Top 10 HEALTHIEST Vegan Protein Powders

by Mr Plant Based

There are many top 10 vegan protein articles but this one is different because I’m focusing on the top 10 HEALTHIEST choices. 

It’s not just about being plant based, It’s about a vegan protein powder that’s also a healthy option.

To write this article I’ve had to focus on some key questions. 

They are. 

Are the ingredients organic? It needs to be organic for it to be classed as a healthy plant based protein powder. Every product on this list is either fully organic or mostly organic.

Are they heavy metal tested? There was a study in 2018 by Clean Label Project which showed alarming levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, and lead have been found in some of the most popular plant based protein products.

Even though all the brands on this list have some of the best quality ingredients, only a few test for heavy metals.

What’s the Protein source? Some protein sources are better than others, for example most people want to avoid soy-based powders as soy crops in the United States are often genetically modified (GMO) and are a common allergen. In this list, I’ll mention where the protein source comes from.

Is it Gluten free? This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be healthier but a lot of people avoid gluten today because of health complications, so if a protein powder on this list is gluten-free I’ll mention it.

Does it contain added sugar? Man, I ain’t got no time for those sugar-loaded supplements. To be a contender for the most healthiest vegan shake then it better not have added sugar!

Does it contain artificial flavors? The ingredients better be all-natural and good to be a contender on this list. Many whey or plant based protein powders are full of artificial flavors and sweetness so that’s why I’ve made sure to check whether these did or didn’t have any in.  

Is it GMO free? Genetically modified ingredients? Er, NO THANKS! If you’re health-conscious then you’ll know you don’t want to be consuming GMOs. The good news is, all the products on this list are GMO-free!

So as you’ll see below that’s what I focused on when I put together this top ten list. 

Hopefully, you’ll now be able to decide what ones the best for you!

10 Best Healthiest Vegan Protein Powders Compared

1. Vivo Life Perform 

Vivo Life is an award-winning superfood brand that has a fantastic selection of plant based products including their Vivo Life Perform protein powder. Vivo Perform is more than just a regular vegan protein powder. It’s made for the health-conscious user. This is a personal favorite of mine which I’ve been using for a few years. Check out the key points below to see why it’s so good.

Key highlights:

  • Contains no added sugars or artificial sweeteners
  • Organic ingredients 
  • Vegan 
  • Soy free
  • Grain free
  • No GMO’s
  • Raw protein 
  • Third-party tested for heavy metals 
  • Naturally gluten free
  • Bio-fermented protein for optimal digestion and assimilation
  • 25g of plant based protein with a complete amino acid profile
  • Come with a 30-day money-back guarantee 

What’s in it:

  • 25g of protein from bio-fermented pea and cold-pressed hemp
  • 6g BCAA per serving
  • Reishi Mushroom Fruiting Body Powder
  • Turmeric Extract
  • Digestive Enzymes (Ginger Extract, Papain, Peppermint Leaf)
  • Plant Based BCAA (Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine)
  • Stevia Extract for natural sweetness
  • Pink Himalayan Salt

Overall thoughts:

This a great company that really cares about the quality of its products. This is my top pick and is the reason I personally still use Vivo Life products. All the ingredients are sourced for sustainability and health benefits. If you want a healthy protein powder then this has everything. Heavy metal-free, non GMO, organic, no added sugars or artificial sweetness, bio-fermented protein plus other nutritional boosting ingredients for added health benefits. 

Read my Vivo Life Protein Review here.

Here’s a Discount Code For Vivo Life Products.

2. Ora Organic Vegan Protein Powder

Key highlights:

  • Dairy-free
  • No sugar or artificial ingredients 
  • Sweetened with organic stevia and organic monk fruit
  • Gluten-free
  • Non-GMO
  • 22 grams of plant based protein
  • Organic
  • Soy-free
  • Vegan
  • Heavy metal tested
  • Boosted with 20+ superfoods for added micronutrients and a complete amino acid profile.

What’s in it:

  • 22 grams of protein from organic Pea, Rice and Hemp.
  • Full-spectrum of digestive enzymes
  • Two servings of organic greens in every shake

Overall thoughts:

This is a great all-round vegan protein powder. Organic, Heavy metal tested, 22g protein, digestive enzymes and organic greens in every shake. I would put this on par with my personal favorite plant based protein powder from Vivo Life. Great product!

Read my full review here: Ora Organic Protein Powder Review

3. Alaya Naturals Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder

Key highlights:

  • Blend of certified organic pea, hemp, and sprouted brown rice proteins
  • 22g protein per serving with a complete spectrum of amino acids
  • Vegan 
  • Soy free
  • Organic spirulina
  • Digestive enzyme blend
  • Non-GMO
  • Sweetened with monk fruit extract
  • Enhanced with a digestive enzyme blend to increase bioavailability and aid digestion

What’s in it:

  • 22g organic protein from Pea, Sprouted Brown Rice & Hemp
  • Organic Spirulina Powder
  • DigeZyme enzyme blend

Downside: 

  • Isn’t heavy metal tested or doesn’t appear to be.

Overall thoughts:

Great product with organic healthy ingredients. Like Vivo Life they care about ethical and environmental concerns but also the foods we put into our bodies. This is a good choice as everything is natural and organic which is a must to be included in this healthiest vegan protein powder list.

4. Birdman Falcon Protein

Key highlights:

What’s in it:

  • 22g organic protein from brown rice, pea, quinoa sprout, pumpkin seed, cranberry seed, sacha inchi powder and amaranth sprout.
  • Pink Himalayan Salt
  • Probiotics
  • Digestive enzymes

Downside:

  • Doesn’t say if it’s heavy metal tested.

Overall thoughts: 

Overall, good product and good company. A complete amino acid profile, organic ingredients, soy gluten and dairy-free plus digestive mix to aid digestion making for another good option when looking for a healthy vegan protein powder. 

5. Vega Sport Premium Protein

Key highlights:

  • This product is keto-friendly
  • Zero artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners
  • Gluten-free
  • Vegan 
  • Non-GMO
  • Contains probiotics
  • High protein content

What’s in it:

  • 30 grams plant-based protein from pea, pumpkin seed, organic sunflower seed, and alfalfa protein
  • 5 grams of BCAAs
  • Tart cherry to support recovery

Downsides:

  • Doesn’t appear to be heavy metal tested
  • Not fully organic

Overall thoughts:

Vega Sport Premium is a very popular brand with thousands of positive reviews. As a vegan protein powder, it’s a great choice, but as one of the healthiest plant-based powders? I’m not too sure. If it was fully organic and heavy metal tested then yes, but unfortunately it isn’t, so I would say this wouldn’t be a top choice if you want a healthier vegan protein powder.

Read my full review of Vega Sport Premium Protein Powder here.

6. Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder

Key highlights:

  • Organic ingredients 
  • Blend of protein sources which include a complete amino acid profile
  • No added sugar and no artificial sweeteners.
  • Soy, gluten, and dairy free
  • Non-GMO
  • Kosher certified
  • only 150 calories in every serving

What’s in it:

  • 21g of plant-based protein made from organic pea, brown rice, and chia proteins.

Downside:

  • It doesn’t any of the added nutritional boosting ingredients like some of the other brands. 
  • Doesn’t appear to be heavy metal tested

Overall thoughts:

This is another super popular brand with thousand of reviews. It’s clean with no bad stuff in, and also tastes great, but at the same time it lacks some of the added goodies you would see in one of the other brands such as Vivo Life’s protein. If you are looking for a healthier option then that might be an issue for you. Overall, still a good plant-based protein powder. 

7. Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder

Key highlights:

  • Non-GMO
  • Vegan
  • RAW Organic protein 
  • Fat-Soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K
  • Live Probiotics and Enzymes
  • Only 110 calorie smooth protein shake
  • No added sugar
  • Sweetened naturally with organic Stevia Extract

What’s in it:

  • 22 Grams of Protein from 22 RAW and organic sprouts.
  • 3.8 Grams of BCAAs per Serving

Downsides: 

  • Isn’t heavy metal tested

Overall thoughts:

Nice clean protein with a good mix of protein sources. Contains healthy vitamins, probiotics, and enzymes. Low calories per serving which make for a healthy and low cal choice for people looking lose weight whilst taking plant-based proteins.

Check out the FULL review I did of Garden Of Life protein powder here.

8. Sunwarrior – Warrior Blend

Key highlights:

  • Keto and Paleo Friendly
  • No GMO
  • Raw ingredients
  • Organic
  • Vegan
  • Soy free
  • High protein content with full amino acid profile
  • Multiple protein sources including fermented pea protein, goji berry protein, and hemp seed protein

What’s in it:

  • Up to 27 grams of plant based protein per serving (depending on flavor)
  • 6 grams of BCAA’s per serving
  • Goji Berry (a nutrient-dense superfood)
  • MCT from coconut (help boost the immune system, and enhance muscle recovery after exercise)

Downside:

  • Doesn’t appear to be heavy metal tested

Overall thoughts:

Great product by another great company. This company cares about what goes into their products. This is a great healthy nutritional vegan protein. One of the better products on this list.

If you want to check out my FULL Review of Sunwarrior (Warrior Blend) protein powder then click here.

9. KOS Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder

Key highlights:

  • Organic
  • Vegan
  • Full of nutrients & minerals
  • Non GMO
  • 20g Protein per serving from 5 sources Pea, Flax Seed, Quinoa, Pumpkin Seed and Chia Seed
  • Sweetened naturally with organic stevia and organic monk fruit
  • Gluten free
  • Soy and dairy free
  • Come with a 90 day guarantee

What’s in it:

  • Himalayan pink salt
  • Organic coconut milk
  • DigeSEB Enzyme Blend for maximum absorption
  • 20 grams of protein per serving
  • Contains vitamins from A to Z (zinc oxide) and all the minerals to be a complete multivitamin source

Downside:

  • Doesn’t appear to be heavy metal tested

Overall thoughts:

Overall a good health-conscious plant-based protein powder. Full of nutrients which I like to see, it does have a little less protein than the others but still good enough. Also, this brand has many happy customers as the reviews will tell.

10. PlantFusion Complete Plant-Based Pea Protein Powder

Key highlights:

  • Vegan
  • Non GMO
  • No Soy
  • Gluten Free
  • No artificial flavors or sweeteners
  • Sugar Free

What’s in it:

  • 21g of plant-based proteins from peas, artichokes & algae
  • Digestive enzymes
  • Added organic superfoods

Downside:

  • Doesn’t appear to be heavy metal tested

Overall thoughts:

Not the best on this list but not the worst. I would put this somewhere in the mid-range of quality when it comes to the healthiest protein powders on this list. Still, with that being said, this is super popular with plenty of positive reviews which you can see on Amazon.

So there you go! My top 10 healthiest vegan protein powders. If there’s any you think should be on this list then comment below and I might update this article and it to the list.  

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7 comments

Sam May 7, 2020 - 7:32 am

Hi I would add Naked Nutrition or Transparent Labs maybe. I am currently looking at their heavy metals.

Reply
Ross July 30, 2020 - 6:14 pm

The first two seem to be good recommendations. Thank you for those suggestions. I also found Promix to be a well-tested brand, although many people complain about the flavor. Some of the Plant Fusion tests well, but the rest of the recommendations have been shown to have a lot of Heavy Metals so I would be careful about recommending them. Thanks.

Reply
Mr Plant Based August 9, 2020 - 7:40 pm

Thanks for sharing that with.The first two are defo the best in my opinion but I’m sure there’s a few other good ones out there as well. Thanks for stopping by 🙏

Reply
art July 31, 2020 - 2:44 pm

i called vega and they said tey do test there products but don release it to public

Reply
Mr Plant Based August 9, 2020 - 7:36 pm

Thanks for letting me know!

Reply
D September 11, 2020 - 2:06 am

Can you look into Truvani

Reply
Mr Plant Based September 14, 2020 - 6:32 am

Great idea! Thanks 🙏

Reply

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