What is the best vegan protein powder available?
Are you a vegan looking for a good vegan protein powder? You are probably wondering what is the best vegan protein powder available.
Buying vegan protein can be a bit of a minefield. You want one that is effective, tastes great and mixes well. So, let's look at the options and find out what is the best vegan protein powder available.
The best vegan protein powder is one that gives you high quality, easily digestible protein at a good price. You will need to make sure that it mixes well with water or oat milk as a chalky, clumpy vegan whey is not pleasant.
Flavour is going to be another factor. Some vegan protein is well marketed and branded but can have an artificial or metallic taste. We have checked all of the top-selling vegan protein powders and done the legwork for you!
Is regular whey vegan friendly?
Regular whey is derived from milk protein so it is not vegan friendly. If you are a strict vegan, you will need to look at specialist vegan protein products as an alternative.
With the growing vegan trend, protein manufacturers are realising that there is a huge demand for vegan protein powders and these are now readily available from supplement stores and websites.
Is there a difference between vegan protein powder and regular whey?
Regular whey protein powder is derived from cow's milk. It is very high in protein, easily absorbed by the body and generally mixes well with water. Vegan protein powder is made from plant-based ingredients such as soy, rice, peas and hemp.
Vegan protein powders are often enhanced with powdered vegetables and fruits for added nutrition.
Some studies have shown that vegan protein powder and regular whey give the same benefits when it comes to hypertrophy making them both ideal for bodybuilding or strength training.
Vegan protein does outperform regular whey in a few other ways. It is easier on the digestive system and, when taken with regular fibre, it has thermogenic, fat-burning qualities.
Even if you are not a vegan, dip your toes in and try a vegan protein powder and see if you feel the extra benefits. Especially if you struggle to digest regular whey or find that it leaves you feeling bloated.
What makes a good vegan protein powder?
- Price - This is going to be a major factor when shopping for your protein powder as prices are hugely varied. Don't be guided purely on price. Make sure that you also check product reviews. There is no point in buying a cheap powder that you can't tolerate.
- Mixability - How your vegan protein powder mixes with water or oat milk is going to dictate how enjoyable it is. Having a chalky, clumpy drink is not something that you are going to want to consume regularly.
- Flavour - You can buy plain vegan powder and flavour it yourself or one that already contains flavourings. Some of these taste great but some of them don't! Checking reviews is going to help here.
- Nutrition - Vegan protein powder is obviously going to be high in protein but you need to keep an eye on calorie content. If you are trying to lose weight, you will need to opt for one that is low in calories.
What are the best vegan protein powders available today?
- Price - 9/10 - This is one of the cheapest vegan protein powders on the market today and it tastes better on some of the options that are 4x the price.
- Mixability - 8/10 - This powder mixes very well with oat milk to provide a creamy shake. It mixes well with water if you use a blender or NutriNinja but struggles to fully dissolve in a protein shaker.
- Nutrition - 10/10 - One serving provides 21g of protein for only 98 calories.
- Flavour - 8/10 - The flavours available are delicious and there are six of them to choose from. We recommend the Belgian chocolate flavour. We have knocked a couple of points off as the banana flavour tastes very artificial, almost like a kids' banana medicine.
- Price - 6/10 - Wyldsson is well packaged and marketed but it is also a lot more expensive than the other options listed on this page. That being said, if money is not a factor for you, it is the best quality vegan protein powder that you can buy.
- Mixability - 10/10 - This vegan protein powder mixes very well with either oat milk or water just in a shaker. No clumps and no chalky texture.
- Nutrition - 8/10 - Slightly higher in calories than other powders at 129 cals per 20g serving of protein. It is enriched with vitamins and iron though.
- Flavour - 7/10 - The flavour is great, the problem is that there are only two of them. This is why we have marked it down a few points. They do offer an unflavoured version which you can add berries and syrups to.
- Price - 10/10 - Bulk powders vegan protein powder is the cheapest available at this time.
- Mixability - 5/10 - This is where this powder falls down. We have found it impossible to mix with water or oat milk in a protein shaker. It mixes okay with a blender but you still need to look out for the odd clump.
- Nutrition - 6/10 - At 131 calories per serving, this is probably one to avoid if you are trying to reduce body fat.
- Flavour - 6/10 - Flavour is a bit of an issue with some of the options from Bulk Powders. We have found that both the vanilla and the banana caramel flavours left a very metallic aftertaste. White chocolate coconut was a bit strange also. The strawberry and the peanut butter flavours both tasted okay and tended to mix better than the other flavours as well.
