(Part 2) Best sports nutrition plant protein powders according to redditors
We found 478 Reddit comments discussing the best sports nutrition plant protein powders. We ranked the 120 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Disclaimer: I am only speaking from my experiences and what has worked for me.
So, I know this is going to sound strange, but you don't actually need as much protein as normally recommended for weightlifting on a vegan diet. Don't get me wrong, protein is vital for proper athletic performance; but the 1 gram protein per pound of bodyweight has largely been debunked, it's closer to .8-.9 grams protein per kilogram body mass. That being said, the best sources of protein are legumes, with my personal favorite being tempeh; which is fermented soybeans. It has a nice crunch, a slightly nutty flavor, and it's easy to digest. Here is a list of all the best foods to help ease your transition:
The supplements aren't wholly necessary in the beginning, especially if you're still drinking cow's milk and eating fish. But they will be if you want to transition to vegan long term.
Here are few vegan bodybuilders I like:
Simnett Nutrition: Awesome mostly calisthenics guy who does a lot of cooking/nutrition videos.
Nimai Delgado: More of a classic bodybuilder channel. Some days of eating, some training, some travel vlogs, etc. His physique is absurd tho.
Vegan Physique: This is the guy where I learned that protein isn't all that difficult to get on a vegan diet. He also has some good meal preps.
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Hope this helps! Welcome to veganism! :D
There are alternatives to whey. Blend 50% NOW Sprouted Brown Rice Protein and 50% Pea Protein. No gas, no bloat, full amino acid profile, BCAAs, iron rich, and super cheap. Plus, it's a more eco-friendly source of protein than dairy. If you get the large tubs from Amazon, they'll last for months and come in at around 40 cents per scoop - much cheaper than almost anything you'll find at GNC. I will drink it as a shake, make oat bars with it, mix it into falafel mix, and blend it into hot cereals. Plenty of ways you can use it since it is very neutral in flavor. Muscle has just been packed on like madness in only 6 months of pairing this with a solid diet and structured routine.
Was on FODMAP elimination for a while, now full Paleo. This one works wonders for me. Tastes amazing, dissolves instantly and has a very smooth, non-gritty, non-chalky texture. It's grain, soy, egg, dairy and ever-other-goddamn-thing-else free. I suspect it's just chocolate and air. Worth a try.
Whey is not vegan (it's a byproduct of dairy cheese production), but there are protein powders that are vegan. Vega one has a great all purpose shake (20 g protein serving) that is like a multivitamin breakfast shake.
http://www.amazon.com/Vega-Nutritional-Shake-French-Vanilla/dp/B00R0Y0V94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453441416&sr=8-1&keywords=vega+one
They also have post-workout shakes that have 30 g of protein per serving:
http://www.amazon.com/Vega-Performance-Protein-Powder-Vanilla/dp/B016D9IGRA/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1453441416&sr=8-10&keywords=vega+one
Peanut butter powder can add protein to anything, as well as peanut butter flavoring!
And Cliff Builder bars have 20 g of protein but a ton of sugar:
http://www.amazon.com/CLIF-BUILDERS-Protein-Chocolate-Count/dp/B000GPRZSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453441513&sr=8-1&keywords=cliff+builder+bars
Also not a body builder but I do Garden of Life Meal Replacer every day, but if you're looking for just protein they've got that too.
Entirely raw, organic and sprouted protein from whole grains, beans, and seeds with fiber, probiotics and enzymes like protease, and no sugar. The meal replacer has the same amount of protein and probiotics/enzymes, but also adds complex carbs, more fiber, a tiny bit of fat, a green juice and fruit mix, and a ton of vitamins and minerals. The only downside is that there's a bit of brown rice syrup, but it's not enough to outweigh the enormous benefits.
There is also a good deal on Orgain protein + greens (vanilla bean flavor) on Amazon.
1.9lbs for $12.64, or cheaper with subscribe & save. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077XDC2X8/
Im not sure how this sub feels about protein powders but I've been using purely inspired protein powder. Its 20g of protein for 130 calories.
Purely Inspired Organic Protein Powder, 100% Plant Based Healthy Protein, French Vanilla,1.5 pounds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K0FTJ1Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-eWLAbSTK0WBC
I'm a big fan of the Amazing Grass brand - their chocolate peanut butter tastes great without being way over-sweet or completely bland. Not quite as protein dense as other powders though.
Greetings fellow vegan! I don't know whether or not it's necessary for a protein supplement but I really like having it in the pantry. I use sunwarrior vanilla protein powder personally. It's almost always in a morning smoothie and I also like it just as a quick shake with unsweetened coconut milk.
If you want other protein suggestions, my favorites are boca burger patties (90 calories 17g protein/patty) and tempeh (140 calories and 16g protein/3oz). Tofu is great too, there's always a bit in nuts and beans and the beyond meat beast burger is really good but expensive. Been meaning to try cooking with seitan since it's supposed to be the highest concentration of protein in a plant-based food but haven't gotten around to it yet.
I use the Amazing Grass brand of Protein and Greens, in the chocolate flavor with unsweetened almond milk. It's a little strong for me, so I use 16oz of almond milk and 1 scoop of powder, coming out to 210 calories. A perfect meal replacement for eating 1200 per day, at least for me.
ETA: Here's the Amazon link. I've seen it at Walmart before, but I buy mine at Kroger.
https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Organic-Protein-Superfood/dp/B01BWM54GE?th=1&psc=1
If you're strictly vegan and looking for low fodmap protein, there's protein from:
If you are just vegetarian + low fodmap, but not vegan:
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https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Naturals-Protein-Powder-Vanilla/dp/B007TWNH48
> I did try Cronometer which I just learnt about and I get 67.5 grams of protein per day
Ah, well that is only a bit low then (due to the decreased PDCAAS of vegan proteins). As the other user said, various legumes actually blend well into smoothies, surprisingly. I have had the best luck with navy/northern/white beans myself. Otherwise you could use some hemp/rice/pea protein powder as an easy add. Hemp has the benefit of fiber/omega-3's/magnesium/zinc/iron, but it also has the strongest flavor of the three ('grassy' or 'earthy'). I like Hemp Yeah.
I use Garden of Life brand for my protein shakes after a workout. They are cheapest on amazon I think. Here is one flavor you could try. I hope this helps! Good luck!
https://www.amazon.com/Evolve-Protein-Powder-Classic-Chocolate/dp/B01071RJQE?th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Naturals-Protein-Powder-Vanilla/dp/B007TWNH48?th=1
Looks like Growing Naturals is more protein per serving, and contains brown rice like you said. I guess I'd just compare the macros and price. Evolve is cheaper, on amazon anyways, but it has a lot more carbs and less protein per serving. $12/lb. FWIW, True Nutrition sells pea protein for $8/lb. https://truenutrition.com/p-1115-pea-protein-isolate-non-gmo-1lb.aspx and you can save 5% with the code "GOVEGAN"
I'm not vegan but try to limit dairy. I love making a carrot cake smoothie with 1 cup vanilla soy milk, a handful of steamed carrots that have been cooled, frozen banana, ice and date paste. I add a scoop or two of vanilla protein powder, I use this one
Also this,pumpkin smoothie using coconut milk or soy and coconut yogurt. I also add a scoop of the same protein powder.
For what it's worth, I lift 6 days a week and have been vegan for a year. I'm 82kg (180lbs) and used to eat 1g protein per pound of bodyweight. So 180g per day. I have since cut that in half (and get around 100g/day) and have gained more strength, size, and dropped fat since going vegan. Right now you're eating over 1g per pound of bodyweight (you're ~140lbs). I would argue that isn't necessary, and encourage you to try dropping the protein and increasing the carbs/fat to compensate. Science shows the upper limit of 0.8g/lb of bodyweight is the max you need for absolute optimal mass, but like I said, I and a lot of others go way below that and do just as well as far as I can tell. Unless you're a professional athlete or something, I think trying to get a ton of protein in isn't as big of a deal as we think it is.
At 2000 calories a day, it's going to be really hard to get 150g protein via a whole foods vegan diet. Even if you ate nothing but beans all day, 2000 calories from black/pinto beans only has about 120g protein. If you ate soybeans, that would be better, but you're still only 190g protein. And you aren't going to eat nothing but beans all day.
If you absolutely must get 150g protein per day, you're going to need to eat processed foods. Tofu, seitan, protein powder, TVP, etc. "Vital Wheat Gluten" is the protein from wheat that seitan is made from, and you can buy that and use it like a protein powder. I'm not sure about Australia, but in the US, this is my favorite protein - https://truenutrition.com/p-1169-vegan-protein-optimizer-formula-1lb.aspx. It's about $10/lb, which seems to be a good deal on plant proteins. This is a similar deal - https://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Plant-Protein-Complex/dp/B00NIJ01FO. But protein powder is expensive compared to real food. If you don't buy a blend, they're cheaper. Like just soy, rice, or pea or something, like this one.
But I would recommend dropping your protein down to like 100g or so, and take it easy on the beans. Can you buy hemp seeds? They're great and high protein. Also flax seeds, chia seeds, peanuts, and peanut butter. Grains like quinoa, buckwheat, and oats have a fair amount of protein, too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BWM54GE
/r/freebies got me hooked on it
So imagine your GI tract as 3 buckets with funnels at the bottom of each one:
Their jobs are:
Macros works because that's simply how physics works...if you want to grow in the best & most efficienct way possible, then you need to feed your body the required macronutrients. If you don't, you will get slower & sub-par results. There's no magic in it; it's just science. If you limit yourself to 100 grams of protein per day, then you are under-feeding your body for muscle growth. You're obviously free to do whatever you want, but we have all of the science & results to support the data - all that's left for you to do is figure out a game plan for feeding yourself your numbers every day!
3,000 calories may sound like a lot, but if you're exercising daily & getting enough sleep every night, you'll have quite an appetite! Plus, you can split it up into say 6 smaller meals & snacks, scattered throughout the day, so you could do like 500 calories per meal with 30 grams of protein per meal. Keep in ind that 30 grams of protein is like, a single protein shake. Vega's chocolate vegan protein powder is 30 grams per scoop, so you'd only need a single scoop to hit your protein number for say a mid-morning protein shake snack:
Blend that up with some fruit to boost the carb count & some avocado or nut butters to boost the fat count & you've got yourself an easy meal that hits your personal macros. For a mid-afternoon snack, grab a couple off-the-shelf protein bars at 15g each for a total of 30g of protein:
So not as bad as you think, right? It's not like you have to sit there & eat 3,000 calories in one sitting or anything, you can split it up! If you're getting enough sleep, exercising daily or against a workout plan or at least consistently, and eating according to your macros (based on the actual, realistic amount of exercise you put into the calculator), then it will become pretty easy to go through that many calories within just a few weeks of adjusting your stomach & body to that kind of caloric intake level.
As this is a raw vegan subreddit, you could also find natural sources of plant-based proteins, carbs, and fats that don't require any cooking. It all depends on what your goals are: do you want to take advantage of known science to meet your goals in the best way possible, and if so, what's your plan for achieving those daily macros? Vegan, raw vegan, omnivore? Packaged foods, homemade foods, or a combination? There are lots of options available; the key is to nail down a specific path that works for you & then get started on it. That's why Arnold got so famous...so few people actually make a simple plan & follow through on it that it's totally amazing when somebody actually does that, haha!
Try a powder without pea protein. I had the same problem and switched to rice protein powder and tried a bunch because they tend to be gritty. I found Growing Naturals is the absolute best when it comes to taste, texture, and nutritional content.
For protein shakes I really like Orgain blended with a banana and some frozen strawberries and maybe some spinach. If you're looking to up your nutrient intake for your pregnancy you could get Vega instead but it's pricier. I also recommend a brown rice or quinoa bowl with peas, edamame, hummus, tofu, whatever tickles your fancy. Seitan has a weird texture, it's better when it's a side mixed with veggies or rice.
I rotate between four different protein powders, all are vegan and are sourced from multiple sources (mostly pea, flax, and hemp protein).
My favorite taste wise is the Vega Protein and Greens.
Also from Vega, the Sport Protein is nice, as it has 30 grams of protein per serving vs the 20 per serving in the protein and greens. However, Vega changed the recipe for the Sport a few months ago, and now it makes a super thick drink, almost akin to drinking cake batter. I have to split up the serving just so the drink doesn't become too thick.
The Garden of Life Sport Protein also has 30 grams of protein per serving, and isn't as thick as the Vega Sport, but I think it doesn't taste quite as good as the Vega branded stuff. Not bad though.
Lastly, I'll occasionally buy Orgain as it is the cheapest typically, though it has a somewhat grainy texture compared to the others.
I usually just buy whatever of the four are on sale at my local Co-Op, but if you're going to go with one, I'd recommend the Vega Protein and Greens if you're ok with only 20 grams of protein per serving.
Edit: oh didn't realize you have already had the protein and greens, maybe try the Vega Sport? Also, I buy all four exclusively in vanilla, so I can't speak for the other flavors.
Purely Inspired. It doesn't mix as easy as whey protein but the blender has no problem mixing it.
Honestly if I were you I would buy a container of a vegan protein powder derived from something on your OK list and do 1 or 2 fruit smoothies with protein a day depending on your activity level and protein needs.
Brown rice protein is the only one that comes to mind off the top of my head that should be OK for you.
Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0787ST38Q/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?pd_rd_i=B00NBIDHP8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=f0dedbe2-13c8-4136-a746-4398ed93cf0f&pd_rd_wg=tdx3J&pf_rd_r=VY1XB6QF8N9C4BJF1NZM&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_w=jnHr8&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_r=e745d097-e89a-11e8-b284-717426a24885&th=1
Similar boat as you. These sources helped some since I fall in the endomorph phenotype more than anything:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/best_endomorph_workout.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bodytype_nutrition_guide.htm
Best source to really get going and disciplined: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw70.htm
What I do: Workout is 45mins to 1hr Basketball mainly knockout 1 v 1 with my workout buddy (the cardio is nuts). Make sure you do all the jumping. Usually 5-6 times a week. Weights after for about 20 mins or so, enough to keep up with all the muscle groups once a week.
My diet is still not great but most helpful for me was to watch out for the carbs. It's not fast food that is the issue per se, it's the sugar and simple carbs that's the issue. I would try to replace some of your carbs (grains, pastas, breads, rice, potatoes) with veggies (steamed, grilled, baked/roasted, stir fried) and increase your protein intake if it's too low. At 15 it's hard to control what you eat when but really try not to eat a lot of carbs at your evening meal especially late. Make sure your water intake matches your workout regimen (seriously watch out for dehydration if you haven't been doing much working out).
If you're going for 4-5 meals a day this may help you some: http://smile.amazon.com/Vega-Nutritional-Shake-French-Vanilla/dp/B00R0Y0V94/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1463283246&sr=8-2&keywords=vega+one
Vanilla flavor is decent. Powder is a bit gritty and gross at first (it really grows on you though especially as you cut out the sugar/simple carbs in your diet).
The changes take a while to start seeing results so don't get discouraged. I noticed the increase in energy I had before I started seeing weight loss and muscle gain. Best change I made was to get a workout buddy. If nothing else you'll have a friend to hang out with while working out making the whole activity more fun and ultimately making a good habit of working out.
Sorry for the long post but good luck man.
I have/had the same issue. I switched to this, Orgain Organic Plant Based... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W52PLFP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share and have been happy with it. Might be worth a try, good luck!
So I use this Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein Powder, Natural Unsweetened, 1.59 Pound, 1 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FNVHGHK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_QdIGybCTKDMGY
It has no dairy/soy/gluten. I LOVE IT. I combine it with iced coffee and sometimes a banana and it only has a slight taste. I highly recommend it. I hate all protein powder that is flavored because there is always some type of sweetener in it and I find that I can always taste it.
I eat mainly raw/vegan foods from Sunday to Thursday with the exception of boiled eggs occasionally when I feel like I need more protein.
This is where I got the idea.
I have a plant based protein powder which gets me roughly 20g Protein daily (sometimes two servings).
Besides that, my main sources for protein comes from nuts (mainly almonds), seeds (hemp @ 10g / 3 tbsp), and veggies. I try to completely avoid tofu, can't ever be too sure about the quality.
I do eat animal products on Friday/Sat though, while still staying loyal to my keto/IF diet.
It gets a bit difficult at times to get your protein on a vegan diet, but once you find a routine it really starts to get easier. It's important to be creative while eating vegan and maintaining Keto.
Also, do your best to mix up what you are eating. You want to be sure you are covering your micronutrients
I've seen these pea protein powders on Amazon that don't come from China.
option 1
option 2
But, since these are just pea proteins, you'll need to mix with something else to get a complete protein. Also, no idea how they taste.
I gotchu fam,
Braggs Amino Acids help a lot with the below mentioned protein profile. I use a little of this in everything, from dressings, to broths, to simmering etc. Its kind of close to soy sauce taste, but a little quirkier. Some people just don't like the taste but honestly if you just mix it with a little oil, garlic salt and lemon it makes a very simple dressing. Learn to harness its power.
Braggs Amino Acids
I stay away from Vega proteins, they mix poorly, taste awful and are very expensive. A majority of Pea Proteins are vegan, just be sure to check the ingredients in case they use something in there that is dairy based.
Pea Protein
As for store bought meat substitutes the Field Roast line of products is pretty great. I would also reccommend Sweet Earth stuff, they have burritos and bowls that are all pretty great, a few of them are not vegan so just check for sure before you plunk down any cash on them.
Field Roast
If you don't have any gluten issues and you like cooking, I recommend making your own Seitan. Its insanely easy, insanely cheap, really tasty and can be packed with protein. The most basic recipe can be found [here(http://www.vegetariantimes.com/video/how-to-make-seitan/)
I'm gluten free and avoid dairy so I've been using pea-protein almost daily. I make a shake with some almond milk,fruit, and kale or spinach, and it does really well as a breakfast with some toast or oatmeal. Also a nice way to sneak a serving of veggies into breakfast.
Ok so their are two which are actually good.
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Sunwarrior Protein Warrior Blend
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Vivolife
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Sunwarrior is my favorite and is also considerably cheaper. I have tried lots of different vegan proteins and these two are the best both texturally and taste wise
I drink this stuff for breakfast as a matter of convenience, but you can bake with it too.
Anthony's Premium Pea Protein, 2lbs, Plant Based, Gluten Free, Unflavored
https://www.amazon.com/Anthonys-Protein-Plant-Gluten-Friendly/dp/B01COARRFE
You can get Rice or Pea protein, for ~$15 per 2 lbs. It is hard to find any protein cheaper than that unless you go Whey. As for proper food at least here in Sweden minced meat or frozen chicken is the cheapest choices I've found and then add rice or potatoes and some veg.
Whey protein powder!! Or if you are allergic to lactose like me, go for some good vegan protein powder. Protein powder from peas really smell and taste like ass. Try to get the one from brown rice, it has a pretty neutral taste in smoothies and it's one of the best one overall for non vegans. I personally like this brand but idk what's your price range
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Edit: hyperlink
I’m partial to this stuff. Mixes well. Tastes great. I general love all of this brand’s supplements.
I like this one by Biochem. It's kind of expensive though.
"Good" is subjective really. I cannot vouch for taste, however I can provide you however with very cheap soy protein powder which (I think at least?) is heat treated so shouldn't have the phytoestrogens or whatever:
https://www.amazon.com/Bulksupplemets-Protein-Isolate-Powder-kilogram/dp/B01K2UDXBK/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1520977724&sr=1-4&keywords=soy+protein
Any soy/pea protein powder is pretty good honestly (Except bulk supplement pea protein, unless you're an athlete, cause it has a LOT of salt). Again, cannot vouch for taste. Just find something you like. Maybe try a bunch of cheaper samples or something? Idk what your budget is like lol. Hope this helped :)
Purely Inspired Organic Protein Powder, 100% Plant Based Healthy Protein, French Vanilla,1.5 pounds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K0FTJ1Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-u9xCb1EYN8BY
Yep, that's what I've been using. I got the Evolve stuff
I did a ton of research and this stuff is the safest... gotta be careful with vegan powder because lots of times there's heavy metals in them from the pesticides... the evolve stuff is the lowest amount of heavy metals of any other vegan powder tested. It's just kinda expensive though.
I use the Hemp Yeah Max Protein . It’s been great for me since I have a dairy intolerance and don’t respond well to other plant proteins like pea, rice or almond, and find anything more than a couple ounces of fish or poultry hard on my digestive system.
I try to follow a lectin-free diet, so hemp seems to be the most agreeable plant-based protein.
FWIW I find that mixing the powder in avocado or MCT oil makes it more palatable and digestible.
chocolate flavored pea protein powder. Perhaps should have been more descriptive first time around
Growing Naturals Chocolate Power Rice Protein is my go to. 24g of protein per serving, blends up well and awesome taste.
This one.
Amazon links for informational purposes only.
1x scoop Vega Sport Protein (Vega Sport Protein Powder, Chocolate, 4.36 lb, 45 Servings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXZS18X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vVjFzbYHKRE6S)
4x tablespoons of PBFit (PBfit All-Natural Peanut Butter Powder, 30 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KKEECLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9jkFzbQXSNSAT)
I did the math (pictured) and I'm not even getting a quarter of my wanted caloric intake (3.5k+). I'm 170 and slender, trying to get huge gains, and I workout daily but I also notice I get hungry A LOT. I told myself I'd change and I'm seeing it not as easy as powder + water.