Natural Plant Based Protein

Most of the choice here comes down to which plant it's made from and what you need to avoid. These are the questions our naturopaths ask in store.

A good fit if

• You're vegan or vegetarian and want a protein powder that suits you
• You avoid dairy, whether because of lactose, a milk allergy or because whey doesn't agree with you
• You're training and your meals aren't quite covering your protein
• You need to avoid soy as well as dairy. A pea and rice blend is made for that

Check with us first if

• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. We don't have confirmed safety data for plant protein powders in pregnancy, so it's worth a chat first.
• It's for a child. The same gap applies, and we'd rather talk it through than guess.
• You take prescription medicine. Interactions with plant protein powders haven't been confirmed, so check before you add one.
• You also take a hemp seed oil product. Its label warns not to take it on the same day as other products containing hemp seed oil, including foods.
• You take prescription medicine. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before you start.

• Soy protein isolate. Best known for: The plant source that matched milk protein for muscle mass in the 2025 pooled review. Absorption: We don't have an absorption figure. What we have is an outcome: muscle mass wasn't significantly different from milk protein. Typical use: Training support if you want the plant option with the firmest evidence. It's also a major allergen, so it's out if you're allergic to soy.
• Pea protein isolate. Best known for: The usual soy-free, dairy-free base, and tested head to head against whey during resistance training. Absorption: We don't have figures from the pea trials, so none is quoted. Typical use: Training support if you're avoiding both dairy and soy. Treat the pea evidence as promising but not yet measured here.
• Rice protein, or oat, on its own. Best known for: The group that fell furthest behind animal protein for muscle mass in the pooled review. Absorption: No absorption figure here. The gap against animal protein was moderate to large. Typical use: Mostly the second half of a blend. On its own it's the weakest pick on the evidence we have.
• Pea and rice blend. Best known for: The most common format on the shelf, pairing pea and rice because each fills the other's amino acid gaps. Absorption: Not measured here. One 2025 trial reported similar effects for a plant blend and an animal blend, but we don't have its numbers. Typical use: The standard pick if you're avoiding dairy and soy at once. It's one trial, not a meta-analysis, so it isn't settled.
• Hemp protein. Best known for: Made from the seed meal, a different raw material from hemp seed oil. Absorption: No figure here. Its only two trials looked at blood sugar and fullness after a single serve, not muscle. Typical use: A wholefood-style option if you like it. There's no muscle trial behind it in the evidence we have.

Reference values. We don't give a figure here. The Australian reference tables we use cover vitamins and minerals but not protein, so we'd rather leave it out than quote a number we can't source. What you need depends on your weight, your age and how much you train.

Typical supplemental range. Follow the serve on the tub. We don't have the trial doses, so there's no trial dose we can point you to, and serve sizes vary a lot between brands and blends.

Upper level. We don't know of one, and there's no daily limit on pea, soy, rice, pumpkin or sunflower seed as permitted ingredients. The 36 g daily limit you might read about applies to hemp seed oil, not hemp protein powder.

Worth knowing. A powder tops up what you eat rather than replacing meals. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• Soy allergy. Soy protein is a recognised major food allergen. Strictly avoid any powder containing soy.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. We have no verified safety data, so check with a practitioner first.
• Children. We have no verified safety data, so check with a practitioner first.
• Prescription medicines. Drug interactions haven't been verified, so check with a practitioner or pharmacist first.
• If you use hemp seed oil. The TGA warning on the oil says not to take it on the same day as other hemp seed oil products, including food sources.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before you start.