5 Of My Favorite Protein Powders On The Market
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Whether you are trying to lose weight, build lean muscle mass, or simply improve your health, getting enough protein in your diet is essential. Not only does eating protein keep you satiated (and keep you from constantly snacking or binging), but it helps with blood sugar stabilization, muscle recovery, cognitive function, and so much more.
Even though I do eat meat—mostly fish and chicken with the occasional steak—sometimes I still find it difficult to get as much protein as my body needs to function properly. Generally speaking, we should be eating 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight, but if you’re active or trying to lose weight, I recommend consuming more like 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. Personally, I aim to land in the 80 to 100 gram range every day, but it’s not always easy and I don’t always achieve that.
One habit that has made fulfilling my daily protein intake SO much easier is… protein powder! It’s an easy, healthy way to get more protein into your diet, and it makes such a difference in my overall hunger levels, my performance during my workouts, and honestly my overall mood.
In the last decade alone, numerous companies have come out with protein powders, and nowadays there are so many healthy options that aren’t full of bad ingredients (think fillers, tons of sugar, etc.). Below are five of my go-to protein powders, and a little about why I love each of them!
1. Vega Sport Premium Protein Powder
Vega products have been a staple in my diet for a long time, but the Vega Sport protein powder is by far my favorite. The chocolate flavor is amazing, but my most-used flavor tends to be the vanilla because I like to use protein powder in my green smoothies! Obviously you can use any flavor you like, but I’ve found that vanilla is more versatile for smoothies, unless you’re going for a banana, chocolate, peanut butter vibe.
Vega Sport protein powder has 30 grams of vegan protein per serving, and it also contains BCAAS (branch chain amino acids, for fueling your workouts and speeding up recovery), probiotics (for gut health), and tart cherries (for muscle soreness). Did I mention it’s gluten-free, non-GMO, AND there’s no added sugar? Trust me, it’s a good one.
Get yours here: Vega Sport Protein Powder - Vanilla, $37.99
2. BEAM Vegan Protein Powder
BEAM stands for “Be Amazing”, and unsurprisingly, their protein powder is nothing short of amazing. I recently discovered their protein while I was browsing online, and when I saw they had blueberry muffin and chocolate brownie flavors, I had to get it. As someone who is usually a chocolate or vanilla protein powder person, I always jump at the chance to try a unique flavor. But if blueberry and chocolate aren’t your thing they also have peanut butter smoothie, and even a limited edition birthday cake flavor.
With only 100 calories per serving, 20 grams of protein, prebiotic fiber, no added sugar, and no gluten or soy ingredients, I recommend BEAM Vegan protein to anyone, no matter what your goals are!
Get yours here: BEAM Vegan Protein, Chocolate Brownie, $49.99
3. KOS Organics Protein Powder
KOS is one of those protein powders that tastes good on its own—you can literally mix it with almond milk, oat milk, or even water! I use KOS chocolate plant protein powder when I need a quick post-workout protein shake. (I define a protein shake as just protein powder and liquid, whereas a smoothie has more ingredients and requires a blender.) I love that this protein powder contains a blend of different proteins, including pea protein, quinoa, flaxseed, and pumpkin seed. Plus, it’s packed with other vegetables—that you of course can’t taste—so you also get essential nutrients like iron, potassium, vitamin E, riboflavin, vitamin B12, copper, and more.
KOS has 20 grams of protein per serving, 3 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of healthy fats, like coconut milk!
Get yours here: KOS Chocolate Protein Powder, $34.05
4. ALOHA Pea Protein Powder
I could write a love letter to ALOHA about their chocolate protein powder, and it still wouldn’t feel like I was praising it enough. It has a super rich, authentic chocolate flavor that I have yet to find elsewhere, and I love that it’s made of organic, non-GMO ingredients. If you use it in a smoothie, I recommend adding more liquid than they suggest, because it does yield a thicker smoothie, but that’s easy to adjust to your liking. Whenever I’m craving something sweet but don’t want to eat a ton of sugar, I make a smoothie with banana, almond butter, almond milk, and ALOHA protein. It’s like drinking a chocolate banana milkshake!
With 18 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and a super short clean ingredient list, ALOHA’s chocolate protein is the old reliable of protein powders for. It’s delicious, nutritious, and I haven’t had anyone I’ve recommended this protein to not like it.
Get yours here: ALOHA Pea Protein Powder, $29.99
5. Nuzest Clean Lean Protein Powder
Finally, if you’re someone who has a smoothie every day and is just looking for the cleanest protein powder on the market, look no further than Nuzest. Their vanilla protein is made from three ingredients: pea protein isolate, vanilla, and thaumatin (a fruit-based sweetener). That’s it! Their flavor options go far beyond the usual chocolate and vanilla—they have strawberry, vanilla matcha, probiotic cacao, coffee coconut with MCT oil, and chai turmeric with maca. They even have a flavorless option for anyone looking to add protein to their smoothies, baked goods, or oatmeal without changing the flavor.
Nuzest protein is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, lectin-free, and non-GMO. In other words, it’s suitable for basically everyone, even those with common allergies.
Get yours here: Nuzest Smooth Vanilla Clean Lean Protein Powder, $44.95
I hope you’ll give these protein powders a try and let me know what you think! If you would prefer to shop around on your own, make sure any protein powder you buy has at least 15 grams of protein per serving—this will give you the most bang for your buck.
I encourage you to join our Private Pure Joy Wellness Facebook Group, where you’ll get even more #PureJoyWellnessApproved products, as well as fitness challenges, recipes, skincare tips, and more.
Xo,
Renata