My Naturopath recently suggested that I increase my protein intake at breakfast after looking at my daily food log and finding that I was coming up short on occasion. Breakfast is usually my meal that’s lowest in protein (lunch and dinner are fine) and he thought that an increase in breakfast protein could help with my energy levels and workout recovery. Knowing that I’m a vegan, he suggested using protein powder as an easy way to sneak in more protein.
I’ve tried all kinds of protein powders and tend to go through phases with them. Sometimes I use them every day for a week and other times I fall off the wagon or just forget to buy it when I run out. I think part of the problem is that I’ve never been able to find one that meets all of my needs. I’m really picky with protein powders! Sometimes they have sneaky artificial sweeteners, too much sugar, taste like dirt, or they just don’t have as much protein per serving as I’m looking for. If I’m going to fork money over for powder, it better be high in protein!
I said I would give his protein-boosting breakfast challenge a try and set out to find the perfect protein powder once again. I remembered Ashley saying that she was really happy with the Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder, so I thought I would give it a try since she gave it rave reviews.
The specs of this protein powder:
- 17 grams of protein per serving (per 1/4 cup scoop)
- Only 80 calories per serving
- Less than 1 gram of sugar per serving
- No fillers, artificial flavours, or synthetics
- USDA Organic
- Probiotic and enzyme blend
- Recyclable container
That is a lot of protein per serving for very few calories!
Ingredient list:
The nutritional profile:
One thing I really like about this protein powder is that there’s no added sugar. I like to be able to control my own sweetener in my smoothies (hello, frozen bananas), so this is a nice change.
What about the taste?
Well, let me just say that it’s pretty earthy, but certainly not the worst protein powder I have tasted (hemp, I’m looking at you).
Don’t expect to add this protein powder into a smoothie without any fruit/sweetener and enjoy the taste. That’s to be expected because there’s no sugar to cover up the taste like in other powders. I would say it’s quite easy to mask the taste with a frozen banana or other fun ingredients. Once I added my normal smoothie ingredients, it was fine!
What I don’t like about this protein powder:
- I’m sure there is iron in this powder, but they don’t report it. As a vegan, this is crucial info for me to know.
- It’s expensive to buy from a natural food store ($40-45), but I found it online from Iherb for $27.97 and you can probably find it cheaper.
- Very slightly chalky and earthy tasting, but again, I don’t think this is a deal breaker for me. It’s much less chalky than some powders I have tried.
I also picked up this Heartland Gold Brown Rice Protein Powder to compare it to the Garden of Life Brand. Compared to Garden of Life, this gives me much more bang for my buck. It has 40 servings per container vs. Garden Of Life’s 28 servings. It’s also about $8 cheaper too.
At less than $1 per 16 grams of protein, I’d say this is a cheap source of protein!
This protein powder has just one ingredient: Organic Compliant, Sprouted, Non-GMO, Brown Rice Protein Concentrate! It’s vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. I think this would be comparable to the popular Sun Warrior Protein Powder as it’s 100% sprouted brown rice.
It’s 80 calories per scoop and 16 grams of protein. It also has 40% of the RDA for iron which is good for me to know as a vegan.
I also love that it’s a Canadian company based out of Toronto. I was not able to find a website for them though! Suspicious…
The cons?
It’s a bit more chalky than the Garden of Life protein powder, but only slightly more chalky. This was me comparing them side by side, mind you. The flavour is still earthy (remember- it’s unsweetened), but it’s less earthy tasting than the Garden Of Life powder. Unlike GOL, it’s not a complete protein source, but as long as I get a balance of protein sources over the day, it shouldn’t be an issue.
I still have yet to find my perfect protein powder, but I think these are two decent options weighing the pros and cons. I will definitely buy them again.
With one scoop of powder you now have a high protein smoothie base of 17 grams of protein. Add some chia seeds and other smoothie ingredients and you have yourself a smoothie that’s 24-25 grams of protein per serving.
As for my energy levels? I’ve noticed that I don’t get as hungry before lunch as I used to and I seem to be more focused and alert in the morning. I think it’s probably a better balance of carbs/protein/fat for my body’s needs.
Are you a protein powder fan? Which ones have you tried and loved or tried and hated?
I absolutely adore Amazing Grass chocolate amazing meal. It’s 10g protein per scoop, so not as high as yours, but I’m picky and it’s the only one I truly like. It’s vegan, soy free, dairy free, raw, and chalked full of good for you ingredients! Love, love, love.
Hi Angela
I am with you about trying to find a protein powder that doesn’t taste like dirt! I use 100 % Pumpkin Seed Protein powder, it is organic and no sugar or additives etc.
You will love it- it’s tasteless and I also add it to everything I bake for kids…pancakes, muffins etc.
Cathy
BioChem! I know it sounds like a lab experiment but it’s a very healthy protein powder that I purchase from Sprouts. The vanilla flavor is awesome, smells like a cake, and mixes very easily. The taste blends in beautifully with any smoothie recipe and is quite delicious when just mixed with some coconut milk for a great blend of protein, essential fatty acids, and calcium. They also have a “greens and whey” version that I enjoy…its green state frightens some people, but I just mix it with water and enjoy it very much, mostly for the “superwoman” blast of energy that follows. :)
Although there are so many brands, I personally love Vega. The company is founded in Vancouver, BC (yay, Canadian!) and it tastes delicious. They have geared their brand toward athletes, but still have varieties that are great for everyday use.
sunwarrior vanilla is amazing!!! blends really well! but don’t get the chocolate, most people i know who’ve tried the chocolate end up returning it.
Have you tried protein plus peanut flour? It is low fat, all natural (no salt or sugar added), high protein, and tastes delicious.
1/4 cup is 110 calories and 16g of protein.
http://proteinplusflour.com/
I started using Complete protein shake by Juice Plus. It’s complete vegan and taste great to me. It comes in vanilla and chocolate!
I like the Raw Protein the best of the vegan protein powders I’ve tried. The fine texture, absence of sugar, decent taste (I even think it smells good), and quality ingredients make it worth every penny. It’s also easy to digest.
Nutiva Hemp isn’t earthy at all and blends magnificently into a smoothie. I’ve been using it for years and LOVE it! Garden of Life Super Seed is excellent too. It is so mild and has a subtle sweetness but NO stevia aftertaste;-)
The best protein powder I have found, sugar free, dairy, soy,gluten free is Naturade Soy Free Protein powder vegetable based Natural Flavor. aprox $.25- 32. for 32 ounces, 27 grams protein!! for 1/3 cup. no or very little after taste. Great with frozen fruit & yogart..no sugar low with this powder. It can only be found online at Naturade or Amazon. I have been using this powder for 30+ years It helps maintain my weight at a resonsable weight. I use it 2x a day and have yet to get tired of it. any questions just ask.
katie
My husband has been diagnosed with Hemochromatosis (iron overload) as well as Candida (yeast overgrowth). If someone could recommend a protein powder which is low in both sugar and iron, it would be greatly appreciated. Oh, he’s also allergic to wheat and yeast. Poor guy!! We live in Ontario, Canada. Thanks for any suggestions and/or help.
Vicki
I am looking for a good rice protein powder.
I would like recipes that don’t use any milk
at all.Thank you
Isnt there a vegan protein powder like these that you could live off of it only?
I have been looking for a good protein powder that is vegan- but does NOT contain stevia. I know it is a natural product, but has an artificial sweetener type taste to me. Same with monk fruit which I am finding as a sweetener in many vegan products today. My question is about Garden of Life’s source of vitamin D, which is listed only as D on the label.
P.s. I used to use Spiritein Vanilla which I loved, but it contains bee pollen which is of concern to me ( re: the way it is obtained).
Loving that I stumbled onto your site! I have enjoyed digging through all of your recipes. I can’t wait to try a few this week after visiting Whole Foods! I know this is kind of a “old” post, but have you ever tried Arbonne protein powder? Being the health conscious freak that I am it was only natural for me to become a consultant after researching and trying ALL of their products, LOL! Our protein powders come in chocolate or vanilla flavors and are vegan with no artificial colors, flavors, sweetners, or additives, and are gluten and lactose free along with 20 essential vitamins and minerals! Each serving is 20 grams of protein sourced from pea, cranberry, and rice. I don’t wanna be partial, but it tastes GREAT! Let me know if you’d like to try a sample. Very delicious and may become your new favorite! Keep up the AWESOME work with you blog. LOVING it!
I’ve been looking for a protein powder to add to our daily smoothies and almost bought the hemp one yesterday (it looks like I made a good choice in skipping it and doing more research?). Thanks for the great reviews – they were really helpful in my research to find the best options!
I’m trying Warrior Food by Warrior Force. It’s vegan (made of sprouted hemp and organic, non GMO brown rice) and comes in vanilla, chocolate and natural. No artificial flavors, chocolate and vanilla options are sweetened with a little bit of stevia (which is completely healthy and natural) and everything is raw! Check it out http://www.healthforce.com/warrior-force
I would love for you to post some of your smoothie recipes. I have GOL Raw Vanilla.
Has anyone tried Perfect Fit Organic Brown rice protein. It is pretty good. Gluten free, non gmo, vegan. Only a few ingredients which I really like: organic sprouted whole grain brown rice protein, organic vanilla flavor, organic guar gum, organic stevia, sea salt. 3 carbs and 0 sugars…15 grams protein per serving..