A Dietitian’s Unbiased Review on Vegan Protein Powder: Taste, Value, Mixability, Performance.
Updated: February 3, 2024
Vegan protein powders often get a bad rep for tasting too grassy or being “poor” sources of protein… but I am here to finally settle the controversy.
We’ll take a closer look at plant-based protein sources vs animal-based sources, review some simple tips to make sure you’re getting enough essential amino acids in, and then finish it off with a long awaited review on nine vegan protein powders that are currently on the market.
Table of Contents
Protein Basics: What to Understand
1a. Incomplete vs Complete Protein
1b. Essential Amino Acids (EAA)
1c. Defining Protein Quality: A Complicated TaskHow can Vegans Ensure they Meet Essential Amino Acid Requirements?
Overall Best Vegan Protein Powders for Taste, Value, Mixability, Performance.
Disclaimer: A number of companies provided me with their products to review for free. The majority of the products in this review were purchased with my own funds. I am not affiliated or partnered with any of the companies mentioned.
I used to run into the same (annoying and persistent) question when I stopped eating meat 12 years ago.
“Where do you get your protein?”
Over the years (with the help and increased access to published research through the internet), this question has finally found a nice and shady spot in the graveyard.
The majority of us level-headed nutrition experts can certainly vouch that those who follow plant-based diets can certainly achieve their protein intake, with just a bit of conscious effort.
Nowadays, I’m no longer questioned about my protein intake, but instead, asked if I have a protein powder I would recommend.
Over the past five years, I’ve experimented with various plant-based protein powders… which translates to—“yes, I am guilty for tossing complete tubs of protein powders in the trash because of their horrible taste.”
Indeed, vegan protein powders get a bad reputation for being chalky, gritty and just simply—nasty. For those who have been able to find their tub of holy grail, this also might mean you’re unwilling to try any other ones… aka me.
However, over time, I realized I started to lag on knowing what the scoop (pun intended) was on the hottest vegan protein powder out there.
Additionally, being able to recommend a solid vegan protein powder to my plant-based clients is important, (as I’m trying to limit the amount of tubs hurled at me in displeasement).
Thus, began this journey for the best vegan protein powder according to: taste, nutrition, value, mixability, and performance.
Let’s do this.
Protein Basics: What to Understand
Before we get to the review, I think it’s important we drop some basic knowledge bombs about protein in general. Most of us are familiar with the importance of protein in relation our health and overall physical performance, but the average individual is not too well-versed about protein beyond that.
Here are a few high level summary points about protein:
Protein is one of the three macronutrients and plays a vital role in growth, cell function, and development.
Protein is composed of amino acids.
There are a total of 21 amino acids, and 9 of them are essential (meaning we must obtain these 9 essential amino acids from the diet).
These 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) are required daily in varying amounts, and they all play different roles and functions.
A ‘complete’ protein refers to a protein source that contains all the essential amino acids.
Typically, all dietary animal protein is considered to be complete.
An ‘incomplete’ protein refers to a protein source that does not contain all the essential amino acids.
Typically, this refers to plant-based sources.
Incomplete vs Complete Protein
If you’ve been meandering in the world of fitness and nutrition long enough, the terms ‘incomplete’ vs ‘complete’ when I mentioned these terms in the last paragraph probably stroke some familiarity.
If you’ve really been around long enough (circa 1970s), you’ll know that nutrition experts used to recommend what was referred to as, “protein combining”. Protein combining is in reference to consuming two incomplete protein sources in one sitting to ensure the body was able to achieve the recommended essential amino acid requirements.
Nowadays, science tells us as long as plant-based eaters are consuming a wide range of protein sources throughout the day, we can say goodbye to protein pairing.
It’s also important to note that the term ‘incomplete’ refers to each plant protein source’s essential amino acid distribution. To put simply—the levels of EAAs in plant protein sources are suboptimal, compared to animal sources, but not missing entirely.
In fact, the majority of plant-based protein sources have all 20 amino acids, but with just varying ratios of amino acids.
Essential amino acids (EAAs)
Although we no longer have to follow outdated science to tell us when to eat, and how to eat it, having some background knowledge on essential amino acids is important.
As we learned earlier, the body requires 9 amino acids to be obtained from our diets, and this is because our bodies are unable to synthesize them on our own.
Not all essential amino acids are the same, and throughout our life cycle, we require varying amounts.
Additionally, we understand that those who are physically active may want to pay attention more attention to branch-chain amino acids—isoleucine, leucine, and valine, as these are important for overall physical perfomance.
The table below will give you more insight on what EAA requirements look like.
Defining Protein Quality: A Complicated Task
It would be silly of me to try and talk about plant-based protein sources without paying any attention to the very complicated subject of protein quality.
It would also be very silly of me to talk about plant-based protein sources spending too much time on the very complicated subject of protein quality.
There is a reason for this, and it is because there is no definitive and scientific term for what deems protein “high quality”.
To try and make sense of protein quality, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations/WHO created what is called the ‘Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score’, also known as PDCAAS back in the early 90s.
The PDCAAS evaluates protein sources by comparing the amino acid composition, in relation to what we need for human growth and development.
This ranking system evaluates protein sources with a number from 0.1 to 1.0, with 0.1 scoring low and 1.0 scoring the highest.
1.0 means that specific protein source is capable of providing 100% or more of the amino acids required in the diet. These include the majority of animal based sources.
During its introduction phase, the PDCAAS was well accepted due to being a fairly simple way to understand protein intake in reference to how much we need in the body, and how easily our bodies can digest it.
However, this ranking system does not come without flaws. For starters:
Protein sources listed in the PDCAAS that go beyond the essential amino acid requirement can still score a 100, even if it's lacking in other EAAs.
PDCAAS uses a scoring pattern that is based on the requirements of school children more than 25-years ago.
PDCAAS evaluates digestibility in regards to fecal, which can be problematic since losses of protein can occur through the urine (as ammonia).
Although there are criticisms of the PDCAAs, the scientific and clinical community still recognizes it as a widely acceptable way to assess protein quality, and even though I have my reservations, I agree it still provides a nice way to understand protein quality (as complicated as it can be).
With that being said, take a look at the table below to see the PDCAAS values given to various protein sources.
Source: AIB International (2017).
As you can tell from the above chart, it is no surprise that plant-based protein sources rank lower on the PDCAAs, and we understand this is due to many of them being incomplete of the essential amino acids.
However, it’s important to note that the PDCAAS does not ONLY evaluate based on amino acid composition, but also at digestibility as noted earlier.
Plant protein sources tend to be less digestible than dietary animal sources mainly due to their characteristics. These characteristics include:
Having a high content in B-sheet conformation that increases its resistance to proteolysis (the breakdown of protein into amino acids) in the GI tract.
Being primarily composed of non-starch content, such as polysaccharides or fibers, that may decrease enzyme activity.
Having antinutritional factors, such as phytic acid and tannins, that interact with protein digestion, reducing overall bioavailability
I warned you— protein quality is a complicated subject
You may already have your arms up in the air after trying to make sense of all this information, but I can assure you, most of us plant-based eaters should have nothing to worry about… with just a bit of extra conscious effort.
How Can Vegans Make Sure they Get Enough Essential Amino Acids?
If you follow a plant-based diet, here are two pieces of advice I have for you to ensure you’re meeting your essential amino acid requirements:
Include a variety of plant-based protein sources in your diet.
If you’re a plant-based eater, it may benefit you to include more variety in your diet. I know it is so easy to gravitate to the same staples, but including a wide range of different foods ensures you’re able to get all the essential amino acids that you need.
We learned earlier that plant-based sources are considered incomplete.
In general, most plant-based protein sources have what is called a ‘limiting amino acid’.
This limiting amino acid tells you that although one particular food item may be abundant in one EAA, it may be widely depleted in another.
For example, most grain sources of protein like amaranth, quinoa, and millet are abundant in the essential amino acids, but have a limited amount of lysine.
In fact, lysine is actually the limiting amino acid in most vegan diets. Here are the top five foods highest in lysine:
Tofu:
Tempeh
Soy meats
Lentils
Seitan
2. Consider just having a bit more protein than the average person.
Although I cannot make general assumptions about your specific protein intake, I think it’s a safe bet that if you’re plant-based, you may benefit from increasing the amount of protein you eat just slightly.
This definitely stands true for those who are more active, as we know increased activity levels should be complimented with adequate protein intake.
A very general rule of thumb that vegans (especially active ones) can follow, include increasing total protein intake to 20 g/day.
Three Things to Look for In a Vegan Protein Powder
Now that we have somewhat of an understanding of plant-based proteins, let’s get to the widely anticipated part of this post—protein powders.
I know I’ll continue to sound like a broken wheel for the rest of my life, but I want to make it clear that supplements are exactly what they should be—supplemental to your diet.
Are they necessary? No.
Can they be helpful? Yes.
When it comes to looking for a well-rounded vegan protein powder, I like to keep it simple by paying attention to just three recommendations:
1. Look for a blend of protein sources.
As we discussed, eating a diet with a wide range of plant based protein sources is a no-brainer way to ensure you’re able to get your essential amino acids in.
This ALSO stands true when it comes to protein powders.
Many plant-based protein powders are blends of grains, legumes, seeds, and rice.
A nice blend of different sources of protein ensures you get a wide variety of essential amino acids.
Here are some popular protein powder blends, and their PDCAAS score.
Soy Protein Isolate: 1.00
Pea Protein Concentrate: 0.98
Pea Protein 80%: 0.78
Rice Protein 90%: 0.65
With that being said, if you still struggle with variety and including an abundant of plant based protein sources throughout the day, you might want to opt for a soy-based protein powder in the form of isolate or concentrate, as soy has all the essential amino acids.
2. Be mindful of added fibers like inulin, or sugar alcohols.
This advice stands true for not only plant-based protein powders, but protein powders in general.
However, it’s important to note that many plant-based powders have added fibers, like inulin, and the addition of sugar alcohols listed in their ingredients label. Although some may enjoy the added fiber in these products, excess may cause unnecessary digestive complications. Additionally, the average healthy individual has a hard time digesting sugar alcohols easily (although this will vary from person to person).
3. Determine if the powder is third party tested.
Third party certification means that an independent contractor (acting entirely separate from the company) has reviewed the manufacturing process of a product and has deemed the ingredients listed in the product comply with the standards to ensure proper safety and quality.
Products that are third-party tested may not be entirely important to the average plant-based consumer, but can make the world of a difference for athletes, and especially for athletes who are drug-tested in their respective sports. Athletes who want to ensure they are consuming a safe product should look for ‘NSF Certified for Sports’ or ‘Informed Sport’.
It’s important to note that not all companies will undergo third-party testing, and in fact, many well-established supplement companies do not third party test their products. With that being said, companies who do seek third party testing are paying out of pocket to undergo testing, making some of these products just a bit more expensive.
Vegan Protein Powder Review
Now, for the juicest part of the post—the long anticipated review.
I rank nine products on a scale of 1 - 5, based off of the following three:
Flavor
Mixability
After taste
I also break down the cost for each serving, tell you whether or not it was third-party tested, let you know if I would re-purchase in the future, list the most important nutrition info for them, and give you a narrative summary on my final thoughts.
True Nutrition Vegan Protein Optimizer Formula | Flavor: TrueFlavor Chocolate Fudge Brownie (Light)
Third-party tested: Yes
Protein Blend: 80% Pea Protein Isolate, 10% Rice Protein Concentrate and 10% Hemp Protein
Cost: $0.75/serving
Flavor: 4.5
Mixability: 4
After taste: 3.5
Re-purchase? Yes, due to all of the above!
Nutrition Info:
110 kcals/serving
1 g fat
2 g carbs (2 g fiber)
23 g protein
360 mg sodium
0 added sugars
Final thoughts: This is a pre-blended product that True Nutrition offers, and I can totally see their thought process behind it. With pea protein being one of the highest qualities of plant protein, you know you're getting an ample amount of essential amino acids in this product. The other two protein sources are nice and complimentary to ensure you're hitting the markers on other amino acids as well.
Third-party tested: Yes
Protein Blend: Organic Pea Protein, Organic Quinoa Protein, Organic Pumpkin Seed Protein
Cost: $2.66/serving
Flavor: 3
Mixability: 3.5
After taste: 2
Re-purchase? No, due to high cost and taste.
Final thoughts: The price point on this product is high. However, even if I had the savings to splurge on a protein powder this expensive, I wouldn't mainly due to the taste. I found it a bit chalky and a bit too grassy. However, I am seriously impressed by the fortification of vitamins and minerals on this product (which is probably one of the driving forces for the high price point). If you’re a picky plant-based eater and may have trouble getting enough variety of foods in your diet, this product may be just for you.
Third-party tested: Yes
Protein Blend: 100% Pea Protein Isolate
Cost: $0.72/serving
Flavor: 5
Mixability: 4.5
After taste: 4
Re-purchase: Yes, due to mixability and flavor.
Nutrition Info:
110 kcals/serving
1 g fat
1 g carbs (1 g fiber)
25 g protein
450 mg sodium
0 added sugars
Final thoughts: Similiar to the first True Nutrition product in this review, I was impressed by the flavor, mixability and after taste. Pea Protein contains almost all of the essential amino acids making this product a safe bet to ensure you're getting adequate amounts of essential amino acids in one serving. Also, True Nutrition uses an Isolate version of pea protein which has a higher protein profile! I was a bit wary of the taste of pea protein being too chalky before trying this, but the overall taste of this product has made me into a pea-liever you can say.
Third-party tested: No
Protein Blend: Organic Pea Protein, Organic Brown Rice Protein, Organic Chia Seeds, Erythritol
Cost: $1.50/serving
Flavor: 3
Mixability: 4
After taste: 3
Re-purchase? Yes.
Nutrition Info
150 kcals/serving
4 g fat
15 g carbs (2 g fiber)
21 g protein
270 mg sodium
0 added sugars
Erythritol 5 g
Final thoughts: Orgain was one of the first vegan protein powders I have ever tried, and it's one I know I can rely on. The sweetness level is just right for me; not being overly too sweet or not sweet enough, despite the 5 g of added erythritol. The company also backs Registered Dietitians as the nutrition experts, and hey, I like that!
RawNutritional VeganPro Protein Powder | Flavor: Maple Vanilla
Third-party tested: No
Protein Blend: Organic Yellow Pea Protein Isolate, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Grounded Flax Seed, Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine.
Cost: $1.23/serving
Flavor: 4
Mixability: 4
After taste: 3.5
Re-purchase? Yes.
Nutrition Info:
125 kcals/serving
2 g fat
7 g carbs (2 g fiber)
20 g protein
180 mg sodium
3 added sugars
Final thoughts: RawNutritional is a Canadian company, but they also ship out of country. I was really impressed by the added BCAAs in this product and the full transparency of the content for these three essential amino acids. The taste was just a bit too sweet for my personal preference but if you’re into all things sweet— you probably wouldn’t find a problem with it! I also love that they use an isolated pea protein, which makes for an impressive protein per serving. Check out their BCAA profile below:
Isoleucine: 416 mg
Leucine: 833 mg
Valine: 416 mg
SunWarrior Plant-Based High Performance Protein Warrior Blend | Flavor: Vanilla
Third-party tested: No
Protein Blend: Proprietary Protein Blend (Organic Fermented Pea Protein, Organic Goji Berry, Organic Hemp Protein)
Cost: $1.60/serving
Flavor: 4
Mixability: 4.5
After taste: 3.5
Re-purchase? Yes
Nutrition Info:
100 kcals/serving
2 g fat
2 g carbs (1 g fiber)
18 g protein
352 mg sodium
0 added sugars
Final thoughts: The mixability for this powder was definitely one of the best. No grittiness or chalkiness. The product itself is also pleasantly sweet, but no use of artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. The protein per/serving was not as impressive for one scoop of this product, especially because of the price point, but I am still impressed by their transparent labeling. They include a FULL panel list of all 20 amino acids and list their exact milligram amount. This powder also has an impressive emphasis on BCAAs. Take a look below:
Isoleucine: 1,582 mg
Leucine: 2,614 mg
Valine: 1,561 mg
Third-party tested: Yes
Blend: 50% Soy Protein Isolate, 50% Pea Protein Isolate
Cost: $0.63/serving
Flavor: 5
Mixability: 5
After taste: 4.5
Re-purchase? Yes, one of my favorites!
Nutrition Info:
120 kcals/serving
1 g fat
1 g carbs (1 g fiber)
26 g protein
440 mg sodium
0 added sugars
Final thoughts: This was a customized blend I put together to see how both of these powerhouse plant protein sources would taste, and I’m pretty impressed that this ended up being one of my favorites taste and mixability wise. The price point for this customized blend is the most impressive, which definitely makes this one a holy grail for sure. One thing to note is that I chose to customize this powder with the additional ingredient of sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener. I did this intentionally to test out the quality of it to report back on, but didn’t think it had any impact on the overall taste, which is definitely impressive.
Ghost Lifestyle Vegan Protein Powder | Flavor: Pancake Batter
Third-party tested: No
Ingredients: 80% Pea Protein Concentrate, 70% Organic Pumpkin Protein, 75% Watermelon Seed Protein
Cost: $1.61/serving
Flavor: 3
Mixability: 2
After taste: 3
Re-purchase? Yes, for convenice purposes only.
Nutrition Info:
110 kcals/serving
1.5 g fat
5 g carbs (1 g fiber)
20 g protein
390 mg sodium
0 added sugars
Final thoughts: Although I am not too entirely impressed with the taste and mixability, I definitely enjoy the transparent labeling. The label shows you exact percentages of blends used, which tells me they’re happy to show you they take the quality of their products seriously. Ghost can be easily purchased at most local vitamin stores which means there is a good chance I'll be repurchasing if I find myself getting to the bottom of a tub without a delivery coming in.
RedCon1 Green Beret | Flavor: Chocolate
Third-party tested: This product is tested by an outside certification, ‘Stack3d Certification’. It looks like this certification will randomly test products, but not necessarily test all products. A bit confusing.
Ingredients: Pea Protein Isolate, Brown Rice Protein, Quinoa Protein, Coconut water powder, Erythritol
Cost: $1.49/serving
Flavor: 3
Mixability: 2
After taste: 2.5
Re-purchase? No.
Nutrition Info:
120 kcals/serving
2 g fat
9 g carbs (1 g fiber)
20 g protein
260 mg sodium
0 added sugars
Erythritol 3.5 g
Final thoughts: Like the majority of the powders in this review, I am happy to see pea protein isolate being a main ingredient! However, unlike Ghost, there is a lack of transparency as we don't know exactly what these ratios look like. One thing to note is that this is one of the protein powders that has a sugar alcohol, (which is why I italicized it) so you may want to steer clear of this one if you find yourself overly sensitive to them. I’d also like to note I have personally gone through two tubs of this protein and have found it overly thick in smoothies, which I know is mainly due to the added ingredient of Xanthan gum. Although the product does not look like it’s tested with a consistent and reputable third party certification, the effort to test ingredients is there.
Overall Best Vegan Protein Powders for Taste, Value, Mixability, and Performance
Looking for a good vegan protein powder often feels like there needs to be some type of sacrifice involved— you’re either stuck with a protein that has an impressive amount of protein/serving but tastes like cardboard, OR you’ve found a decent tasting protein, but lo and behold— the protein amount is equivalent to a piece of toast.
I didn’t feel this way with True Nutrition, which is why I’m confident in saying I’ll probably be sticking to their products for a long time.
From my picks below, you’ll note this company actually came out on top as a first choice for many of the categorizes.
I really love that they third party test their products, are affordable in their price point, and give you the opportunity to fully customize your protein.
No, seriously—there are a LOT of additional other ingredients you can add in your personalized products. Just navigate to the ‘Custom Mix’ module on their website to test it out yourself!
Some of their customization options include:
Being able to modify the sweetness from Light, Medium, to Heavy
Adding additional carbohydrate sources such as Dextrose.
Increasing the nutritional value through added ingredients such as BCAAS and a Multi-vitamin.
Choosing between a tub or a package.
Personalization is key when it comes to nutrition and finding a company that supports this message in their products is extremely impressive.
Here are my overall top picks for each category.
Best Tasting: True Nutrition 100% Pea Protein Isolate
Best Nutrition: Organifi All-In-One Mix (due to their micronutrient profile)
Best Value: True Nutrition Customized Blend: 50% Soy + 50% Pea Protein
Best Mixability: True Nutrition Customized Blend: 50% Soy + 50% Pea Protein
Best for Performance: Sunwarrior High Performance (due to their BCAA profile)
Best Overall: True Nutrition Customized Blend: 50% Soy + 50% Pea Protein
Whether you were here for the review on protein powders, or came here to learn more about plant-based protein, I hope you are able to walk away learning a thing or two!
Feel free to me know if you have a protein powder you think I missed out on reviewing and I'll be sure to continue the pursuit of!
As an Amazon affiliate, I may profit from qualifying links.