VEGAN ALMOND PROTEIN POWDERS

Vegan protein powder is a protein supplement made from plants like soybeans, peas, and rice. Almond protein powder is a type of vegan protein powder made from California almonds. The nuts are harvested from the tree, hulled, and shelled. They are then sorted, pasteurized, roasted, and ground into a paste, which is pressed to remove most of the oil. The defatted paste is finally milled into a fine powder, which can be added to protein shakes, smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes. Almond protein powder is a great source of protein for people on a plant-based diet. 

Research shows that plant protein supports muscle mass and body composition improvements just as well as whey (the gold standard of protein supplementation). In other words, you are by no means holding yourself back by using vegan protein powder. There is no denying that animal proteins have some nutritional advantages over plant proteins, but at the end of the day any type of protein can help you reach your wellness goals as long as you are eating a balanced diet.

Gut-friendly – We prefer almond protein powder to other plant protein powders because it is easier to digest. Our customers have experienced fewer digestive issues with our almond-based protein powders than with any other plant-based protein powder. This is in part because most vegan protein powders are made with plant protein isolates, plants stripped of everything but the protein. We will not go into the details, but protein isolates undergo heavy mechanical and chemical processing before becoming protein powder. This means that what you end up putting into your body looks nothing like real food. 

If you think about it, your gut was designed to digest naturally occurring foods, not laboratory formulated imitations, so if you feed it anything but real food, it might get upset. The long term implications of eating processed foods like protein isolates are still not well understood, but more and more research is finding that it can lead to permanent damage to your gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that help you digest food). 

Instead of using protein isolates, we use whole almonds in our almond protein powder. Whole foods, unlike protein isolates, contain a variety of enzymes and other digestive aids that help to break down the food and absorb the nutrients. Whole plant-based foods like almonds are also rich in fiber, which helps promote healthy digestion and regular bowel movements. Finally, almonds possess prebiotic properties that can improve the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome.

Delicious – Almond protein has a roasted, nutty flavor and smooth texture that far surpasses the chalky aftertaste gritty texture of most plant proteins. Our customers frequently tell us that our almond protein powder is the hands down the best tasting vegan protein powder that they have ever had. 

Vegan vanilla almond protein powder – Vegan vanilla almond protein powder is the most gut-friendly of the vegan almond protein powders. It is made with real Madagascar vanilla beans, and is a great addition to smoothies and baked goods. If you have gut issues or a sensitive stomach, we recommend starting with vegan vanilla protein powder. 

Vegan chocolate almond protein powder – When blended with milk and ice, vegan chocolate almond protein powder makes a crave-worthy protein shake. That said, vegan chocolate almond protein powder is made with Ecuadorian cocoa, which can trigger heartburn for some people. If you have GERD or acid reflux, we recommend ordering samples of our vegan chocolate almond protein powder or choosing another flavor. 

1 serving of vegan almond protein powder can be mixed with 1-2 cups of cold milk or water to make a protein shake. It can also be added to smoothies, oatmeal, and recipes for an easy protein boost. Check out our high protein recipes for more ideas. If you choose to make a protein shake, use a blender or shaker bottle. Unlike other companies, we do not use food additives to help our vegan almond protein powder dissolve. 

The best time to add vegan almond protein powder to your diet is in the morning. Eating lots of protein breakfast will keep you full until lunch, discourage overeating, and reduce snacking later in the day. Higher protein intake at breakfast is also associated with higher total daily protein intake. In other words, a high protein breakfast, despite its satiating effects, allows you to maximize the amount of protein that you consume over the course of the day. 

Some people will tell you that vegan (plant-based) protein does not measure up to animal proteins like whey protein, which is misleading. First of all, whey protein is a highly bioavailable protein, but that does not make it better for you than any other dietary protein. Bioavailability is a measurement of how well the body can absorb and use a nutrient. It is measured on a scale of 0-100%, and whey protein scores 100%. Most plant proteins score lower, but this is nothing to be concerned about. It just means that you have to eat a few more plants in order to get the nutritional benefits of whey.

Lots of people also praise whey for its complete amino acid profile. A complete protein is a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids that the body needs, but cannot produce on its own. Not all dietary proteins are complete, but if you eat a balanced diet, this is nothing to worry about. In other words, eating a variety of proteins will give you all of the amino acids that you need. It is therefore not surprising that research shows almond protein supports muscle mass and body composition improvements just as well as whey protein.

One important difference between whey and vegan (plant-based) protein is digestibility. Plant protein, for the most part, is easy to digest. Dairy-based proteins like whey, on the other hand, are not. Whey, which is a byproduct of cheese and yogurt production, is known to cause digestive issues, especially for people with lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

Another difference between whey and vegan protein is how it affects your skin. Whey protein indirectly stimulates insulin production, which regulates sebum production. Sebum, an oily, waxy substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands, can clog your pores and cause pimples. It can also hinder your ability to process blood sugar efficiently, causing inflammation in your skin. Vegan protein, on the contrary, will not make you breakout. 

Vegan protein also has a considerably smaller environmental impact than whey protein. Dairy cows and their manure produce enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, the poor handling of manure and fertilizers pollute local water resources, and dairy farming and feed production can lead to the loss of ecologically important areas such as prairies, wetlands, and forests.