So, you’re looking out for an Arbonne protein powder alternative.
Let’s face it, this year has been a tough one. Forget the toilet paper shortage.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve let yourself go either “voluntarily”, although that may be a strong word, or because it was forced upon you.
Getting back into shape is a priority for many of us. But financially, things took a bit of a dive for many people.
So whether it’s because you are looking for a more budget-friendly alternative, want better ingredients, or simply want a change, I’ve looked at a few Arbonne nutrition alternatives for you.
A Look at Arbonne Protein Shakes
Arbonne Essential Protein Shakes are not the worst ones out there. It depends on the ingredients that you struggle with and how clean you want to eat.
Unless you choose the Protein Boost, you will get 20 grams of protein per serving. More on the Protein Boost later.
These shakes contain 24 different nutrients making it ideal for use as a meal replacement.
These shakes do contain cane sugar (table sugar) and at just over a teaspoon per shake, that’s not the best thing. But certainly better than some other protein shakes out there.
They have additional sweetness provided by stevia, which is derived from the stevia plant. It has no calories but the flavor is something you either hate or you don’t.
I do feel that the fiber content is a bit too low at 5 grams for a meal replacement. But this is common among most meal replacements.
Some of the Bigger Problems with Arbonne Protein Shakes
Over Two teaspoons of sugar
My main issue is that both the vanilla and chocolate flavors contain sugar. Just over two teaspoons in both shakes.
That might not seem so bad, but keep in mind that women shouldn’t have more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day.
That’s not hard to exceed if you eat processed foods or sweeten your tea and coffee.
These shakes also contain tricalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate which aren’t healthy sources of calcium.
These sources can lead to calcification of the organs, kidney stones, and even heart issues if taken in supplement form in high doses.
Thickeners
In terms of thickeners, many people are so vehemently against gums and I’m not sure where that comes from.
Acacia gum may even have health benefits including being a source of fiber depending on the type of acacia. Xanthan gum may not have benefits, but it’s harmless from what studies show.
Just as long as they aren’t taken in huge quantities, most people wouldn’t struggle with digestive issues.
Guar gum on the other hand can cause digestive problems if you exceed the recommended dose of the shakes per day. Which is two.
This is because it swells up.
I feel the need to gently rub my tummy and assure it that everything is okay just thinking about it.
In normal amounts though, it may actually even help ease IBS.
The exception to all this is the Arbonne Essentials Daily Protein Boost. The only ingredients are pea protein, cranberry protein, and rice protein.
However, it only provides 10 grams of protein per serving. If you double the serving to get more, it will only leave you with 15 servings per jar.
In that way, the vanilla or chocolate protein shake is better value.
Considering the price of these shakes, by right they should be organic. But alas, this is not the case.
This definitely makes me think twice about whether I want give a rep or Amazon my hard-earned cash.
You can take this as a simple list of alternatives or even Arbonne protein vs others. Let’s go.
Arbonne Protein Powder Alternatives
Whatever your reasons for wanting to explore other options (budget, flavor-range, types of protein), here are my top picks to make your decision a little easier.
This list contains protein shakes comparable to Arbonne or even better in some way or another.
Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder- Best Budget-Friendly Alternative
Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder is sugar-free and is sweetened with stevia and erythritol. These natural sweeteners won’t spike your blood sugar the way sugar does.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol just like xylitol or mannitol. Don’t worry, you won’t suddenly feel the need to shake your booty on the countertop or dial/text anyone you’re not supposed to.
Sugar alcohols don’t get you drunk. They’re found in fruit and even veggies.
Erythritol may be easier on the digestive system since most of it is directed into your blood supply and excreted before it can ferment in your colon like other sugar alcohols.
The protein complex consists of a range of high protein plant sources including pea protein, sprouted brown rice protein, amaranth sprout, and buckwheat sprout.
You will get 22 grams of protein per serving that will provide you with all the essential amino acids and even a few of those that your body can make on its own.
It provides 11 vitamins and minerals, of which 6 are significant amounts. This shouldn’t be a problem if you are eating other healthy meals or using fruit or veggies in your shakes.
Unlike Arbonne, you can see the exact ingredients used to make up each flavor. These shakes come in chocolate, vanilla, vanilla chai, and unflavored.
To help with digestion, this protein powder also contains probiotics and enzymes.
It has real fruit and vegetable ingredients and is USDA certified organic so you don’t have to worry about GMOs, pesticides, or any unnatural ingredients.
All this at a lower price per serving.
Pros:
- You get 22g of plant-based protein
- It’s an artificial sweetener and sugar-free
- There are 11 vitamins and minerals in each serving
- The probiotics and enzymes will aid good digestion
- It’s USDA certified organic
- Choose from 4 flavors (chocolate, vanilla, vanilla chai, or unflavored)
Cons:
- Some people don’t like the taste
- Stevia and erythritol may cause digestive issues in people with really sensitive stomach’s
How It’s Similar to Arbonne:
- You get some vitamins and minerals with your protein
- It’s vegan-friendly
Vega One All-in-One Shake- Best Plant-Based Meal Replacement Shake
If you prefer to use a plant-based meal replacement shake without any of the sugar or dodgy forms of calcium, check out Vega One All-in-One.
It provides 20 grams of plant-based protein made up of pea protein, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seed. You also get 20 vitamins and minerals.
For better digestion, it contains a blend of enzymes and probiotics. It’s sweetened with stevia and agave inulin.
While agave syrup doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels the way sugar does, it is still very high in fructose.
When fructose is separated from the whole food source such as fruit or when the source is refined as agave is, it causes health issues.
This is because when consumed in large quantities, fructose is converted into fat by the liver. Some scientists fear that some of this fat stays behind in the liver causing fatty liver disease.
However, inulin is a type of fiber, and thanks to this the absorption of the fructose is slowed and processed more like fruit would be.
Vega One contains a blend of real fruit and veggies that provide nutrients as well as flavor.
Choose from a range of flavors including berry, chocolate, chocolate mint, coconut almond, French vanilla, mocha, plain unsweetened, natural, and vanilla.
Some varieties such as spiced chai with reishi and turmeric coconut with ashwagandha also contain adaptogens for additional health benefits.
Pros:
- You get 20g of plant-based protein
- There are 20 vitamins and minerals
- It’s artificial sweetener and sugar-free
- There are probiotics and enzymes for better digestion
- There are plenty of flavors to choose from
- Two flavors also contain adaptogens
- This supplement is USDA organic certified
Cons:
- Some people don’t enjoy the taste
- Stevia isn’t for everyone
How It’s Similar to Arbonne:
- Vega contains almost the same amount of nutrients as Arbonne
- The protein content is the same
- It’s vegan-friendly
- There are two flavors that contain adaptogens albeit different varieties from the ginseng in Arbonne
Aloha Organic Protein Powder: Best Plant-Based Stevia-Free Protein Powder
If you don’t like the taste of stevia, give Aloha Organic Protein Powder a try. It’s sweetened with coconut sugar which isn’t that much better than table sugar.
But all in all, there is only 3 to 4 grams of sugar depending on the flavor. So a tablespoon’s worth at most.
Coconut sugar does have a slightly lower GI (glycemic index) meaning it doesn’t spike your blood sugar quite as much.
It sits anywhere between 35 and 54 compared to table sugar with a GI 58 to 60.
Monk fruit is the other sweetener used. It’s up to 200 times sweeter than sugar and is completely calorie-free.
The sweetness is due to antioxidants called mogrosides as opposed to fructose and glucose like other fruits.
Like Arbonne, the protein is plant-based. The blend of pea protein, brown rice protein, hemp seed protein, pumpkin seed protein gives you 18 grams of protein.
Aloha also contains MCT oil, a good source of energy on the ketogenic diet. It may also help everyone else, no matter which diet they’re on, to lose weight a little easier.
Just bear in mind that it can cause digestive troubles for some people, especially in the beginning.
This shake is made up entirely of natural ingredients. Choose from banana, berry, chocolate, or vanilla flavor.
Pros:
- Aloha provides 18g of plant-based protein
- The ingredients are all-natural
- It’s USDA certified organic
- It’s free from artificial sweeteners
- It may be helpful for people who struggle with stevia or sugar alcohols like erythritol or xylitol
- It contains MCT oil if that’s something you like
Cons:
- Some people don’t like the way Aloha protein powder smells
- Some people don’t enjoy the taste
- A few people complained about digestive troubles
How It’s Similar to Arbonne:
- Aloha is vegan-friendly
- The fiber content is just 1g less than Arbonne
- The chocolate and vanilla flavor
If You Want to Switch to Whey Protein Instead
If what’s worrying you is that plant protein is inferior to animal protein, please don’t be.
All the shakes in the above category, even Arbonne, provide you with all the essential amino acids, including BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids).
They even include some amino acids that the body produces on its own.
If you still would prefer whey protein, here are some options that are pretty good:
Naked and Less Naked Whey Protein- The Best Whey Protein Shake
The Naked Whey Protein is pure grass-fed whey protein only. This is what I would recommend if you want to stick to sugar-free protein shakes.
The Less Naked Whey Protein powders come in strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla. Only natural ingredients such as dried strawberries, cocoa, and natural vanilla are used to flavor the powder.
These flavored options are sweetened with coconut sugar which results in a sugar content of between 5 grams and 7 grams depending on the flavor.
All the flavors offer you 25 grams of cold-pressed whey protein concentrate so that none of the protein is denatured or filled with chemicals.
Another great thing is that this protein supplement is free from growth hormone which is what many dairy farmers use to make the cows produce more milk.
Unfortunately for us humans, growth hormones in dairy and products derived from dairy, like whey protein, can fuel cancer.
This supplement is also naturally free from soy.
Pros:
- Naked Whey Protein gives you 25g of cold-pressed grass-fed whey protein
- It’s free from soy and growth hormones
- The Naked unflavored option contains no sugar
- There are no artificial sweeteners
Cons:
- Some people don’t enjoy the taste, even of the unflavored option
- Some people noted that this powder didn’t mix properly
How It’s Similar to Arbonne:
- It’s not, aside from the vanilla and chocolate flavor, but in this case, that’s the point
RSP TrueFit- Best Whey Protein Meal Replacement
If you want to use a whey protein meal replacement shake try RSP TrueFit.
This meal replacement shake gives you 25 grams of grass-fed whey protein. As with Naked Protein, the cows have never been given any growth hormones.
This shake does contain some cane sugar (table sugar) unfortunately. But it’s such a small amount.
The added sugar is what you need to look at, and this only comes to 1 gram. That’s a quarter of a teaspoon of sugar. The rest of the sweetness comes from stevia.
It also has more fiber than Arbonne, 8 grams versus 6 grams. There is a blend of real fruit and veggies that add nutrients and flavor.
If you’re a fan of MCT oil, you’re going to enjoy this shake. It also contains probiotics for better digestive health.
Choose from chocolate, vanilla, coffee, or cinnamon churro flavor.
Pros:
- You get 25g of grass-fed whey protein
- It’s growth hormone-free
- The sugar content is very low
- There are no artificial sweeteners
- The shakes contain probiotics for better digestive health
Cons:
- The nutrients haven’t been measured except for those that naturally come with whey, you’re just expected to trust in the nutrients from the 12 fruits and vegetables
- Some people didn’t enjoy the taste
- Some people found it hard on their digestive systems
How It’s Similar to Arbonne:
- RSP TrueFit can be used as a meal replacement shake
- It contains cane sugar
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