Vegans and vegetarians should be aware that Bulk also produces products such as beef jerky, fish jerky and fish oils.
It comes in a dizzying array of flavors, plus an unflavored version, and includes digestive enzymes in an otherwise reassuringly small list of ingredients. Made up of five different protein sources, it provides a chunky 23g of protein per serving, although with a carbohydrate content a little higher than some others at 5.5g. "It tastes like green peas in coffee", and "more chemical latte than caramel latte", say two reviewers about the caramel latte flavor. Critics of the flavor are inventive in their descriptions. Fans praise it for not including artificial ingredients, especially sweeteners, and many find it delicious. Overall, reviewers are pretty enthusiastic, awarding it 4.1 stars of 5 overall. It claims that the tubs are recyclable, though not every area will recycle this kind of tub, and it doesn’t have the sustainability credentials of some vegan protein powders. There’s a minimum order of two tubs, and it doesn’t come in sample sizes, which might make you reluctant to commit to a particular flavor. Using pea, faba pea and hemp seed as its protein source, it contains all 26 recommended vitamins and minerals and meets the UK and EU recommendations for macro- and micronutrients. It’s not intended as a meal replacement or for your sole source of nutrition, as it has a lower calorie and carbohydrate profile than would be recommended for a complete meal, but nevertheless it is a nutritionally complete high protein snack. At the same time they mostly acknowledge that the nutritional profile and ingredients are of a quality that justifies the price. The main objection in the reviews is the price, especially when compared to non-plant-based protein powders. Reviewers are impressed with the taste - "by far the best tasting protein drink I’ve tried," says one reviewer. We also have a range of fitness-related buying guides if you're purchasing protein powder to supplement your workouts, including guides on the best resistance bands and best rowing machines. If you don't want or need your protein powder to be vegan, then we have a similar guide on the best protein powder for non-vegans. Live Science has put together the following guide of the best vegan protein powder. It is best to contact the companies and ask them for a detailed list of the ingredients to avoid the above-mentioned contaminants since many may not list all of the ingredients on the packaging." "Protein powders can contain a range of harmful ingredients: heavy metals such as arsenic, lead or cadmium, bisphenol-A, pesticides, added sugar and artificial flavorings. There are some ingredients we should all try to avoid, says Dr Dehghan. Vegan protein powder is made from sources such as pea, rice and soy, while most non-vegan protein powder is made from whey extracted from cow’s milk during cheese and yogurt production. Protein powders are made from different types of protein depending on whether they are vegan or non-vegan.
"Most professional athletes consider protein powders a convenient way to meet their high protein requirements," Dr Dehghan said. Consuming the best protein powders can help supplement our protein intake. People who exercise regularly need to ensure they consume enough calories to meet their increased daily energy requirement, and this way they will inevitably increase their protein intake, according to Dr Dehghan. Dr Dehghan told Live Science: "Studies have consistently shown that we are all consuming more protein than required, and that applies both to vegans and non-vegans.” Many of us on a plant-based diet would assume that we’re not getting enough protein in our diets, but that may not be the case. People over 65 need slightly more, about 1-1.2g protein per kg bodyweight in order to maintain body mass." Most adults require 0.75g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.
Doctor turned plant-based nutritionist Leila Dehghan MD, MSc (Nutr), ANutr said: "Engaging in physical activity increases our protein requirement and depending on the type of exercise we need 1.2-2g of protein per kg bodyweight per day.