I’ve found one of the biggest reasons I have so much energy and inspiration is because of the lifestyle I’ve practiced for over 10 years — being plant-based!
As a singer-songwriter who documents my artistic process on YouTube, I constantly have vegan drinks and snacks around to help me keep my energy levels high (shoutout to STATiC who finds all the best brands for us).
For those looking for a more nontoxic home, why don’t we start with the food we’re eating and the drinks we’re driving? Here’s a list of 7 of the best quick and easy vegan drinks, and a bonus tool that I love that helps me make them! 🌿
Vegan Protein Drinks & Powders
1. Trivani Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Powder
Lots of vegan drinks, specifically vegan protein drinks, have lots of sugar additives, and come in a big, bulky plastic container. Trivani is the most space-saving protein bag I’ve seen, but more importantly, it only has 7 ingredients. This is huge.
What I Love
- Only 7 ingredients, all of which are simple, whole foods!
- USDA Organic & Non-GMO Verified
- Different flavors to choose from: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Matcha, Vanilla Chai, Unflavored, etc.
- No soy, gums, stevia, fillers
What I’d Change
- The largest serving bag is only 20 servings, which seems small compared to other protein drinks that have larger containers
2. KOS Organic Superfood Protein
This vegan protein has a lot more ingredients, but they’re mostly solid ingredients that add value to your vegan drink. I love that it has mushrooms and vitamins along with things like broccoli for a holistic way to get a lot of your daily requirements in.
What I Love
- Digestive enzyme blend, vitamins and minerals blend and fruit and veggie blend
- Different flavors — Vanilla, Chocolate, Blueberry Muffin, Salted Caramel Coffee, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Unflavored
- No sugar alcohols
- USDA Organic
What I’d Change
- 2 grams of added sugar
- Gum & stevia (if you’re not a fan)
3. Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein
My other plant-based friends have recommended Garden of Life. I bought their greens powder because it apparently has really great ingredients, but I’ll be honest, it was rough to go down (although it was unflavored). This organic protein powder has pretty solid ingredients — and the vanilla flavor might be able to help all the healthy ingredients go down!
What I Love
- Raw Probiotic and Enzyme Blend
- Chocolate, Vanilla, & Unflavored options
- USDA Organic & Non-GMO Verified
What I’d Change
- Guar Gum & Erythritol
Vegan Energy Drinks
4. Magic Mind Energy and Focus Drink Shots
STATiC started taking this in the middle of the day, and he’s been loving it. If you don’t mind having some natural caffeine in your life, this might be a great option for you. It’s caffeine derived from matcha green tea with other clean and natural ingredients.
What I Love
- STATiC loves this for sustained energy — he’s found it really helpful taking it mid-day
- Great natural ingredients that aim to have a calm & sustained energy through natural foods, herbs & nootropics — L Theanine from Green Tea, Saffron, Ashwagandha, Matcha, Turmeric & more!
- The cutest packaging ever
What I’d Change
- I wish it didn’t have caffeine so I could drink it!
- I wish it came in glass packaging or bulk packaging so it doesn’t waste so many little plastic bottles.
5. BrainJuice Shot
This also has caffeine derived from green tea — as well as B5, B6 and B12 to supplement your daily vitamin intake.
What I Love
- Different flavors — Pomegranate Acai, Holiday Spiced Apple Cider, Peach Mango, Strawberry Lemonade
- Superfoods & functional ingredients like different vitamins (B5, B6, B12), antioxidants, Vitamin C
- Recyclable aluminum packaging
What I’d Change
- Not crazy about “natural flavors”
- Not crazy about added sugars
6. Vive Organic
If you find that getting vitamins is better in a simple shot, you might really like Vive Organics. It’s made with natural juice, ashwaganda root extract, and other natural juices and extracts.
What I Love
- USDA Organic & Non-GMO Verified
- Clean & natural ingredients
- No sugar added
- Found from organic & regenerative farms
What I’d Change
- Wish it wasn’t packaged in plastic
7. Bonus: Vegan Carbonated Drinks — Spindrift
We’ve frequented Spindrift in our home before, and honestly, as someone who feels like my mouth gets tingly whenever she’s had La Croix (#foreverchemicals #neveragain), I was hesitant to take a sip from this.
I feel like I can always taste the “natural” (aka, I’m-not-telling-you-whats-in-this) ingredients in a flavored beverage, but Spindrift was different!
What I Love
- Literally 4 ingredients that are not natural flavors (woohoo!) — Lemon, Grapefruit, Raspberry Lime, and Orange Mango
- Cans are BPA-NI (which means BPA Not-Intended). Saying “BPA-free” is a little bit of a stretch. BPAs are so much in our environment that it’s impossible to say if they’re truly 100% BPA-free). But still, it’s good to know that they’re mindful about the cans they use, as other companies like La Croix, Canada Dry and Poland have been found to have forever chemicals in their sparkling water drinks.
- No sugars or added sweeteners (just natural fruit juice grown from farms)
- Non-GMO
What I’d Change
- I wish they had larger glass containers!
- Citric Acid — which comes from black mold if it’s not derived naturally
DIY Tools for Vegan Drinks
Almond Cow
Now that we covered some pre-packaged drinks, what about vegan drinks that you’ll want to make yourself!?
I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan (nor am I good) at making my food or drinks. But when I found out about the Almond Cow Milk Maker, I was obsessed. Not only can you make your own oat and nut milks in this, but you can make juices, shots, pulpmeals, and soooo much more.
They have a great recipes section on their website that features their signature drink, CocoCash™️, which has coconut shreds, cashew pieces, pitted dates, vanilla and sea salt.
They also have faux “soft drinks” that are vegan, in case you want something a little more fun, like a banana bread smoothie (mmm 🍌).
Stanley Cup
Alright, I’ve tried just about everything to drink my vegan drinks out of.
Suppose you’re drinking something more water-based, like juice or water with a powder added. In that case, I’ve found that the best way to go is a Stanley cup or any hydro-flask made with stainless steel).
Replace the BPA & plastic-free silicon straw instead of the typical plastic straw that comes with it.
If you’re drinking something thicker, like a smoothie-based vegan drink, I’d use a mason jar (optional: add the silicon draw).
Let’s cheer our vegan drinks together — whichever one becomes your favorite — for a more plant-based, sustainable lifestyle!
