Vegan protein shakes are an easy way to get plenty of nutrients from high-quality plant-based protein. However, a protein shake isn’t necessarily healthy just because it’s vegan or sugar-free.
Protein shakes made with whey or vegan ingredients frequently include artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and thickeners that are dubious and may be hazardous if consumed frequently.
Unfortunately, upon closer inspection of the ingredient lists, you will find that most of these protein drinks are not particularly healthful. This can make it difficult to locate a healthy, plant-based protein shake that tastes excellent and is also clean vegan.
After doing a ton of research, I’ve compiled a list of the greatest vegan protein shakes that are also the healthiest choices.
Hint: Look for Vegan Protein Shakes without heavy metals and contaminants, artificial sweeteners, thickeners and gums, whole protein and minimal sugar.
How to find Healthy Vegan Protein Shakes?
Vegan protein shakes typically comprise pea protein, brown rice protein, soy protein, and several types of seed proteins (pumpkin, sunflower, and chia). However, the main protein sources can vary greatly.
The amount of amino acids in each of these plant proteins varies, which affects how good the protein shake turns out. However, the protein supply is only the starting point.
The most troublesome substances are frequently the ones that are added, so a lengthy list of difficult-to-pronounce ingredients ought to raise suspicions. In order to identify a vegan protein shake that is actually healthful, consider the following:
- Heavy Metals and Contaminants: Studies have shown that some vegan protein powders can contain higher levels of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium than whey protein powders [1]. This is likely due to the source of the plant proteins and potential contamination during processing[1]. Look for third-party certifications that test for heavy metals, such as NSF International or Informed Choice.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Some protein powders use artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame to improve taste. While generally recognized as safe by the FDA, some studies suggest these sweeteners may lead to digestive issues and potentially alter gut microbiome [2, 3]. If you’re concerned, opt for a stevia-leaf or monk fruit-sweetened powder.
- Thickeners and Gums: Ingredients like xanthan gum or guar gum are used to improve texture but can cause bloating and gas in some people.
- Whole protein: It’s critical to make sure you’re getting a complete protein from vegan protein shakes, which includes all nine of the essential amino acids.[4] While hemp is a full plant food, some plant sources, like brown rice alone, are not. Seek shakes that are rich in concentrations of amino acids, especially branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which aid in muscle rehabilitation, and abundant in plant protein sources.
- Minimal sugar: Certain plant-based protein smoothies don’t skimp on sweetness. Although a small amount of sugar is preferable to artificial sweeteners, consuming too much of it may cause your blood glucose levels to spike, which is something you should avoid if you have diabetes or are attempting to reduce weight. The good news is that natural sweeteners like stevia leaf extract and monk fruit can be used to make protein drinks that are nutritious and sugar-free.
Finally, search for vegan protein shakes with a enough amount of protein grams per serving. For most people, products with 15g to 30g is usually sufficient.
There are certain boutique brands that are not worth the price. Furthermore, some inexpensive protein smoothies could include 40g of protein, which is excessive. For more information on how much protein is too much (or not enough), see my essay on the subject.
3 Best Vegan Protein Shakes for Your Health
After learning what makes a plant-based protein shake healthy for you, let’s look at some suggested products. These are the top five healthiest vegan protein shakes, listed in order of preference. Please take note that the products below may include affiliate links (for more information, see my disclaimer).
OWYN Plant Protein Shake
A protein blend consisting of pea protein, organic pumpkin seed protein, and flax oil is used in OWYN, or “Only What You Need,” vegan protein shakes. Because of this, it has an abundance of amino acids and is a complete protein.
One 12-oz container of OWYN’s Plant Protein Shake has 20g of protein. It’s not only non-GMO, allergy-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan, but it also tastes like one of the greatest vegan protein drinks I’ve ever tried.
Monk fruit extract and organic cane sugar are used to sweeten the shake; each container has 4g of sugar. The dark chocolate and the silky vanilla taste natural and clean, yet they are both on the sweet side. There are various different tastes available as well, such as a double-shot line that contains 180 mg of caffeine each bottle.
OWYN Plant Protein Shake is more than just protein; it also has a blend of kale, spinach, and broccoli for added nutrition. The use of guar and gellan gum, which are the two substances it contains the least of, is a drawback of this product.
Orgain Organic Plant Protein Shake
To my surprise, Orgain Plant Protein Shake is free of artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, unlike some of Orgain Organic’s protein powders that include sugar alcohols like erythritol.
Despite having only 16g of protein per 11-oz carton, the protein blend’s robust amino acid profile is attributed to the inclusion of chia and pea seeds. It’s also one of the rare fully organic plant-based protein smoothies.
With 28g of carbohydrates and 10g of sugar, Orgain Plant Protein Shake offers additional carbohydrate nourishment for athletes seeking to enhance their post-workout recuperation. Consequently, each carton has 230 calories.
Though sunflower lecithin serves just as an emulsifier for consistency and texture, high oleic sunflower oil is not as harmful as other seed oils.
The organic fruit and vegetable combination with vitamin and mineral blend are two areas where Orgain Plant Protein Shake excels over the competition. When compared to shakes made with whey protein and dairy, this level of nutrient density results in a superior vegan protein drink that performs better than most of the competitors.
Evolve Plant-Based Protein Shake
Another choice is the Evolve Plant-Based Protein Shake, which comes in an 11-oz carton with 20g of protein. In addition, it contains 4g of sugar per unit of stevia leaf extract and cane sugar for sweetness.
Pea protein isolate is the source of protein. Even while pea is regarded as a complete protein on its own, alternative vegan protein shakes that use a range of plant-based protein sources have a higher amino acid content.
It is made with 10g of soluble fiber from corn to support healthy digestion. It’s also a good source of calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. With only 2g of fat and 140 calories per carton, it has less fat and calories than other shakes.
Gellan gum is added to the Evolve Plant-Based Protein Shake for texture. Other than that, it’s free of artificial flavors, sweeteners, and colors, making it one of the healthier options.
Scientific reference:
- Jermyn, E., et al. (2018). The heavy metal content of commercially available plant-based protein powders. Food Control, 85: 2018: 168-173.
- Suez, J., et al. (2018). Non-nutritive sweeteners and their influence on the gut microbiome and glucose metabolism. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 14: 8(2018): 477-488.
- Rodriguez-Central, J. L., et al. (2016). Sucralose affects gut microbiota as revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 79: 1-3(2016): 1-11.
- Mariotti F, Gardner CD. Dietary Protein and Amino Acids in Vegetarian Diets-A Review. Nutrients. 2019 Nov 4;11(11):2661. doi: 10.3390/nu11112661. PMID: 31690027; PMCID: PMC6893534.
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