The best protein drinks to boost effort

Kate Farms

Editor’s Note, August 11, 2022: Kate Farms’ parent company Lyons Magnus has voluntarily recalled some of its standard children’s drinks and nutritional shakes. See recall details.

Kate Farms uses organic yellow pea protein in its vegan drinks that are free of gluten, soy, dairy and artificial sweeteners. I loved how creamy and delicious the protein shakes were. It’s higher in calories (330 calories), which isn’t a problem because it’s considered a meal replacement drink, not just a protein drink. This product almost made our top list, but it failed in one important area: It only contains 16 grams of protein per serving compared to other vegan brands, which contain at least 20 grams of protein. If Kate Farms had reformulated its formula to include 20 or more grams of protein, it would have easily made the top list.

Orgain Organic Nutrition Shake

I’m familiar with Orgain’s plant-based protein powders because I’ve taken them in the past. I had never tried his drinks before, and they failed for me. I really wanted to like them, but they had an aftertaste that their powders usually don’t have, and even the creamy chocolate fudge flavor (which I usually love) didn’t taste the same to me. If it were up to me, I’d stick with Orgain in powder form and mix it with dairy-free milk like I normally do.

The iconic lifestyle protein drink

This whey protein shake was not a success for me because I could not get past the artificial taste. I often enjoy vanilla flavors, but I wasn’t a fan of this version of the vanilla protein. The chocolate flavor was a little better, but in the end the sweetener mix just wasn’t right for me.