In my quest to find a great protein shake, I give you my thoughts on Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer – Chocolate flavor.

Vega is definitely more than just a protein shake, it’s filled with a bunch of supplements that will help to give you a boost throughout the day. Similar to Spirutein, Vega gets it’s protein from plant sources, notably hemp, pea, brow rice and flax proteins, but it also contains a blend multivitamins, minerals, enzymes, probiotics, and maca root for energy. Here is a snapshot of the nutritional info.

In my opinion Vega tastes really, really bad. It’s gritty and tastes like grass and mud with an sickeningly sweet after taste – that comes from the Stevia. In my opinion, two scoops of this powder is too much unless you are planning on running a marathon. 1 scoop will knock it down to 130 calories and 13 grams of protein. The fat intake is high – 3.5 grams (for 1 scoop) of which .75 is saturated, but the whooping 7.5 grams of fiber in  1 scoop cancels out that bad in my opinion. Mixing Vega in juice helps to mask the flavor, but that instantly makes a 130 calorie shake at least 250 calories – not good if you want to use Vega as a snack, but ideal as a meal replacement.

On the plus side, the supplement does give you energy, most likely due to the maca root. I really and truly felt great after taking it, but actually getting myself to willingly drink Vega is the problem. Vega reminds me a bit of Shakeology, but cheaper (approx $42 for 15 servings or $84 a month) and worse tasting.

Vega – Drink at your own risk. 😉