Tastiest vegan protein powder?

July 24, 2016 12:48 PM

What are your favorite, best-tasting vegan protein powders? Any flavor or style is welcome.
posted by gryphonlover to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

I really like the Vega line - I'm partial to the all-in-one shake powder, but their Protein and Greens powder is good if you only need a protein additive for your shakes. Regardless of the variety, Vanilla and Chocolate are the least vegetal tasting.
posted by blerghamot at 1:20 PM on July 24, 2016

Yes, Vega--I like the chocolate and French vanilla. The chocolate has a pudding-like taste to me.
posted by trixie119 at 1:26 PM on July 24, 2016

Check out the Good N Natural for a powder with little of its own flavor. It isn't chalky. It mixes well and has no sugar.
posted by mr_bovis at 3:02 PM on July 24, 2016

I've tried a bunch of vegan protein powders and I've settled on Sunwarrior Warrior Blend. It's not overly vanilla-y, not chalky or clumpy, blends well and I like that it's a blend of hemp and pea protein, not just one or the other.
I found Manitoba Harvest hemp protein to be a bit too clumpy for my taste.
Edited to add that my omnivore friend likes Vega.
posted by siouxsiesmith at 4:03 PM on July 24, 2016

I like the Trader Joe's unflavored soy protein powder. It's really neutral and mixes up nicely with fruit smoothies. Also, very inexpensive.
posted by QuakerMel at 4:08 PM on July 24, 2016

besan (chickpea flour) - I mostly only use it to make bhajji(pakora) or very-lazy-hummus, but also quite useful in things like vada, or sweets such as laddu or burfi.

I like nutritional yeast - great topping for popcorn. or pizza. or soups. also makes an easy and lovely fake-queso, which has all sorts of uses - the most obvious of which is to mix with Rotel, for a standard tortilla chip dip. or as a creamy condiment for sandwiches or french fries. or as a fake-bechamel+cheese-hybrid in lasagna or other pasta dishes.

sausage mix powder although I've never thought to make anything besides its intended/advertised purpose. comes in various styles and flavors. (packaging says "vegetarian" but is in fact vegan.)

hm, mushroom powder? mostly limited to use as a cooking minor ingredient, or sprinkled as a topping. although one of the best ice creams I ever had was mushroom, and I even managed to very successfully duplicate it at home. ditto Spirulina (and also good in smoothies)
posted by dorian at 5:01 PM on July 24, 2016

oh, and powdered coconut-cream, more uses than I can even begin to name. can also be gotten as a toasted version.
posted by dorian at 5:07 PM on July 24, 2016

I like Garden of Life raw protein. It's a mix of sources, without soy, I think. It's a little gritty but tastes fine. I like that it doesn't have a chemical sweet taste like other protein powders.
posted by apricot at 6:50 PM on July 24, 2016

My vegan daughter has tried several and likes Vega, so another vote for them.
posted by Bresciabouvier at 7:55 PM on July 24, 2016

I've tried a bunch of packets of protein powders in the last few months, and I had high hopes for the Vega but couldn't stand it. I've liked the Garden of Life and Spiru-Tein (the Puretrition line is vegan) varieties, with a caveat that the chocolate Puretrition in the recommended amount of almond milk is pretty much a pudding instead of a drink. (And it is delicious semi-frozen.)
posted by cobaltnine at 8:17 PM on July 24, 2016

Vega one and garden of life.
posted by NikitaNikita at 9:42 PM on July 24, 2016

Thanks everyone. Made it to the store today, wow these powders are expensive!!! I will be trying the cheapest first and work from there. Thanks again.
posted by gryphonlover at 1:57 PM on July 29, 2016

I'm ridiculously late to this, but I personally find Vega too sweet and hence it has a strong stevia after taste. I don't know if you can get it in the States, but I much prefer Progressive Vegessentials (and it's both cheaper and has more protein per serving than Vega). Great flavours, not gritty.
posted by mayurasana at 6:40 PM on August 18, 2016