How to identify legit keto protein powder (and my top picks)
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The best keto protein powders are those that are low in carbohydrates, higher in fat, and ample in quality protein. Both plant and whey protein powders can support a ketogenic diet. But in this article, we’re focusing on vegan keto protein powder options.
In simple terms, a ketogenic diet consists of eating high fat, very low carbohydrate, and moderate protein. For a specific macronutrient breakdown, the ketogenic diet is approximately divided into 55% to 60% fat, 30% to 35% protein, and 5% to 10% carbohydrates. The emphasis is high fat, very low carb.[1]
Protein powders can be great supplements while on a ketogenic diet. But you have to be careful in knowing what you’re consuming, as to avoid excess carbs/sugar and strike a balance with your macronutrient intake.
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Best Keto Options & Top Picks | Keto Protein for Muscle Gain | Keto Protein for Weight Loss
What Defines Keto Protein Powders?
Keto protein powders are protein supplements that are specifically designed for individuals who follow a ketogenic diet. A ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that aims to put the body into a state of ketosis, burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
Keto-friendly protein powder can be helpful for those who need to manage their blood sugar with a low-carb, low-sugar protein powder. They’re also more sports-minded and often contain better ingredients for recovery, making them preferred among athletes.
Protein powders marketed as “keto-friendly” have a few defining characteristics:
- Very low in carbohydrates: Keto protein powders typically contain very few carbohydrates to help individuals maintain a state of ketosis. The number of carbs in keto protein powders can vary, but they typically contain less than 5 grams of net carbs per serving and <1g of sugar.
- Higher in fat: Although protein powder is not about fat supplementing, keto protein powders often contain added fats, such as coconut oil or MCT oil, to help individuals meet their daily fat intake requirements while on a ketogenic diet.
- Moderate protein content: While protein is an important nutrient for building and maintaining muscle mass, consuming too much protein can kick an individual out of ketosis. Therefore, keto protein powders usually contain moderate amounts of protein (typically 10-20 grams per serving).
- No artificial sweeteners: Many keto protein powders are sweetened with natural sweeteners, such as stevia or monk fruit extract, instead of artificial sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame.
It’s worth noting that not all protein powders marketed as “keto-friendly” are created equal, so it’s important to read the labels and check the ingredients to ensure that the powder aligns with your dietary needs and preferences.
What Vegan Keto Protein Powders Are Available?
There are several vegan keto-friendly protein powders available. With the growing popularity of vegan and keto diets, more and more companies are catering to these dietary needs.
These powders are typically made from plant-based sources of protein such as pea protein, hemp protein, and brown rice protein, and are often sweetened with natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit sweetener.
As always, it’s important to read the labels and check the ingredients to ensure that the powder aligns with your dietary needs and preferences.
Best Vegan Keto Protein Powders on the Market?
The top seven vegan keto protein powders, include GHOST Vegan Protein, MRM Veggie Elite, Garden of Life Sport Protein Powder, and Sunwarrior Warrior Blend. We provide a concise breakdown of each product below.
1. Garden of Life Sport Organic Protein Powder
Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein is a keto-friendly option that offers a protein blend of 100% organic ingredients, specifically: pea protein, sprouted navy bean, sprouted lentil bean, sprouted garbanzo bean, and cranberry seed protein.
Garden of Life Sport is a two-scoop serving size that packs 30g of protein, 3g of fat, and only 4g of carbs (less than 1g of sugar). It’s a nutritional powerhouse that’s equipped to support elite athletes but works equally as well for everyday people. See our full review of Garden of Life Sport Protein. Or find it on Amazon.
2. GHOST Vegan Protein
GHOST Vegan Protein powder contains a blend of pea protein, organic pumpkin protein, and watermelon seed protein, and is sweetened with stevia. Available in four unique flavors, the macronutrient profile contains 20g of protein, 1.5g of fat, and 5g of carbs.
Although slightly higher in carbs, GHOST Vegan Protein is entirely zero-sugar. There are several unique and delicious flavors, which are unique compared to other protein powder brands. But is GHOST protein powder good and worth all the rave? Read our full review of GHOST Vegan Protein. You can also find it on Amazon.
3. MRM Veggie Elite
A great choice for athletes, MRM Veggie Elite is an amino acid-rich protein powder that contains 4.6g of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and 9.6g of all essential amino acids (EAAs).
It’s made from a blend of pea protein and brown rice protein and is sweetened with stevia. With just 4g of carbs (zero sugar) and 24g of protein per serving, MRM Veggie Elite is a fantastic choice for plant-based keto protein powder.
Check out our complete review of MRM Veggie Elite. Or get some by finding it on Amazon.
4. Sunwarrior Warrior Blend
Perhaps the lowest-carb protein powder available, Sunwarrior Warrior Blend is one of our favorite keto protein powder products for its taste and nutritional value. Not only is it one of the best-tasting vegan protein powders, but it contains an amino-acid-rich blend of pea protein, cranberry protein, and hemp protein.
It’s very low in carbs with just 1g per serving (contains no sugar) and provides 19g of protein in a single scoop. See our complete review of Sunwarrior Warrior Blend. Or be sure to find it on Amazon.
5. Vega Sport Premium Protein
As one of the popular picks for all types of athletes, Vega Sport Premium protein powder contains a blend of pea protein, pumpkin seed protein, sunflower seed protein, and alfalfa protein.
A true sport performance protein powder, it’s stacked with 30g of protein, 5g of recovery-enhancing BCAAs, 4g of carbs (1g of sugar), and 3.5g of fat.
While we’ve yet to taste the “premium” version which we’ve included here as keto-friendly, we’ve conducted a thorough review of Vega Sport Protein. To purchase, find it on Amazon.
6. Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder
A flagship product in the vegan protein powder space, Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder go-to keto option that’s made from an entirely RAW blend of pea protein, sprouted brown rice protein, and other plant-based ingredients.
A single-serving scoop contains 22g of protein, only 2g of carbs (zero sugar), and 2.5g of fat. It’s also available in many delicious flavors. See our full review of Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder. Or purchase it and find it on Amazon.
7. Nuzest Clean Lean Protein
Available in many great flavors, Nuzest Clean Lean Protein is a simple protein powder made from golden pea protein and is sweetened with stevia. While it may not pack quite as many amino acids as other options, it’s known for being easy to digest as well as delicious in taste.
It’s extremely low in carbs with just 1g, offers 2g of fat, and packs 20g of protein power serving. We’ve yet to conduct a proper review of this product, but you can find Nuzest Clean Lean protein available for purchase on Amazon.
Our Favorite Keto Protein Powders
As you can see, the protein content varies from 16g to 30g per serving, while the carb content ranges from 1g to 5g per serving. The fat content, while less relevant, ranges from 1.2g to 3.5g per serving. But some products offer higher-quality fat, such as MCT oil.
While all of the products above foot the bill for keto protein powder, there are a few that stand out as our favorite (depending on why you supplement with protein.)
Best Keto Protein Powder for Muscle Gain
This one is a tie between Garden of Life Sport Organic Protein and Vega Sport Premium Protein. Both pack 30g of protein, about 3g of fat, and only 4g of carbs. They’re both rich with recovery-enhancing ingredients, l-glutamine, tart cherry, turmeric, and probiotics. like
An edge Garden of Life Sport has over Vega Sport Premium Protein is that the Vega option contains 1g of sugar, so it’s not as keto-friendly as Garden of Life.
Related read: Best Vegan Protein Powder for Muscle Gain.
Best Keto Protein Powder for Weight Loss
For calorie-conscious yet nutrition-focused, Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder contains only 4g of carbs, zero sugar, 3g of fat per serving, and packs 22g of protein in just 110 calories. Available in several delicious flavors (all of which taste good), Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder is one the best keto-friendly protein powders for weight loss. Not only that but its low-calorie content and protein-rich blend make it an ideal choice for those prioritizing weight loss.
The Overall Best Keto Protein Powder
Our top pick for the best keto protein powder is MRM Veggie Elit. With 24g of protein, 4g of carbs (0g of sugar), and 3g of fat per serving, MRM Veggie Elite is the best overall choice for a vegan keto protein powder. The flavors are also unique and delicious tasting and work well with more decadent and creamy ingredients that are common in ketogenic-friendly smoothies.
Its simple, digestible-friendly blend of pea protein and brown rice protein provides a complete amino acid profile, making it an excellent choice for muscle building and overall health. The 4g of carbs are very slow-digesting, so despite the higher carb level compared with other lower carb options, both pea and brown rice are low glycemic carbs, which are essential when on a ketogenic diet.
Plus, it’s sweetened with stevia, so it’s free from artificial sweeteners and low in calories. Its moderate fat content also provides a healthy source of energy to fuel workouts and support a balanced diet. For stevia-free products, see our related post on protein powders without stevia.
But apart from that from our personal point of view, the macros meet up and the flavor of the MRM Veggie Elite is spot on making it our daily go-to keto protein powder.
About The Authors
This post was written in collaboration with James Howell from Keto Supplements and Tyler Tafelsky, the lead editor here at VeganProteinPowder.reviews. James is an expert in ketogenic diet supplementation and knows what to look for in identifying true, keto-friendly products.
Tyler is a plant-based athlete who’s experimented with the ketogenic diet and has tried many different keto protein powder products. Learn more about Tyler by viewing his full author bioor by following him on social media platforms likeLinkedIn,Twitter,Facebook,Pinterest, orInstagram.
Scientific References
[1] Masood W, Annamaraju P, Uppaluri KR. Ketogenic Diet. [Updated 2022 Jun 11]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/
