Whey seems to be the first name in protein supplements but it is NOT the only game in town. Plant based proteins are available but aren’t as popular because of taste and price. Whey tends to be less expensive and often tastes so much better. Plant based proteins often have what I call an “earthy” taste. Soy is usually most palatable with rice and hemp being the least, in my opinion. Blends of plant proteins usually yield the best taste but that lends itself to a higher price.
If you’re following a vegan diet or have a dairy allergy or intolerance finding a plant based protein supplement can help balance your daily plate. Just don’t feel like you have to suffer with a gritty unpleasant protein powder. There are tasty options if you know where to look.
To find the best tasting plant based protein powders, I employed the same methods as I did when I found the best tasting whey protein powders. I chose all chocolate and followed the directions on the package, drinking it straight from my BlenderBottle with water (unless otherwise directed). I purchased all of them with the exception of DailyBurn Fuel. (I won it in a completely unrelated Instagram contest. Yah me!) Here is the list of contenders:
- Plant Fusion Chocolate
- Vega Protein Smoothie Choc-a-lot
- Vega Sport Recovery Chocolate
- Rice Protein Chocolate
- True Vitality Chocolate
- Phood Chocolate Caramel
- Skinny Gut Ultimate Shake Natural Chocolate
- DailyBurn Fuel-6 Chocolate
- Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Chocolate
- Spirutein Chocolate
- Garden Of Life Raw Protein Real Raw Chocolate
And the winners?
Plant Fusion
Plant Fusion was the first “new to me” plant powered protein I sampled and I love it. It had a really natural cocoa flavor, not a fake super sweet one. It was smooth but not rich. Despite a little clump let in the bottom of the bottle it didn’t have a gritty taste in my mouth. I found mine locally at Mama Jean’s Natural Market but if you don’t live in SGF you can purchase it from All Star Health.
Spirutein Chocolate
Spirutein Chocolate is not VEGAN (due to the addition of bee pollen) but it tastes yummy. It is made from plant based proteins, a mixture of soy and pea. I also thought this one was creamier but that could be because I mixed it with milk (almond coconut milk to be exact) because I followed the directions. Once mixed it had a couple of clumps going down the hatch but nothing left behind in the bottom of the bottle. It’s easy to find in single serve packages if you want to give it a try.
True Vitality
True Vitality is my go to vegan protein powder. While mixing it my BlenderBottle can be challenging it has a pleasant taste. It’s a blend of pea, hemp and rice protein powder with added digestive enzymes and omega 3 fatty acids. DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid found in fish, is hard to get from plant based sources. Like my Ovega, they get theirs from algae.
As with whey, I had a hard time finding samples of many brands to try. I am sure I am missing someone’s favorite plant based protein powder. Which one do you enjoy and why?
