With many people switching to a vegan diet, being lactose intolerant or just looking for an alternative to whey protein, nowadays there’s an array of protein powders available on the market, pea being one of them, but what is the best pea protein powder?
Pea is actually my first choice for al protein supplement but what is the best pea protein powder? I’ll be covering that later in the article.
The reason I’m currently taking a protein supplement is because I’m weight lifting and trying to build muscle. You can’t build muscle without enough protein so I have a protein shake a couple of times a day. This is only a supplement though, I get as much protein as I can through the foods I eat, check out my article on high protein vegan foods here. These are the foods I eat regularly to ensure I get as much protein as possible.
As I delve into the world of pea protein and ask what is the best pea protein powder? First I should probably go through what the hell pea protein is in the first place. Here goes…
What is pea protein?
Pea protein is made by extracting the protein from yellow and green split peas.
You buy it in powder form like you would with any other protein powder. It does taste of peas (now I like peas but I don’t want to taste them mixed in my protein shake along with a banana!) but luckily for us they come in different flavours so the pea taste pretty much disappears, unless you go for unflavoured if you like to taste the peas in your drink (not for me!)
Pea protein is vegan so is a good alternative to something like whey protein which contains dairy and it still contains enough protein for your muscle building.
If you’re thinking about going vegan but you’re not sure where to start check out this article on how to start going vegan
Why is pea protein powder good for me?
There are a number of reasons why pea protein powder is a great choice for supplementing your protein intake.
It contains all 9 essential amino acids
If you’re vegan you may struggle to get all 9 of the amino acids your body needs as they’re found a lot more in meat and animal products, your body cannot produce these essential amino acids and pea protein is a complete source for all 9.
It also contains the branched chain amino acids isoleucine, leucine, and valine which are also great for building muscle.
Helps to build muscle
This is the main reason I’m taking pea protein powder, it’s all about the muscle gains! Well I’m trying to gain muscle at least.
The particular pea protein I’m currently taking has 22.6g or protein per serving with only 101 calories so doesn’t eat into my daily calorie intake too much. I always look for a protein powder that has at least 20g of protein per scoop as I feel I’m getting good value for money.
Other benefits include:
- High iron content
- Keeps you full for longer, so you’re less likely to grab those unhealthy snacks
- Works great if you’re on a dairy free or gluten free diet
- Low carbs and low fat
Just so you know this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure here. You will not pay more for any items purchased using these links (it just helps to support me a bit)
Other types of vegan protein powders
It’s not all about the peas. There are some other great vegan protein powders out there including:
Hemp protein powder
Higher in fibre than pea protein (around 6.3g per serving compared to 0.7g) and not as refined so contains less protein, around 14g per serving which is about 8g less than the 22g in pea protein. Contains no salt and has a good range of vitamins including calcium, iron and potassium. Like pea protein it also has all 9 of the essential amino acids your body can’t produce. Hemp protein powder contains more fat (3.8g per serving compared to 0.9g) and carbs (4.7g compared to 1.8g) than pea protein powder so hemp could be good to take after a strength training workout where you wanted a mix of protein, carbs and fat. You can buy Hemp protein powder from Amazon here
Soy protein powder
Soy protein powder is made from the soya bean. If you’re vegan you’ve probably come across soy foods already as tofu is made of soy as are many vegan meat alternatives and also soy milk. The protein content in soy is higher than hemp and pea at about 25g per serving. Soy protein powder is also low fat (around 0.1g per serving) and carbs (around 1.1g per serving) so would be a good alternative if you didn’t want the extra fat and carbs. If you’re looking to lose weight you might find this article useful – Can I lose weight on a vegan diet
Buy your soy protein powder here from Amazon.
What is the best pea protein powder?
For me, the best pea protein powders are the ones that don’t taste like peas. So I always go with a flavoured pea protein powder, chocolate wins every time as I sometimes have a smoothie with oats and banana and I know the chocolate flavour goes really well with that combination. I also like to add it to my porridge oats/oatmeal and again I know the chocolate flavour goes well with that too. For a tasty oatmeal with banana and cinnamon recipe click here
My go to pea protein powder is by Peak Supps. It’s vegan, healthy, mixes really well (no chalky aftertaste), tastes great and is good value. I also feel full for a lot longer taking this one compared to other ones I’ve tried. I always go with the chocolate flavour but they also do a strawberry flavour and a butterscotch one too. If you don’t fancy any of those flavours it also comes unflavoured but I’d recommend mixing that one with something other than water, unless you like the taste of peas! It has 22.6g of protein per serving so is well above the 20g minimum I like my protein powders to have. It also doesn’t have a long ingredients list containing things I’ve never heard of. It’s just pea protein, cocoa powder and sweetener, that’s it.
You can buy it from Amazon here now.
If you fancy trying the strawberry one you can buy it from Amazon here. And the butterscotch one can be bought here.
Conclusion
Taking any kind of protein supplement can help to build muscle, but only if you’re lifting those weights and getting enough sleep as well. Vegan protein powders like pea, hemp and soy are a great alternative to whey, not only are they diary free so better for our animal friends, you’re also helping the planet. And our planet needs all the help she can get!
I choose pea protein because of it’s high protein content and amino acid profile, I take the Peak Supps one because it’s the best one I’ve tasted!
Thanks for reading guys. Are you currently taking a pea protein powder? Have you tried the flavoured ones? Is it helping with your muscle building? Let me know by commenting below, I’d love to hear from you.
All the best
Katie
Sophie
Hello there! Thank you very much for dropping this article. I’m a foodie so I like any article that has to do with food. Seeing this article makes me really happy. Proteinous food do it for me, I like food with protein especially eggs and beef. I see reasons with you for choosing pea protein. It is highly nutritious and very good for the body. I like your website and I hope I come across more of your articles.
Katie
Hi Sophie
Great to hear from a fellow foodie! I love my food too and when I went vegan I thought I’d be missing out on tonnes of delicious foods but turns out vegan food tastes just as good if not better than meat and meat products! If you’re interested in some other high protein foods (better for the planet and the animals than eggs and beef) you might find this article about the high protein foods I eat useful:
My vegan strength training diet – Top 9 foods for muscle growth
Let me know what you think of it
Katie
Crypto Dave
Interesting article, I never new peas were so good for you and provided so much protein. Didn’t realize hemp power was a good source either. Now I certainly have some better alternatives to just the regular protein powder. Next time I need some I will checking out what is really in it rather then just taking it because it is some sort of protein.
Thanks for enlightening me about proteins.
Katie
Hi Dave
Glad you found the article useful and thanks for commenting.
I never knew about pea protein either! It wasn’t until I went vegan and then started lifting weights that I discovered it. It’s always worth checking out what’s actually in the protein powders before you buy, that’s why I take the peak supps ones, because they don’t add any ingredients that are not needed.
All the best
Katie