Whether you deal with lactose intolerance or choose to avoid milk for some other reason, finding a suitable protein powder can be a tricky business. After all, whey and casein – the two most common options – are both derived from milk.
Fortunately, there are many options out there that do not find their roots in the white stuff. But this creates another set of problems. How do you know which protein powder to use? What is the best non-dairy protein powder?
As is often the case, “best” is a pretty difficult thing to define. What is “best” will depend largely on your individual needs and preferences.
To help you make a suitable decision, though, here are some of the things you might consider as well as a few non-dairy protein powders that could work for you.
Find the Best Non Dairy Protein Powder for Allergies
While you might avoid milk-proteins due to lactose intolerance or a casein allergy, that doesn't mean that any other protein powder can work. Many alternatives also carry a risk of allergy.
The most popular example of this would be soy, an extremely common non-dairy protein powder. However, it is possible for soy to cause a severe allergic reaction in some individuals.
Even if you do not have actual allergies to soy, you many also suffer digestive upset. In other case, soy would not work for you.
Various Health Concerns
Although we generally only think about the protein in our protein powders, there are many other components to think about.
This is especially true in plant-based protein powders, which will carry many of the micronutrients and phytochemicals found in source plant.
If, for example, you are trying to increase your intake of peas because they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals then pea protein would be an easy nutritional tool for you to incorporate into your routine.
Non Dairy Protein Powder Cost
Apart from being nutritionally dense, one of the reasons that whey and casein are so popular is because they can be produced at relatively low cost. Whey, after all, is just a by-product of the cheesemaking process.
The same cannot always be said, sadly, for non-dairy protein powders. Hemp, for instance, is extremely costly to grow because the plant, from which marijuana is also taken, is heavily regulated in many countries.
All Things Considered
So, what is the best non-dairy protein powder? Again, this depends heavily on you and your individual situation.
However, pea and rice protein are both allergen-free protein powders that are taken from common, renewable sources, allowing them to be sold at a relatively low cost.