As the world moves away from animal-based protein sources, vegan protein powder is finally gaining the credit it deserves. It’s nutrient-rich, easier to digest, and often lower in calories. For that reason, vegans are not the only ones obsessed with vegan protein powder. In fact, more and more flexitarians and omnivores are opting for alternatives to traditional dairy-based protein powder.
With the help of influencers and documentaries like The Game Changers, the fitness community is also increasingly embracing the benefits of plant-based protein on athletic performance and recovery. It’s clear that vegan protein powder is not just a fad. It’s a new and improved way of nourishing your body before or after a workout.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Overall: Vega Sport Protein Powder
Jump to Review - Best Organic: Sprout Living Epic Protein Powder
Jump to Review - Best With Pea Protein: NuZest Vanilla Protein Powder
Jump to Review - Best With High Protein & Fibre: Orgain Vegan Protein Powder
Jump to Review - Best Brown Rice Protein: NAKED Brown Rice Protein Powder
Jump to Review - Best Budget-Friendly: Canadian Protein Vegan Protein Blend
Jump to Review
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably wondering which plant-based protein powder you should buy. Since there are more and more vegan protein powders on the market in Canada, making a decision can be overwhelming.
We’ve analyzed hundreds of nutrition labels and product reviews to provide you with the best vegan protein powder in Canada this year. Here it goes:
Vega Sport Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 30g of protein per serving
- 31% of your daily iron intake
- Supports gut health (with probiotics)
- Excellent choice for workout recovery (with turmeric)
Founded by a former Canadian endurance athlete, Vega’s protein powders are vegan certified, non-GMO certified, and contain no artificial flavours or preservatives. Their Sport Protein Powder is our favourite vegan protein powder. It contains a whopping 30g of protein per serving, with 5gof BCAAs and 5g of glutamic acid.
Unlike many plant-based powders that contain a single protein source, Vega Sport contains a mix of pea protein, pumpkin seed protein, organic sunflower seed protein, and alfalfa protein. You’ll also find 1 billion CFU of probiotics and some turmeric in there, to help with gut health and inflammation.
Due to its high protein content and the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, Vega Sport is an excellent vegan protein powder for recovery after a strenuous workout.
Sprout Living Epic Vegan Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 20g of protein per serving
- 30% of your daily iron intake
- Made from clean, organic ingredients
- Great taste and texture
With 20 grams of protein and 8 grams of fibre, Sprout Living’s Epic Protein is one of the best organic vegan protein powders in Canada. Its protein base is made from a unique mix of yellow peas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sacha inchi, and cranberry seeds. In addition to protein and fibre, you also get 30% of your iron intake and 10% of your potassium intake per serving.
Another thing we love about Sprout Living’s vegan protein powder is its spiced vanilla flavour. It’s one of the few protein powders that taste great, even when just mixed with water. Overall, if you’re looking for an organic vegan protein powder that tastes great and provides you with an additional nutrient punch, Sprout Living’s Epic Protein is an excellent choice
NuZest Vanilla Pea Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 20g of protein per serving
- Made from high-quality pea protein
- Contains no sugar or artificial sweeteners
Made from pea protein, Nuzest’s Clean Lean Protein comes loaded with up to 20 grams of protein per serving. Despite its Smooth Vanilla flavor, it actually has no added sugar, only 2 grams of fat and very few ingredients. It also contains all 9 essential amino acids. In terms of flavor, it’s known to be tastier than other plant-based protein powders on the market in Canada. If you’re looking for something flavorful with clean ingredients, we recommend NuZest’s selection of vegan protein powders.
Blessed Plant-Based Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 23g of protein per serving
- Tastes good with a creamy texture
- Available in 10 flavours
Blessed is a plant-based protein powder launched by sports supplement brand EHP Labs. With a sprouted pea protein base and a whopping 23 grams of protein per serving, it’s a great source of plant-based protein.
Blessed stands out from other vegan protein powders with its exciting selection of flavours available: Vanilla Chai, Chocolate Coconut, Salted Caramel and even Strawberry Mylk. Since it’s flavourful on its own, you can simply mix it with a glass of water, and it’s good to go.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 15g of protein per serving
- Excellent source of minerals (iron, magnesium, zinc, copper & thiamine)
- Very affordable ($29/kg)
- 8g of fibre
- Made from 1 clean ingredient (hemp protein)
Manitoba Harvest’s Hemp Protein Powder is another excellent budget-friendly vegan protein powder made from clean ingredients. Despite being slightly lower in protein per serving than its counterparts, it’s one of the few protein powders that contains a decent amount of fibre, with 8 grams of fibre per serving. While protein is what you’re here for, fibre is useful for sustaining your energy levels throughout the day.
The protein powder contains no added sugar, is a good source of omega-3 and 6, and a great source of iron and other essential minerals. With only one simple ingredient, hemp protein, we wholeheartedly recommend adding a few tablespoons of this to your next shake!
Looking for more protein per serving? Manitoba Harvest also has an organic hemp protein powder that contains 20 grams of protein per serving.
Orgain Vegan Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 21g of protein per serving
- 33% of your daily iron intake
- Made from organic ingredients
Orgain’s Creamy Chocolate Fudge plant-based protein powder is absolutely delicious and organic. Made from a protein medley of organic peas, brown rice and chia seeds, Orgain’s protein powder is one of the healthiest protein powders out there. Despite no added sugar, this protein powder is enjoyable with just milk or water added to it. However, that’s largely because the powder is sweetened with stevia.
If chocolate is not your favourite flavour, they also have an Organic Vanilla Protein Powder.
NAKED Brown Rice Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 25g of protein per serving
- 22% of your daily iron intake
- Made from just organic brown rice
- No added sugar
NAKED Rice contains only 1 ingredient: organic sprouted brown rice protein. It’s a clean source of plant-based protein for someone who is looking to add additional protein to their smoothies and other recipes. Since it has a neutral taste, it’s perfect for combining with other protein powders for an additional protein boost. Its amino acid profile is also comparable to whey protein.
Beyond Yourself Vegan Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 20g of protein per serving
- Made from organic and non-GMO ingredients
- Excellent taste and texture
- Also contains MCT oil
The Beyond Yourself vegan protein powder offers a mix of pea protein and brown rice protein to create a balanced plant-based protein powder. It’s both certified vegan and certified organic. As a bonus, this protein powder also contains some MCT oil, a healthy fat that helps fuel your brain and provide an energy boost throughout your workout.
If you’re looking for a vegan protein powder that tastes good effortlessly, this Vanilla Cupcake protein powder is definitely your guy. Simply mix 1 to 2 scoops of powder in a glass of cold water, and you’re good to go.
Canadian Protein - Vegan Protein Blend
Why we like it
- 22g of protein per serving
- 35% of your daily iron intake
- Made from clean ingredients
- Budget-friendly
Canadian Protein’s vegan protein blend might be the best vegan protein powder in Canada in terms of quality and price. At $25 per kilogram, this vegan protein powder is highly affordable. It also includes a mix of quality non-GMO plant-based protein sources, including pea protein, organic brown rice protein, and hemp protein.
While it’s available in several different flavours (vanilla, chocolate, apple cinnamon, peaches & cream), it also has an unsweetened and un-flavoured option for those seeking a milder taste.
NAKED Pea Protein Powder
Why we like it
- 27g of protein per serving
- 16% of your daily iron intake
- 5.7g of BCAAs per serving
- Made from 1 ingredient (yellow pea protein)
NAKED Pea is a creamy and delicious vegan protein powder option with just one simple ingredient: yellow pea protein. With no added sugar, artificial sweeteners, or flavour, it’s one of the most simple and clean vegan protein powders out there. For that reason, it’s perfect for adding to smoothies, protein pancakes or other recipes where additional flavour isn’t necessary. It’s also packed with 27 grams of vegan protein per serving.
Since it’s made entirely from peas, each serving also gives you 16% of your daily iron intake. With 5.7g of BCAAs per serving, it also has a rich amino acid profile. NAKED Pea is overall a great choice if you’re looking for a clean plant-based protein powder.
Is Plant-Based Protein Powder Better Than Whey?
Here are some key reasons why plant-based protein is a better source of protein than dairy-derived whey protein.
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Plant-Based Protein Powder is Easier to Digest
It’s been found that approximately 65% of the world is lactose intolerant. This means that most of the world can’t even digest the most common protein powder found in stores. For that reason alone, it’s obvious that animal-based protein powders, such as those that are whey-based, are not ideal for most people. Unless you have an underlying digestive condition, plant-based protein powders are easy to digest for most of us.
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Plant-Based Protein Powder is More Nutritious
On its own, whey protein doesn’t contain much in terms of nutrients. It’s simply isolated protein. On the contrary, most popular plant-based proteins still contain some essential vitamins and nutrients, such as iron, calcium or magnesium. Many vegan protein powders will combine a few different plant-based protein sources, making them even more nutritious without added supplements.
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Cows Get Their Protein From Plants
Animals cannot produce protein on their own. Instead, they get it from the plants that they eat. Why should we be relying on dairy-based protein, such as whey or casein, that is essentially recycled plant-based protein when we can instead get it straight from the source? Animal protein advocates will argue that animal-based protein is a complete protein, while plant-based protein is not, but that argument has been debunked by experts for years.
How to Know if Protein Powder is Vegan?
Unfortunately, the most popular protein powders on the market in Canada are not plant-based. Most commonly, these protein powders will contain either dairy products, animal-derived enzymes, and/or egg ingredients. It’s generally easy to recognize if a protein powder is vegan, since most plant-based protein products will be visibly marketed as such. However, there will always be sneaky brands out there with deceiving packaging, so it’s important to double-check ingredients or look for a recognized certified vegan logo.
Here are some common non-vegan ingredients to look out for in a protein powder’s ingredients list:
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It Contains Whey or Casein
Nowadays, if a protein powder isn’t blatantly marketed as vegan on its packaging, chances are it isn’t. Just look for any ingredient that begins with whey in the ingredients list, such as whey peptides and whey protein isolate. Another form of dairy that may be lingering in protein powder is casein. Examples of ingredients you may come across are calcium caseinate and micellar casein.
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It Contains Non-Vegan Digestive Enzymes
Another group of potential ingredient red flags to look out for are enzymes. Digestive enzymes are commonly added to protein powders to help our bodies break down the protein we’re taking in. Some examples of non-vegan enzymes that can be found in protein powders are lipase and protease.
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It Contains Egg Whites
You heard right – egg whites. While some protein powders will be straight up marketed as egg white-based, others will sneak egg whites or egg albumen into the ingredients list.
What Are The Best Types of Vegan Protein Powder?
There are several different types of plant-based protein sources that can be used to create a healthy vegan protein powder. While soy-based protein powders tend to be the most popular, there are tons of other vegan protein powders out there from other protein sources.
Here are some of the most popular vegan protein powder sources you will find:
- Pea protein
- Brown rice protein
- Pumpkin seed protein
- Hemp seed protein
- Soy protein
- Sunflower seed protein
- Alfalfa protein
- Sacha inchi
