When I started leaning towards more plant based and raw vegan foods, I was concerned about getting not just the adequate amount of protein but would I be able to get the essential amino acids that my body required. Yeah, seriously, the question of where would I get my protein did cross my mind!

I had tried whey protein powders in the past and knew that they were derived from milk.  I also learned that whey protein is a source of complete protein or high quality protein, which is an important thing to know when you are deciding on a protein powder. A complete protein has all the essential amino acids that our bodies need.  You see our bodies can’t produce essential amino acids, we need to get it from our food.  Essential amino acids are really the building blocks of protein. Complete proteins are also found in meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. So there are many ways for you to get complete proteins and the essential amino acids if you aren’t leading a vegan lifestyle.

So I was a little concerned about this, since the only complete plant based proteins are soy and quinoa. Vegan foods such as beans, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds are incomplete proteins. The only way to get the essential amino acids that your body needs is to incorporate two incomplete proteins such as beans and rice.

Worry turned to excitement when I discovered the world of plant based protein powders. They offer cleaner sources of protein and have been able to mix different plant based sources to offer a complete or high quality sources of protein with all the essential amino acids.

Check out these 5 top plant based complete protein powders:

1. Sunwarrior Raw Warrior Blend & Sunwarrior Raw Classic Protein

I use the classic natural everyday in my post workout smoothie or in a mid afternoon smoothie when I need something to carry me over to dinner.  It tastes great and blends really well.   The Warrior Blend contains raw pea, cranberry and hemp protein, the Classic contains raw sprouted brown rice protein.  Warrior Blend contains all the essential amino acids in a complete balanced profile.  Classic contains all essential and non essential amino acids.  They are Non GMO, gluten free, hypoallergenic, soy free and dairy free.  Both Warrior Blend and the Classic are Raw Vegan and available in Natural, Vanilla and Chocolate.