Best Vegan Protein Powder: Vega One Review

I’m a huge believer that you can get everything you need from the foods that come out of this earth – it their full form; however, there has been times when my time-pressed schedule has prevented me from preparing all the veggies I need for my green smoothie to start my day. It is on these days that I reach for my ever trusty Vegan Protein Powder Vega One. (I’ve previously mentioned it in my Best Green Smoothie Recipe post here).

I get asked a lot for recommendations for which protein powder to take – especially if he/she follows a vegetarian diet – one of my favourites is the Vega brand. I have been using it for a few years now, and while the packaging has gone through its share of changes, the product remains top quality and full of whole food goodness. It is important to ensure that your supplements are whole food based, as this ensures that your body will absorb more of the nutrients (as opposed to creating “expensive pee” – hey, it’s true!).

To prove to you my dedication to Vega, I’ve actually taken up 1/4 of a large suitcase twice now, to bring containers of it to Norway. While I could look for a replacement here in the arctic North, I would prefer to stick to my tried, trusted and true product from my home country – it’s that good.

Vega’s protein comes from plant sources that don’t include soy, which I love (the dangers of soy can be discussed at a later date). Vega includes pea, hemp, sacha inchi and brown rice proteins as well as a nice dose of fiber. Vega is packed with antioxidants (but be sure you’re still getting your daily dose from whole foods in the rest of your diet) and greens (kale, broccoli, spinach and chlorella – we’ve chatted about the benefits of chlorella here).

But before you jump in and take Vega every morning as religiously as you practice yoga (…right ;-) you should know that it not only acts as a “protein” supplement, but also hosts a variety of vitamins and nutrients – it contains 50% of your daily vitamin & mineral intake, so be sure to see what else you are taking as supplements and avoid doubling up.

Vega also contains other beauty enhancing ingredients such as digestive enzymes, probiotics, omega 3’s and maca root – all in this little scoop :-)

New Comers’ Advice:

A word to new comers to the Vega supplement – Vega is packed with many nutrients, high fibre conent and ingredients that help your body cleanse itself of toxins. This cleansing process can sometimes lead to discomfort in your digestive system (think gas, bloating and even diarrhea – *see edited note below). If you want to be sure to minimize it, start with 1/4 to 1/2 of a full scoop for your fist week and gradually move up to a full scoop – these symptoms should not last longer than a week. A surefire way to ensure that you minimize this problem is to eat a whole food diet in the first place – that way your body has less toxins to eliminate. I myself didn’t experience any discomfort; however, my pizza/hamburger loving boyfriend did.

To Use:

Simply mix a scoop with water, or get creative and throw some almond milk and berries in a blender with a scoop and enjoy. The Vega One flavours are great, but I sometimes prefer to create my own.

Where to Buy:

A large tub retails for about $70 CAD and can be found at many health food stores, organic markets and other natural food retailers (think Whole Foods, Planet Organic and online at Vega’s e-store).

A busy schedule doesn’t mean you need to eat less than good for your body and beauty.

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K

*Edited Note: If Vega One is making you physically ill (i.e. vomiting) discontinue use immediately.