best vegan protein powder overall: TB12 Plant-Based Protein
- Best tasting vegan protein powder: Aloha Organic Protein Powder
- Best vegan protein powder for training athletes: Vega Sport Premium Protein
- Best vegan protein powder for meal replacement: Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal
- Best low-calorie vegan protein powder: Isopure Plant-Based Protein
The best overall
Though it’s a little pricey, TB12 Plant-Based Protein tastes great, mixes well, is sugar-free, and offers a great macronutrient profile with plenty of protein.
Pros: Great taste, high-protein, low carb/fat formula, packed with BCAAs
Cons: Expensive, only comes in two flavors (chocolate and vanilla)
Consumer Lab approved? N/A
Grams of protein per serving: 24g
Total carbohydrates: 1g
Total sugars: 0g
Total calories: 130
Cost per 20g of protein: $0.69
Tom Brady’s diet has become sporting folklore. In his book, The TB12 Method, the six-time Super Bowl winner says that he doesn’t consume gluten, high-fructose corn syrup, frozen meals, white sugar, caffeine, table salt, soy sauce, and nightshade vegetables such as eggplants and tomatoes. Those are just a few of his restrictions, so I wasn’t shocked that his brand’s plant-based protein was delicious since shakes are a staple in his daily diet.
Aside from taste, which is a very important factor if you’re going to be drinking protein powder daily, the macronutrient profile of this one is solid. One scoop of this powder, or 34 grams, gives you 130 calories, 24 grams of protein, three grams of carbs, two grams of fat, and zero grams of sugar. It also contains all of the essential branch chain amino acids, which are essentially the building blocks of protein, to help your body recover and form muscle.
One thing to note is that this pea-based protein powder requires six to eight ounces of water per scoop. The first time I tried this, I used four ounces (which is a common amount for whey proteins), and it was unbearably thick. But after I added the right amount of liquid, the drink was milkshake-thick.
The best tasting
Though it’s lower in protein and higher in carbs, Aloha Organic Protein Powder is a great choice for folks who hate choking down shakes thanks to its complex and delicious flavor.
Pros: Tastes amazing, clean ingredient profile
Cons: Expensive, low in protein, high in carbs, only 15 servings per tub
Consumer Lab approved? N/A
Grams of protein per serving: 18g
Total carbohydrates: 6g
Total sugars: 4g
Total calories: 130
Cost per 20g of protein: $0.45
This was the last powder I tried and by that point, I was sick of protein. “Just take three sips,” I told myself as I tossed two scoops into my shaker, filled it up with 12 ounces of water, and shook. As the liquid hit my tongue, it was as if my palate was reinvigorated with the flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cocoa. I actually let out an audible “Wow, that’s good,” as my cat stared at me. I drank this on its own and tried it mixed with oatmeal, both of which were great.
Before I even tasted Aloha, I was ready to discount it from this list as two scoops (36 grams) packs only 18 grams of protein and 11 grams of carbs, which is on the high end for most protein powders. Still, the nutritional profile is great. You can pronounce every ingredient that’s in this powder, and it’s free of GMOs, dairy, gluten, and sugar alcohols (which can cause stomach distress). As for protein, it’s a blend of hemp, pea, brown rice, and pumpkin seed protein.
The real issue is the cost. For $30 (or $27 if you subscribe and save), you only get 15 servings, which comes out to $2 per serving. That’s expensive, especially when you consider that one tub is only half a month’s worth of protein powder for most people — which means a full month would come out to around $60.
The best for training athletes
Vega Sport Premium Protein offers a high-protein blend tastes great, has a full BCAA profile, and is NSF Certified.
Pros: Higher protein content, tastes great, smooth texture, third-party tested
Cons: Expensive
Consumer Lab approved? Yes
Grams of protein per serving: 30g
Total carbohydrates: 4g
Total sugars: 2g
Total calories: 160
Cost per 20g of protein: $0.75
With 30 grams of protein per serving and a complete BCAA profile, Vega Sports’ protein is formulated to help athletes and active folks recover from tough workouts. While I can’t say that taking this powder helped me recover or perform better, it did taste great and gave me the protein I need to hit my 200-gram daily goal.
The ingredients are premium, too. The protein blend is made up of four sources — pea, pumpkin seed, organic sunflower seed, and alfalfa protein — and it contains other ingredients such as tart cherries to aid recovery and probiotics for enhanced gut health.
This protein powder did have a texture that was a little too watery for my liking, however. Of course, you can add less water, but even then, it didn’t have the same frothy and creamy texture of the TB12 or Aloha protein.
One thing in particular that I like is that Vega Sport is NSF Certified, meaning it’s independently tested for quality and safety. This way, you know the company is confident in its product and you’re not ingesting any BS fillers or dangerous chemicals.
The best meal replacement
Garden of Life’s Raw Organic Meal is a hearty meal replacement powder that offers 20g of protein per serving, is made with peas, sprouts, and legumes, and packs probiotics for improved digestion.
Pros: Consumer Lab-certified meal replacement powder, 20g of protein per serving, low in sugar, inexpensive per 20g of protein, has probiotics included
Cons: Only 130 calories per serving, not the best flavor
Consumer Lab approved? Yes
Grams of protein per serving: 20g
Total carbohydrates: 10g
Total sugars: < 1g
Total calories: 130
Cost per 20g of protein: $0.57
If it’s a meal replacement powder you’re after, consider Garden of Life’s Raw Organic Meal, a Consumer Lab-certified powder that packs 20g of protein per 130 calorie serving. That calorie level is a bit lower than you’d expect out of similar meal replacement powders, however (which tend to be around roughly 400 calories per serving).
The powder delivers 1.5 billion CFU of live probiotics and 13 digestive enzymes, has 5g of fiber per serving, and less than one gram of sugar per scoop. It’s also derived from various plant-based sources like legumes, sprouts, seeds, grass juices, and fruits.
Garden of Life offers the powder in either chocolate, vanilla, lightly sweet, or vanilla chai and while the flavors aren’t terrible, they do leave a little to be desired. It’s also recommended that you give it a heavy shake when mixing as it does tend to clump up.
The best low-calorie
Isopure Plant-Based Protein gives you 110 calories and 20 grams of protein and is relatively cost-effective.
Pros: Low-calorie, tasty flavor offerings
Cons: Small tub, few flavors to choose from, expensive per 20g of protein
Consumer Lab approved? N/A
Grams of protein per serving: 20g
Total carbohydrates: 2g
Total sugars: og
Total calories: 110
Cost per 20g of protein: $0.80
Isopure’s Plant-Based Protein stands out due to its taste and texture but also that it offers almost pure protein at close to 100 calories. For physique-conscious consumers, this means you’re not ingesting unwanted fat and carbs.
I also like that Ispoure’s pea and brown rice protein combo is easy on the stomach. One issue I have when drinking whey shakes is that they can cause stomach distress and gas — but I never experienced that with this formula.
At $24.99 for 20 servings, it’s also relatively cheap at $0.80 a serving. That said, I normally take two scoops at a time to get 40 grams of protein which raises the cost to $1.60 (which is still cheaper than some of the others on this list).
My only major gripe with this powder is its lack of variety. You can only buy 20 servings (1.37 pounds), which means you need to buy it in bulk or restock it twice a month. It also comes in just four flavors — chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and unflavored — which is fine but who doesn’t want more options? Other than that, this checks all of the main boxes for a quality vegan protein powder.
The advantage of a plant-based diet
When talking to Samantha Cassetty for insight into what to look for in a vegan protein powder, she added that vegan diets may be all-around healthier than meat-based diets. The Journal of the American Heart Association agrees, stating that eating a plant-based diet could lower the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared to those who consumed meat.
But one of the main issues with veganism and vegetarianism is getting ample protein — the FDA recommends one gram for every three pounds of body weight, though some experts suggest you should double that.
Eliminating meat from your diet means you need to rely heavily on nuts and legumes, which pack less protein per ounce than meat — so you have to eat a lot more of them — and also contain more fat. That’s why relying on one of the protein powders listed above can help up your intake without upsetting your stomach.
A dietitian's warning
In speaking with Erika Villalobos-Morsink during the fact check of this guide, she paused when recommending the consumption of vegan protein powders with the exception of Aloha’s Organic Protein Powder. Her reasoning is that anything that’s not been evaluated by a reliable third party like the Clean Label Project shouldn’t be considered entirely safe for consumption (and may have harmful heavy metals present in greater amounts than its protein counterpart).
This advice is also relevant when shopping for both standard whey protein powders and natural protein powders. A third-party program like the Clean Label Project or Consumer Lab provides added insight into what you’re consuming, as well.
Check out more Insider Reviews protein powder guides
The best whey protein powders
The best natural protein powders
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