SPROUT LIVING EPIC PROTEIN [REVIEW]
This is a truly unique product by a brand that likes to keep it clean. While most vegan protein powders are trying to be milkshakes, the Sprout Living Epic Protein has a “Real Food, Real Taste” approach. And I put this on the first paragraph because, if you’re looking for a sweet, creamy protein powder, you should stop reading right now.
Still here? Great! Then I have good news 😉
Tired of that same strong Stevia flavor that every vegan protein powder has? Well, you just found one that is not like that. In this post we will review Sprout Living’s Epic Protein Powder – a product loved by those who want to increase their plant-based protein intake without having to face hidden ingredients.
TASTE & TEXTURE:
This product is offered in 4 flavors: Original, Chocolate Maca, Vanilla Lucuma and Green Kingdom. Although the flavors are pretty good and packed with superfoods, they also have stevia and are way more expensive – so the Original is the best pick if you just want your proteins and no additives.
Since this product strives to be as natural as possible, the texture can be gritty and chalky – and that’s understandable because real food is not supposed to just magically dissolve in your mouth. So don’t expect for that artificial smoothness and fluffiness and you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re planning on just having it with water, then this is not the best product. We recommend you blend it with bananas, dates, or other fruits of your choice – because the taste is not a strong feature. In fact it is rather bland, and won’t get in the way of other ingredients in your shake.
Bottom line is – if you’re not a big fan of sweet shakes and don’t mind a grittier texture, the Epic Protein might be a breath of fresh air.
VEGAN SOURCES OF PROTEIN:
One of the main concerns about protein on a plant-based diet is getting all the essential amino acids – and the Epic Protein packs a combination of proteins from Sprouted Brown Rice, Yellow Peas, Sacha Inchi and Cranberry Seeds – resulting in a very good amino acid profile.
It’s well known that most vegan protein powders on the market use rice protein and/or pea protein – but the Epic Protein also has sacha inchi and cranberry seeds – making it a raw, grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free, kosher supplement with a healthy combination of protein sources and a good amino acid profile.
And besides that, all ingredients are organic.
OTHER INGREDIENTS:
The Sprout Living Epic Protein really differentiates from its competitors on its real food, clean approach. The Original flavor has only 5 ingredients: Sprouted Brown Rice, Yellow Peas, Sacha Inchi, Cranberry Seeds and Jerusalem Artichoke.
Here we explain the two of them that most people are not familiar with:
Sacha Inchi
Highly nutritious plant from South America. Lots of vitamins and minerals, and the following health benefits:
- Helps reduce abdominal fat
- Promotes weight loss
- Moderates cholesterol
Jerusalem Artichoke
Super root packed with prebiotics that fight the bad bacteria in your guts. Plus:
- Boost the immune system
- Prevent constipation
- Eliminate toxic/carcinogenic buildup in the stomach
As you can see, the Sprout Living Epic Protein delivers very pure, natural ingredients with heaps of health benefits and none of those unnecessary additives.
COST:
If you just check the small size of the Sprout Living Epic Protein bag, you will get the impression that it’s an expensive product. But that’s a huge mistake.
Forget about the price tag.
Some brands use big scoops and claim that their product has “more grams of protein per dose”. Of course, their doses are bigger! Others sell their products on larger jars, and say that you get “more servings per container”. Who are they trying to fool?
When you’re buying vegan protein powders, make sure to include all these factor into the price equation:
“Product Price”, “Weight”, “Serving Size” and “Grams of Protein per serving”
Here’s the info about the Sprout Living Epic Protein Powder:
Product Price: $$$ (Click to see updated prices)
Weight: The container is 1lb (454g).
Serving Size: One scoop is 32g
Protein per Serving: Each serving has 26g of protein.
$24 ÷ (454÷32) × 26g = $0.065 per gram of protein.
See? Check all those items to make sure the smartass marketing guys aren’t deceiving you by changing the size of the scoop, using bigger containers or decreasing the protein ratio.
If you apply that same thinking to similar products from other brands, you will find out that the Epic Protein is just slightly above the market average. So even though the price looks high, you’re actually buying a high-quality, no-bullshit product for a reasonable price.
EPIC PROTEIN: SHOULD YOU BUY?
Let’s do a quick recap:
Taste: Bland and chalky. The texture is a bit gritty.
Sources: Good variety, amino acid profile is nice. Organic, raw, grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free, kosher.
Other Ingredients: Jerusalem Artichoke and Sacha Inchi.
Cost: $$$ (Click to see updated prices)
The Sprout Living Epic Protein is a great product for those of us who don’t want ultra-sweet, candy-like vegan protein powders filled with stevia and other additives. Of course there’s a tradeoff – the taste is rather bland and the texture is gritty.
The main tip when buying this product is having the right expectations. No matter what you read on other blogs, it is NOT sweet and it is NOT smooth. Keep in mind that those bloggers usually get free products and/or sponsorship from companies – and their reviews are usually not 100% accurate.
In our opinion, it’s good to have a high-quality, pure, neutral protein powder that you can just blend in a smoothie and know that it won’t get too sweet or have that Stevia aftertaste.
If you like to keep it clean and natural, then buy it right now – because that’s exactly what this is: a top-notch “real” vegan protein powder that doesn’t taste like milkshake.
And that’s a good thing.
Need to do more research before buying?
Check out our other detailed reviews on the links below:
SUNWARRIOR WARRIOR BLEND REVIEW
Or just read our most famous article “THE 5 BEST VEGAN PROTEIN POWDERS” for a brief analysis of all those products!
Thanks for visiting VeganProteinGuide.com, and have a good reading 😉
PS: Vegan Protein Powders are super cool, but also make sure to eat lots of real nutritious food! If you’re looking for more ideas, here’s a great Vegan CookBook for you:
