So I’m trying to switch from whey to vegan powders because whey is getting waaay too expensive,but there is a lot of confusion about which one is the best. Some people say soy has all aminoacids,some people say don’t,some people say pea is better than soy,some people the other way around,so I don’t know which one to choose. Speaking about pure protein and aminoacid content,which one is the best? I tried soy and I love the taste. I was thinking to buy a blend of pea and beans,would it be better? What do you use and what would you suggest?
A blend of peas and beans should have a better amino profile than any single source, but this matters less the higher your overall protein intake is. And like the other comment states, unless this is your main source of protein you should be fine with either.
I would recommend looking into the info panel of the protein powder to see the amino acids. From there try to compare the amount between different protein powders to see which one is best for you money.
Whey is much cheaper than any vegan protein I’ve found. By all means, go for vegan protein powders, that’s a good thing to do from an ethics perspective. Just don’t expect your spending on protein to go down.
I was chugging loads of whey before I went vegan. After going vegan, I didn’t see the need for supplemental protein powders; I was getting enough protein from my food. Just eat enough beans and bean-type products- hummus, tofu, etc. and you’ll be fine.
I use sunwarrior unflavored classic plus protein powder. It’s organic, fermented, and it has 5 different sources of protein. No bloating. I mix it with berries, bananas, seeds, peanut/almond butter, half organic soymilk, half organic almond milk. Filling, tastes good, not chunky, and has bcaa’s.
Whey is a higher quality protein than vegan protein per serving. Unless they did something to it. Otherwise you’d need to consume a lot more just to get the same amount nutrient in a single serving of whey. Also, vegan protein should be more expensive then whey
Protein quality is quantitatively measured with the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS). This table gives you the scores of various sources, animal and plant.
Whey isn’t more expensive than vegan powders. If you’re looking to switch it should be because you know whey is terrible for the digestive system. Humans do not digest it well. I break out into hives and headaches and bloating everytime I eat whey in any form. Im sensitive though.
I used to eat whey isolate all the time and couldn’t figure out why I was bloated and leaving horrible protein farts all over the place.
I’ve been taking Promix vegan protein (mostly pea) and it’s so much better. Also just feel better.
I’ve also removed dairy from my diet. I eat non-dairy organic yogurt (cashew or almond or coconut) and nut-based milks and will never go back.
Stats: I’m 5’10”, 180 lbs, and about 13% body fat.
I like pea protein. I also like to buy the unflavored stuff so I can switch up the flavors. Like, I don’t want a chocolate or even a vanilla smoothie/ protein shake every time.
Side note: I like adding protein powder to pancake and waffle batter for a little more sustenance.
Rocka nutrition “no whey!” protein powder. Just discovered it and it’s a game changer. Just the best taste (so far I’ve tried vanilla cookie dough, soooo good, but there’s also churros flavor, banana cake, salted caramel, just so many options) and for a 30g serving you get 20g of protein and 120 kcal. 3 shakes and I’ve almost hit my protein goals for the day. Also, the company has bomb ethics - responsibly sourced, local ingredients, recyclable packaging, carbon neutral, etc.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the amino acid profile of your protein supplements as long as you you have a good diet in general . The other foods you eat should balance that all out and I would just pick the protein supplement that makes you feel the best.
You can purchase whey and cut costs by also purchasing a vegan protein and blend it yourself. Whey is the gold standard for providing such a complete rich profile of amino acids, including all the BCAAs. Most vegan sources are incomplete proteins and have lower digestibility.
Whatever vegan protien you get, if you are going for gains get a standalone BCAA 2:1:1 supplement and throw 6g of it in your shake. Stacking extra leucine is great for gains, and I never see vegan protiens with good bcaa
Search how to make soya milk at home, I make it and leave behind grainy by product that I use as ingredient in other dish…
Basically it costs me half the price of soya isolate and far more cheaper than whey
Brown rice protein I love and if you get vanilla even better. And I also add hemp seed protein powder to my smoothies very healthy and a full amino acid profile it’s one of the only foods in the world will a fully complete amino acid profile.
Heal thy self podcast has a great list of these. main reasons for his listing (an actual doctor, which I am not) was USDA organic and third part testing which makes sure you aren’t ingesting harmful metals etc. worth a listen at the very least.
My favorite is as oldie, but a goldie. Spirutein. The chocolate and the vanilla are great. NO grit. No sludge texture. No nasty aftertaste. The only real downside I can find for it is that if you don’t have time to wash out the container you made the shake in immediately, it is going to smell like death warmed over within an hour or so. It’s terrifying how bad it smells in such a short amount of time.
It’s also a great multivitamin, and it honestly has a better micronutrient profile than any other I’ve ever seen.
140 kcals or less per shake if you use unsweetened almond milk and follow the directions exactly. 15 grams of protein per serving, I believe, but I modified the way I mix it - I use 1.5 servings of the powder and 300 ml almond milk.
I just discovered macro mike and my GOD I am actually obsessed. 160cals and 27g protein, so if I have it for breakfast I’ll make it a smoothie with soy milk, a banana and some ice. Their flavors are insane (choc hazelnut, choc peanut butter, white choc berry, banana…it goes on) and it’s a great texture because they use almond/peanut protein.
I’m a fan of Huel, Vivolife, and 1st phorm vegan protein. Vivolife is great, but quite expensive as it has a lot of added nutrients and whatnot, so I’ve been sticking with 1st Phorm for pure protein powder and Huel for more calorie-dense meal replacements when I’m feeling lazy.
i think soy contains all essential amino acids, so some call it complete. usually plan proteins are considered lesser and i’m not sure how it compares to whey protein for instance, which may contain more (or less) essential and non-essential amino acids.
got downvoted for saying this here but i think it’s an important message:
soy contains plant estrogens which some people claim have no effect, and others do think it can have an effect.
my 2 cents - i would not recommend any man consume soy products as a staple of their diet, but i dont think occasionally eating tofu or something will do anything.
here’s one study suggesting it impacts your hormones: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327914nc3601_3
if you’re going for plant protein personally i’d look into pea/bean and avoid soy.
Pea protein. Check out Truvani. Garden of Life makes a great plant protein as well. Truvani is newish, minimal ingredients, mixes easily, and the flavor is fantastic.As a guy, I generally try to avoid soy because if it’s estrogen-mimicing properties.
All I’ll say is good luck. I used whey for years then tried to move to plant based proteins - I’ve tried hemp, soy, pea, all sorts.. I hate the taste of all of them and as such, didn’t utilise them properly. I had to force myself to choke them down.
Spoiler alert: I’ve gone back to whey 😅