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These Certified-Vegan Protein Powders On Amazon Help You Meet Your Nutritional Needs Without Meat
Whether you’re vegan or simply looking for a plant-based protein source, the best vegan protein powders can help you meet your nutritional needs. To ensure your pick is truly vegan, you'll want to look out for those with Vegan Action's "Certified Vegan” seal, which verifies that a product was made without animal byproducts, animal testing, or animal GMO’s. All the picks on this list have that seal.
While soy is the only complete plant-based protein, meaning it contain all of the essential amino acids you need, soy supplements require a bit more research to confirm their safety. For that reason, you won't find soy-based powders on this list. However, to get a complete-protein serving in soy-free vegan protein powders, look for ones that combine plant sources, like pea and rice, which, together, create a complete protein. Or you can mix your powder with a nut butter (like in a smoothie) to achieve a more complete protein.
Vegan doesn’t necessarily mean gluten-free or sugar-free, so if you require a gluten-free or sugar-free option, look for those labels. Some powders provide additional nutrients — for example, one with dark, leafy greens should help increase your calcium intake, while one with chia seeds ups your omega-3 intake. But these additional ingredients are up to personal preference and needs.
Scroll on for Amazon's best vegan protein powders. They're all highly rated.
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1The Best Flavored Protein Powder That’s Gluten-Free
Orgain's protein powder is made with pea, brown rice, and chia seeds and features organic cocoa for a rich, chocolatey favor while giving you 21 grams of protein per serving. This pick also has organic chia seeds, which are packed with antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
It's also soy-, gluten-, and carrageenan-free as well as Vegan Action certified, kosher, and USDA-certified organic. Plus, this powder boasts a four-star rating after over 7,000 reviews.
What fans are saying: “I was nervous to try a plant based protein, but this stuff is delicious! It does have a little ‘texture’ to it, but I would expect that from pea and rice protein [...] Regardless, it wasn’t enough to bother me. Now for the flavor... this creamy chocolate fudge is one of the best, rich chocolate-flavored proteins I have ever drank. I’m super picky about my protein and I love this stuff! I also make a super rich, moist delicious cake with this that could honestly be sold in a 5 star restaurant as a fancy flourless cake. In the microwave. Seriously.”
2The Best Unflavored Protein Powder Without Sugar Or Sweetener
This stevia- and sugar-free, unflavored protein powder packs 22 grams of proteins with 4 grams of BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) into each serving. It also contains organic sprouts which add vitamins K, E, D, and A to this powder for even more nutritional benefits like for your vision, immune system, bone health, and more. Plus, you'll get 13 enzymes and probiotics with 3 billion CFUs (colony forming units) to ease digestion.
Garden of Life is a Vegan Action-certified company and certified USDA organic. This product is also dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free as well as non-GMO.
What fans are saying: "This is the only protein powder that does not upset my stomach, and that, from a scientific and nutritional point of view, actually delivers nutrients and amino acids to the body without harmful byproducts, such as those that can be found in cesian or whey blends, like casonorphines. [...] I always buy the unsweetened one, as some of the sweetened flavors have Stevia which does not always sit well with me.As mentioned, very sensitive individual here."
3The Best Protein Powder For Smoothies With Leafy Greens
Without flavor, but just a touch of stevia to cut the bitterness, Vega's protein powder is great for smoothies. Plus, it's keto-friendly, has over 1,500 reviews, and provides 20 grams of protein per serving, mixing pea protein and brown rice with leafy greens like broccoli, spinach, kale, and alfalfa; all of which can help increase protein-, calcium-, and iron-intake.
Since this pick is unflavored with just a touch of sweetness, it won't negatively affect how your food or drink tastes when the powder is mixed in. This company is also Vegan Action-certified and verified non-GMO.
What fans are saying: “I love the Vega protein bases for my morning smoothie. I absolutely love that I can start my morning off with 2 servings of greens. For the chocolate flavor I like to add a half frozen banana, a teaspoon of powdered peanut butter, some ice, and vanilla almond milk. It' s like having a healthy milkshake for breakfast. YUM.”
4The Best Budget Vegan Protein Powder
Made from organic hemp seeds, this powder by Nutiva contains 15 grams of protein per serving and a single serving provides 60% of the recommended daily value for magnesium, 40% of the recommended daily value for iron, and 25% of the recommended daily value for zinc. While this is the cheapest protein powder in upfront costs, it should be noted that it's only slightly cheaper than the top pick, when you consider the cost per ounce.
Since hemp is lower in the amino acid lysine, it isn’t a complete protein, you’ll need to combine this powder with a nut butter or soy milk; or just make sure you’re eating plenty of other sources of plant-based protein, like quinoa, on a daily basis. Hemp is a great source of fiber and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant form of omega-3 fatty acids, though.
This product is Vegan Action-certified, certified non-GMO, and USDA-certified organic. On top of all that, this powder has a 4.1-star rating and nearly 4,000 reviews.
What fans are saying: “I have a protein shake with berries every morning. I used to use Jay Robb egg white powder, but it has no fiber in it. I wanted a good way to add more fiber to my diet, and hemp protein packs a good punch, so I tried it and really like it. It dissolves very readily, though there is some grit, but I don't mind it. Remember to keep it refrigerated after opening the bag. I can get almost 1/2 my fiber intake with my breakfast, and that's a good thing. Also, it doesn't affect me the way other high fiber foods do with gas and bloating. Highly recommended.”
