How to use vegan protein powder: a quarter of the flour at most, and 7 powders checked
Shake it with cold liquid, make a paste before it goes into a hot drink, and swap 1/8 to 1/4 of the flour for it, as Vega advises. 7 powders checked.
Supplements
Most vegans need one supplement, B12, and the internet will happily sell you nine. This section tries to keep the number closer to one. I start with what a vegan diet can actually run short of (B12 first, then the usual suspects: omega-3, vitamin D, iron and zinc), then check whether the product itself is vegan. That second part catches people out. Vitamin D3 often comes from sheep’s wool, omega-3 from fish, and a perfectly vegan powder can arrive in a gelatin capsule.
I go by the label, the brand’s sourcing statement and certifications. I’m not a doctor, so questions about dosing for your own body belong with yours. What I can do is tell you which bottle doesn’t contain a fish.
Start here: Why vegans need B12 · Best vegan B12 supplements · Algae omega-3 · Is creatine vegan? · Vegan probiotics
Do vegans get enough zinc? Less than meat eaters, but the 50 mg bottle is too much
Vegans get less zinc than meat eaters. Our pick is MegaFood's vegan 22.5 mg tablet; a 50 mg pill alone tops the 40 mg upper limit, and two others use gelatin.
Does vegan protein powder expire? The date is about quality, and two makers disagree on what happens after it
Yes, but the date is about quality. Vega says not to use protein powder after it; Growing Naturals says it can be safe 6 to 12 months past. 7 brands compared.
Is collagen vegan? No, and the “vegan collagen” on the shelf contains none
No. Collagen comes from animal hides and bones, and none of the four vegan collagen supplements we checked contains any. Codeage's label says so outright.
Can you be vegan without supplements? Not for B12, and iodine is the one most likely to slip
No: B12 needs a supplement or fortified food, and iodine is next, since processed food uses non-iodized salt. Complement Essential covers all four gaps.
Best vegan protein powders: 8 compared on lead, and why the certified one is the one to limit
Truvani is our pick, the only plant powder in Consumer Reports' low-lead daily group. Garden of Life Sport hit 564% of CR's lead level: limit it to once a week.
Best vegan B12 supplements: 7 checked, and why methyl on the label isn’t worth paying extra for
Deva's Vegan Society-registered lozenge is our pick, Jarrow's vegan B12 the cheapest. NIH finds no absorption gap by form. Nature Made softgels have gelatin.
Is vitamin D3 vegan? Only when the label names a plant source, and one brand sells both kinds
Vitamin D3 is vegan only when it comes from lichen or algae; many supplements use lanolin from sheep's wool. 7 D3 and D2 products checked on the label.
Vegan probiotics: 8 supplements read from the label, and the one question most makers skip
Yes, vegan probiotics exist. The bacteria are not the issue; the capsule and the broth they grew in are. 8 US products compared, with Deva and NOW as our picks.
Is creatine vegan? Yes, but check the capsule
Yes, creatine is vegan when synthesized from cyanamide and sarcosine. Gelatin capsules and gummies are the catch, so check the shell and every additive.
Do vegans need an algae omega-3 supplement?
EFSA's adequate intake is 250 mg of EPA plus DHA a day; the 2 to 4 g doses are for specific claims. Our line is an algae oil, read against that 250 mg figure.
