Consider a few things if you’re looking for an unflavored vegan protein powder. First of all, you should know that these powders contain no sugar, and the unflavored variety has the nine essential amino acids your body needs to maintain a healthy balance. Plus, unflavored powders are usually N.S.F. certified and contain probiotics. Secondly, you should know that they contain about 110 calories per serving.
Unflavored Protein Powder: What is it?
With one caveat, unflavored protein powder is exactly what it sounds like. According to Amy Shapiro, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., creator of Real Nutrition, “unflavored” indicates “no flavourings are added.” “This implies that most protein powders do not contain any added tastes or sweets. However, it depends on the brand, as some add different substances to improve texture and taste. It’s critical to study nutrition labels rather than relying on what’s written on the front of the package.” The F.D.A. does not regulate dietary supplements as rigorously as it regulates medications. Businesses can describe a powder as “unflavored” when it actually contains flavouring elements.
The most significant benefit of choosing unflavored protein powder is that it usually contains no sugars. Avoiding sweeteners might be a personal preference—many individuals find substances like stevia too sweet—or a health-conscious decision. “Some sweeteners, like sucralose, aren’t good because they’re calorie-free, and others might cause stomach distress or bloating,” Shapiro explains.
Unflavored Protein Powder: How to Use it?
You can start getting creative with your dishes once you’ve figured out how much protein you should consume every day. Smoothies and shakes are apparent alternatives, but adding a scoop (or two) of protein powder to a drink isn’t limited to sugary beverages. Unflavored protein powder is more versatile because it isn’t sweet. Unflavored protein powder is more neutral than Fruity Pebbles-flavored protein powder, which you’d never include in a savoury meal. Garlic bread, fried chicken, handmade pasta…the list goes on.
It’s important to remember that just because something is flavourless doesn’t mean it tastes like air. Instead, unflavored protein powder has a nutty flavour and/or grainy texture, which can be readily disguised with items like nut kinds of butter, fruits, cacao, or herbs if you don’t like it. If you’re unsure, Shapiro suggests starting with a modest amount of powder (a quarter-scoop at first) and gradually increasing the amount until you become used to the flavour.
Different Unflavored Vegan Protein Powder
Reply Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate Powder, Unflavored
Whey is a high-quality protein since it contains all nine essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, and it’s easy on the stomach (unless you’re allergic to dairy, of course). Only two components make up this tasteless whey protein powder: grass-fed whey protein isolate (with a higher protein concentration than whey concentrate) and sunflower lecithin. It’s also pretty affordable, which undoubtedly helps.
Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder, Natural Unsweetened
Orgain’s unflavored protein powder is produced with pea protein, brown rice protein, and whole chia seeds and is vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. It’s USDA-certified organic, easy to blend into drinks, and doesn’t have a bad taste that you’ll want to hide.
Isopure Zero Carb Unflavored Protein Powder
If you’re following a low-carb diet, Isopure Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate provides zero (yes, zero) grams of carbohydrates. The tasteless whey protein powder contains 25 grams of protein per 100 calories and is made using whey protein isolate.
Naked Nutrition Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder
Naked Nutrition is known for supplements free of additives, and this unflavored protein powder is no exception. Whey from Rumiano’s small, organic dairy farms in California is used to make this one-ingredient protein powder.
What Must be the Dosage of Vegan Protein Powder?
ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE’S FOOD AND NUTRITION BOARD, protein D.R.I. (Daily Recommended Intake) for healthy people is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. On the other hand, individual protein requirements are determined by various parameters such as height, weight, age, amount of physical activity, and overall health. Some athletes, for example, may require 1.2-2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.
To determine your specific protein requirements, consult a healthcare physician or work with a Registered Dietitian. While plant-based foods (such as nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, tofu, and other soy-based proteins) might help fulfill your protein needs, protein powders can also help. Assess how much protein you’re getting from your diet and, if necessary, supplement with protein powders to attain your specific, ideal consumption.
How do you Select the Best Vegan Protein Powder?
The first step in selecting the best vegan protein powder is determining your protein source.
First, toss out any products containing components you are allergic to or cannot tolerate. Soy, for example, is a common ingredient in many plant-based supplements. It’s a complete protein source, but many people are allergic to it, can’t stomach it well, or have a thyroid disease that could be aggravated by eating more of it. Consider pea, Hemp, or brown rice as alternatives if this describes you.
Pea protein is manufactured from yellow peas and is therefore FODMAP-friendly and allergen-free. It also contains a lot of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs enhance muscle fibre synthesis and can be a beneficial supplement to many different heavy resistance training programs, according to review research published in the Nutrients journal. Brown rice is another hypoallergenic protein source. Brown rice, while high quality, lacks a complete amino acid profile and must thus be combined with other vegan protein sources.
Hemp extracts, high in vital amino acids, omega 3 fatty acids, and fibre, are found in many top vegan protein powders. On the other hand, Hemp has a pungent, earthy aftertaste that not everyone will enjoy. Choose goods that include multiple protein sources as a general rule to ensure that you obtain all of your body’s amino acids.
The next step is to pick a product that matches your health and fitness objectives. Protein supplements and muscle gainers are the two types of protein powders available. Protein supplements are designed to complement your protein intake just. In contrast, mass gainers are designed to provide a hefty dose of calories and a variety of nutrients that encourage muscle building. If losing weight is your primary goal, stick to standard protein powders, especially those low in carbs. However, if you work hard to shape your physique, mass gainers may be a better fit.
What are the Advantages of Vegan Protein Powder?
The amount of protein you require is determined by various factors, including your body weight, age, and level of physical activity. Protein requirements for the average person are 0.75g per kg of body weight, rising to 1-1.2g in the over-65s. People who exercise frequently will require even more – around 1.2-2g per kg of body weight.
Dr. Dehghan suggests starting with whole foods to increase your protein intake. “Starting with ordinary cuisine is an easy approach to improve your protein consumption,” she said. “Adding hemp seeds, tofu, or any other protein source to your smoothies or meals is easy to boost your protein intake.”
If you still want to increase your protein intake, Dr. Dehghan suggests starting with soy and pea proteins. “Both have been around for a long time, and most studies compare whey protein to soy or pea protein powders. Protein powders that combine diverse protein sources, such as pea and brown rice, are another favourite of mine.”
Is Every Type of Protein Powder Vegan?
Protein powder, in general, is not considered vegan. Many protein powders are made from animal sources, such as whey protein, made from milk protein isolates.
Soy, pea, rice, flaxseed, hemp seed, sunflower seed, and chia seed are just a few plant-based proteins. Many are vegan; however, some may contain animal-derived ingredients, like honey. Check the ingredient lists to ensure that the product suits your dietary restrictions.
Is Vegan Protein Powder Suitable for Keto?
Most Vegan protein powders contain carbohydrates, some of which come in added sugars, which may conflict with your keto diet. On a keto diet, seek powders with less than 5 grams of total carbohydrates and sugar.
Sunwarrior Organic Vegan Protein Powder Warrior Blend is a terrific keto-friendly vegan protein powder (view on Amazon). One scoop (25 grams) has 17 grams of protein, 1 carbohydrate, and no sugar. It also contains MCT oil, which helps you consume more healthy fats.
Is Vegan Protein Powder Better for you than Whey Protein Powder?
Whether plant-based or animal-derived, protein powders’ nutritional composition and ingredient lists differ significantly. As a result, while determining which powder to use, it’s critical to compare specific product details. Animal-based proteins have higher amino acid amounts and ratios and better protein digestion and bioavailability. Whey and animal-derived protein powders have a higher protein content per ounce and are complete proteins, containing all nine essential amino acids.
Plant-based proteins, on the other hand, contain more antioxidants and fibre. Some plant-based proteins, such as soy, have a high protein concentration per ounce and contain all nine essential amino acids. Complementary protein blends, which combine multiple plant proteins to generate a complete protein, are found in other plant-based protein powders.
When deciding which protein powder is suitable for you, think about your specific health goals and concerns.
How to Avoid Bloating and Gas at Bay?
As you add more plants into your diet, you can do a few things to reduce gas and bloating. The following are seven tried-and-true methods:
Slowly chew
When you gulp down your food, you’re also swallowing air, which causes gas to build up in your stomach. Chewing also helps start the digestive process by breaking down carbohydrates and starches, so they spend less time in your stomach.
Gradually introduce high-fibre meals and plants
When you’re not used to eating a lot of fibre, a sudden influx of high-fibre, plant-based foods might be jarring because your gut isn’t used to these nutrients. Because your gut will adjust to your new diet over time, adding more vegetables gradually will help prevent gas and bloating.
Prepare your vegetables
Baking, steaming, sautéing, or grilling your vegetables rather than eating them raw helps to predigest some of the most gas-producing elements in your vegetables: starch and fibre. It also aids in absorbing nutrients, so choose cooked vegetables over raw whenever possible.
Consider taking a digestive enzyme or a digestive enzyme combination
Digestive enzyme blends are supplements containing digestive enzymes that aid in the digestion of food. They can accommodate lactose-intolerant people who eat high-fibre diets because they can help break down fibre and relieve flatulence.
Eat low-gas foods
Reduce your intake of cruciferous and allium vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, onions, and leeks. Eat more of the items on the low gas-producing foods list—these foods are known to cause more gas.
Avoid overeating
Overeating any food puts you at risk for poor digestion and discomfort with gas and bloating. Instead, spread your meals out throughout the day and end when you’re satisfied.
Adopting a plant-based diet does not imply that you will have more gas, and you’ll discover that the gassy stage will pass (pun intended). You’ll be on your way to a healthy way of life by gradually introducing more plants into your diet and following these strategies to minimize gas and bloating.
Conclusion
Animal proteins, take note: the best vegan protein powders are just as suitable for enhancing your workouts, assisting with weight loss, and promoting muscle growth as any other type. Whether you’re a full-fledged vegan or just attempting to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet, these protein powders will keep you energetic during your next workout—and will even aid in recuperation.
There are plenty of vegan protein options, ranging from Hemp to peas and soy to brown rice. According to Amy Shapiro, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., a New York-based dietitian, whey protein powder contains slightly more protein than plant-based alternatives. Still, the latter provides more fibre and other vital minerals. If you ask us, that’s not a bad deal.