If you’re a vegan bodybuilder or even just an athlete who works out a few times a week. A weekend warrior like I am – sometimes! Then you might be looking for the best vegan protein powder that you can enjoy as a pre or post workout protein shake.
Even if you’re just a fairly normal vegan, person, I think there is something to be said for using tasty vegan protein powder now and then as a convenient meal replacement or just a general boost to your nutrition if you feel that you aren’t getting the protein you need.
Now I’m not one who believes that vegan protein supplements are needed. If you eat a whole foods plant based diet – a vegan diet – you are likely getting sufficient protein if you are getting sufficient calories.
And even though I try to workout with calisthenics, aerobics or even weight train 3 to 5 times a week I am not overly concerned about meeting a specific “protein” intake level.
But I like the convenience more than anything else of vegan rice protein powder or any other kinds of vegan protein powders.
I haven’t seen or tried any really great vegan protein shakes, so what I do is make my own vegan protein shake the recipe for which will be shared further down.
So with that in mind, what I’m looking for any a brown rice protein powder or any other vegan protein powder is firstly how tasty is the protein powder I’m buying and how cheap is it.
I like to try and buy organic vegan protein powder if all else is equal but my 2 biggest concerns are the taste and cost.
So here are my 3 top tasting vegan protein powders in order. If you were only going to choose one then I’d recommend you choose the first one. If you want to find a variety of different ones then you can use any 3 and perhaps try them all or mix them together. The reason I say mix them together is that they are not all soy protein powders.
1. Spiru-Tein plant protein powder
If you take our number 3 choice, Genisoy and you made it with pea protein, rice protein and soy protein both isolated and fermented, you have Spiru-Tein. Available in a variety of flavours including the classics of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
Like with the Genisoy, Spiru-Tein is loaded with vitamins and minerals and in fact, they have 100% of your RDV (Recommended Daily Value) of 15 vitamins and minerals out of the 22 vitamins and minerals they give you.
These guys are the original and that is why they are number one. They offer the largest choice of flavours for plant based protein powders and they’ve been around for over 20 years. What’s not to love? Plus they have over 120 5 star reviews on Amazon. They’re doing a lot right.
2. LifeTime Life Basics plant protein powder
This one is also a bit more than a strict plant protein powder supplement, it can also be considered a meal replacement. Available as vanilla flavoured and in chocolate for the chocoholics like me.
This vegan protein supplement is a very worthy contender, not only because it has a very robust 22 grams of protein per heaping scoop serving, but also because it is made up of vegan hemp protein, vegan rice protein and vegan pea protein powders too.
It does lack added vitamins and minerals but that shouldn’t be a deal breaker for you if you are eating a good diet generally.
Another benefit is the well balanced omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acid profile it has thanks for its mix of protein powders. A good choice for vegan bodybuilders, runners and other vegan fitness freaks.
3. Genisoy vegan soy protein powder
I like Genisoy a lot. In my mind it is one of the best tasting vegan soy protein powders on the market and one of the cheapest. The thing with Genisoy and any other non dairy protein powder you care to mention is that they can sometimes appear a bit chalky. But I’ve heard this is true of whey protein powder as well.
This is not a big deal as you’ll get used to it especially considering how tasty these plant protein powders are. But another way to overcome the chalkiness is to use my recipe below.
I really, really like the chocolate flavoured vegan protein powder but their vanilla soy protein powder is delicious too. And it’s not just me, folks are raving about the taste of this protein powder. It is the third best tasting soy protein powder out there for a reason.
Plus a serving which is 2 scoops or 35 grams contains 14 grams of protein as well as 20 vitamins and minerals. That’s a nice bonus.
Vegan Valor’s Gorilla Strong Vegan Protein Shake Recipe
This is super easy and makes for a terrific and quick meal or post workout protein supplement shake. This is for one serving. It will fill you up.
1 serving of your choice of vegan protein powder
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp of peanut butter
0.5 cup of ice
1 cup of soy milk of your choice
Toss it all into a blender and blender until well smooth. Pour into super large mugs and enjoy. Easy non?
Calories per serving: Between 400 and 500 depending on your protein powder. You’ll also get between 23 grams and 31 grams of protein depending on your protein powder choice. You can cut 150 calories by eliminating the peanut butter and using just half a banana. That will only cut your protein by 3 grams.