Protein shakes are a convenient way to boost your protein intake for building muscle, losing weight, preserving muscle mass, and promoting wound healing. They can also help make low-protein meals more balanced.
If you’re vegan, lactose-intolerant, or are trying to eat less animal-based foods while trying to eat more protein, you’ve likely come across OWYN protein shakes. They’re very popular, but are OWYN protein shakes healthy? Knowing how to decipher the nutrition label can be difficult when you aren’t sure what to look for.
As a vegan registered dietitian, I’m here to help! In this post, I’ll do a deep dive into the ingredients and formulation of OWYN protein shakes, discuss their potential health benefits, and explain whether or not I would recommend them.
Note: This is not a sponsored post. It has been written for informational purposes only.
OWYN Protein Shake options
“OWYN” stands for “Only What You Need”, a reflection of the brand’s commitment to creating nutritious products free from artificial ingredients, sugar alcohols, food colorants, and the 9 major food allergens.
Their protein shake offerings include:
- OWYN Protein Shake – available in Smooth Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Cold Brew Coffee, Cookies & Creamless, Strawberry Banana, and Sea Salted Caramel
- OWYN Pro Elite High Protein Shake – available in Vanilla, Chocolate, and No Butter Cup
- Complete Nutrition Shake
- High Protein Complete Nutrition Shake
I’ll focus on the first two types of shakes in this article since they’re meant to be used as a protein supplement.
The Complete Nutrition Shakes contain more vitamins and minerals and are meant to be used by people with poor appetites or who aren’t able to eat enough food overall. Like Ensure or Boost shakes, they’re more of a replacement for whole foods and aren’t necessary for most people who are eating regular, balanced meals.
Is OWYN Protein Shake healthy?
Overall, I think OWYN Protein Shakes are a great product. They contain excellent amounts of protein (20 or 32 grams) from a balanced blend of pea and pumpkin seed protein, both effective doses for building muscle.
They’re also low in added sugars and contain 3 grams of gut-friendly dietary fiber, making them a great choice for blood sugar management.
These shakes are also a great source of anti-inflammatory ALA omega-3 fatty acids, providing half the daily recommended amount for women and a third of the amount for men.
That said, these aren’t low-sodium shakes since they contain more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving. People on strict sodium restrictions, such as those with congestive heart failure or on dialysis, may need to take extra care to eat less sodium from other foods throughout the day.
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Nutrition profile
As you can see from the nutrition facts labels below, the protein content is the main difference between these two shakes. OWYN Protein Shakes contain 20 grams of plant protein per bottle, while the Pro Elite High Protein Shakes contain 32 grams.
Depending on the flavor, OWYN Protein Shakes also contain:
- 170-180 calories
- 7-8g fat (includes 535mg ALA omega-3 fats)
- 8g carbohydrates
- 3g dietary fiber
- 4g added sugars
- 270mg sodium
- 4mg iron
The Pro Elite High Protein Shakes are similar but are a little higher in calories, lower in carbohydrates, and contain zero added sugars since they’re sweetened only with monk fruit extract. The Chocolate and No Nut Butter Cup flavors are also higher in sodium.
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Ingredients
The ingredients in each shake vary slightly based on the type of shake and the flavor. Let’s discuss some of the most significant ones below:
- OWYN Protein Blend – This is a blend of pea protein, pumpkin seed protein, and flaxseed oil. It contains optimal amounts of all nine essential amino acids. While it isn’t necessary for vegans to combine different proteins with every meal or shake, it may provide an extra edge for those trying to build muscle.
- Soluble fiber – According to OWYN, this fiber is sourced from peas.
- Cocoa powder – Added to chocolate shakes for flavor.
- Natural chocolate flavor or natural vanilla flavor – Food flavoring additives sourced from chocolate and vanilla found in nature; approved by the FDA for safety.
- Sunflower and/or safflower oil – Plant-based oils added for creaminess.
- Organic cane sugar- This is only in OWYN Protein Shakes with 20g of protein. Organic sugar isn’t filtered with animal bone char like conventional white sugar is in the USA, making it vegan-friendly.
- Monk fruit extract – This is a natural non-caloric sweetener sourced from the luo han guo plant. Unlike sugar, it doesn’t have calories and doesn’t impact blood sugar levels.
- Himalayan pink salt – Added for flavor. Contains a bit more minerals than table salt, but not significant amounts.
- Greens blend – This is a proprietary blend of spinach, broccoli, and kale. The amounts of each aren’t listed, so it’s impossible to tell how much you’re actually getting. Likely provides some antioxidants.
- Gums (gellan, acacia, guar) – These are FDA-approved food additives that have thickening and emulsifying properties, helping to improve the overall consistency.
Of note, sunflower and safflower oils are seed oils. Seed oils have been widely maligned online in the past few years, with influencers and proponents of the carnivore diet claiming that they’re toxic and inflammatory due to their omega-6 fat content.
Fortunately, the truth is that these oils are safe to consume. There’s no scientific evidence showing that seed oils, when consumed in moderate amounts as part of a well-balanced diet, cause inflammation.
In fact, a 2024 review paper1 found that switching from butter to seed oils actually improves LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, both indicators of cardiovascular health.
RELATED: Is Guar Gum Vegan? (And Why It’s In Your Coconut Milk)
Heavy metals
It bears noting that in 2021, the Environmental Research Center (ERC) filed notice against OWYN claiming that many of their products contained higher levels of lead and/or cadmium than are allowed by California Law Proposition 65. OWYN settled with ERC but has claimed that all of its products meet Prop 65 requirements.
Unfortunately, information on the actual levels of heavy metals in OWYN products isn’t readily available and wasn’t indicated by ERC in their notice, so it’s impossible to say whether heavy metals in these products are a significant concern.
Of note, previous testing from the Clean Label Project found that many plant-based protein powders, especially organic ones, contain heavy metals. This isn’t entirely surprising, considering that plant roots naturally absorb these metals from the soil and small amounts are allowed in food by the US Pharmacopeia.
In response to the Clean Label Project findings and to help determine how significant of an issue this is, an independent group of researchers analyzed the findings in a 2020 paper2. They found that even with up to three servings of protein powder a day, the heavy metal exposure wouldn’t be high enough to pose any risk to human health.
Until we have more information specific to OWYN products, I don’t think it’s necessary to avoid them based solely on the ERC filing. If you’re concerned, consider choosing non-chocolate flavors as these typically contain lower levels of heavy metals.
Best uses for OWYN Protein Shakes
It’s good to remember that protein shakes aren’t meant to replace nutrient-dense meals. Instead, they’re best used to supplement a healthy diet with additional protein.
Plant-based foods can provide more than enough protein, but protein shakes can be very helpful in certain situations. These include:
- Preserving muscle mass while losing weight
- Building muscle (1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is ideal)
- Poor appetite
- To make a low-calorie or low-protein meal more filling (such as when a plain salad is the only vegan option at a restaurant)
- To promote wound healing on a plant-based diet after surgery
- As a high-protein dessert alternative (when blended into “soft serve” using an ice cream maker) to help manage blood sugar levels in diabetes
Summary
OWYN protein shakes are a solid, nutritious option for vegans and other plant-based eaters looking for an additional source of protein. I like that OWYN offers options with 20 or 32 grams of protein to meet the needs of different people and I’m a fan of the pea and pumpkin seed protein blend.
The addition of anti-inflammatory ALA omega-3 fats is a great bonus, especially for vegans who struggle to eat flaxseed, chia seeds, or walnuts.
I wouldn’t use them to replace whole plant protein foods like beans, tofu, tempeh, or nuts, but OWYN protein shakes can be a helpful tool for people with increased protein needs. People struggling with very poor appetites may want to consider one of OWYN’s Complete Nutrition Shakes for the additional vitamins and minerals
Interested in other ways to boost your protein intake? Check out the Best 16 Sources of Protein for Vegans!
The scientific information in this article was accurate at the time of publishing but may change over time as new research becomes available.
References
- Rosqvist F, Niinistö S. Fats and oils – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. Food Nutr Res. 2024;68:10.29219/fnr.v68.10487. Published 2024 Feb 9. doi:10.29219/fnr.v68.10487
- Bandara SB, Towle KM, Monnot AD. A human health risk assessment of heavy metal ingestion among consumers of protein powder supplements. Toxicol Rep. 2020;7:1255-1262. Published 2020 Aug 21. doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.08.001
