{"id":1597,"date":"2025-01-12T12:19:14","date_gmt":"2025-01-12T12:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/whey-vs-plant-protein-making-the-right-choice-for-you.html"},"modified":"2025-01-12T12:19:14","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T12:19:14","slug":"whey-vs-plant-protein-making-the-right-choice-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/whey-vs-plant-protein-making-the-right-choice-for-you.html","title":{"rendered":"Whey vs. Plant Protein: Making the Right Choice for You"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are so many different protein powders available on the market, it can be hard to choose one. Many powders are whey-based, which is an animal protein, but then there are soy and pea powders, which are plant-based.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re curious about the main differences and similarities between whey vs. plant protein, we\u2019re here to help!<\/p>\n<h2>What Is Whey Protein and What Is Plant Protein?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Whey protein is one of the main proteins found in cow\u2019s milk (the other is casein). Plant proteins, on the other hand, come from a variety of different plant sources.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe most common plant protein powders are soy, pea, and hemp,\u201d says\u00a0Mascha Davis, MPH, RDN, and author of Eat Your Vitamins. You can find pea protein in Chocolate Plant-Based Vegan Shakeology, for example.<\/p>\n<p>She explains that some brands blend proteins from different plant sources to make it complete. \u201cThis means that when blended together, all\u00a0essential amino acids\u00a0are present in the powder,\u201d she says. (Whey is a naturally complete protein.)<\/p>\n<p>Although there are many different plant proteins to choose from with varying ingredients and nutrition labels, there are some primary differences and similarities between the average plant-based protein and whey, according to Davis:<\/p>\n<h3>Differences between whey and plant-based proteins<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Whey comes from cow milk; plant-based proteins do not contain animal products, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans.<\/li>\n<li>Whey protein is always complete; some plant proteins or blends may be incomplete, depending on their mix of vegetable based proteins. Additionally, \u201cthe amino acid profile of each plant-based supplement might be slightly different depending on the blend used,\u201d Davis says, while whey will be fairly consistent.<\/li>\n<li>Whey protein powders offer roughly the same amount of protein from brand to brand; plant-based powders can vary significantly depending on the type of plant protein used.<\/li>\n<li>Whey is often mild in flavor; plant protein powders can be earthy, nutty, and sometimes bitter.<\/li>\n<li>Generally, plant proteins may\u00a0require less land, water and energy\u00a0to produce, compared to animal proteins.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Similarities between whey and plant-based proteins<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Both whey and plant-based protein powders provide protein, which can help you refuel and\u00a0repair muscle after a workout, according to research.*<\/li>\n<li>Both types of powder can be easily mixed into a shake for a quick snack or meal.<\/li>\n<li>There are multiple flavors available for both whey and plant protein powders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Which Is Better?<\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169125\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/11152936\/whey-vs-plant-protein-600-scoop.jpeg\" alt=\"Close Up of Protein Powder in Scoop | Whey vs Plant Protein\" width=\"600\" height=\"433\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to the great battle of whey vs. plant-based proteins, Davis says there\u2019s limited evidence touting one over the other.<\/p>\n<p>In fact\u00a0one study, which put whey and pea protein head to head, found both options produce similar outcomes for key metrics including body composition, muscle thickness, force production, performance, and strength after following an eight-week high-intensity functional training protocol.*<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMuscle growth is a result of training your muscles,\u201d Davis says. \u201cThe protein powders are simply a tool to replenish losses easily.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Which Should I Choose?<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169126\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/11152945\/whey-vs-plant-protein-600-shaker-bottle.jpeg\" alt=\"Man Prepares Protein Shake in Bottle | Whey vs Plant Protein\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>When choosing between whey and plant-based protein, it really comes down to your personal preference, including dietary choices and allergies.<\/p>\n<p>Whichever you choose, make sure to take a look at the label. Many protein powders \u2014 both whey and plant-based \u2014 may have\u00a0added ingredients\u00a0such as artificial sweeteners, thickeners, and artificial flavors and colors. \u201cTry to avoid those high in additives,\u201d Davis says.<\/p>\n<p>If you opt for whey protein, just know there are three different types that have varying protein content:<\/p>\n<p>Beachbody Performance Recover, which has both whey and plant-based formulations, provides 20 grams of high-quality protein per scoop to aid muscle recovery, along with pomegranate extract to help reduce post-workout soreness.<\/p>\n<p>For a healthy snack packed with protein, try any of our Shakeology flavors: Chocolate (whey and plant-based), Vanilla (whey and plant-based), Cookies &amp; Creamy (plant-based only), Cafe Latte (plant-based only), Tropical Strawberry (plant-based only), and Snickerdoodle (plant-based only). Each includes 16 to 17 grams of whey or pea protein, probiotics, and helpful fiber and minerals. Chocolate Whey, Chocolate Vegan and Vanilla Vegan Shakeology also come in formulations with 0 grams added sugar.<\/p>\n<p>And remember that while protein powders can help you consume more protein throughout the day, you can also bump up your protein intake with whole foods. Check out our list of\u00a0lean protein foods\u00a0and\u00a0vegan protein sources\u00a0that you can add into your meals, no matter your dietary preferences.<\/p>\n<p>*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are so many different protein powders available on the market, it can be hard to choose one. Many powders are whey-based, which is an animal protein, but then there are soy and pea powders, which are plant-based. If you\u2019re curious about the main differences and similarities between whey vs. plant protein, we\u2019re here to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1598,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}