5 Best Vegan Protein Powders for Weight Loss

Vegan protein powders offer a wide range of benefits compared to animal-based options, like whey (dairy) protein. Whether or not you’re fully vegan, you can benefit from plant-based sources of protein, particularly by way of digestion, anti-inflammatory properties, low allergens, and amino acids.

Several vegan protein powders have been designed to help with weight loss and weight management. Having conducted countless reviews on my blog VeganProteinPowder.reviews, I’ve distilled my top picks for the five best vegan protein powders for weight loss, which are reviewed based on nutrition, taste, texture, and overall enjoyability.

Having reviewed both the taste and nutritional profile of many different vegan protein powders on the market, this article is an honest and unbiased response to that very question. Having battled my own personal struggles of losing weight and cultivating a healthy lifestyle, this is more than just a review of the best vegan powders for weight loss. This is a personal call to action. I hope you find it informative.

5 Best Vegan Protein Powders for Weight Loss

The following are my top five picks for the best vegan protein powder for weight loss. These choices are based primarily on the nutritional profile of each product and how they contribute to weight loss. However, I do factor in the taste, texture, and overall enjoyability of each product.

Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Plant-Based Protein

Sunwarrior's Warrior Blend is a plant-based protein powder that's common on the shelves of most health food stores. Warrior Blend is an organic, non-GMO, 100% raw, vegan protein powder that contains both lysine and leucine, two of nine essential amino acids (which are not as common in most plant-based protein powders.) It's also paleo in that it's grain-free.

Warrior Blend is a simple product that contains three protein sources: pea, cranberry, and hemp seed. It also has ground coconut and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which offer a metabolic booster for weight loss.

With 0 grams of sugar, 18 grams of protein, and 100 calories per serving, Warrior Blend makes the list as a top vegan protein powder for weight loss. I recommend the Warrior Blend Natural flavor because it's virtually tasteless and contains no Stevia. Although Stevia is a calorie-free natural sweetener, there's a very primal response to anything sweet to the human palette. For most individuals, the common response is an impulse to consume more (and more, and more.) For that reason, I suggest sticking with non-sweetened products to keep over-consumption tendencies under control.

Garden of Life RAW Fit High Protein for Weight Loss Review

Garden of Life RAW Fit High Protein for Weight Loss is a gluten-free, raw vegan protein powder that hosts a number of healthy concoctions. The protein base is Garden of Life's "RAW Certified Organic Sprouted Protein Blend," which offers 15 different types of protein and 26 grams per serving. It also contains a blend of gut-friendly probiotics.

In addition to a solid dose of protein, what gives this product its edge is "RAW Certified Organic Weight Loss & Stress Management Blend" with ashwagandha and Svetol® (naturally decaffeinated green coffee bean extract.) The ashwagandha helps to lower cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone that can influence weight gain. As for Svetol's weight loss efficacy, I suggest checking out more on Svetol Green Coffee Extract if you're interested in learning more. In short, Svetol can indeed help with weight loss.

When conducting my initial review of Garden of Life RAW Fit, I noticed that it kept me full for a lot longer than I am used to. This feeling was profoundly noticeable as I tested its hunger curbing-efficacy after a long training session. As a result, Garden of Life RAW Fit makes the list as the best vegan protein powder for weight loss.

For a flavor recommendation, I suggest the Unflavored or Original version. Unlike other natural/unflavored vegan protein powders, this one is not 100% unflavored. The taste reminds me of smooth, lightly-sweetened eggnog with subtle hints of vanilla. In the flavor category, it's a winner.

Amazing Grass Protein Superfood

Next is a new all-in-one, plant-based protein shake from Amazing Grass. Abundant with greens and great taste, Amazing Grass Protein Superfood is a delicious and nourishing product worth checking out if you're looking for a nutrient-rich vegan protein powder that's tasty and filling.

As stated in the product's official description, Amazing Grass Protein Superfood promotes lean muscle, satisfies hunger, nourishes energy, and aids digestion. In addition to being 100% organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free, Amazing Grass Protein Superfood is also a paleo vegan protein powder in that it's grain-free (however it does contain quinoa, so that's debatable among some folks in the paleo community.)

Packed with 2 full servings of fruits and vegetables (rich with 7 different alkalizing greens,) 20 grams of plant-based protein, and no added sugar, Amazing Grass Protein Superfood is an unquestionably-solid vegan protein powder that provides it all. There are three different flavors to choose from Original, Vanilla, and Chocolate Peanut Butter. The original flavor is not sweet yet super-smooth given all the greens, while the latter two are slightly sweet.

Unlike other vegan protein powders for weight loss, Amazing Grass Protein Superfood does contain some sugar (4 grams per serving.) However, they're natural sugars from fruit and vegetables. The list includes: wheatgrass, alfalfa, barley grass, spinach, spirulina, chlorella, broccoli, acai, banana, beet, goji, pineapple, sweet potato, raspberry, and rose hips. In short, it's an awesome plant-based protein powder that offers a wealth of nutrition with a superb taste.

Arbonne Daily Protein Boost

From Arbonne Essentials®, a boutique brand of health products out of Switzerland, Arbonne Daily Protein Boost is an underrated and lesser-known product that makes the cut among best plant-based protein powders for weight loss.

Unlike most other protein powders, Arbonne Daily Protein Boost suggests a smaller 13 gram serving with a moderate, 10-gram dose of protein. Though the suggested serving size is small, you still get plenty of protein for your dollar (other products often suggest around 20 grams of protein at 25+ grams servings.) This is one of the reasons I like this product for weight loss. Because many individuals over-estimate how much protein they need, it can be counterintuitive to supplement with 20+ grams (especially when the level and intensity of exercise is minimal.)

Arbonne Daily Protein Boost is a unique blend of pea, rice, and cranberry protein, and it has no sugar or added flavors ("for maximum flexibility," as mentioned on the website.) The minimalist nature of this product is exactly what I like most about this product. In conducting my review of Arbonne Daily Protein Boost, I found it to be one of the smoothest plant-based protein powders I've ever had. It's clean, flavorless, and transparent, making it a suitable addition to almost anything, ranging from oatmeal to smoothies. The texture and mixability are also tops, as it stirs into liquid easily without needing a blender. As a result, it's a great, on-the-go protein powder that can help curb hunger.

Sunwarrior Illumin8 Protein Powder

More than just a plant-based protein powder, Sunwarrior Illumin8 Organic Meal is a complete nutritional shake that's rich in vitamins, minerals, gluten-free carbs, and healthy fats. Topped off with blends of probiotics, enzymes, and sprouts, Sunwarrior Illumin8 makes for a nutritionally solid and satisfying protein supplement.

Although this product is marketed as a meal replacement/nutritional shake, it is primarily a protein supplement. Depending on your diet and lifestyle, you may want to include more calories when using this product. Nonetheless, Sunwarrior Illumin8 has 19 filling grams of protein composed of organic sprouted amaranth, garbanzo, lentil, and quinoa.

Last Words on Vegan Protein Powder for Weight Loss

As my personal takeaway to this review, I must say that I do not have any credentials in the practice of nutrition or dietetics. This review is purely drawn from my vast experience with vegan protein powders, as well as my personal experience of losing over 60lbs and keeping it off for the last 12 years.

With that said, supplementing with vegan protein powder for weight loss is a marginal component of a sustainable and effective weight loss strategy. Like carbohydrates, excess protein can be stored in the body as fat. It's important to understand that supplementing with vegan protein powders for weight loss is purely just that - a supplement.

If you're not engaged in exercise and enabling your body to synthesize protein at higher levels, consuming more protein with intention of weight loss may be counterintuitive. I say this because protein has become a nutritional celebrity over the years, and food marketers are aggressively pushing "make sure you're getting enough protein" campaigns to exhaustion. Just be mindful of how you use plant-based protein powders for weight loss.

This article was written by Tyler Tafelsky, a sports and nutrition blogger and content strategist.