I’ve been wanting to write about this topic for a few years but wasn’t really sure how to start. I guess the easiest way to do this is to cover commonly asked questions from those who knew we used it and no longer do.
Before we jump in I will share that I was a Beachbody coach for a handful of years and loved the experience. It did great things for my health, my relationships and my personal goals. However, it no longer fit into where we are and need to be as a family and couple so I am no longer a team beachbody coach nor do I use Beachbody products (minus the DVD’s we already have – which are awesome).
Note: Links in this post may be affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Shakeology is the original reason I started Beachbody. I had no intention on working out. My goal was to see if I could get my nutrition under control to hopefully alleviate some of my arthritis symptoms. Losing weight would be a bonus.
Little did I know I would fall in love with how Shakeology made my body feel and how it impacted my life.
How long did we use Shakeology?
For 4 years, through weight loss, pregnancy, postpartum weight loss, breastfeeding, and raising a toddler, I drank Shakeology. (My husband did as well as my toddler) It was a staple in our day, our life, and our routine.
Related: Difference Between My Vegetarian & Vegan Pregnancy
We fit it into our monthly budget and never went a day without it.
Truth is, I loved it and so did my body.
Before pregnancy it helped me, along with regularly working out, lose 35lbs, maintain balanced blood sugar, and minimize bloating and irregularity. It worked. It was great.
Why did we stop?
In early 2017 I decided to stop the coaching aspect of Beachbody and as we prepared for our second child, decided to stop buying Shakeology as we adjusted our budget to accommodate baby #2. At this point in 2017 we had also decided to switch from a vegetarian to vegan diet. We used vegan Shakeology for the last two months of our orders and that was it. When the bags were empty, we were done.
(The plates we use above are from RePlay and we LOVE them. They come it awesome colors and are made from recycled materials.)
What happened when we stopped?
The most difficult part about quitting Shakeology was losing the simplicity in our mornings. Knowing that we all could grab a shake and feel full and nutritionally satisfied in the morning was so easy. Without Shakeology we had to be more creative… at least until our new friend came into the picture.
Related: What Our Family of 4 Eats In A Day
Other than that, our bodies were fine, we didn’t rapidly gain weight, or get constipated, or have breakouts. We were fine. 🙂
What now?
After going plant-based vegan we quickly learned that having a protein powder would help us during the transition process. Learning how much to eat to be full is difficult when your foods are lower calories. This means we need to eat a lot more but truthfully our bodies aren’t comfortable with that from the start.
Since my husband was still working out a lot, he wanted a protein powder so we started trying a bunch out. Basically any plant-based vegan protein we could find at our local store, we tried.
5 Plant-Based Protein Brands
1) Olly Plant-Based Protein Powder
- Protein per serving: 18g
- Protein source: Pea and flax
- Calories per serving: 120
- Carbs per serving: 6g
- Sugars per serving: 4g
- Servings per container: 12
- Price per container: $20.99
- Other vegan flavors available: Creamy Peanut Butter, Pure Chocolate, Velvet Vanilla, and Salted Caramel Chocolate.
2) Owyn Plant-Based drink
- Protein per serving: 20g
- Protein source: Pea, pumpkin seed, and organic flaxseed
- Calories per serving: 180
- Carbs per serving: 10g
- Sugars per serving: 4g
- Servings per container: 1
- Price per container: $38.99 (for a 12 pack)
- Other vegan flavors available: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Cold Brew.
3) Vega Sports Protein Powder
*Note that this product contains mainly protein with very little additional nutritional ingredients. This would not be my first choice and does not compare to Shakeology at all (in my opinion).
- Protein per serving: 30g
- Protein source: Pea protein, alfafa, and pumpkin seed.
- Calories per serving: 160
- Carbs per serving: 4g
- Sugars per serving: 1g
- Servings per container: 20
- Price per container: $35
- Other vegan flavors available: Chocolate, Vanilla, Berry, Mocha, and Peanut Butter.
4) Orgain
- Protein per serving: 21g
- Protein source: Pea, brown rice, chia seed blend
- Calories per serving: 150
- Carbs per serving: 15g
- Sugars per serving: 0g
- Orgain uses erythritol to sweeten (approx 5g per serving) – It is a sugar alcohol that is proven to not raise blood sugar or insulin levels.
- Servings per container: 20
- Price per container: $29.99 + shipping
- Other vegan flavors available: Creamy Chocolate Fudge (available plain, with superfoods, or with greens), Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Natural Unsweetened, Vanilla Bean (available plain, with superfoods, or with greens), and Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
- Protein per serving: 15g
- Protein source: Pea, navy bean, lentil bean, sprouted garbanzo bean, and cranberry protein.
- Calories per serving: 160
- Carbs per serving: 2g
- Sugars per serving: 0g
- Servings per container: 19
- Price per container: $54.95
- Other vegan flavors available: Chocolate and vanilla.
6. Ripple Protein Powder
- Protein per serving: 20g
- Protein source:
- Calories per serving: 110
- Carbs per serving: 4g
- Sugars per serving: 0g
- Servings per container: 15
- Price per container: $24.99
- Other vegan flavors available: Chocolate, unflavored and vanilla.
How did we choose our favorite Shakeology Alternative?
We weren’t out to pick a single specific powder to use. We were open to switching it up any time we needed, depending the cost or availability at the time. However it didn’t happen that way.
After we tried a handful of different ones we always went back to the same brand. We were finding that no matter the flavor powder it tasted delicious and did exactly what we needed it to. The bonus is that the price was $100 CHEAPER than Shakeology.
So here she is…Our favorite brand for flavor, ingredients, and price was Orgain. * As if you didn’t already know based on the photo at the top 😉 *
What we loved most about Orgain is that is was available at our local Costco. This naturally meant we found ourselves buying it most frequently. As we looked into it more and more, the mission behind the company really spoke to us.
Watch this video to learn more.
Orgain is offered in both vegan and non-vegan options, pre-made shakes or powder, bars, kids products and more. It didn’t take long for us to stock our pantry with their items as we all (kids included!) loved the tastes and textures of their products.
The only downside for me is that there are no specifically made vegan drink for kids….yet.
What’s the difference between Shakeology and Orgain Protein Powder?
There is a lot of difference between the two. I do stand behind the quality and ingredients in Shakeology. I think it’s like no other. But as we switched to a very healthy plant-based diet, we didn’t feel we had to rely as much on our nutritional shake for those ingredients.
Vegan Shakeology (Chocolate)
- Protein per serving: 16g
- Protein source: Chia, Pea, Sascha Inchi, Flax, Quinoa, Rice, and Oat blend
- Calories per serving: 160
- Carbs per serving: 18g
- Sugars per serving: 7g
- Servings per container: 30
- Price per container: $129.95 + shipping
- Other vegan flavors available: Chocolate, Vanilla, Cafe Latte, and Tropical Strawberry.
Orgain (Chocolate)
- Protein per serving: 21g
- Protein source: Pea, Brown Rice, Chia seed blend
- Calories per serving: 150
- Carbs per serving: 15g
- Sugars per serving: 0g
- Orgain uses erythritol to sweeten (approx 5g per serving) – It is a sugar alcohol that is proven to not raise blood sugar or insulin levels.
- Servings per container: 20
- Price per container: $29.99 + shipping
- Other vegan flavors available: Creamy Chocolate Fudge (available plain, with superfoods, or with greens), Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, Natural Unsweetened, Vanilla Bean (available plain, with superfoods, or with greens), and Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
Get Orgain 30% off with the code “RealisticPlantBasedMama”!
That being said, Orgain really nails it with its ingredients and quality product as well! Considering Orgain is a protein powder and Shakeology is a nutritional shake, they have their differences but both have some serious game. Check out the labels on both to see for yourself!
Cost Comparison of Shakeology and Orgain
Cost wise Shakeology is triple the price of Orgain which is one of the main reasons we considering moving away from Shakeology. You can also find Orgain in main stream markets as well as online, and you don’t need a “coach” or distributor to buy from.
At the end of the day the shake you choose (or don’t choose) is entirely your choice. There are so many excellent options on the market. Some contain more protein, or more greens, or this that and the other thing. Point is, what you find important in a shake is up to you.
Right now, cost and ingredients is most important to us and Orgain fits the bill there. Orgain is a cost effective, nutrient dense plant-based protein powder and we really do enjoy it!
If you want to give Orgain a try, use the code “realisticplantbasedmama” for 30% off ! I am not being paid to share this (although if you purchase through my link I do receive a TEENY kick back) and I don’t share it “just to make money.” We truly love this product and want you to give it a try with a discount!
Use the code “realisticplantbasedmama” for 30% off your order!
MORE FROM REALISTIC PLANT-BASED MAMA:
This was actually so interesting to read. I as a Plant Based Nutritionist would still encourage to not replace a meal with shakes, eating plant based whole foods is the best possible choice for your health. I have tried VegaOne Protein Powder for some extra nutrition, but still – eating more real and less processed foods will heal both mentally and physically. x Thank you for sharing x
I absolutely agree. We never use shakes as replacements for meals but rather “enhancements” to our day. It’s so easy to skip breakfast and shakes or smoothies make it easy to do something quick and run out the door especially if you didn’t have time to put together a full meal. But real foods definitely win 🙂
Thanks for this! I just ordered Orgain after trying Olly and not really liking it. I love love love the vegan shakeology but it is quite expensive! Looking forward to trying this.
Thank you for this post! It was super helpful and seemed very genuine.
I’m glad it was helpful for you! I will definitely continue to provide useful content like this. Thanks for stopping by Shay!
How is the taste .. I find most of them too sweet .
Have you tried the Orgain Collagen? What are your thoughts on bovine-derived collagen?