Finding the right protein powder was very tricky for me. I must have gone through at least a dozen of different brands from the UK and the US. I finally settled on the ones that I liked most but still continue to switch between one and the other, depending on whether I am drinking it, using it for baking or in smoothies.
To start with, it's probably worth talking about whether or not you need protein powder supplement in your diet in the first place. It is not really set in stone, however, if you eat varied, vegan diet, you probably get enough protein as it is. Regardless of what you might hear, it is actually very easy for vegans to meet their recommended protein intake as long as their calorie intake is adequate to their body type and the diet is varied in different nutrients. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is the minimum amount you need to be healthy, is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of body weight per day—46 grams for an average woman and about 54 for an average man. Our obsession with protein is not really necessary and concerns about it in vegan lifestyle is completely misplaced. Of course, it is an essential nutrient however unless you're an athlete, you're probably ok! If your intention is to increase muscle mass and you're working out daily, then the protein powder supplement may help aid recovery and with the increase of muscle mass.
Well, let's get to the subject of this blog. In the below section I will share with you my feedback on different proteins I got to try over the last couple of years and let you know which ones are my favourite! (Please bear in mind these are numbered in no particular order!)
RRP £34.99
Servings: 30 (£1.16 per serving or 0.93p if you subscribe)
Serving size: 33g
Kcal per serving: 115
Protein per serving: 25g
Fats per serving: 1.74g
Carbs per serving: 4.93g
Sugars per serving: 1.48g
BCAA - 7g
This is the only protein powder on my list that gets 5 stars hence it's the first. Reason being is I love the flavours and this one in particular goes amazingly well with protein pancakes which I have at least couple of times a week! I've tried Raw Sports Protein in many different flavours, their vanilla & cocoa, mixed berry, vanilla and cinnamon and toffee fudge. It's the only brand that offers such a great variety of flavours. I also love the fact that they added a lot of other beneficial ingredients into their blend such as curcumin from turmeric root as a potent anti-inflammatory agent, plant-derived digestive enzymes for optimal absorption of proteins, live bacteria blend for absorption and immune support, baobab powder as a prebiotic to culture the live bacteria blend, coconut water powder and grey sea salt to restore electrolyte balance, gelatinised maca & lucuma powder to provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. What else do you need?
Oh, the taste! Yes, it's great. In comparison to many other brands Raw Sports is not super sweet which makes it much better for my liking. I prefer to have my protein mixed with unsweetened plant milk and all of the flavours from Revolution Foods really do taste good and are worth every penny. They are not chalky and can easily be combined with a lot of fruit smoothies too. Raw Sport is defintely one of the best protein powders on the UK market proividin all round nutrition for anyone.
RRP £34.99
Servings: 28 (£1.25 per serving)
Serving size: 35g
Kcal per serving: 121
Protein per serving: 20g
Fats per serving: 0.2g
Carbs per serving: 11g
Sugars per serving: 0g
BCAA - 5g
I have to be honest, I am not the biggest fan of getting my protein from brands who support the dairy industry however after hearing feedback from someone I workout with, I had to give this one a go. This is the only reason why this one gets 4.5 stars, if it was a vegan brand it would definitely get 5 stars for sure for the amazing taste and smoothness! Their Vanilla blend is really good! Taste, texture, consistency - they just got it spot on! It is not chalky at all, tastes super smooth mixed with water or unsweetened plant milk. The macros are great too and price wise it's quite reasonable therefore this is definitely in my top three which will have a permanent spot in my pantry. I am yet to try their chocolate flavour but I believe that it would taste just as good. Supreme Labs did a very good job at developing this blend and making it taste so good, I hope that in the near future they will expand thei vegan range.
RRP £35-40
Servings: 20 (£1.75-£2 per serving)
Serving size: 41g
Kcal per serving: 150
Protein per serving: 30g
Fats per serving: 3g
Carbs per serving: 4g
Sugars per serving: 1g
BCAA - 6g
It is a protein that I originally purchased in the US while I was visiting my sister. I stocked up because I was really impressed with the protein you got per serving, however, later on, I realised that it's because the scoop is quite large actually, 41 grams making the shakes quite thick. It is fairly sweet so I tend to mix it with more water or unsweetened plant milk to reduce the sweetness. Because of the thickness of the shakes, I started reducing the size of the serving, probably getting around 20g of protein per shake. In comparison to other protein powders I've tried, this one wasn't as chalky and goes really well with smoothies and protein pancake recipes.
RRP £39.99
Servings: 27 (£1.48 per serving or £1.29 if you subscribe)
Serving size: 35g
Kcal per serving: 113
Protein per serving: 25g
Fats per serving: 2.5g
Carbs per serving: 2.1g
Sugars per serving: 0.56g
BCAA - 6g
Vivo Life is one of the first vegan protein powders I've tried. It was actually the protein that I used during the time that I was transitioning to veganism and moving away from whey protein which was making me feel super sluggish and bloated all the time. I chose Vivo at the time as it was the only one I heard of that had a full BCAA profile and added extras such as turmeric and digestive enzymes such as ginger extract, papain peppermint leaf and fennel seed. It is only the only protein in the market advertised as fully Vganic ™ meaning that even during the farming process no animal product or by-product was used and means that all ingredients are 100% vegan and grown without herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. It is possible that all of the other proteins above also are veganic however if it's not on the label I cannot confirm that! Vivo Life protein for me tastes best mixed with plant milk. It has a bit of a chalky texture and you can definitely taste the Himalayan salt in it, it never bothered me and I continue to use it regularly. It gets 4 stars because of the slightly chalky texture when mixed with water. Vivo Life is definitely doing something right when it comes to their marketing, they have an extensive list of ambassadors including vegan bodybuilders Nimai Delgado and Jon Venus!
RRP £30-35
Servings: 20 (£1.50-£1.75 per serving)
Serving size: 40g
Kcal per serving: 160
Protein per serving: 21g
Fats per serving: 5g
Carbs per serving: 16g
Sugars per serving: 1g
BCAA - 0g
This is yet another protein that I discovered while visiting the United States. The flavour of this particular blend is really good. Just as Vega protein above, the serving size her is quite large at 40g which makes the shake pretty thick in consistency. The taste is great but on a sweeter side, therefore, I tend to mix it with more unsweetened liquid. The only downfall is the use of erythritol as a sweetener which I am not the biggest fan of, even though they are using the non-GMO version. Oh, one more thing, this protein blend has no BCAA's which may prove to be an issue for someone looking for all-round supplement post workout.
To wrap it up, I shall clarify that I have no affiliation with any of the above brands and these reviews are unbiased and independent.
As you can see there is quite a few to choose from, I only picked my top five that I tend to use regularly for different reasons, be it taste, cravings or overall nutrition!
If you'd like to read what a friend of mine, Tully Zander says about her top brands and if we agree at all, check out her blog post here!
Let me know your thoughts about this post and please like and share with your friends!
Love and light,
Mags x