If you’re dairy free like we are, or vegan, it can be hard to find a protein powder that fits your dietary needs. I recently found Naked Shake, which is a vegan chocolate protein powder, and I’ll give all the details and ingredients below! And yes, its’ soy free too–making it top-8-free for my food allergy friends.
This post is sponsored by Naked Shake.
Why we need a vegan protein powder
My son has had a dairy allergy since he was a baby. His first taste of yogurt sent him into anaphylactic shock. It was terrifying. We had to rush him to the ER and he’s never had a touch of dairy since. Every single bite he eats, we have to meticulously look at the label to ensure there is no dairy.
Often times, I’ll pick things that say “vegan” because then I can trust that there are no animal products, especially dairy.
One place that is often tricky is with protein powders. A really popular protein powder is “whey” which is dairy and that can be so discouraging.
Thankfully, Naked Nutrition reached out to me. I was nervous at first to try something new, but their online product selector quiz showed me that they take specialty diets into consideration and that they want you to find an option that works for YOUR individual lifestyle. That really won me over.
What is vegan protein powder made out of?
This protein powder is made out of pea protein, which is a big deal, since many vegan proteins use soy. It’s rare to find a protein powder free of the top eight allergens.
How many grams of protein does pea protein have?
This Naked Shake’s single serving (two scoops) has 30 grams of protein.
Why protein shakes work well for my busy family
I’m a busy mom of four, so it’s nice to have a quick snack or breakfast that will fuel me. I like to put the shake in my shaker bottle and drink while I’m dropping the kids off at their various activities (so much driving to and fro!).
I also have two growing boys who are very active in sports. I know that a protein shake is a fast way to help them feel full before a game or a practice.
What ingredients are in Naked Shake’s Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder?
This is taken directly from their label:
- Pea protein, alkalized cocoa, organic coconut sugar, natural plant based flavors, MCT Powder, (MCT Oil, Acacia), Potassium Salt, Sea Salt, Fermented Cane Sugar (Reb-M), Monk Fruit Extract Contains: tree nuts (coconut)
Is coconut a tree nut?
This can be confusing to novice allergy friends. In my mind, I think of it like this: there are two governing bodies that help with food allergies: 1. FALCPA (the food labeling law done by the FDA) and AAAAI.
The FDA classifies coconut as a tree nut, and mandates that it is called out on labels.
HOWEVER, the actual scientific community does NOT consider coconut a tree nut.
I think it’s nice for the FDA to be extra careful and make companies call it out for those who may have a coconut allergy, but it sure can confuse people.
However, it is NOT a true tree nut botanically, and it’s actually a fruit..
Here is an excerpt from a study published by the US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health:
- “Importantly, coconut (Cocos nucifera) is a fruit and not a tree nut, a misconception perpetuated by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act which requires coconut labeling on packaged foods.7 We have observed that coconut is often tested in evaluation of tree nut allergies likely because it is included in tree nut allergen panels. In a study of children with allergy to tree nut, coconut sensitization was reported to be approximately 30% in 298 children7 and approximately 20% in another study of 191 children with sesame and tree nut allergy, with a 25% patient-reported rate of allergic reactions.”
As always, check with your allergist for your personal decisions.
Can I have peas if I’m allergic to peanuts? Aren’t those related?
Both of my sons are also severely allergic to peanuts and most tree nuts. They have never had a problem with peas or pea protein. Here is some information I found from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. (Source: AAAAI.org)
“There is not a test to “differentiate true pea allergy from cross reactivity with peanut”. However, only a small percentage (~5%) of those with peanut allergy react to other beans. When they do, the offenders are more often lupine, chick pea, lentil and green pea (over navy, lima, green bean). It is very common for someone with a positive test to peanut to test positive to other legumes (~50%); clearly most tolerate the food anyway. ”
As always, refer to your allergist for your own specific dietary needs, when deciding to try a new food. They will know your individual situation best.
Other important factors when picking a vegan protein powder:
Here are some other winning points this vegan shake has going for it:
- Pea protein grown on the US and Canadian farms
- No artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors
- Only 130 calories
- Complete amino acid profile
- GMO free and soy free
- Certified vegan AND gluten free
What milk do we use with this chocolate vegan protein powder?
We like to use rice milk, but oat milk would also be tasty. Use whatever safe base works for your diet. The directions also mention you can use water, though we prefer a milk alternative for taste as well as a thicker texture.
What goes good with chocolate vegan protein powder?
I like to stick to the classics: peanut butter and banana. But, since we can’t do peanut butter, we do a sunflower seed butter for that same roasted taste.
Frozen berries (especially cherries with chocolate!) are always a good idea.
Sometimes, if I want it to be filling and give me some more carbs I’ll throw in a handful of gluten-free oatmeal as well (reminds me of oatmeal banana pancakes with chocolate chips in them–YUM!)
They do have a pea protein in a vanilla flavor, but I always prefer chocolate (choc-o-holic over here!) but also because I feel like it hides flavors better (so I have a better chance of hiding some greens without my kids knowing it, both in flavor and in color.)
Do they have other dairy free protein powders?
Yes, Naked Nutrition has a good variety of protein powders for those with specialty diets:
- Naked Pea
- Naked Pea (Chocolate)
- Naked Pea (Vanilla)
- Naked PB
- Naked Mass
- Naked Mass (Chocolate)
- Naked Mass (Vanilla)
- Naked Shake (Chocolate)
- Naked Shake (Vanilla)
- Naked Shake (Strawberry Banana)
- Naked Shake (PB Blueberry)
- Organic Naked Rice
- Naked Seed
DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT. WHILE THERE, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER DIET SPECIFIC BOARDS.
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
Related Recipes:
Top 8 Free Cornbread (GF, Vegan, Allergy Friendly)
Greek Roasted Potatoes (Gluten Free, Top 8 Free, Vegan Option)
Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Laziest Side Ever: 5 Minute Honey Carrots
Roasted Garlic Balsamic Asparagus (GF, DF, Egg, Soy, Peanut, Tree nut Free, Top 8 Free, Vegan)
Greek Salad with Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
Vicki
Well I am allergic to just about all beans and peas. They are putting pea protein in an enormous amt of foods today. Thats the newest great thing, but there are lots of people that cannot eat this. Myself included. And a lot of these dairy free ice creams are using almonds and cashews in their dairy free ice cream. I also am allergic to most nuts. For some reason I can do walnuts and pecans only. So there are many things I still, cannot eat out there. Its a shame. It seems almonds and cashews are in a lot of dairy free ice creams, so therefore I cannot eat those either. People like me with multiple allergies are having a very hard time finding things to eat.