The complete guide
How To Choose A Plant Protein Powder, And How To Actually Enjoy Drinking It
The problem with most plant protein powders
Plenty of people switch away from dairy based powders and then quietly give up. Not because they changed their mind about plant eating, but because the tub they bought tasted like wet cardboard and sank to the bottom of the glass. That is the real barrier. A powder you do not enjoy drinking is a powder that sits in the back of the cupboard until the best before date passes.
Plant proteins behave differently to milk proteins. They are usually milled from peas, rice, faba beans, hemp or a mix of those. The particles are coarser, the flavour is earthier, and the texture in water is thicker. None of that is a flaw. It just means the way you mix it and the flavour you pick matter more than they would with a dairy powder.
This page covers one specific product, a 1.2 kg pack of French vanilla plant protein powder made in Australia, with protein from pea, rice and faba bean. The rest of this guide is about how to choose a powder like this one and how to get it to taste good at home.
What is actually in this one
The maker lists the formula in full, and it is worth reading before you buy anything. The protein blend is pea protein, rice protein and faba bean protein. Then there is natural vanilla flavour, coconut MCT powder (coconut MCT plus acacia gum), vegetable gums (guar and xanthan), sweeteners (steviol glycosides and monk fruit extract), branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine), a digestive enzyme blend (protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase and lactase), and a Lactospore probiotic listed as Bacillus coagulans.
The allergen note supplied by the maker says dairy free. Beyond that, we are not going to make statements about other allergens, nutrition figures or serve counts, because they are not in the information we were given. The printed label on the pack you receive is the final word on ingredients, allergens, nutrition and directions. Read it before you use the product.
That is also the honest answer to anyone hunting for the best plant protein powder on spec sheets alone. Compare the actual label of each product, not a marketing bullet.
Why blends instead of a single protein
A lot of plant powders use more than one protein source, and this one uses three. Pea protein is the common base in Australia and overseas. Rice protein is another widely used plant source. Faba bean protein shows up in newer blends. Blending them changes the taste and the mouthfeel compared to a single source powder.
If you have tried a straight pea powder before and did not love it, a blend is often worth a second go. The flavour profile is different. People searching for the best pea protein powder or the best rice protein powder sometimes end up happier with a mix of both.
Flavour, and why vanilla is the safe pick
Vanilla is the most flexible flavour in this category. Chocolate is fixed, it tastes like chocolate and that is that. Vanilla slots into almost anything. Plain cold water, almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, a frozen banana smoothie, overnight oats, a bowl of plant yoghurt, or a cooled coffee.
That flexibility matters more than it sounds. If you buy a 1.2 kg pack you are committing to a lot of servings of one flavour. Boredom is the main reason half finished tubs get abandoned. With vanilla you can change the drink around it instead of changing the powder.
The sweetening here comes from steviol glycosides and monk fruit extract rather than sugar. Those taste different to sugar. Some people prefer them immediately, others take a week to adjust. If you have never had a stevia sweetened drink, start with a smaller scoop in more liquid and work up.
How to mix it so it is not gritty
The maker's directions are to mix one scoop into 1.5 cups, or about 12 fl oz, of cold water, organic almond milk, organic rice milk, a smoothie or your favourite drink. Shake and drink. Those are the official instructions, and they work fine. Here is how to make the result better.
Use cold liquid, not warm. Warm liquid tends to clump plant powders. Add the liquid to the shaker first and the powder second, which stops the powder packing into the bottom. Use a shaker with a wire ball or a spring. Shake for a good fifteen seconds, not two. Then let it stand for a minute before you drink, which lets the powder hydrate and knocks the texture back.
If you want it genuinely smooth, use a blender with ice or frozen fruit. Frozen banana is the standard trick. It thickens the drink, adds sweetness and covers any earthiness from the plant protein. Frozen berries work too, though they change the colour. For anyone chasing the best protein powder for smoothies, the frozen fruit is doing half the work.
Plant milk instead of water makes a noticeable difference as well. Almond and oat milk both carry a vanilla flavour better than water does. If you like the drink sweeter, pick a sweetened plant milk. If you want it plainer, go unsweetened.
Who this suits, and who it does not
This suits adults who eat plant based, or who avoid dairy, or who just want a vanilla powder without milk protein in it. It also suits people who already drink a shake regularly, because 1.2 kg is a decent sized pack and it needs to get used.
It does not suit everyone. Sports foods are not suitable for children under 15 or for pregnant women. They are meant to be used alongside a balanced diet, not instead of meals. Keep all supplements and vitamins out of reach of children. If you have a health condition, take medication, or have any doubt about whether a product like this fits your situation, ask a qualified health professional first.
We make no health, medical or performance claims about this product, and you should be sceptical of anyone who does. It is a food. The label tells you what is in it.
Storage and everyday handling
Keep the pack in a cool, dry place, away from direct sun and away from the stove. Reseal it properly every time. The single biggest mistake people make is dunking a wet scoop into the tub, which introduces moisture and leads to clumping. Keep a dry scoop, or shake the scoop dry before it goes back in.
Check the best before date when the pack arrives, and check any advice on the label about using it within a certain time after opening. If you only drink a shake twice a week, a 1.2 kg pack will take a while to finish, so storage habits actually matter.
Buying, delivery and returns
We dispatch within 2 working days, and delivery then takes up to 7 working days by tracked courier. Delivery is Australia only. You will be able to track the parcel once it leaves us.
Change of mind returns are accepted within 14 days of delivery on unopened, sealed packs only. That rule exists for food safety, and every reputable food seller applies some version of it. If the item arrives faulty or damaged, that is a different matter and it gets put right under the Australian Consumer Law. Send us photos and we will sort it out. No separate warranty is sold with this product.
The short version
This is a 1.2 kg French vanilla plant protein powder made in Australia, with protein from pea, rice and faba bean, described by the maker as dairy free. It also lists coconut MCT powder, guar and xanthan gums, steviol glycosides and monk fruit extract, added leucine, isoleucine and valine, a five enzyme digestive blend, and a Bacillus coagulans probiotic.
Mix one scoop into about 1.5 cups of cold water, almond milk, rice milk or a smoothie. Shake it well, let it sit for a minute, and use frozen fruit if you want it thicker and smoother. Store it sealed, cool and dry, with a dry scoop.
It is a sports food, so it is not for children under 15 or for pregnant women, and it belongs alongside a balanced diet. Read the label on the pack before you use it. The label is always the final word.