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Meat might contain all of the essential amino acids needed to build protein but let’s make one thing clear: plants have proteins too! Just because you’re sticking to a vegan diet doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice protein to stay healthy and save the environment. Vegan protein powders are an excellent way to supplement your daily protein intake, especially if you find the best brands.
Vegan protein powders contain just as much protein as dairy-based products but without the added sugar and fat. They offer healthy, plant-based protein to help you meet your daily requirements, stay fit, and build stronger, leaner muscles. Be sure to find brands with the best formulas to get the best results.
Sorting through dozens of products can take time and effort. If you’re struggling to find the best vegan protein powders, keep reading. We’ll introduce you to 10 of the best vegan protein powders on the market and guide you through what to look for.
Stop sacrificing protein from your daily diet and start building a healthier mind and body!
The Top 10 Best Vegan Protein Powders (100% Plant-Based)
It took a lot of effort to narrow our list to just 10 top vegan protein powders but we’re happy to finally present the best products we could find.
We were careful to test and assess each powder before including it in our list, that way you know you’re getting the best products.
Check out what we found and stay tuned later to learn how we judged each supplement.
1. Huge Vegan – Best Vegan Protein Powder of 2022
- Easily digested and absorbed
- Delicious flavors
- Made from protein-rich beans, rice, and peas
- Lean formula
- Competitively priced
Huge Supplements is an industry-leading line of workout and dietary supplements renowned for their dedication to quality and customer care. All of their products are formulated according to well-researched science, and their line of vegan protein powders is no exception.
Huge Vegan is able to match the same high protein content you’d expect from a whey-based powder while still managing to be completely dairy-free.
It’s formulated from a unique blend of rice, yellow split peas, and beans, helping to add 20 grams of protein to your diet with only 120 calories.
This makes it one of the leanest, protein-heaviest vegan products on the market.
Head to Huge Supplement’s official website to pick up a tub of Huge Vegan in the following delicious flavors:
- Cookies & Cream
- Birthday Cake
- Graham Cracker
- Cinnamon Crunch
- Marshmallow Madness
Based on the quality of ingredients used to make Huge Vegan and their range of delicious flavors, you’re getting a good deal for the price.
Give it a try today and feel how vegan protein can change your life.
2. Transparent Labs ProteinSeries Organic Vegan
- Clearly labeled packaging
- Transparent research
- Smooth texture
- USDA Certified Organic
- Easily digested and absorbed
For most people, going vegan is a new chance at a healthier lifestyle. Yet, to maintain good health, you have to know what you’re putting into your body. Otherwise, you could be consuming additives, artificial flavorings, and unlisted fillers.
Transparent Labs formulates their ProteinSeries Organic Vegan powder using a 2-to-1 ratio of rice and pea proteins. Best of all, it’s completely free from artificial sweeteners or other fillers that would take away from the product.
You can find ProteinSeries Organic Vegan on Transparent Labs’ official website in two all-natural flavors:
- Chocolate
- French Vanilla
Every tub of ProteinSeries Organic Vegan contains 30 scoops of powder, which can be mixed with water or dairy substitutes and consumed once a day.
3. ALOHA Organic Plant-Based Protein
- USDA Certified Organic
- Non-GMO
- Soy-Free; Gluten Free
- Easily Digested
- Stevia-Free
ALOHA is a relatively new company dedicated to producing vegan products in line with the growing B-Corps movement. Their commitment to sustainable farming, fair labor, and transparent labeling sets them apart from larger conglomerates that only seek to profit.
All of ALOHA’s protein powders are certified organic by the USDA and made from non-GMO plant-based protein.
Every serving of ALOHA Organic Plant-Based powder is packed with 18 grams of protein extracted from hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, peas, and brown rice.
It also contains a healthy dose of fiber to help you digest the supplement. It’s flavored using natural ingredients, such as cocoa, rather than relying on artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, or stevia.
Find ALOHA Organic Plant-Based Protein on Amazon in two delicious flavors:
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
You may want to order a couple of tubs at a time, though, as a single container only holds enough powder to make 15 shakes.
This makes it slightly more expensive than other brands but ALOHA’s commitment to eco-friendly practices makes them well worth the added price.
4. NOW Sports Pea Protein
- Unadulterated protein
- Large tubs
- Easily mixes into any beverage
- Easily digested
NOW Foods has a long history of creating health foods and supplements, dating back to the early days of the industry. Since the 1960s, they’ve been producing quality proteins, including their NOW Sports Pea Protein. And when NOW says pea protein, they mean pea protein.
NOW Sports Pea Protein is formulated from 100% pea protein. They simply take yellow split peas, dry them, grind them up, and extract as much protein as possible. In every serving, you’ll find 24 grams of protein, chalked full of branched-chain amino acids and arginine.
Peas are both easy to digest and unlikely to cause allergic reactions, making this a top choice for soy or gluten-intolerant vegans.
It’s only available in an unflavored variety, which you can find on Amazon. It’s sold in large 1.5 lbs. tubs with enough powder to make around 34 shakes.
Try it today and put some more protein in your diet.
5. EVOLVE Plant-Based Protein
- High in iron and fiber
- Environmentally conscious brand
- Certified Non-GMO
- Large 2lbs packaging
A lot of vegan food brands talk the talk but fail to walk the walk. EVOLVE stands out from the crowd for their dedicated efforts to protecting the environment and building an eco-friendly business model.
Through a partnership with the U.S. National Parks System, they’ve created a line of products that directly support American lands and increase access to the National Parks.
Their Plant-Based Protein is formulated from 100% pea protein to help restore nitrogen content in their topsoil. It’s also fortified with additional iron and fiber to make it more substantial and easier to digest than other protein products.
However, Evolve Plant-Based Protein is flavored using sugar, making it slightly more calorically dense than other products.
Pick up a 1 or 2lbs tub of EVOLVE Plant-Based Protein from Amazon in these two flavors:
- Double Chocolate
- Vanilla Bean
It’s delicious, affordable, and—best of all—supports our National Parks. Give it a try and enjoy the sweet taste of plant-based protein.
6. VeGa Sport Protein
- Unique formula made from vegetables
- High-density lean protein
- Higher-than-average micronutrient content
- Formulated with probiotics
If your mom ever told you to eat your greens as a kid, she was onto something. At VeGa, they made sure to head their mothers’ advice and added a hefty dose of vegetables to all of their health food products.
This sets them apart from other brands that rely on beans and seeds for their protein. Best of all, VeGa is B-Corps certified and dedicated to sustainable farming practices.
VeGa Sport Protein contains an outstanding 30-gram dose of protein, along with 5 grams of branched-chain amino acids and probiotics to help ease digestion.
It’s formulated using a unique blend of beetroot, tart cherry, alfalfa, sunflower seed, pumpkin, and pea protein to create one of the most potent vegan protein products on the market.
Find VeGa Sport Protein on Amazon in the following five flavors:
- Mocha
- Berry
- Peanut Butter
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
Our only complaint about VeGa Sports Protein is that it’s not suitable for anyone with nut, soy, or gluten allergies.
Although the product itself doesn’t contain these ingredients, it’s manufactured in close proximity to them, meaning it could be contaminated.
7. Sprout Living Epic Protein
- Unique ingredients from all over the world
- Holistic approach to health
- Organic and Non-GMO
- 7 different flavors
As far as Sprout Living is concerned, they’re just as much a health food brand as they are a protein or workout supplement manufacturer.
They pride themselves on their wide range of exotic and organically grown superfood ingredients, including lucuma, buckthorn, chlorella, and maca. You can find most of these ingredients in their vegan Epic Living protein.
Each scoop of Sprout Living Epic Protein contains 19 grams of protein, sourced from cranberry seeds, Jerusalem artichoke root, peas, pumpkin seed, sacha inchi, and sunflower seeds.
Depending on which flavor you buy, you can also find a variety of powerful superfood ingredients that help support a healthy diet. These include:
- Chocolate Maca
- Vanilla Lucuma
- Pro Collagen
- Real Spot
- Unflavored
Sprout Living Epic Protein is available on Amazon and comes in 16oz bags, 2 lbs bags, and 5 lbs tubs.
We should warn you, though, this protein powder is pretty calorically dense, with as many as 186 calories depending on which variety you take.
8. VeganSmart All-In-One
- Formulated with fruits and veggies for added micronutrients
- Certified Low Glycemic Index for diabetics
- Non-GMO
- Outstanding list of ingredients
College buddies Kareem Cook and Claude Tellis didn’t set out to sell workout supplements. Instead, they joined forces to fix a problem they’d seen firsthand at home and in their communities—childhood obesity and diet-related illnesses.
After years of partnership, they’ve built a solid brand of vegan products aimed at solving dietary problems.
VeganSmart All-in-One protein is formulated using a complex list of ingredients, including 40 different fruits, 14 leafy greens, 5 plant-based protein sources, prebiotics, and enzymes to help aid digestion.
Combined together, this is one of the most nutritional products on the market with 22 vitamins and minerals and 20 grams of protein in every serving.
You can purchase a 1.5 lbs tub of VeganSmart protein from Amazon in the following four flavors:
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Chai
- Wild Berries
As nutritious as VeganSmart is, it is a bit calorically dense with as many as 180 calories in each serving.
9. Gold Standard 100% PLANT Protein
- Vegan protein designed for athletes
- Fortified with added vitamins
- Organic and Non-GMO
- Contains added glutamine and BCAAs
A lot of vegan protein powders market themselves to average people wanting to supplement some of their daily protein requirements.
Few products are designed for bodybuilders and athletes. Gold Standard breaks with that tradition to offer a completely plant-based protein powder designed and formulated with athletes in mind.
Every serving of Gold Standard 100% PLANT protein contains 24 grams of pea, brown rice, and sacha inchi protein along with an added 4 grams of branched-chain amino acids to aid post-workout recovery.
To top it off, it’s also fortified with 100% of your daily vitamin C requirement and a hefty dose of vitamin B12.
Purchase Gold Standard 100% PLANT protein off Amazon in the following flavors:
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Unflavored
It comes in a 1.5 lbs. tub with enough powder to make nearly 20 servings.
10. AboutTime
- Delicious formulas made by a PA Culinary School graduate
- Gluten and soy-free
- Easily digested
- Lean protein
Last but not least, we wanted to share AboutTime Vegan Protein. This product might look like a typical protein supplement but what sets it apart is that it was formulated for flavor by a culinary school graduate.
By combining stevia extracts and coconut oil powder, AboutTime was able to produce a delicious protein supplement that’s both smooth and creamy.
Every dose of AboutTime Vegan Protein contains 20 grams of all-natural plant-based proteins, extracted from pumpkin seeds, peas, and brown rice.
Despite its delicious flavor, though, AboutTime Vegan Protein only contains 120 calories in each serving. Our only complaint is that it’s got a lot more saturated fat than other products, due to the added coconut oil.
Purchase a tub of AboutTime Vegan Protein from Amazon in the following three flavors:
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Salted Caramel
AboutTime protein is sold in large 2lbs tubs, providing you with enough power to about 30 shakes.
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How We Picked the Best Vegan Protein Powders
Before we could pick the top 10 vegan protein powders, we had to know what to look for. After some thought, we came up with four main factors that influenced our decision.
Check them out below and use the same guidelines as you start searching for your own quality health foods and workout supplements.
Does it Use the Right Ingredients?
First and foremost, we had to make sure that each product was formulated using high-quality, healthy, and nutritious ingredients. If you take a look back through our list, you’ll find that just about every product is made from USDA certified organic and non-GMO produce.
These ingredients include yellow split peas, pumpkin seeds, rice, beans, and a host of high-protein vegetables.
If we found unnecessary fillers, such as artificial flavorings or chemical compounds, we immediately scratched the product from our list. As a vegan, you’re not going to want all those useless fillers.
We also had to guarantee that every powder contains a complete protein profile with an optimal number of branched-chain amino acids. Because only a handful of plants contain complete protein profiles, we had to carefully test each supplement and ensure that it produces quality results.
Products that failed to provide a hefty dose of protein or lacked a complete protein profile were automatically excluded.
After investing much effort, we were finally able to walk away with a list of nutritious and beneficial protein powders.
How Does it Taste?
Taste might seem inconsequential compared to health and well-being but you’d be surprised what a difference it can make.
Before adding a product to our list, we had to make sure that it tasted pleasant enough that you’d enjoy drinking it. Otherwise, you’d end up wasting money on a disgusting protein powder that you never use.
Along with taste, we considered how the brands created the flavor. It simply isn’t enough for a protein powder to taste good if it’s loaded with sugar and artificial flavorings.
Instead, we hunted down products that rely on all-natural flavorings, like cocoa powder, stevia, and vanilla bean.
What are the Macros?
Macros, or macronutrients, are the three essential nutrients your body needs to build new tissues and stay energized throughout daily life.
They include protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Most foods contain some amount of all three macros, and protein powders are no exception. Yet, you don’t want to take a protein supplement with a weird imbalance of macros.
First, protein powders should contain a hefty dose of protein. The average adult needs about 50 grams of protein a day, so we specifically looked for products with at least 1/3 of that requirement. Also, we looked for products with hardly any fat or sugar. Although they are necessary macros, fats and carbs can quickly pile up on your belly, undoing your hard work at the gym.
Does it Have Enough Value?
Last but not least, the price can make or break a decision. We felt that we couldn’t honestly list products that cost more than their worth because it wouldn’t be fair to our readers.
Therefore, we considered the price-to-volume of each tub, as well as the quality of the ingredients and dosages of protein in each product.
If we found that a product didn’t live up to its price, you won’t find it on our list. Stick to the same mentality as you start looking for a quality protein powder and rule out any product you fail to see the value in.
What to Know About Vegan Protein Powder
If you’re new to vegan protein powders, you may be unfamiliar with their wide range of benefits.
Check out what we love about these products below and consider how they can benefit you.
It’s a Great Source of Protein
This should go without saying but vegan protein powders are a great source of protein. Just about every product on our list contains 20-or-more grams of protein, making up nearly half of your daily protein requirements.
Yet, they’re not just full of protein. Most vegan powders are also fortified with raw branched-chain amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
These compounds help transform complete proteins into new tissues. After a workout, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to hit the gym sooner than before and have more energy to do so.
Best of all, vegan proteins are typically healthier for you because they come free of dairy fats and sugars.
It Supports Weight Loss
Compared to the other two macronutrients, protein supports weight loss. Proteins are made of long, intricately folded chains of amino acids that can only be broken apart by specific enzymes realized from the pancreas and stomach.
This means they take more time to digest than fats and sugars, forcing your body to expend more energy just to consume them.
Yet, that’s not the only way vegan protein can help you lose weight. When you consume protein after a moderate to intense workout, your body uses it to repair small microlesion created in your muscle tissue.
This builds more muscle mass, which requires more energy to maintain and support. The stronger you get, the more calories you’ll burn in everyday life. Adding vegan protein into your diet can help promote stronger muscles, a higher metabolism, and—eventually—greater weight loss.
Your Body Absorbs It Better
When you were a kid, your mom probably told you to eat your greens. Although they are excellent sources of protein, your mom likely wasn’t thinking of your gains at the time. Instead, she was thinking about digestion.
Plants are the number-one source of fiber in the human diet and, if there’s one thing everyone knows about fiber, it’s that it’s good for digestion.
Compared to dairy-based protein powders, vegan protein supplements are typically higher in fiber and included added prebiotics to ease digestion. These compounds make it far easier for your body to absorb the protein without wasting a single gram of nutrition.
You’ll avoid the constipation and bloating you’d experience with standard protein powders and walk away with better results
It Builds Muscle Mass
If you didn’t already know it, protein helps build muscle. It’s one of the three essential macronutrients needed to build new bodily tissues, and without it, your muscles would atrophy and die.
When you push your muscles to their limits, it creates small tears in the tissue that have to be repaired. When your body heals, it uses protein to fill in the tears with new muscle.
New tissue allows your muscles to perform longer and stronger than before, preventing further damage. Without protein, though, your muscles would stay injured and shrink overtime.
Prevent this from happening by getting your daily protein requirement with vegan protein powder.
It Boosts Exercise Performance
Remember how we said that most vegan protein powders contain added doses of vitamins and branched-chain amino acids?
These compounds do more than just make up a part of your daily dietary needs. They’re also effective micronutrients that promote cellular regeneration and prevent inflammation.
Without that pesky inflammation, your muscles are able to push harder, stronger, and longer than they normally would. This translates to better performance at the gym, helping you to make the most of your daily workouts.
Be sure to find a vegan protein powder that contains a healthy dose of micronutrients, especially vitamins A, B12, and C.
How to Use Vegan Protein Powder
Most people use vegan protein powder to make a quick ‘milk’ shake but don’t feel limited to just one use.
It’s a lot more versatile than people give it credit for. We recommend the following three recipes to get your daily dose of vegan protein powder.
Make a Vegan Protein Shake
The first and most common use for vegan protein powder is to make a vegan ‘milk’ shake:
- Pour 1½ cups of water or your preferred dairy substitute into a shaker or blender.
- Scoop 1 serving of Huge Vegan, or your preferred protein powder, into the shaker or blender.
- Add a handful of ice cubes to the mix and blend until smooth.
- For more flavor, add banana, mango, or your favorite berries to transform your milkshake into a smoothie.
Drink at least 1 shake a day to help supplement some of your daily protein requirements. We recommend getting at least half of your protein intake from a healthy diet but, if you’re struggling to do so, protein powders are an excellent way to boost your consumption.
Make Vegan Protein Pancakes
Don’t get us wrong, vegan protein shakes are delicious and you can spice them up in so many ways but, at some point, you may get tired of drinking a daily shake.
When this happens, consider mixing things up with this delicious vegan protein pancake recipe:
- Sift 1 serving of Huge Vegan, or your preferred vegan protein powder, into 2 cups of Bisquick Pancake Baking Mix.
- Whisk 1 cup of your preferred dairy substitute and ½ cup of your egg substitute into the powder until smooth with slight clumps.
- Spoon a ladle’s worth of the batter onto an oiled and hot skillet.
- Wait for bubbles to rise in the batter and flip before they all pop.
- Cook until finished and then serve.
This recipe is quick, easy, and completely vegan-friendly. Serve them up in the morning and enjoy them with a side of berries and maple syrup.
Make Vegan Protein Cookies
Last but not least, you can add some vegan protein powder to a simple peanut butter cookie recipe to transform your dessert into a health food:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Scoop 1 cup of peanut butter into a large metal bowl.
- Add 1 cup of white sugar to the peanut butter.
- Pour ¼ cup of egg substitute into the bowl.
- Sift 1 serving of Huge Vegan, or your preferred vegan protein powder, into the mix and whisk together until it forms a smooth batter.
- Spoon out ping-pong-sized balls of batter onto a greased cooking tray and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
This recipe is delicious and easy to make after dinner. We recommend using a chocolate-flavored protein powder to add a little more flavor and sweetness.
Vegan Protein Powder vs Whey
A lot of athletes complain that vegan protein powders just don’t have the same complexity as whey protein. That’s simply not true. Plant-based protein products contain just as much protein as dairy-based supplements without the added lactose and saturated fat.
Vegan protein supplements are carefully formulated from high-protein ingredients that are scientifically proven to have complete protein profiles.
Read the research for yourself and give them a try to feel the difference today.
Should You Start Taking Vegan Protein Powder?
If you’re currently following a vegan protein powder, you may struggle to get all 50 grams of your daily protein requirements. If so, we HIGHLY recommend taking a vegan protein powder.
Just a single scoop of powder a day can help you reach your daily intake without much difficulty. No more building recipes around protein and no more struggling to stay on course.
Is it Healthy to Take Vegan Protein Powders?
Yes! Vegan protein powders are formulated from organic and non-GMO plant-based ingredients that are low in fat and chalked full of vitamins, minerals, and essential macronutrients.
As long as you follow a healthy vegan diet that includes your daily caloric requirements, vegan protein powders make a wonderful addition to any breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.
The Bottom Line
If you’re currently following a vegan diet, you don’t have to cut out protein entirely.
You should be supplementing protein back into your diet using a vegan protein powder. It has many benefits, including increasing muscle mass and even supporting weight loss.
In this article, we’ve gone over what we found to be the 10 best vegan protein powders out on the market.
Out of all the options, we were most impressed by Huge Supplements’ Vegan protein – it has excellent macros, plus, it tastes beyond amazing.
We hope that our information helps you make the right choice!
