Review: I Tried 6 Different Plant-Based Protein Powders
I recently started strength training again and being plant-based, it can be a challenge to get enough protein every day, so protein powders are a life saver! Here is my review of the different brands and flavours I tried these past few months.
Disclaimer: All of these items were purchased with my own money, nobody paid me to write any of this.
IronVegan Sprouted Protein - Salted Caramel 500g
Pros:
The flavour of this product is good, a bit too sweet for my taste but it's manageable for sure.
I purchased it for $39.99 CAD on well.ca with free shipping over 35$. I do like that this is a sprouted protein and there is a mix of protein sources in the ingredients like quinoa, millet, pumpkin etc. I also like that it is made in Canada and is organic!
Cons: The bag it comes in is very messy, I find my whole hand comes out covered in protein powder and it is very dusty so when I place a scoop of this in my blender it creates a large cloud of protein around it. Generally just messier and annoying to scoop from the bottom as it is a bag. Also in Newfoundland they don't recycle soft plastic so this is a con for me too.
As mentioned above, I find this a bit too sweet for my liking and pretty expensive.
Would I purchase again? No.
PEScience Plant Based Protein Powders
I purchased the Vegan Select Variety Pack for 59.99 which provided 30 servings total in 6 different flavours, Vanilla Indulgence, Peanut Butter Delight, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mint Chocolate, Cinnamon Delight, and Chocolate Bliss. I also bought 2 27 serving tubs of the Vegan Cinnamon Delight for 49.99, and Vegan Mint Chocolate for 49.99.
I ordered these items off of pescience.ca with free shipping over 75$.
Pros:
In general this protein powder mixes well, I always at the very least blend my protein powder with a plant based milk, or put it into oatmeal and it works just fine.
Not overly powdery or messy. Good price and there is generally a discount code available for use.
I found my favourite flavours were the peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter, and vanilla as they were the first to be finished. We still have the Cinnamon Delight powder left and I find myself using this as my daily powder that I use in my greens smoothie.
Cons:
None really, except I find the mint chocolate a bit strong and am getting through that powder very slowly.
Would purchase again? Yes.
Ghost Vegan Protein Powder - Banana Pancake Batter - 2lbs, 28 Servings
I purchased this off of ghostlifestyle.com website and used a coupon code for free shipping (otherwise it would have cost $20 to ship) so I ended up paying 45.00 USD, about 56.00 CAD.
Pros:
This. Is. Delicious.
My husband and I mixed it with plant milk and use it for cereal and it is just amazing. I can't say enough about it! It mixes very well, isn't messy, not too expensive.
You can earn points when you purchase protein from their site, so future savings!
Cons:
The ghost website not having free Canadian shipping. But I will look more into this next time I want to reorder.
Would purchase again? Yes and flavours!
Progressive Vegessential All In One 840g.
My husband got this at our local grocery store, and based on looking it up online it was likely around $55.00. I put a link below to vitasave.ca where you can purchase it.
Pros: This is a mix of greens and protein, so you get 27g protein and greens in your serving. I like having greens every day and usually use this brands greens powder in pineapple flavour.
Cons: Unflavoured is no bueno. I didn't realize how much my greens and flavoured proteins add to my smoothies until I just used this with spinach, milk and banana! I honestly choked it down. I have been using half a scoop of this with half a scoop of other flavoured protein to use this up.
A bit on the pricier side, but you are getting greens with it which can be costly on their own.
Would purchase again? No.
Beyond Yourself Vegan Protein - Brownie Batter - 2lbs
I purchased this at a local supplement store when I ran out of my last tub of protein by the same brand in Peanut Butter flavour (which was delicious by the way). I paid about $50.00 for it. I do suggest if you find a flavour you like, buy the 4lb tub as it is more cost effective at $84.00 versus $49.99 for 2lbs.
Pros: This is delicious blended with banana, milk and peanut butter, it's honestly like a milkshake. I also like mixing 1/4 of a scoop in with coffee and almond milk to make a hot chocolate flavour. Seriously delicious. Blends wonderfully, tastes great.
Cons: I personally just don't get as much use out of chocolate flavoured protein but I always like to have one on hand and this will likely be it.
Would purchase again? Yes and other flavours.
Plant Fusion Complete Protein - Cookies and Cream - 2lbs
I purchased this on iHerb.com for $63.42 which included duties shipping to Canada from the USA.
Pros: This powder has a nice blend of different protein sources such as algae and artichoke. This powder does have a good taste to it.
Cons: Super powdery and messy when you place a scoop of it into a dish or cup the powder creates a big cloud. The texture is not very creamy, almost chalky. This powder was one of the more expensive ones and I purchased it after reading reviews online but it was pretty underwhelming for me honestly.
Would purchase again? No.
All in all I am happy to have tried out several different brands of protein before stocking up on them. Here is my score of all of them from favourite to least favourite.
Overall favourite: Beyond Yourself and PEScience - based on flavour and price
Runner Up: Ghost Protein - only downfall is import fees to Canada at this time
The rest of the proteins I tried I could take or leave. I will use them up of course, but no plans to repurchase them anytime soon.
I hope this was helpful for finding a plant based protein powder that suits your needs, and I look forward to reviewing more items in the future!
Here are the links to the mentioned products:
Beyond Yourself:
https://www.beyondyourself.com/products/vegan-2lbs
Ghost:
https://www.ghostlifestyle.com/products/ghost-vegan?variant=12534817685578
IronVegan Salted Caramel:
PEScience:
https://pescience.ca/collections/protein
Plant Fusion:
Progressive Vegessential: