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?
My favorite Vegan protein is Sunwarrior, worth a look. The best sprouted brown rice protein second to none in my opinion.
Hi Angela,
Have you considered mixing two options together? I liked the way Vega green powder made me feel the best, but it tasted terrible and too sweet! So, I mixed it with an unsweetened option and the flavor became totally manageable and I maintained the great benefits Vega had to offer, such as the Maca powder, which is supposed to be wonderful for reproductive health.
Good luck finding your perfect powder! (it may have to be your own special blend!)
Thats a great idea about mixing them!
Rivalus Promasil available at GNC. Its sweetened with stevia and the chocolate one is amazing!!!! Trust me! I sometimes mix some with almond milk and it tastes perfect!! 1 scoop is 90 calories, 0 carbs, 20 grams of protein, 0 sugar and lots of vitamins. DELISH!
Oh, and I’ve also made homemade protein bars with it (and ground flax seed, almond milk, chia seeds, and natural peanut butter…. yum!)
I use Trader Joe’s vanilla flavored sy protein powder im my smoothies. It may have some natural sweetener in it but its very low in sugar and gives you about 15 grams per scoop. I also like the fact it is only $15 (US) for a big container. The worst powder I ever tried was from a bulk bin. It tasted like chalk and was grainy. And who knows what could have also been in there? Now that I think about it, protein powder from a bulk bin sounds a bit shady.
I just bought the Raw protein & used as an add-in to home-made granola bars. Did you refrigerate the powder for storage? I couldn’t find anything on the labeling to recommend cool vs. cabinet.
Sunwarrior is the BEST raw vegan protein powder EVER! Not too earthy or chalky, just right! Please go try!! You might have to order online.
I love Arbonne’s protein powder in both vanilla and chocolate. It has to be ordered online, but it provides 20 grams worth of vegan protein and is gluten-free. It is sweetened with a bit of stevia. It has been useful to me in a variety of applications from smoothies to pancakes. Hope you find the one that works for you.
Have you tried Vega? The Whole food smoothie infusion is quite good and has a pretty stand up nutritional profile
I really like RAW Protein that you highlighted above. Another vegan protein powder that I am currently using is Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Protein. The owners of Chicago RAW vegan restaurant recommeded this brand and I love it! Calories 70 per scoop Protein 16g.
Vega is another great brand as well. Good luck! I use these protein poweder as my breakfast protein souce.
Just curious… who won the book? I’m not sure if I’m overlooking where you posted it.
Thanks!
Hi Angela,
How many grams of protein do you average a day? (Sorry if you already mentioned this in the comments section) I’m trying to figure out if I have the same problem because I’ve been feeling unusually sore after workouts lately. What did your naturopath recommend your daily intake be?
Hi, was reading your blog, hoped to put in a word about my favorite Protein drink… Its New Zealand Whey Protein… chocolate, delicious… 20 g. protein, 6 g. sugars (cane juice, stevia), no gluten, I love this stuff; add it to my coffee and don’t get hungry till lunch time : ) its great in recipes, and a note to Hanna… my son is a body builder… he’s been giving me some of his supplements because I’m 55, clean houses for a living and I have Rheumatoid Arthritis… a few months back I noticed I couldn’t recover after work and would be in bed the next day. My son gave me glutamine and amino acids (I take small doses) and I’m so pleased to say I no longer am down the next day, have way less soreness…. you should really give it a try. Some fitness/nutrition stores have samples for free. God bless you, and thanks for the ideas Angela… oh the cals. are 190 and the fat is 7g. I haven’t gained weight w/it but have gotten more muscle in the shoulders because I mop and vacuum, but that’s okay…
oh, I should add the powder is $20 for 2.62#… : )
@ Hanna… you can take 46 gms. of protein daily, so 2 servings (4 scoops) is fine
Carole, Angela is a vegan…..she doesn’t eat whey
Hi Angela,
I have also tried the Garden of Life Raw Protein and have noted to others the exact word–chalky–in regards to its taste. While it has an amazing nutrition profile, I still didn’t care enough for it taste wise. I probably won’t be buying it. I am interested in trying that Genuine Health Protein Plus that Tina talks about though. Good luck in finding your protein. Please let me know if you find one that really wows you–I’ve been looking forever!
Hey Angela!
I just wanted to chime in. I have found that hemp protein is really great in a green monster, and its green too! I really can’t even taste it past the frozen banana and mango that I usually put in, nutiva has a good organic one and one with fiber as well.
Kelcy
I am a sucker for artificially sweetened protein powders…although recently I tried hemp in baking and it wasn’t bad!
I’ve never tried protein powder before, but I have seen soy protein powder in the bulk section of my store (and I think that’s the ONLY protein powder in the WHOLE store, plus I e-mailed them, and they only said they had soy…) but I would love to try it.
I always tell myself, “try the protein powder. try the protein powder” never worked :\
I think, since I’m a vegetarian, that I should up my protein now :)
I swear by Life Time Nutritional Specialties Lifes Basics Plant Protein in both chocolate and vanilla. It’s affordable and BY FAR much tastier than any other protein powder I’ve tried. Not sure if it has everything you’re looking for, but definitely look it up on Amazon.
Love,
Emily
I’m just finishing up my first container of the Garden of Life powder after Ashley’s raves of it. It definitely has that chalky taste you were talking about. I’ve been halfing my scoops and eating something else with breakfast [or adding nut butter]. It has definitely been helping.
I wish, wish, wish I liked these proteins, but I don’t! I like the Genuine Health Vegan Protein in Chocolate :)
xxoo
My favorites are The GOL one you tried and also the chocolate Sun Warrior one!
xo