VeganSmart protein powder originated when two friends at Duke University wanted to do something to address chronic disease and obesity that had plagued many friends and family members. Initially they weren’t sure what that would look like but over the years the duo has evolved from combating childhood obesity with healthy vending machines and successfully launching plant-based VeganSmart protein powder. Unlike many protein powders that are marketed towards a specific audience and perhaps not as widely available, the duo wanted to make VeganSmart available in neighborhood grocers like CVS and Walgreens and in places where there may be food desserts. This way, people could have access to a healthy plant-based protein powder. Naturade, the parent company continues to produce many health and natural products with VeganSmart protein powder being one of the most widely available products.
Today, we’re going to review VeganSmart protein powder but if you want to jump right to reading what other verified purchasers have to say on Amazon, head over HERE and check out VeganSmart plant-based protein powder.
Taste Experience
If you’ve been around the vegan protein powder land, you’ve experienced the super sweet protein powders that use sugar alcohols or sugar and you’ve also experienced the super salty protein powders that leave you feeling super thirsty. Vegansmart is sweet but not artificially so and not super sweet to where it’s hard to drink. It is a bit on the saltier side with 550mg of sodium per serving (which would be in line with the recommendation of about 500-750mg of sodium per meal). Weirdly though, it doesn’t seem as salty as it is. Perhaps that’s in part to what you mix it with but I tend to blend the chocolate Vegan smart with a scoop of peanut butter, banana, and a few dates and it truly tastes like dessert – so maybe the banana and date cover up the salt flavor?? I’m not entirely sure. I have also had the protein powder with just almond milk and a banana and I still think it tastes great but I just like the dates and peanut butter to make it a more well rounded meal with fat and additional protein/fiber.
I’ve tried a lot of chocolate protein powders in my vegan days, but Vegansmart Chocolate Protein Powder is truly many steps above the rest and it’s personally been hard for me to continue to try others because this one works so well! Find Vegansmart Chocolate Protein Powder HERE.
Nutrition
Each serving (which is actually two scoops not one) of Vegansmart Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder has 180 calories and six grams of fat with only 1.5 grams of saturated fat. In general, this is a lower fat food and if you’re looking for a meal replacement, I would blend with an additional source of calories, and more specifically fat calories to help meet essential fatty acid requirements. So for example, adding in a nut butter, hemp seeds, or chia seeds would help increase the satiety factor for a smoothie with this plant-based protein powder.
Vegansmart Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder has quite a bit of sodium per serving compared to other vegan protein powders. There are 550mg sodium in each serving of Vegansmart and about 200-300mg sodium in other vegan protein powders. The salt does help to balance out any potential bitterness from the protein powder or any extra sweetness.
With 16 grams of total carbohydrate and 6 grams of fiber, this is a great vegan protein powder option if you are watching your carbs or just trying to eat less in general. Vegansmart doesn’t use any sugar alcohols but does use stevia, cane sugar, and whole food fruit extracts to increase the overall flavor but keep the overall carbohydrate content very reasonable. Plus, with that much fiber, there will be a slower response to your blood glucose level compared to foods without as much fiber or protein.
Like many other vegan, plant-based protein powders, there are 20 grams of protein in Vegansmart protein powder serving from pea, quinoa protein, chia seed protein, and chlorella protein. Twenty grams of plant-based protein is a great target for the amount of protein needed in a meal for most people, making this an easy addition to your breakfast or lunch. If you need just a snack, using one scoop with frozen berries or a frozen banana would be low in calories but high in protein. As you know, vegan protein powders are a quick and convenient way to get in your protein but with the pack of protein power and nutrition with a great smooth taste, Vegansmart is a great way to get both!
Micronutrients aren’t added to Vegansmart Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder but because of all of the whole food ingredients as you can see below, this protein powder is a great source of many micronutrients. For example, there is 500% daily value of biotin, 375% vegan sourced Vitamin B12, 83% vitamin A and many many more micronutrients. Take a look at the nutrition panel below and you’ll see that it looks more like a whole food multivitamin than a protein powder because of all of the micronutrients. There are also four digestive enzymes in Vegansmart that makes it easier to digest and absorb all of the vegan nutrition.
Vegansmart Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder is a great vegan protein powder option that uses whole food ingredients without added artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols with a powerful 20 gram protein punch. Vegansmart has the taste, nutrition, and quality ingredients. Find Vegansmart Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder HERE.
Parting Thoughts
Vegansmart Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder does not contain any artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols but relies on whole food ingredients like flax seed and chia seed protein. The chocolate protein powder is creamy and delicious while serving up a hefty 20 grams of plant-based protein! So whether you’re aiming to increase your protein intake to heal from surgery, meet your protein needs, or lose/gain weight, Vegansmart vegan protein powder can help you get there. Vegansmart is aiming to get into the hands of people who are at most risk for chronic disease and they have strategically offered Vegansmart in places like CVS and Walgreens. Check out Vegansmart Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder HERE and if you’ve already tried it, comment below and let us know what you think about it!