Orgain Organic Simple Vegan Protein Powder, Vanilla – 20g Plant Based Protein, Made with less Ingredients, No Artificial Sweeteners, Gluten Free, No Dairy or Lactose, 1.25 lb (Packaging May Vary)

A great protein for everyone, even better for a particular buyer.
There are almost an endless amount of protein blends on the market, with new ones hitting shelves every single day. It can be a little intimidating picking one with all of the buzzwords being thrown around, and everyone having a different opinion on what is “best”. I am not here to tell you what the best protein is for you, but I can tell you that this is a good one and it might be a good fit for you if you are like me.What makes me like this protein?1. It’s not whey – I have nothing against whey, but the vast majority of proteins on the market use it and it turns out my stomach doesn’t do well with it. I actually suffered for a long time not knowing this was the cause. If you have intermittent stomach problems, perhaps try switching to a non whey protein and see if it helps..2. Reputable brand – Orgain has a history, and a reputation. It’s not a fly by night company. This does not mean they can do no wrong, but it does mean there is reasonable amount of history to base your purchase decision off of.3. No artificial sweeteners – Again, I have nothing against most artificial sweeteners, and in fact they can go a long way helping people to be more healthy overall by reducing calorie intake. However, most of the blends out there use erythritol, which is a very common instigator of gastro intestinal distress and has caused me issues in the past. I have noticed a growing trend where blends will use real sugar, but then also slide in some artificial sweetener. That is not the case here, you are just getting real sugar. While I try to keep a lower sugar diet, I find the amount here acceptable in a protein drink, which I only consume during or after strenuous exercise.4. No probiotics – This is a HOT topic right now, and once again I am not saying probiotics are bad. What I am saying is that I do not need them or want them every single time I consume a protein drink, and for good reason. Most of the strains of probiotics being thrown into protein blends do not have a reasonable amount of evidence to show that they improve the gut microbiome in a meaningful way. Yes, there are some, specifically one, that does show very promising results – but even with those, you want to take a measured approach with how much you consume.Other thoughts:Flavor – It’s fine, I don’t find it any better or worse than most blends, but I am also not as picky as most as I don’t see this as a treat, but as a supplement. For what it’s worth, I do not detect a strong pea flavor in the vanilla or chocolate flavor – though I think most people will prefer the chocolate flavor. Please note, that I tend to steer toward vanilla powders as chocolate flavor generally have more lead / mercury content in them. This is not saying you should pick one or the other, it’s just that I have no real flavor preference and chose the one that might be slightly better for me.Texture – Again, not really picky here, but I don’t detect the dreaded chalkiness that people talk about. I put 2 scoops in ~8oz of water, and it mixes just fine. You might try 10oz to water it down if the taste / texture is not to your liking. I treat this like a supplement, not a treat, so I really am not going to put much stock into this.Conclusion / TLDR:I like this blend because it is as stated – simple. It has one job, and that is to provide protein. I want my protein blend to be just that, a protein supplement and nothing else – if I want other supplements I would rather separate those and take them when and how I want.Super TLDR:If you want a protein that is organic and is simply a protein supplement and nothing else, this is a great choice.

Can’t do coconut sugar
I so wanted to love this. I’ve been using earth chimp unflavored for months. I add it to oatmilk, add some cane sugar (alternative sweeteners hurt my head! Even monk fruit) and cocoa powder and 3 shots of espresso and pour over ice. I love the earth chimp, but it’s not very smooth, clumps easily. This one has coconut sugar which I’ve never had, so thought I’d try it. Nope, turns out coconut sugar does the same thing to me! Instant headache and bad aftertaste. BUT – the powder itself is so smooth! No clumps. Great flavor. Way smoother than my earth chimp. I also like that it has 6 sources of protein. I want to love it so bad but can’t deal with the coconut sugar. If they made this in an unsweetened version, or with cane sugar, I’d be sold for life. If you can tolerate alternative sweeteners, you’ll love this!

Great taste and NO STEVIA
I’ve tried a handful of protein powders, and *none* of them have tasted right to me. The ones with whey or other animal products invariably taste chalky or otherwise funky. The vegan ones, meantime, almost always have stevia (including some of the other Orgain powders). I hate — I cannot emphasize this enough, HATE — stevia because it imparts an artificial sweetener aftertaste (think Diet Coke, but worse and more clingy) to everything it’s in. It doesn’t matter what you put in it, be it berries, bananas, peanut butter, or what kind of liquid you use. It ruins everything it touches.Okay, rant over.So the cool thing here is that you get all the benefits of a vegan protein powder but no stevia and a relatively low sugar content. I use whole milk, and my wife uses unsweetened almond milk. It tastes good with either. My preferred blend is either bananas or frozen berries, two scoops of PB unsweetened peanut butter powder, a scoop of cocoa powder, and a scoop of the Orgain, and it tastes amazing (for whatever reason, it turns out thicker with the frozen fruit than it does with a comparable amount of bananas — I don’t know what kind of witchcraft they’ve got going on, but there you go). It’s really tasty, holds me until lunch (roughly four hours), and keeps my energy level on an even keel.You can go with two scoops if you want more protein and/or a richer taste. I use the cocoa to bump up the chocolate flavor without adding more sugar, but this takes add-ins pretty well (I also use a handful of wheat germ occasionally). If they ever stop making this, I’m going to be one unhappy camper!

Taste good