The 7 Best Vegan Protein Powders, According to a Dietitian

The USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Certified Sunwarrior Warrior Blend takes the top pick for vegan protein powders with 19 grams of plant-based protein per scoop. Each serving also provides branched chain amino acids and brain boosting MCTs.

The high protein blend is allergy-friendly, as it is free of soy, gluten, and dairy. The protein blend is also free of added sugars and artificial sweeteners. It comes in five flavors including berry, chocolate, mocha, vanilla, and natural.

The natural flavor doesn’t taste overly sweet, so it won’t overpower your favorite beverage. With only four ingredients: pea protein, hemp protein, goji berry, and ground coconut, Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend Natural is a great choice. Note that the flavored versions contain additional ingredients including the specific flavor and stevia. Each scoop also provides 6mg of iron, which is helpful for those following a vegan diet that is commonly low in iron.

Amazing Grass boosted their regular greens superfood powder with plant-based protein. The USDA Organic greens protein powder contains seven types of alkalizing greens and two servings of fruits and vegetables per serving. It boasts 20g of complete vegan protein from sources including pea, quinoa, chia, and hemp. Additional fruits and vegetables include organic acai, goji, pineapple, and sweet potato. The slightly sweet vanilla blend is sweetened using stevia.

Each scoop provides 3g of dietary fiber with less than 1g of sugar and only 4g of carbohydrates. Superfood ingredients in this protein powder include spirulina and chlorella. Spirulina is celebrated for its anti-inflammatory powers and chlorella contains plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.

If you’re looking for a paleo-friendly (gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free) plant-based protein powder, Sprout Living’s Epic Protein is a great choice. Many vegan protein powders include a grain-based protein such as quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice (although quinoa is technically a seed). Epic Protein is made from yellow pea and a mix of sunflower, pumpkin, sacha inchi, and cranberry seeds. Each 2-scoop serving provides 26g of plant-based protein. It boasts 5g of dietary fiber, most derived from Jerusalem artichoke.

The super clean vegan protein comes in four flavors: chocolate maca, green kingdom, vanilla lucuma, and original. Of note, the product is free of fillers and gums.

Aloha’s USDA-Organic plant-based powder uses coconut sugar monk fruit as an alternative to erythritol or stevia. While stevia is declared “generally accepted as safe” by the FDA, some people prefer to avoid the natural sweetener. Aloha’s protein blend mixes pea, brown rice, hemp, and pumpkin seed protein to provide 18g of plant-based protein per serving. The blend contains 5g of dietary fiber per serving likely attributed to acacia fiber which is rich in soluble fiber.

The vegan powder also contains medium-chain triglycerides from coconut oil. Made with simple, whole-food ingredients, Aloha protein comes in three flavors including vanilla, chocolate, and banana. It’s is a great option to add to your favorite smoothie, baked good, or oatmeal.

Made up of a unique blend of 15 plant-based legumes, grains, and seeds, Garden of Life’s Raw Organic Protein is a high-protein, soy-free powder. A key protein source is pea protein, which is known as a high-quality, easily digested, plant-based protein. Garden of Life’s Raw Organic Protein is also gluten-free and kosher. The sugar-free protein powder comes in four flavors including chocolate, vanilla, vanilla chai, and unflavored.

The powder is also easy on digestion, as it contains digestive enzymes and probiotics. Specifically, the powder contains 3 billion CFU probiotics from lactobacillus and digestive enzymes such as bromelain, papain, and protease.

Garden of Life highlights the importance of a raw protein, noting that heat can denature proteins, damaging the protein and reducing the effectiveness and availability to your body. This raw organic protein is produced at low temperatures to preserve the amino acids and is made without any added fillers to ensure a high-quality product.

If you’re looking for a high-quality protein source that is affordable (and has a ton of dietary fiber), Manitoba Harvest HempPro Fiber contains 13g of plant-based protein and fiber per 4 tablespoon serving. That’s about half of your recommended daily intake of fiber. The majority of the dietary fiber in the protein is insoluble fiber (12g) which speeds up digestion and adds bulk to stool. This is great to promote regularity and prevent constipation.

The Certified Organic and Kosher protein is made up of only one ingredient: organic hemp protein powder. Research shows that hemp seeds are a good source of protein that is easily digestible. This versatile protein checks the box as a fiber and protein supplement, so you won't need to purchase both products.

Sunwarrior’s Classic Protein is a clean and simple organic plant-based brown rice protein powder. It’s made up of 5 ingredients: brown rice, vanilla flavor, guar gum, stevia extract, and ancient sea salt. One scoop provides 20g of protein with 100 calories and zero added sugar. The vegan powder is also free of gluten, soy, and dairy.

The brown rice powder is sprouted and fermented, meaning that the brown rice is soaked for a period of time and then allowed to germinate. This process leads to increased bioavailability of nutrients such as vitamins and fatty acids and decreased amounts of anti-nutrients such as phytates and tannins. The powder blends well and lends a light vanilla flavor to your smoothie, shake, or beverage.