Some may do it for the environmental impact, some do it for the nutritional value, some do it for the rights of animals, and some do it just to be able to say they are vegan to others. Do we blame any of them? Nope. Veganism has become an incredibly popular diet in the US for its potential health benefits and definite ethical benefits when it comes to the well-being of animals.
The average American consumes over 200 pounds of meat annually, with greenhouse gas emissions from the animal agricultural sector accounting for more of the country’s total footprint than the entire transportation sector combined.
Plant-based meat production causes a median greenhouse gas savings of 88.5% compared to conventional meat production, which is difficult to ignore.
However, another popular activity is weightlifting. Lifting heavier weights and building muscle mass have also become a trendy pastime for motivated gym rats who want to work towards a goal. This has begged the question — can you be vegan and build muscle mass simultaneously? Are these two things at odds? Are we talking about Troy Bolton basketball star/ musical theater talent situation?
Not at all. While vegan proteins from peas, rice, and sunflower seeds aren’t as protein-packed as fish and meat, eating a variety of plant proteins can adequately supplement the essential amino acids your body needs for the protein synthesis and muscle building your body does post-workout.
You can stay plant-based and still meet your weightlifting goals; you just need to pick the right protein powder to follow your routine. There are a few important factors to consider when deciding, including the protein ratio per serving and the price per weight. Vegan protein powders from seeds tend to be more expensive than those from grains and legumes, for example.
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We’ve rounded up our favorite vegan protein powders for their taste, biocompatibility, and protein content, which are all available to purchase easily online. You can bulk up without having your new muscle mass weigh on your environmental conscience with the following choices.
1. Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder
BEST OVERALL
This plant-based protein powder boasts a nearly perfect 5-star rating on Amazon with over 10,000 reviews. It includes 21 grams of protein per serving, derived from peas, brown rice, and chia seeds, among other ingredients. Each serving of this plant-based protein powder also includes five grams of fiber, five grams of net carbs, zero grams of sugar, and 150 calories per serving. This mix is certified USDA organic, gluten, dairy, and lactose-free and contains no artificial ingredients. It can mix perfectly into water, milk, or a smoothie or shake and costs about $0.81/ounce, a reasonable price for high-quality protein powder.
2. Vega Sport Premium Protein Powder
RUNNER UP
This is another highly trusted vegan protein powder brand in the fitness space for its quality ingredients and sport-specific formula. This vegan protein powder includes as much as 30 grams of protein per serving as well as five grams of BCAAs, and five grams of glutamic acid, all from a mix of pea, pumpkin seed, and sunflower seed protein. This vegan protein powder blend also includes sport-specific ingredients designed to enhance your performance, including tart cherry, a critical ingredient for recovery, turmeric extract for inflammation, and 2 billion CFU probiotics that also aid in your body’s speedy recovery and resilience.
3. Ladder Plant Protein
BEST TRAVEL PICK
Co-founded by Lebron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger, this high-quality plant protein powder has a smooth and rich texture, so you can say goodbye to a gritty vegan protein powder that sinks to the bottom of the glass. As one reviewer says, “I could never believe that mixing this with just water would taste so amazing.” If you want to turn a regular glass of water or almond milk into instant vegan chocolate milk, Ladder is the only way to go. Along with a bag option, they also have convenient on-the-go packets for anyone traveling.
4. Orgain Organic Peppermint Hot Cocoa Vegan Protein Power
BEST SEASONAL FLAVOR
What’s better than a cup of peppermint-infused hot cocoa on a chilly day? A peppermint and cocoa-flavored protein powder, that’s what. This product from Orgain can be mixed into a latte or consumed with non-dairy milk if you’re sensitive to caffeine. This USDA organic mix gets two thumbs up from customers, and almost 90% of their reviews are four and five stars, speaking to how popular this mix is. If you want to try something different in the cooler months or are just obsessed with pumpkin spice, this vegan protein powder is a must-have.
5. Truvani Organic Vegan Protein Powder
CLEANEST INGREDIENT LIST
With only five ingredients, Truvani has one of the cleanest protein powder ingredient lists that won’t tangle you up in with confusing words. While vanilla is their mildest flavor, they also have tasty choices like chocolate peanut butter, vanilla chai, and banana cinnamon, as well as an unflavored option. Although it’s not the cheapest option on the market, it’s free of fillers, additives, and artificial sweeteners, using monk fruit for a subtle touch of sweetness. The non-chalky texture has made it a favorite amongst reviewers.
6. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Plant Based Protein Powder
BEST WITH OATMEAL
While protein powder can definitely taste delicious mixed into coffee and shakes, it can also be added to foods like pancakes and oatmeal, infusing protein and flavor into your breakfast. Optimum Nutrition’s plant-based protein powder is packed with amino acids, and users love putting it in oatmeal – especially the chocolate fudge flavor. However, there are tons of other choices from this brand. If you’re looking for a solution to increase your fiber and protein intake with a tasty, dessert-inspired meal, this is your best bet.
7. BEAM Vegan Protein Powder
BEST FLAVORS
Beam launched an innovative protein powder that’s been making waves for a while with its mouthwatering flavors, chic packaging, and 100% vegan formula. With a blend of mung bean, pumpkin seed, and peas, it uses natural protein sources and prebiotic fibers to provide a full amino acid profile for drinkers. Thanks to an additional kick of licorice root and ginger, your gut health will thank you. However, it’s the phenomenal flavors that have really earned this company a cult following with surprisingly delicious offerings like Birthday Cake, Fruity Cereal, and Chocolate Brownie Batter.
8. Sunwarrior Vegan Collagen/Peptides Powder with Biotin & Hyaluronic Acid
BEST FOR SKIN
If you want to up your protein intake while experiencing more radiant skin, nails, and hair, look no further than Sunwarrior’s unique vegan protein powder with collagen, Biotin, and Hyaluronic acid. With so many non-vegan collagen powders derived from animals, this formula is a true unicorn. It can provide better skin elasticity and silky hair while giving you plenty of protein. One buyer, who prefers the chocolate flavor, comments, “Tastes great even blended with water/ice only – very creamy, not gritty like many plant-based products and is nice & thick.”
9. Just Hemp Foods Hemp Protein & Fiber Powder
BEST UNFLAVORED PICK
As mild as some flavors are, if you prefer an unflavored vegan protein powder, check out this hemp-derived alternative by Just Hemp. It provides 11g of protein per serving and is also naturally packed with fiber. Blend it into your favorite smoothie, baking recipe, or coffee without disrupting the flavor. Ideal for newbies to protein powders and those looking for more fiber in their diet, this powder is superior at keeping bowel movements regular.
10. GHOST Vegan Protein Powder
BEST NON-SOY PICK
Ghost Vegan protein powder is known for its outrageously delicious and creative flavors, like banana pancakes and chocolate cereal milk. They even make a pancake batter flavor which is described as tasting like a Boston cream pie by one user. It’s also perfect for anyone with soy sensitivity or allergy since Ghost only uses sunflower protein in their formulas. Flavors and textures are described as being very similar to non-vegan versions from competitors, making it a crowdpleaser.
11. KOS Vegan Protein Powder
BEST TASTE
This KOS vegan protein powder packs all of the nutritional value and plant-packed protein of other options with a delicious chocolate flavor to boot. This powder gets its flavor from infused Peruvian cacao, Himalayan pink salt, coconut milk, organic stevia, and monk fruit to sweeten it. The protein comes from a blend of five different types of protein, including pea, flax seed, quinoa, pumpkin, and chia seed. All of the ingredients and USDA organic, gluten, dairy, and soy-free. This protein powder is raw vegan-friendly and contains digestive enzymes to help your body break down and absorb the nutritional benefits. It also has 20 grams of protein per serving, with 30 servings per container.
12. Anthony’s Premium Pea Protein
BEST BUDGET
If you’re looking to get bulked up on a budget and stay plant-based, we’ve got you. This pea protein powder comes exclusively from pea protein isolate and is unflavored and unsweetened. It’s batch tested for quality and is certified gluten-free for those with dietary restrictions. The plant-based ingredients are non-GMO, and the unflavored quality makes it perfect for adding extra protein to your smoothies, shakes, and other blends. Each serving contains eight grams of protein and zero sugar, fat, or cholesterol. While this mix doesn’t contain as many performance-focused power ingredients as others, it’s a raw, natural protein that’s easy to mix in with other ingredients for a vitamin-fueled drink before or after a grind session.
13. Genius Vegan Protein Powder
BEST SPLURGE
While a bit more expensive, this plant-based protein is well worth the extra money for its smooth texture and protein-packed formula. They’ve created a creamy vegan protein powder that breaks the stereotype of a chalky texture being a part of the deal when you go plant-based and improved the nutritional profile as well. Their formula has been supercharged with a key ingredient of Velositol, a lean-muscle-building protein known for its fortifying benefits and is 100% lactose-free. Their formula can help your body build muscle, enhance recovery, reduce cravings and boost your satiety as well. It’s great at any time of the day and can be used as a supplement, meal replacement, or mixed in with other protein powders in a shake.
14. Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein
MOST PROTEIN PER SERVING
This plant-based protein powder from Garden of Life contains about two billion CFU probiotics to help your body’s immune system stay strong throughout training. This blend also contains an antioxidant blend to aid in healthy recovery, which includes organic tart cherries, organic turmeric, organic goji berries, organic apples, and organic blueberries. With 30 grams of protein and five grams of branched-chain amino acids, this protein powder packs in the nutrition while also helping your body holistically, rather than focusing on only one system in particular. This protein powder is also NSF-certified for sports and Informed Choice for Sport certified.
15. Vega Protein & Greens Chocolate Protein Powder
BEST KETO PICK
This plant-based protein powder from Vega is keto-friendly and packed with 20 grams of protein per serving to help you bulk up and follow your diet at the same time. Each serving only contains six grams of carbohydrates, much less than other protein powder brands. The protein blend comes from sacha inchi protein, brown rice protein, and pea protein and also includes super ingredients like alfalfa powder, spinach, broccoli, and kale. This blend contains no added sugar and is sweetened with stevia, a naturally calorie-free sweetener, and is easy to blend in with other complementary ingredients.
16. Birdman Falcon Vegan Protein Powder
MOST VERSATILE
This protein powder is suitable for all — men, women, diabetics, athletes, vegetarians, busy professionals, and even those with health issues. It’s a high-quality vegan protein powder with 22 grams of protein per serving and 4.5 grams of BCAAs, probiotics, and enzymes. This protein powder mix has a wide variety of plants in it, including pumpkin seed protein, cranberry seed protein, sacha inchi powder, and amaranth sprout. A portion of all proceeds go towards animal rights, to take the vegan stance one step further philanthropically, and the formula is chemical, sugar, and lactose-free.
17. EarthChimp Vegan Protein Powder
BEST NATURAL
EarthChimp vegan protein powder contains nothing artificial and is packed with superfoods like baobab, flax, turmeric, and cinnamon. It’s made with real botanical ingredients like cacao that will leave you feeling fueled, light, and nutritious. This vegan protein powder is made with your gut in mind, with one billion probiotics, digestive enzymes, and four grams of fiber. It’s also gum-free and erythritol-free, so you can trust that there’s nothing unnecessary or artificial in this mix. With no added sugar, no carrageenan, no added salt, no soy, gluten, or lactose, this formula is one of the most natural, superfood-packed ones we found.
18. Amazing Grass Vegan Protein & Kale Powder
MOST GREENS PER SERVING
We’ve all got to find ways to get our greens in, and this vegan protein powder takes that extra step out of the equation by combining protein powder and greens into one drinkable powder. It includes 20 grams of vegan protein per serving and is completely clean and free of sweeteners like stevia, dairy, greens, and grains. Each scoop contains one serving of leafy greens alongside your protein, feeding two birds with one seed. The plant protein comes from a combination of peas, quinoa, and chia seeds, and the leafy greens include barley grass, wheat grass, kale, and alfalfa. It has a true vanilla flavor and smooth texture that combines easily and tastes delicious.