You probably don’t need to be told consuming sufficient amounts of protein plays a key role in your health and wellness. Protein serves many different roles in your body, including growing tissues, building muscle, boosting your immune health, and much more.
That doesn’t mean it’s always easy to get enough protein every day. People who struggle to get enough protein from their food often supplement with powders to make up the difference. This is a fast and efficient way to ensure you’re getting an essential nutrient.
However, if you choose to go this route, you’ll find there are some protein powders made with animal products, and some that are plant-based.
Understanding which is right for you requires understanding key plant protein powder benefits. The following points will help you better understand why, for some people, this is the superior option.
Plant Protein Powder is Vegan
One of plant protein powder’s key benefits is that it’s vegan-friendly. If you don’t consume animal products for any reason, be it allergies, ethics, religion, or anything else, you should use a protein powder that’s completely free of any ingredients derived from animals.
It’s Dairy-free
The fact that it’s vegan also means it’s dairy-free. Protein powders that aren’t plant-based typically get their protein content from whey. Thus, anyone who can’t tolerate dairy can’t drink many popular protein drinks.
Again, this isn’t a concern when you consume plant protein powder.
It’s Also Gluten-Free
Plant-based proteins are also naturally gluten-free and many manufacturers of plant-based protein powders keep their products gluten-free. This is important to know because some whey-based protein powders are mixed with ingredients that do contain gluten. This can make it difficult to find a gluten free option.
Options like Aloha’s banana-flavored plant-based powder are naturally gluten-free, making them ideal for anyone who doesn’t tolerate this common ingredient.
And Lower in Calories
Even if you’re not vegan or gluten-free, you might still enjoy other plant protein powder benefits that often go overlooked.
For instance, plant proteins are generally less calorie-dense than animal proteins. That means plant protein powders tend to contain fewer calories per serving than other options. If you’re trying to add more protein to your diet, but don’t want to add too many more pounds, a plant-based option may be the best choice for you.
And it Contains More Fiber
Plant-based protein powder also usually contains more fiber than animal-based products. Because fiber is another key nutrient, one you may also want to add more of to your diet, this makes plant protein powder very appealing from a nutritional perspective.
Keep these plant protein powder benefits in mind when considering which type of protein powder is right for you. Again, while getting enough protein is important, that doesn’t mean you have to consume products with ingredients you’d rather avoid. Plant protein powder can deliver a major dose of protein, without conflicting with your goals.