Review: Everlast VP Vegan Protein Mix

Disclaimer: I’m officially an Everlast Nutrition Ambassador.  I earn commission on orders made through my discount code.
Vegan Protein


Everlast is a known brand in fight sports; I’ve got a heavy bag (from a previous life where martial arts played a bigger role in my fitness) and a jump rope from them, and they’re still part of my workout regimen today (stay tuned to this site in the future to find out how).  What about the nutritional side of things?


I see two dueling trends when I look around the fitness/wellness blogosphere:
  1. Athletes with incredible bodies who take pre-workout, post-workout supplements to optimize everything from performance to recovery.
  2. A trend toward “real food”, and staying away from artificial ingredients and compounds with unpronounceable names.


My experience with supplements is limited. I do take a multivitamin more or less as insurance against nutritional deficiencies that I might be accruing through an imperfect diet.  I also try and get extra protein for two purposes: a) re-building muscles that are getting torn up from daily workouts and b) feeling full so that I stay clear of less healthy snacks that I run into throughout my day.  Sometimes I throw hemp seeds onto cereal or other foods, but my most frequent protein supplementation is to make a smoothie, usually for breakfast.  Typical ingredients include some combination of
  • Milk
  • Strawberries
  • Peanut/Almond butter
  • Banana
  • Coconut Water
  • Hemp Protein
  • Ground Flax Seed
  • Blueberries
  • Kefir


I had tried the pre-ready protein powders in the past, but because I liked my shakes to be creamy, I always used milk which never dissolved the powder well, and I found eating the powder after drinking a near-flavourless shake to be a little unappealing.


Everlast nutrition sent me this sample pack of their new Vegan Protein mix to try.  Looking at the ingredients I saw:
  • Pea protein
  • Carrageenan
  • Sea Salt
  • Natural Flavor
  • Rice Protein
  • Hemp Protein
  • Stevia Glycoside

The carrageenan would be a source of concern, but the truth is, I haven’t found a chocolate milk product (even organic ones) that don’t have it, so I guess it’s necessary for the whole ‘shake’ experience.  A lot of people swear by stevia (I’m not a convert), but I guess I’m grateful for sweetness without sugar (or the attendant calories).  The rest sounds like really good stuff.  The sample pack was only good for one serving, so I opted to try it simply with milk to get the best idea of its taste without going the watery route.


After a really intense session at the gym, I bought a large milk and went to my desk to try mixing it in a smoothie bottle.  I’ll bet I shook that bottle for at least 5 minutes before I tried it. Bad news first: like all other protein shakes I’ve tried to make in the past, the end result had only a portion of the powder dissolved and the rest sat at the bottom.  That makes the flavour weaker than it needs to be, and the idea of eating the remnant powder alone is disgusting.

Yuck


Now the good news: the taste is fantastic.  I think it’s the sea salt; you know how the only thing better than caramel is salted caramel? It’s like that, only with vanilla plus a little bit of nuttiness.  I refilled the container with water and enjoyed the rest of the drink.  And in case you hadn’t figured it out (and it’s important to you) the product is vegan (though the warning label admits it’s produced in a facility where dairy products, eggs, wheat and soy are also handled).

If you want to try Everlast VP Vegan Protein, you can use the code IRONROGUE at checkout when you visit EverlastNutrition.com.  In addition to this Vegan Protein, they have a performance drink mix called Everlast Fuel that has both electrolytes (for optimal re-hydration) and protein (for muscle recovery).

6 Replies to “Review: Everlast VP Vegan Protein Mix”

  1. I have tried the Everlast vegan protein powder and liked it a lot. I only used it in n a smoothie though. That being said, the carrageenan is a concern though. Not sure I want that in my daily smoothie. Thanks for your honest review.

  2. I have tried the Everlast vegan protein powder and liked it a lot. I only used it in n a smoothie though. That being said, the carrageenan is a concern though. Not sure I want that in my daily smoothie. Thanks for your honest review.

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