The consumption of soy has become a hot topic in recent years, but not everyone needs to stay away from this food source. Many vegetarians, especially strict vegans, use a lot of soy products because it is a good source of natural, plant-based protein.
Today, many vegans are stepping away from the soy because they are concerned about health risks or find that it doesn’t sit well on their stomach. You may have your own reasons for avoiding soy products, which would require you to find a soy-free protein powder if you want to supplement your powder with shakes.
Reasons to Avoid Soy
While not everyone needs to eliminate soy from their diet, there are some legitimate reasons you may want to do so:
1. You have an allergic reaction to soy, or your body seems intolerant of soy. If you experience stomach problems or any other issue that occurs routinely after consuming soy, you may be an ideal candidate for soy-free protein powders.
2. You don’t like the taste of soy products. Some protein powders mask the soy taste or texture with added flavors, but there is a distinct taste that comes with many protein powders containing soy.
3. You are concerned about the heavy use of genetically modified soybeans (GMOs). There has been mass concern that these modified soybeans and other types of GMOs can cause a variety of health conditions that threaten human lives, including cancer. This is a primary reason many people now avoid soy at all costs.
4. You are concerned about soybeans causing health problems in general, including thyroid issues. While it is not clear that soybeans are dangerous to human health, many people would rather stay away from any food that has that potential just to be safe.
If you don’t fall into any of these groups, then you may want to consider the wider market of protein powders that do contain soy. If you are against soy for any of these reasons or reasons of your own, there are some highly recommended soy-free protein powders on the market today.
Recommended Protein Powders without Soy
Seeking Health Optimal Protein Powder
This is pure, all-natural protein powder that does not contain any soy or GMOs. It is also free of sugar, artificial sweeteners and gluten, so it can fit a variety of healthy lifestyles. It also fits lifestyles that are forced by allergic reactions, such as the gluten-free lifestyle. This is an unflavored protein powder that you need to mix into flavored drinks, shakes and smoothies in order to create an appetizing snack, after-workout supplement or meal replacement.
Each serving of this powder contains just 70 calories and offers 17 grams of protein with no fat content. This makes it an excellent option for anyone trying to lose weight or gain a lean, trim figure.
Plant Fusion High-Protein Diet Supplement
One scoop of this powder offers 120 calories and 21 grams of protein, so it is a healthy option for anyone interested in losing weight or gaining lean muscle mass with a high-protein supplement. It is a vegan protein powder that contains no soy, dairy, gluten or animal products and byproducts. Rather than mixing up a typical protein shake, you can mix one or two scoops of this powder into water or another drink for an instant protein fix. This makes this powder an excellent option for those working on tight schedule, especially if you don’t want to carry around shaker cups.
Naturade Soy-Free Protein Booster
You get 20 grams of protein for just 110 calories with every two scoops of this vegetarian protein powder. What makes it different from many other protein powders on the market today is the fact that it contains no dairy, egg or animal products at all. It gets its protein from a blend of spirulina, peas and potato.
This protein powder also contains fiber, which makes it a good option for a meal replacement base. If you are trying to lose weight, the combination of fiber and protein can help you feel full between meals. You can cut the serving size in half for this product, creating a snack-sized, high-protein meal that helps maintain satiety between larger meals.
Raw Organic Whey
If you were starting to think that all soy-free protein powder options are vegetarian or vegan, this option will give you some peace of mind. You can use 100% pure, raw organic whey protein powder without any added ingredients or preservatives. That is what you get with this product, even though it isn’t the cheapest protein powder on the market. This is a clean protein supplement that offers 20 grams of protein in every serving.
The protein is sourced from grass-fed, hormone-free cows, so you don’t have to worry about the negative side effects that may come from hormones fed to some cattle. While this is not a vegan product, it is suitable for anyone interested in high-quality, pure protein that does not contain any soy.
Nutiva Hi-Fiber Organic Hemp Protein Powder
Hemp is a good alternative to soy and other vegetarian protein sources. This product is pure hemp protein powder, so you don’t have to worry about soy or other added, unnecessary ingredients. While this is a fiber-rich food that is extremely healthy for the human body, it doesn’t contain as much protein per serving as some other protein powders. It offers 11 grams of protein per serving, but you can take multiple servings to increase your overall protein intake.