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These are my five go-to protein powders that don’t contain whey. I included pros and cons of each along with a nutrition and price comparison to help you choose the best protein powder for you.
I get asked a lot what my favorite protein powder is, and to be honest, it depends on the day you ask me. There are multiple brands that I rotate among, and I’ll go into the pros and cons of each. I can’t have whey or casein so all of these are plant-based, with the exception of collagen which is typically cow, chicken or fish derived. I included two collagens in the list since it’s a popular protein supplement these days and I get asked about it quite often.
Best Protein Powder for Runners
A few things to note before we dive into the list:
Each brand has a few other options so the nutrition specifics may vary slightly, but it should be pretty similar across the brand.
I like having protein powder as a supplement, but I don’t let it replace getting protein from whole food sources, just like I don’t let my daily fruit & veggie supplement replace real produce. I also get lots of protein from veggies (yes, they have protein and it adds up if you have veggies at every meal!), whole grains, meat, fish and legumes. If you have specific dietary needs or goals, work with a registered dietitian who can guide you.
If you’re going to make a lot of smoothies — which is how I incorporate powder powder into my diet most often — do yourself a favor and invest in a Vitamix. I bought a refurbished one (which is about $200 cheaper), have used it multiple times a week for 6+ years, and have had no issues.
I used protein powder during my pregnancy, especially when I had a lot of issues with nausea and food aversions and couldn’t stomach much. And I was able to get in a lot of nutrients cramming smoothies with berries, spinach, kale, cauliflower (yes really!), avocado, protein powder and more. (If you’re expecting, be sure to check with your doctor before you incorporate protein powder.)
Generation UCan Chocolate Plant Based Protein
Generation Ucan is the protein powder I used most often. I love that it contains carbs since I struggle to get enough carbs as a runner, especially when I’m in marathon training mode. They do have whey protein but I’ve only had the plant-based one.
Stats:
2 full scoop = 20 grams protein = 160 calories
Cost: $54.95
Ounces per container: 21
Servings per container: 12
Cost per serving: $4.58
Fiber: 2g
Carbs: 22g
Sugar: 0g, however there are 6g of sugar alcohol. Erythritol is used as the sweetener.
Pros:
This has the best taste of all of the protein powders listed in this post!
It blends easily with water or milk in a shaker bottle.
It contains carbs so you could take it right after a workout without needing to supplement it with another carb source.
Uses a “superstarch” blend of carbs that is very gentle on even finicky stomachs.
Cons:
Can only buy online here: Generation UCan – use promo code AFOODIESTAYSFIT for 15% off
It only comes in a chocolate flavor.
It contains erythritol as a sweetener, which is a sugar alcohol and can also cause gut upset for some people.
The carb source is corn based, which may be an allergen for some. The story behind their superstarch corn ingredient is explained here – pretty interesting background that it was developed for an infant!
Garden of Life Raw Vegan Protein
One of my good friends who is a vegan and a sport dietitian recommended this option, which is why I purchased it. I always buy the vanilla flavor and it works so well into all of my smoothie recipes. Chocolate flavored protein powder doesn’t always work well in smoothie recipes. They also have an unflavored option, but I haven’t tried it.
Stats:
1 full scoop = 22 grams protein = 130 calories
Cost: $33.23
Ounces per container: 23
Servings per container: 20
Cost per serving: $1.66
Fiber: 1g
Carbs: 2g
Sugar: 0g. Erythritol and stevia are the sweeteners used in Garden of Life.
Contains a wide variety of plant-based protein sources for well-rounded nutrition, including pea, sprouted brown rice, amaranth sprout, buckwheat sprout, millet sprout, chia seed and more.
Use promo code TERI to get 10% off if you shop at Perfect Supplements or save 25% on your first Thrive Market order with this link
Garden of Life is listed as brand trusted by Perfect Supplements and I do feel like that company does solid research so I trust their recommendations.
Cons:
The chocolate flavor was ranked poorly by the Clean Label Project.
It has a somewhat strong flavor that can overpower other flavors in a smoothie.
Contains both stevia and erythritol.
It’s very low in carbs (2 grams) which isn’t ideal for post-run recovery. But that’s easy to remedy by putting a banana or other carb source (like sweet potatoes even!) in your smoothie.
Vega Sport
Vega Sport is the protein powder I’ve used the longest, for over five years.
Stats:
1 full scoop = 30 grams protein = 160 calories
Cost: $34.45
Ounces per container: 29 oz
Servings per container: 19
Cost per serving: $1.80
Fiber: 2g
Carbs: 6g
Sugar: 2g Total, no added sugar. (Stevia is the sweetener)
Pros:
Tastes great. Not chalky and blends well without chunks, whether mixed into something or just with water or almond milk
Formulated by a professional athlete (IronMan and ultramarathoner), Brenden Brazier, and my perception is that the guy knows his stuff
Contains probiotics and antioxidants to help speed recovery, including turmeric and tart cherry
Formulated specifically for post-workout recovery
I like the mix of protein sources, including pumpkin seeds
The chocolate and vanilla flavors taste great and not artificial
If you only do half scoops (and you still get 15g of protein with that, which makes it more comparable to the others in the post), it obviously makes it more economical.
A full scoop to get 30 grams of protein is massive so you have to adjust your liquid ratios to whatever you’re adding it to (like protein pancakes, oatmeal breakfast cake, cacao nib mint smoothie). Or, you can just do a half scoop depending on your wants and needs.
It’s difficult to blend without a real blender. Even with a shaker bottle, it often gets chunky.
It uses Stevia as a sweetener. Sometimes that flavor bothers me more than others.
The Vanilla flavor was ranked poorly by the Clean Label Project.
Like Garden of Life, it’s very low in carbs (6 grams) which isn’t ideal for post-run recovery. But again, you can easily pair it with carbs easily in a smoothie.
Arbonne FeelFit Pea Protein Shake
This Arbonne protein powder is SO good. This is my go-to choice on days that I don’t need extra carbs (i.e. on strength only days or on rest days). In fact, it tastes the best out of all the options. I like the chocolate flavor best. But in my pantry, I have the vanilla, chocolate, mint and coffee flavors. (Seriously.)
Stats
2 full scoop = 20 grams protein = 160 calories
Cost: $89.00
Servings per container: 30
Cost per serving: $2.96
Fiber: 6g
Carbs: 13g
Sugar: 7g
Pros
Best taste of all the options, hands down
Tastes amazing, whether you mix with water or non-dairy milk
Blends easily in water with just a shaker bottle
Cons
Can only be purchased online through an Arbonne consultant. That doesn’t bother me at all since I like to support friends doing their own business, but you can’t just pick it up at the grocery story. (I shop with my friend Allison Winkler so select her as your consultant and she’ll take great care of you! Here’s her website.)
I wish it came in tubs rather than resealable bags. But, on the flip side, it’s easier to store bags since they take up less space and I do have a lot of them!
Collagen For Her Peptide Powder
I’ve been using Collagen For Her most consistently as my collagen since trying a few different brands. I have a full review here! Collagen is SO great for women.
Stats
1 full scoop = 10 grams protein = 40 calories
Cost: $33.29
Ounces per container: 16
Servings per container: 41
Cost per serving: $0.82
Pros
The Taste: Collage For Her is almost flavorless and tasteless. No weird smell, taste, or texture. I like that I can throw it in to any smoothie, drink, or recipe and it won’t significantly alter the flavor. I do notice a slight taste in my coffee when I add it to black coffee, but if I add creamer as well, I don’t taste the collagen at all. With other brands, the collagen taste was overwhelming no matter what I added.
Dissolvability: Collagen For Her dissolves instantly in hot liquids. No floating white chunks, you barely even have to stir. It will melt right into your coffee or tea. It is also great to add to smoothies or baked goods for that reason.
Sourcing: Collagen is an animal product, so sourcing is extremely important! Collagen For Her is grass fed, pasture raised, and each batch comes with a certificate of analysis to ensure it is safe for consumption.
Cons
It doesn’t mix with cold water (but most collagens don’t) and the taste isn’t great (i.e. it’s gross) on its own so you have to mix it with something else. It’s also not designed to help with muscle recovery, so I wouldn’t use it in place of other protein powders.
Modere Biocell Sport Collagen
I’ve been grabbing the Modere Sport Collagen more frequently over the Collagen for Her powder just because it’s so much more convenient and I don’t like adding collagen to my coffee and ruining the taste. With the Modere collagen, I just take a tablespoon once or twice a day, depending on how achy my joints are feeling throughout my training cycle.
Stats
1 Tablespoon = 10 calories
Cost: $74.99
Ounces per container: 15.2
Servings per container: 30
Cost per serving:$2.49
Pros
Convenience: It’s the fastest of all to take.
Specificity for athletes: I like that the Sport version has L-carnitine and BCAAs to help with recovery.
Sourcing: Collagen is an animal product, so sourcing is extremely important! Collagen For Her is grass fed, pasture raised, and each batch comes with a certificate of analysis to ensure it is safe for consumption.
Cons
It’s EXPENSIVE but if you know you want to incorporate collagen and don’t want to have to mix a powder with your coffee or make a smoothie everyday, I think this is the most convenient option. I view it kind of like buying coffee vs. making it at home.
Again, this type collagen isn’t designed to be a source of protein or provide calorie refueling after a workout. It’s definitely a supplement, not a meal or part of a meal.
Heavy metals in protein powder
There has been some press recently about protein powders testing high for heavy metals and since supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, you have to do your own research to verify what each brand does to go above and beyond on this aspect. (Skincare is another industry that isn’t regulated enough, so it’s important to seek out brands that go above and beyond for safety.)
Two protein powders brands I use and are included in this post are listed as having poor scores from the Clean Label Product (which looks at heavy metals, pesticides, and contaminants like BPA), but they called out specific flavors, so you’ll see that called out below. I don’t know if they tested multiple flavors and only called out the one that was an issue OR if they only tested one flavor. So, if this is something that’s very important to you, be sure to do more research. As I replace my protein powders, it’s definitely something I plan to dig into more. Unfortunately all of the best-rated scores were given to whey protein powders, which I don’t tolerate well.
Interestingly, the plant-based proteins got worse scores compared to those made from whey (milk) or egg, on average container as much as 2x more lead.
It may be that animals’ digestive systems help to remove some of the toxins. As it relates to “organic” protein powder, that label doesn’t have any correlation to a more positive or negative score. On average, organic protein actually had higher levels of heavy metals. But, one of the scientists who worked on the testing stated that it “probably as more to do with these products being plant-based than being organic.” You can read more about the testing here.
I’d love to hear your favorite protein powder brands and why you love them! Leave a comment and share!
The VEGA is the only one of these I’ve tried and I really liked it. I got a free sample but the price tag has kept me away. I’m lucky that I handle whey really well so I can get much less expensive protein powders. I’ve actually been considering getting plain whey protein from Bob’s Red Mill and experimenting on my own.
ps: I think “sciencey” is totally a word. Or it should be.
I tried the Sun Warrior chocolate a while back, and just wasn’t a fan. The texture was weird on it’s own. It worked better in other things like oatmeal or something. Love your review! I’ve been curious about Vega.
Major plant fusion fan right here! With some caveats–I never mix with water or milk. I don’t know, I’m weird and I can’t do it for fear of getting a chunk in my mouth. Lol. I blend with a banana and coconut milk. It took me awhile to get used to vanilla. I had to add PB2 at first because the flavor is intense. Now the chocolate is my jam. I loooove it. I wish I could cook with protein powders–but again, scared. I once tried a protein shake in water sample and it scarred me for life. I also once tried to add it to my coffee and it was so awful. ? So I stick to what I like!
Love Plantfusion! Cookies and Cream (as strange as it sounds for a plant protein) is the best 🙂 The price on most sites are less than the what is listed. I buy consistently for $24.99. SunWarrior is a close second. Vega way too sweet with weird aftertaste
oooh thank you!! I didn’t realize protein powders are on EWG! So good to know! I used NuZest a long time ago but had forgotten about it. And I’ve never heard of Truvani – I’ll check it out!
Have you tried Beachbody recover protein, collagen, and/or our health food shake shakeology?? I’d love to chat more about them! I drink them daily and have tried so many other supplements!
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9 responses to “Best Protein Powder for Runners”
I LOVE aloha protein powder… it makes incredibly smoothies! https://aloha.com/shop/protein-free-month?ref=9a87d3a7
Otherwise I use Vega or Plant Fusion 🙂
The VEGA is the only one of these I’ve tried and I really liked it. I got a free sample but the price tag has kept me away. I’m lucky that I handle whey really well so I can get much less expensive protein powders. I’ve actually been considering getting plain whey protein from Bob’s Red Mill and experimenting on my own.
ps: I think “sciencey” is totally a word. Or it should be.
I tried the Sun Warrior chocolate a while back, and just wasn’t a fan. The texture was weird on it’s own. It worked better in other things like oatmeal or something. Love your review! I’ve been curious about Vega.
Major plant fusion fan right here! With some caveats–I never mix with water or milk. I don’t know, I’m weird and I can’t do it for fear of getting a chunk in my mouth. Lol. I blend with a banana and coconut milk. It took me awhile to get used to vanilla. I had to add PB2 at first because the flavor is intense. Now the chocolate is my jam. I loooove it. I wish I could cook with protein powders–but again, scared. I once tried a protein shake in water sample and it scarred me for life. I also once tried to add it to my coffee and it was so awful. ? So I stick to what I like!
Love Plantfusion! Cookies and Cream (as strange as it sounds for a plant protein) is the best 🙂 The price on most sites are less than the what is listed. I buy consistently for $24.99. SunWarrior is a close second. Vega way too sweet with weird aftertaste
NuZest and Truvani are two of the cleanest protein powders according to the EWG healthy living!
oooh thank you!! I didn’t realize protein powders are on EWG! So good to know! I used NuZest a long time ago but had forgotten about it. And I’ve never heard of Truvani – I’ll check it out!
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Have you tried Beachbody recover protein, collagen, and/or our health food shake shakeology?? I’d love to chat more about them! I drink them daily and have tried so many other supplements!