Your Vegan Protein Powder Is Not Healthy

99.9% of plant protein powders are complete junk. Especially the ones you thought were healthy. But protein powder companies spend lots of dough to tricking you into thinking their products are nutritious. I know this because I’ve worked as a consultant for some of them … and I now own a protein powder start-up.

There’s an easy way to cut through the b.s. and find out if a protein powder is actually good for you (this applies to most packaged products, in fact).

Here it is:

Read the nutrition facts information and ingredients list on the back of the package.

Then answer the 5 questions below.

1. How many grams of sugar do you see?

Sugar is sugar. It all turns to fat in your body. Doesn’t matter if it’s from honey, maple syrup, molasses, or coconuts. Side note: I do enjoy raw honey in moderation.

Bottom line: if you care about your protein powder being “healthy,” avoid all powders with more than 1 gram of sugar.

2. Which artificial sweeteners do they use instead of real sugar?

Most vegan protein powders don’t contain fake sugars like saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose anymore. But plant protein manufacturers are notorious for sneaking so-called “all-natural” sweeteners into their products. Here are a few to be wary of:

• Xylitol and erythritol are cheap, processed “sugar alcohols” that can cause serious gut imbalances.
• Monk fruit (luo han guo) is made using ethanol chemical resins. Most monk fruit brands contain GMO fillers.
• The stevia most protein companies use is a chemically-altered “extract”. This extract often contains GMO fillers. Read more about the best type of stevia.

Bottom line: I only recommend “real food” to sweeten protein powders. This means organic powdered fruits and herbs in their natural state. And again, 1 gram of total sugar should be your limit.

3. What other highly-processed ingredients (flavors, gums, fillers, etc.) do they add?

Here are a few ingredients you’ll find in the majority of “healthy” vegan protein blends:

• Natural flavors. Up to 90 percent of “natural” flavors have chemical solvents and preservatives. If you see them on the label of your protein powder (or any other food you eat), always choose something else. Read more here: What Does Natural Flavors Mean in Ingredients?
• Gums. Many plant protein powders contain gums like carrageenan, guar, xanthan, locust bean, konjac, and acacia. These cheap, processed fillers often have other GMO additives. And they can lead to gut issues and laxative effects. Anyone with GI issues should avoid plant protein powders that have them.
• Lecithins. The most common way to make lecithins involves using a toxic chemical called hexane. Avoid powders with this cheap soy- and sunflower-based filler.

Bottom line: don’t buy protein powder with any type of “flavor,” “gum,” or “lecithin.”

4. What types of plant protein do they use?

Vegan protein powders made from organic peas, rice, hemp, sacha inchi, cranberry and pumpkin seed are all healthy sources of plant protein. The evidence on soy protein is shaky. Some studies say it may have some health benefits. Others say not so much. I say avoid soy unless it’s organic. Most soy protein powder is either a) genetically modified, b) processed using the neurotoxin hexane, or c) both.

Whether you choose a plant-based or animal protein like whey, pay a little more for organic. It’s worth it for the sake of your health.

Bottom line: if your vegan protein powder isn’t organic, you’re drinking chemical pesticides with your smoothie.

5. How are their ingredients processed?

This is a tricky one because protein manufacturers rarely disclose this information. Most vegan protein powder companies use high temperature processing methods. This destroys vital nutrients in the plant. A small handful of protein manufacturers will disclose how they make their proteins. Most won’t though.

Bottom line: always ask the manufacturer how their proteins and other ingredients are processed.

This is an excerpt from our post “How to Find the Best Plant Protein Powder: A Comprehensive Guide.” See the full post to get our comparison chart of 20 different vegan protein powders.