Over the last several months, I’ve been trying out a few different protein powders and have ultimately landed a preferred brand. In this weeks post, I am breaking down my opinion on each, as well sharing nutritional information.
Orgain
Orgain is an organic, vegan, non-gmo, gluten, soy free protein powder that I have seen at most major stores. I first bought this when it was on sale at Costco and found that the taste and texture was easy on the pallet and very tasty. At a reasonable price of about $28 per container, it is a great option for someone looking to add a bunch of nutrients to their diet without breaking the bank. Founded by doctor that overcame cancer and wanted to provide a nutritious shake option, I will say Orgain is a close second for me. My fiancé really loves their product and drinks it daily in his smoothies – boasting a great nutritional panel and being low in sugar (they use primarily erythritol – I think this is an excellent and affordable option! I rank this product #2 out of the three options outlined there.
Shakeology
I first tried Shakeology when I signed up to a workout program through Beachbody. Of the three options, this is by far the most expensive and to be completely honest, I do not like the consistency. Shakeology is boasted to be the healthiest meal of a consumers day; but it is not certified gluten free, non-gmo, or organic. Compounding on that, did you know they don’t list vitamin values on their vegan packaging? I decided to do some Googling to find out why, and here is what I found, directly from the Beachbody website.
…these amounts of vitamins and minerals will vary naturally from batch to batch….we do not specify the amounts of all vitamins and minerals on the Vegan Shakeology labels. However, FDA requires certain vitamin and mineral levels be labeled on the Supplement Facts panel…
https://faq.beachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5447/~/shakeology%3A-vitamin-and-mineral-levels
Wait…what? The FDA allows for rounding (to an extent) on their labeling, but the product, for a lack of better words is too inconsistent to list that? The flavor is good but I personally do not love the texture. Lastly, when using Shakeology daily, my skin was in its worst conditions in a long time – given this was the one thing I changed, it is the only thing I can attribute to the skin issues. There are some consumers that swear by Shakeology, I however have decided to opt out and therefore, this product ranks #3.
Arbonne
I first tried Arbonne after tapping out on Shakeology for the reasons above. Having had many friends and family use and swear by their products, I decided I would try them out. Their protein is vegan, non-gmo, dairy and soy free, but I could not find where they are certified organic. With the price point being between Orgain and Shakeology, I was open & ready to try. To my surprise and enjoyment, the texture is silky and the taste is delicious.
The nutrition label provides great information and has a ton of vitamins and minerals in it. Certified to have a lower glycemic index and all essential amino acids – this product lays all of their information out on the table while also being super tasty! Arbonne easily ranks #1 for me.
The Verdict
I plan to continue the use of Arbonne protein as well as keeping Orgain on hand. Both products taste great and offer me the information I want to ensure I am keeping healthy products in our house. Below is a quick comparison of the products. Do you have a have favorite protein powder?
| Orgain | Shakeology | Arbonne | |
| Cost per servings | $ 1.21 | $ 4.33 | $ 2.57 |
| Vegan | X | X | X |
| Soy Free | X | X | X |
| Gluten Free | X | X | |
| Non-GMO | X | X | |
| Organic | X | ||
| Calories | 170 | 170 | 160 |
| Total Fat | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Sodium | 310 | 290 | 420 |
| Potassium | 95 | 0 | 200 |
| Carbs | 21 | 18 | 13 |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| Sugars | 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Erythritol | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin A | 4% | 0% | 21% |
| Calcium | 15% | 4% | 12% |
| Thiamin | 25% | 0% | 30% |
| Niacin | 4% | 0% | 30% |
| Folate | 4% | 0% | 31% |
| Pantothenic Acid | 6% | 0% | 30% |
| Vitamin C | 25% | 20% | 30% |
| Iron | 45% | 25% | 22% |
| Riboflavin | 20% | 0% | 30% |
| Vitamin B6 | 20% | 0% | 30% |
| Vitamin B12 | 8% | 0% | 250% |
| Magnesium | 4% | 0% | 17% |
| Vitamin D | 0% | 0% | 6% |
| Vitamin E | 0% | 0% | 30% |
| Biotin | 0% | 0% | 30% |
| Zinc | 0% | 0% | 30% |
| Selenium | 0% | 0% | 30% |
| Copper | 0% | 0% | 30% |
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