Inexpensive Vegetarian Protein Suppliment / Shake (?)

spamantha57

Hi,
I'm mostly vegetarian & eat pretty healthy (no processed carbs, artificial sweeteners, soda, or desserts) I get most of my vitamins & nutrients in through my food, but would like to amp it up a little more, and see how some additional protein will affect me.

Could anyone recommend a specific protein + nutrient supplement/ shake that doesn't have artificial sweeteners & fairly inexpensive? I don't currently have income so throwing $100 on something is out of the question.

Thanks in advance.

ClaireTrev

Hey Sam,

where abouts are you?

I take Sun Warrior protein almost every day. Here in Australia it is quite expensive ($70-$80 per kilo) but I've looked online before and in the US i think it's more like $45. I have tried soooo many vegan proteins and it is the nicest and the best, nurtitionally speaking.

I also buy a generic version of rice protein from my local health food store. I live in a city of 1.2 million ppl, so chances are that you're in a bigger city and would have lots of health stores around - i bet one of them would have something like this. If so, look for a brown rice protein (i don't recommend soy or pea..) that is raw and has no additives except maybe some stevia, natural vanilla or seasalt, if you don't mind those.

As for the other nutrients, I usually just buy my protein and then make it into a shake with whatever I feel I need that day, ie berries, raw cacao, raw maca, greens, chia seeds.... so many options

I hope that helps, let me know if any of it didn't make sense!

Trechechus

Most grocery stores have a vegetarian section now-days. I like the chicken and ground beef substitutes. They're pretty high in protein and really yummy! Also, beans and grains.

spamantha57

Thank you Claire. I'm on the West Coast of the US (California & Oregon.) I don't mind stevia - I prefer it actually to most sweeteners. In the US for some reason it's not in food products, just sold alone. I usually use that or honey in my tea or other foods.
Stores around me are Trader Joes & Fred Meyer that I'm at most often, & there's Albertson's & Wal-Mart (though I try not to go to Walmart if I can help it because they're evil.) Or I could find something on Amazon maybe(?)

To clarify again, I'm not looking for actual food, I know how to eat veggies & beans & grains. Specifically supplements/ shakes please, for their added benefits. Thanks.

Sarauk2sf

I actually responded to your question on the other thread, but in case you do not see it:

I am a vegetarian and do supplement my protein intake some days. I just use a whey isolate protein powder (Trutein for chocolate and Optimum Nutrition for vanilla). If you want one with less additives, try Optimum Nutrition Naturals line.

As a vegetarian, greek yogurt is your friend - you can add protein powder to it as well to sweeten it up and get even more protein.


Most protein powder you will find is vegetarian.

Sarauk2sf

What added benefits are you referring to?

taso42

When pricing these things out, keep in mind the cost per serving. Even if a 5lb tub costs you $60, that's less than $1 per serving.

As far as specifics, I find any of the following good:
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Natural
Gaspari Myofusion
Trutein

spamantha57

Thank you for the specific suggestions so far.

Sarauk2: I eat soy/coconut/greek yogurt at least every other day already. I'm doing a little more strength training now & want to distribute some more protein than all the food I'm already eating, but additional nutrients are always good, even though I'm getting enough from my diet (except I could probably use a lil more iron.)

I was thinking of getting spirulina, but I'd like something with a lil more substance (hence shakes/smoothies/ etc.)

taso: I guess $60 would be fine if I found something I liked that worked & I saved up for it, but my budget for food is about $150 total for a month, & I'm not willing to spend half that on a supplement obviously.

cjsacto

I bought hemp protein powder at Trader Joe's this week (I usually get whey) and I was disappointed. It doesn't dissolve fully, but I do like the distinct flavor. It was cheaper, but it also contains less protein per serving than the whey. I was interested in trying a vegan option (I'm vegetarian, not vegan but I wanted to try something new) but when it's gone I will go back to whey.

I have started buying cottage cheese - it makes a great snack at 14 grams of protein per half cup serving.

Sarauk2sf

Thank you for the specific suggestions so far.

Sarauk2: I eat soy/coconut/greek yogurt at least every other day already. I'm doing a little more strength training now & want to distribute some more protein than all the food I'm already eating, but additional nutrients are always good, even though I'm getting enough from my diet (except I could probably use a lil more iron.)

I was thinking of getting spirulina, but I'd like something with a lil more substance (hence shakes/smoothies/ etc.)

taso: I guess $60 would be fine if I found something I liked that worked & I saved up for it, but my budget for food is about $150 total for a month, & I'm not willing to spend half that on a supplement obviously.

There are 71 servings per 5lb tub of ON and you get 24g protein per serving so I would expect it to last you a while. You can get decent deals online but the Naturals line is more expensive than the Gold Standard one. If you do decide to get it, shop around as you can often get much better deals then by buying direct. Most protein powders do not have much iron in them so you may want to think about a supplement if you are worried about your iron levels.

taso42

taso: I guess $60 would be fine if I found something I liked that worked & I saved up for it, but my budget for food is about $150 total for a month, & I'm not willing to spend half that on a supplement obviously.

If you could kill a 5 lb tub in a month i would be pretty impressed! At a scoop per day, it should last 2+ months. Probably cheaper than what you're spending per month on Greek yogurt.

Though, yes, I understand it can be hard to take that initial hit when buying in bulk.

StaceySuperfly

Maybe you could get a friend to share a tub with you monthly, that would bring your cost down

christschild2

Try Jarrow Formula hemp protein powder. It's easily digestible, mixes well with different foods, and inexpensive. I suggest you refrigerate because it will go rancid/bad quicker than soy or whey protein powders. It's less than $13 for a 16 oz container.

taso42

Try Jarrow Formula hemp protein powder. It's easily digestible, mixes well with different foods, and inexpensive. I suggest you refrigerate because it will go rancid/bad quicker than soy or whey protein powders. It's less than $13 for a 16 oz container.

That's only 15g protein per scoop, and at $13 for 16oz, is a worse value than some of the pricier whey protein powders.

Be smart consumers when shopping for supplements, folks.

spamantha57

Thank you all again for the suggestions so far. I'm going to the store tomorrow to see what's available in my area. (Currently I'm pretty remote.) I haven't tried a supplement like this before so all the options are pretty overwhelming & I appreciate everyone's specific suggestions. I'd ideally like to try something first to see if I like it before I invest in one of those big tubs - if that's even something I want to do.

Firefox7275

I suspect you will find a generic unflavoured whey isolate is best value and the most palatable, not sure why you are trying to 'reinvent the wheel' by getting anything else? Some of the vegan products are very powdery so would need a lot of expensive fruit to disguise that: the hemp I bought went in the trash. Most vegetarian food sources of protein are relatively poor compared to meat or fish, nuts and seeds are the exception and they are crammed with other nutrients.

Sarauk2sf

Thank you all again for the suggestions so far. I'm going to the store tomorrow to see what's available in my area. (Currently I'm pretty remote.) I haven't tried a supplement like this before so all the options are pretty overwhelming & I appreciate everyone's specific suggestions. I'd ideally like to try something first to see if I like it before I invest in one of those big tubs - if that's even something I want to do.

Most also do 2lb tubs - a little more expensive per serving than the 5lb ones, but probably a safer bet for the first time you buy.

maureendanielle96

I've heard Sun Warrior is great, though I haven't tried it.
I'm vegan, and I take Orac-Energy Paradise Protein & Greens - it's a raw whole food green juice mix with superfoods, protein, probiotics, gah it has too much good stuff to count! It's about 30$ for a tub of it, and it goes a long way!

I've also used Garden of Life RAW Meal, also a whole food powder - made from raw superfoods, sprouts, fruits, veggies, etc. It's pricier than the Orac-Energy, I believe 50$, but very high quality and the company offers a lot of coupons.

The least expensive protein powder I have tried is Trader Joe's Organic Hemp Protein Powder. It has a lot of wholesome ingredients and doesn't taste too bad, I just don't use it because the other powders I mentioned are more holistic and less about protein.

If you try Vitamin Shoppe (or similar vitamins/supplements/sports nutrition stores, I don't know what's in your area), Whole Foods, or Trader Joe's, they all have great selections of vegan/vegetarian protein supplements. In my city, we have a few natural health stores that do as well.

You could get a soy-based product for super cheap, although I would research soy and decide your stance on that before buying it because it is inexpensive, as many people have problems with it's production method/estrogenic qualities.

Also, try e-mailing the companies I mentioned above! Many of them will understand the struggle of a plant-based diet on a budget and send you coupons, or even a free sample!

Good luck!


Add in: I didn't even think about whey protein! I don't know much about animal-based protein, obviously, but I've heard a lot of good things about Egg White Protein, and a brand called Tera's Whey. Again, Whole Foods' generic brand has inexpensive options.

spamantha57

^ Thank you very much for all that information Maureen! And yes - I am picky when it comes to soy. I only buy organic because I am strongly against GMOs, and limit my soy so I don't overload (I usually use rice milk for example, & get an alternative yogurt like coconut when I can.)