Best Vegan Protein Powder for Lean Muscle

by Natalie Bohin May 07, 2020

Protein is an essential nutrient that builds and repairs muscle. After a workout, it’s smart to recover with a protein shake or smoothie to help aid muscle recovery. Protein plays an extremely important role in building muscle. Muscles are made of protein, and their building blocks are the amino acids. When you use your muscles in daily activity or exercise, they are broken down, but protein repairs this damage and rebuilds muscle.

How can vegan protein powder fit into a healthy lifestyle?

Plant-based protein powder can provide a rich and clean source of protein. Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend delivers the protein you need in a unique combination of plant-based protein and superfoods. This helps to support and fuel an active lifestyle.

Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend includes the following powerful, clean ingredients:

Yellow peas
Hemp seed
Goji berry
Coconut

Building Lean Muscle Mass with Vegan Protein

Getting enough protein in your diet is essential for building lean muscle mass and your overall health. It helps to reduce appetite, benefits bone health, and boosts metabolism and fat burning . When you’re looking to increase your protein intake, it can sometimes be difficult to get everything you need through diet alone. Whipping together a protein shake before or after your workout is a quick way to get your nutrient needs without too much effort.

Research shows that plant-based protein can enhance muscle body lean mass, in particular, muscle mass during resistance training when the plant protein consumed is 30 grams per meal. One study from the University of Exeter found that mycoprotein stimulated post-exercise muscle building more effectively than milk-based protein. Mycoprotein is a plant-based protein source created by Quorn.

It’s not just those following a vegan diet that can benefit from plant-based protein powders. If you’re looking to reduce your intake of animal products and would prefer a clean source of protein, a plant-based option is ideal. Often, whey protein powders leave users with common side effects such as stomach upset and cramps. Plant-based protein would fit into an active lifestyle while being more gentle on the gut.

Sunwarrior’s Organic Plant-Based Warrior Blend Protein

When it comes to choosing the right protein powder for you, it can feel overwhelming. From whey and casein to pea or hemp protein, where do you start? Whether you follow a plant-based diet or not, everyone can benefit from Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend Protein. The protein blend includes a combination of the finest ingredients to ensure that it offers a complete protein profile full of minerals and vitamins to fuel your active lifestyle. One and a half scoops of Warrior Blend delivers 27 grams of protein with just 100 calories and almost half of your daily iron intake.

The powder dissolves well, tastes great, and is available in five flavors: vanilla, mocha, berry, chocolate, and natural. It’s easily digestible, making it simple to integrate into your routine. Depending on how you like to take your protein powder, the different flavor profiles work really well in a variety of recipes. Although smoothies and protein shakes are ideal for a quick protein boost, try using Sunwarrior’s plant-based protein powder in muffins, acai bowls, pancakes, and granola.

How To Build Lean Muscle with the Best Vegan Protein Ingredients

Organic Yellow Peas

Yellow peas are a high-fiber, low-calorie, and nutrient-dense superfood. Yellows peas are not only a source of easily digestible plant-protein, but they also contain specific muscle-building amino acids. The protein from yellow peas satisfies all FAO essential amino acid requirements.

Yellow peas are a standout protein and a great source of iron. Pea protein can aid muscle growth, support weight loss, and benefit heart health. It’s also a fantastic source of branched-chain amino acids, especially arginine. Arginine promotes heart health and good blood flow in the body.

Organic Hemp Seeds

Hemp seed is a complete source of protein, meaning it provides all nine essential amino acids that the body can’t produce. These amino acids including lysine and histidine must come from your food. Hemp seeds are packed with all kinds of nutrients, fiber, and protein. There’s almost 10 grams of protein in roughly three tablespoons of hemp seeds. As a complete amino acid profile source, hemp seeds can help you build muscle by supplying your muscles with the nutrients they need to grow bigger and stronger.

Hemp seeds are packed with fiber, helping you to stay fuller for longer. They also contain healthy essential fatty acids like omega-3s and omega-6s. The body can’t produce essential fatty acids, so this is a bonus. Hemp seeds also contain a good number of vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and phosphorus.

Organic Goji Berries

Goji berries are a bright and tangy superfood. Used medicinally throughout history; they are packed with antioxidants. Goji berries are a good source of fiber, antioxidants, iron, zinc, and vitamin A. With a high-fiber content, goji berries can support weight loss, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.

This small, but powerful superfood is one of the only fruits that contains all essential amino acids. Amino acids are often referred to as the building blocks of protein. They play a critical role in your body and as the name suggests are essential for building muscle as well as the synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters.

Organic Coconut

Coconut contains medium-chain essential fatty acids in just the right amount to be burned as energy rather than stored as fat. Unlike other fruits, coconuts are high in fat rather than carbs. The fats in coconut are made up of medium-chained triglycerides or MCTs. Your body absorbs MCT differently from other fats. It absorbs them directly into the small intestine so that they can be quickly used for energy. This is why coconut is an essential ingredient in plant-based protein powder.

Although coconut contains fat, it’s the type of fat that aids in fat loss and boosts metabolism. It provides a quick source of natural energy. With its anti-fungal, anti-viral, and antibiotic properties, there’s a reason why coconut is so popular in the wellness world. As well as being a great source of energy, it can benefit your immune system, heart health, and absorption of minerals and nutrients.

5 Benefits of Vegan Protein Powder

1. Build Lean Muscle and Support Weight Loss

Whatever diet you follow, protein is essential. Plant protein provides the building blocks for healthy muscles and tissues. Compared to animal protein, plant-based protein tends to be lower in calories and also high in fiber and other essential nutrients. By swapping out animal protein for plant protein, you can reduce your calorie intake and boost your nutrient profile. Vegan protein contains all the amino acids you need for muscle growth and repair.

2. Environmentally Friendly

Typically, vegan protein sources use less land and water and produce fewer greenhouse gases to produce than animal protein. Choosing plant-based protein over animal protein is not only beneficial for your health but is also significantly better for the environment. In general, animal agriculture is more intensive on the planet than farming plants.

3. Source of Fiber

Plant-based sources contain plenty of amino acids for a healthy and active lifestyle but are also a fantastic source of fiber. Any plant-based food source contains fiber. Fiber is essential for the gut and is known to help with better digestion and lower the risk of gut inflammation. Foods like chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds are an excellent example of plant-based sources of fiber and protein with the bonus of essential fatty acids.

4. Vitamins and Minerals

Vegan sources of protein like yellow peas and hemp seed are not only packed with protein but tend to be rich in a wide variety of nutrients critical for your health. By consuming plant-based protein sources, you get the added benefit of plenty of vitamins and minerals without even having to think about it.

5. Allergy-Free

Although whey protein has been around for a long time and is a popular option in the protein powder world, some people may suffer from whey allergies. It can cause gas or bloating in people who have allergies to milk. For people that suffer from whey allergies or have a sensitive stomach, a plant-based protein could be the ideal solution. As well as being dairy-free, Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend is also free from soy and gluten.

A good source of fiber and packed with nutrients, plant-based protein delivers a powerful punch. The perfect addition to an active lifestyle, Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend combines four key ingredients to create a tasty and easy-to-use protein powder. Whether you love to have a quick protein shake after your workout or some protein pancakes in the morning, this perfect blend of plant ingredients will fuel your healthy lifestyle.

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Natalie Bohin