The 7 Best Vegan Protein Powders, According to a Dietitian

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Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Sunwarrior Organic Vegan Protein Powder at Amazon

"Contains only four ingredients: pea protein, hemp protein, goji berry, and ground coconut."

Best with Greens:

Amazing Grass Plant Protein Superfood Powder at Amazon

"The USDA Organic greens protein powder contains two servings of fruits and vegetables."

Best Grain-Free:

Sprout Living Epic Protein Powder at Amazon

"Made from yellow pea and a mix of sunflower, pumpkin, sacha inchi, and cranberry seeds."

Best Stevia-Free:

ALOHA Protein Powder at Amazon

"Uses coconut sugar monk fruit as an alternative to erythritol or stevia."

Best Soy-Free:

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder at Amazon

"The powder is also easy on digestion, as it contains digestive enzymes and probiotics."

Best Budget:

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Yeah! Organic Max Fiber Protein Powder at Amazon

"Contains 13 grams of plant-based protein and fiber per 4-tablespoon serving."

Best Brown Rice Protein:

Sunwarrior Organic Brown Rice Protein at Amazon

"One scoop provides 20 grams of protein with 100 calories and zero added sugar."

In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look for
FAQs
What Experts Say
Why Trust Verywell Fit?
How We Select Supplements

If you’re looking for a vegan protein there are many options on the market to fit your individual needs. These options include proteins derived from pea, hemp, pumpkin seed, brown rice, soy, chia, and flax, among other plant-based sources. It's important to note that there are many plant-based protein powders, but not all of these are vegan. All vegan protein powders are made from plants; however, some plant-based proteins may contain animal-derived products such as honey.

Here, the best vegan protein powders for your needs.

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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 6 milligrams of iron, which is helpful for those following a vegan diet that is commonly low in iron.

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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 20 grams 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 3 grams of dietary fiber with less than 1 gram of sugar and only 4 grams 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.

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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 grain-based proteins 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 two-scoop serving provides 26 grams of plant-based protein. It boasts 5 grams 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.

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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 18 grams of plant-based protein per serving. The blend contains 5 grams 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: vanilla, chocolate, and banana. It’s is a great option to add to your favorite smoothie, baked good, or oatmeal.

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Unflavored

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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, 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.

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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 13 grams 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 (12 grams), 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.

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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 20 grams 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.

Final Verdict

For a simple vegan protein powder with clean ingredients, try Sunwarrior Warrior Blend (view at Amazon).

What to Look for in a Vegan Protein Powder

Flavor:

While many protein powders are packed with essential nutrients, some may fall short in terms of taste. Fortunately, there’s a wide variety of flavors out there. You can also mix many of them with different beverages, fruits, and vegetables to tailor the flavor exactly to your liking.

Type of Protein:

There are a variety of vegan protein sources, including peas, soy, brown rice, and hemp. Some may agree with you more than others; you might also have to base your choice on any dietary restrictions you have. Fortunately, some varieties can work for most diets (including organic formulas).

Fillers:

When it comes to protein powder, you want to make sure you know what else is included besides protein. Some brands contain fillers that add extra calories and carbs, while others offer more pure formulas. Read the ingredients carefully and choose one that supports your goals without getting in the way of them.

FAQs

Is all protein powder vegan?

No, all protein powder is not considered vegan. Many protein powders are derived from animal-based products, like whey protein, which comes from milk protein isolates.

Plant-based proteins are derived from various sources, including soy, pea, rice, flaxseed, hemp seed, sunflower seed, and chia seed. Many of them are vegan, but some may contain animal-derived products like honey. Be sure to check the ingredient lists to make sure the product is compliant with your dietary modifications.

Is vegan protein powder keto-friendly?

Most Vegan protein powders contain carbohydrates, some in the form of added sugars, which may interfere with your keto intake goals. If you follow a keto diet, look for powders low in overall carbohydrates and sugar—under 5 grams of each is best.

For a great keto-friendly vegan protein powder, try Sunwarrior Organic Vegan Protein Powder Warrior Blend. One scoop (25 grams) contains 17 grams of protein and just 1 gram of carbohydrate and 0 grams of sugar. It also contains MCT oil to boost your healthy fat intake.

Is vegan protein powder healthier than non-vegan protein powder like whey?

The nutritional content and ingredient lists vary greatly from one protein powder to another, whether they are plant-based or animal-derived. Therefore, it’s important to compare specific product information when deciding on what powder to choose. Animal-based proteins are considered higher quality protein sources based on their amino acid levels and ratios and their protein digestibility or bioavailability. Whey and animal-derived protein powders tend to have a higher amount of protein per ounce, and they are considered complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids.

However, plant-based proteins tend to have higher levels of antioxidants and fiber. Some plant-based proteins, like soy, contain all nine essential amino acids and have a relatively high protein content per ounce. Other plant-based protein powders contain complementary protein blends, meaning they combine different plant proteins to create a complete protein.

Consider your individual health goals and concerns when selecting which protein powder is best for you.

What Experts Say

"Eating a diet rich in plants has been shown to promote optimal health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. However, most plant proteins are not “complete,” which means that they don't contain all the essential amino acids that we need. If a client is vegan and having trouble thoughtfully combining plant sources of protein in his or her diet, or if a client requires higher protein intake and for some reason cannot get that through whole foods, I may recommend adding in a plant-based protein supplement." —Nathalie Rhone, MS, RD

Why Trust Verywell Fit?

A personal note on my recommendations written above. As a dietitian, I am careful to recommend supplements, including protein powders. I spent time reviewing the most current research on various types of vegan proteins and looking at multiple products and brands. I believe the vegan protein supplements in the round-up are made by trusted brands that I would feel comfortable recommending to my clients, friends, and family. I use vegan protein powder regularly in smoothies, overnight oats, and chia pudding. — Eliza Savage, MS, RD, CDN

Anne Cook Carroll, MS, RD, contributed to the FAQs.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here.

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