So, let's look at what's in it first, you can read a full list here. It is basically a souped up pea protein that is lightly coloured (natural colouring), sweetened with stevia & has added stuff like probiotic, digestive enzymes etc. It is 18.5g of protein per serving with a 1% carbs & 1.5% fats. I think adding the digest enzymes & probiotic is a really good idea as large amounts of protein hitting the stomach without all those little micronutrients sometimes does need a little help getting into you (especially if you have several shakes a day, getting bad gas can be a bitch!).
Obviously with protein you don't get anything like a caffeine rush or similar "Wow! this is working man!" type of effect, so we'll get onto to taste. As I said I have only tried out the strawberry, but that is pretty awesome! It might be the best tasting protein out there (certainly top two or 3!). If you have been put off by taste before then I'd suggest you give this one a go. I actually played about a bit & found adding a banana or two & mixing with soya milk gave you a pretty good milkshake! I'm guessing you could play about & make desserts with this product as well, maybe making a mousse-like effect or other treats that can be made using a flavoured protein powder (that's a challenge to all you cooks out there-let's have some recipes).
Other good points about Reflex Nutrition is that it uses green technology to produce their products, so less energy is wasted & it uses only renewable energy!
I give a big thumbs up to this new protein & I will be getting the other flavours over time, if you've tried them post below!
Between the 8- 13 July 2012 we will be running a contest to win your own tub of this fab new protein, so pop over to the facebook group here & check out the contest!
If you don't win, no worries simply pop over to here & check out the different flavours. I can 100% recommend the Strawberry & hopefully the others will be just as good!
21 comments:
I was so excited to receive my 2.1kg tub of Reflex Vegan Protein, its one of the few that I have found to be gluten free and sweetened with stevia instead of artifical sweetners. Ive just tried one and it is absolutely VILE! I'm so disappointed. I went for the rich chocolate, maybe the strawberry tastes better!?
That's a shame. I won't even be trying the chocolate variety though as I don't enjoy the taste of chocolate. Like many products protein seems to be be a love/hate thing, so you either like them a lot or hate them a lot. I'd try out the others, but if you don't like any three are many others out there I sure you'll find one you enjoy! If you need help we do have a facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/23353662623/ & a messageboard http://www.veganbodybuilding.org/forum/ just ask & you'll get loads of suggestions on that.
Personally though I have yet to find someone who doesn't like the strawberry flavour.
after reading your review, i was really happy and thought i had finally found a great tasting vegan protein. i also went with the strawberry flavour but i do not like the taste of it. can you please tell me, how much soy milk, protein powder and banana you used. maybe it tastes better with the banana?
Everyone has different likes & dislikes, but here's how I like it.
2 ripe bananas in a whizzer with two scoops & soya milk to make it up to around a pint (500ml). You can also add unsalted, smooth natural peanut butter as well (a tablespoon), that I tried last night, that was pretty good (for me). Hopefully you'll enjoy it? I suspect for those not wanting soya milk you could use any milk alternative & it would work just as well.
I won't even be trying the chocolate variety though as I don't enjoy the taste of chocolate. Like many products protein seems to be be a love/hate thing
Reflexes
Taste isnt everything man just one hand on the shake bottle, other hand on nose and learn the open throat drain drinking, just get it down and start ur day :)
Hi I bought these protein a week ago chocolate flavor and my feedback is : it tastes awful, it's so bad that I have to put chocolate powder just to drink it, and believe I've had many years doing protein shakes and these is the worst.
But that's not all, the protein doesn't dissolve good in the water, even shaking it very well so you got lumps of powder protein.
The other bad thing is that the protein work a lot on my stomach and intestines and leave a desconfort. I'm seriously thinking about returning the protein to the store and get my money back.
My opinion about this protein is that it his misleading in the "vegan" information since it has LactoSpore® which are produced from milk.
Another info you can find in the label is that this protein is processed on the same facilities which handles egg, fish, crustaceans and milk products and by that they can not guarantee that this protein doesn't have those within.
By being a Vegan I oppose to Industries that use animal products in their facilities.
What do you think about this?
My opinion about this protein is that it his misleading in the "vegan" information since it has LactoSpore® which are produced from milk.
Another info you can find in the label is that this protein is processed on the same facilities which handles egg, fish, crustaceans and milk products and by that they can not guarantee that this protein doesn't have those within.
By being a Vegan I oppose to Industries that use animal products in their facilities.
What do you think about this?
I have contacted the makers of LactoSpore® for clarification. A lot of probiotics are derived by fermentation using non-animal sources, but I couldn't find clarification on their website. Hopefully we can get that cleared up quickly.
The product is made in a plant that also makes other non-vegan products. This isn't idea, but just like shopping at a supermarket (or a small store that also sells animal products) isn't ideal, options are limited at the moment. Those sorts of choices we leave to individuals to decide upon. I will add a reply as soon as I get one from the manufacturer.
Thank you!
The thing about 'factories' that handle animal products side by side with non animal product lines is that during the process they might be contaminated with particles from the animal lines and vice versa.
Anyway, I've ordered this protein from reflex to try it out. Next time I will try the 'warriors blend' from sun warrior (more expensive) to see which one is 'better' at least on their flavor.
All the best!
Hello, The guys from REFLEX already answered my questions:
"Hi Nuno,
Whilst it is possible to derive Lactospore® from milk, it is generally fermented by glucose yeast extract, and we have assurances that our Lactospore® is suitable for vegans from the certificates of analysis from our suppliers, who also discount the risk of cross contamination.
You are correct that Vegan protein is produced in a facility in which egg, fish crustaceans and milk products are produced, which is explicitly stated on the labels of our tubs. Immediately prior to the production of our vegan protein, our machinery is subjected to a wet clean down using a Halal approved cleaner in order to remove any residues from production runs. The staff involved in the clean down wear special clothing to ensure that they cannot contaminate the machinery. The success of the cleaning process is then validated by swab testing, in order to ensure that no protein residues are left over from previous runs, before any Vegan Protein can be produced. The vegan market represents a small but valued fraction of our product range, and whilst we recognise concerns regarding cross-contamination, we employ every procedure which we can in order to ensure that the Vegan Protein is vegan according to the definition of the term. Even so we offer complete transparency by explicitly stating what is produced in our factory, and also provide that information on the label in order to allow the consumer to make choices at their own discretion.
Kind regards,
Neil Carlsson
Product Specialist
Reflex Nutrition Ltd.
[New products]
Reflex Nutrition - "Tomorrow's Nutrition Today"
Central Contact
Phone: 01273 303817
Fax: 01273 303025
Email: info@reflex-nutrition.com
Website: www.reflex-nutrition.com
@ReflexNutrition
Reflex Nutrition on Facebook
Postal Address: Reflex Nutrition Limited, The Science Park, Sea View Way, Woodingdean, East Sussex, BN2 6NT
Registered Office: Reflex Nutrition Limited, The Science Park, Sea View Way, Woodingdean, East Sussex, BN2 6NT, United Kingdom
Registered in England No. 3292172
VAT NO. GB 643 3825 37"
Hello,
The guys from REFLEX already answered my questions:
"Hi Nuno,
Whilst it is possible to derive Lactospore® from milk, it is generally fermented by glucose yeast extract, and we have assurances that our Lactospore® is suitable for vegans from the certificates of analysis from our suppliers, who also discount the risk of cross contamination.
You are correct that Vegan protein is produced in a facility in which egg, fish crustaceans and milk products are produced, which is explicitly stated on the labels of our tubs. Immediately prior to the production of our vegan protein, our machinery is subjected to a wet clean down using a Halal approved cleaner in order to remove any residues from production runs. The staff involved in the clean down wear special clothing to ensure that they cannot contaminate the machinery. The success of the cleaning process is then validated by swab testing, in order to ensure that no protein residues are left over from previous runs, before any Vegan Protein can be produced. The vegan market represents a small but valued fraction of our product range, and whilst we recognise concerns regarding cross-contamination, we employ every procedure which we can in order to ensure that the Vegan Protein is vegan according to the definition of the term. Even so we offer complete transparency by explicitly stating what is produced in our factory, and also provide that information on the label in order to allow the consumer to make choices at their own discretion.
Kind regards,
Neil Carlsson
Product Specialist
Reflex Nutrition Ltd.
[New products]
Reflex Nutrition - "Tomorrow's Nutrition Today"
Central Contact
Phone: 01273 303817
Fax: 01273 303025
Email: info@reflex-nutrition.com
Website: www.reflex-nutrition.com
@ReflexNutrition
Reflex Nutrition on Facebook
Postal Address: Reflex Nutrition Limited, The Science Park, Sea View Way, Woodingdean, East Sussex, BN2 6NT
Registered Office: Reflex Nutrition Limited, The Science Park, Sea View Way, Woodingdean, East Sussex, BN2 6NT, United Kingdom
Registered in England No. 3292172
VAT NO. GB 643 3825 37"
LactoSpore® is confirmed vegan by the manufacture. Here is the reply:
...This is to confirm that Sabinsa Corporation’s Lactospore® does not contain and does not involve the use of any animal products in it's manufacturing and qualifies as Vegan...
I'm glad that one was sorted out quickly.
The whole 'manufacturing issue' is something we have to deal with in the case of many foods that are made in facilities that make non-vegan products on their premises. Much of the food today comes from factories that make vegan & non-vegan products in the same facility. I leave it down to personal choice about whether someone uses a product or not that is produced in those sorts of facilities. It isn't a simple issue to answer.
I tried one serving of Vegan protein chocolate rich, It's so disgusting and it also have a poor miscelability that seems to eat a s***!
I haven't tried the chocolate as I don't really like chocolate so I cannot answer about that flavour directly, but I do like the other flavours. I have them with an added banana & unsweetened soya milk.
Protein powders seem to be a very love/hate thing for most people. Hence I have stopped recommending & now simplyvsay "I enjoy...brand x...", then qualify it by mentioning that everyone is different.
Hopefully, you'll find a brand or flavour you like soon?
I'm not a vegan but like the idea of a good protein source that is not whey. I have bought the chocolate and it's not bad for initial taste but the aftertaste is horrible. I don't like the idea of adding sugary chocolate flavour powders. I have found adding cinnamon powder to mix taste really nice and masks the aftertaste very well. Hope this helps.
Mate i don't really know how the strawberry feels, but i can guess after having tried the choco... I mean, it's not drinkable, it looks to drink a cappuccino with peas inside, but what's worse is not the taste, but the texture. You have to add 1 litre of water to get rid of that smoothy bubbleing texture, with that alkaline backing taste ... Definitely a shame... And it looks to me even harder to digest than the ones from Sunwarrior.... Even if they cost more i'll stick on sunwarrior, much higher quality, taste, and perfect for vegans who want raw, non OGm etc... etc...
I ordered one of each. I absolutely love the berry flavor one but I can't even bear the smell of the chocolate one. I just down it after a workout and am trying to get through my chocolate one as quick as possible so I can just go back to the berry one. Love that reflex took the time to clarify these issues so quickly. It seems to me that they are a great company with a lot of integrity xx
Zthus The person above you added cinnamon and found it nice (they also added an nice anti-cancer food to their shake as well!). As I always try and say there are dozens of brands out there. If you do not like one, try another. If you are in the UK come to one of our events, there are usually companies giving away samples there or we have prizes if you enter our contests (push-ups, shoulder press etc). We have several proteins reviewed from Veganicity, Sativa, Pulsin', also several in the pipeline, so give them a go and see if any of those are any good? I find sunwarrior a little sweet personally, but many people love it, so it is down to personal taste.
Laura maybe it is worth trying the cinnamon our anon posters earlier suggested in the chocolate? Or adding something like banana or peanut butter to aid mask the flavour? Reflex has a decent reputation for quality in the supplement industry, but unfortunately not every flavour would suit everybody.
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