Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder, Vanilla: 20g Protein, Labelgrade A- (87/100)

The short answer

Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder, Vanilla delivers 20g of protein for 150 calories per 2 rounded scoops (USDA FDC 2488913) — a certified-organic, fully vegan powder built on a pea + brown rice + chia blend. Per 100g that’s 43.5g of protein, dense enough to cap our protein-density score at the maximum. It earns a Labelgrade A- (87/100): top marks on protein, fiber, sugar, and saturated fat, with the only real dings being a longer ingredient list and a moderate sodium load.

Why the A-

The B- on ingredients isn’t a quality penalty so much as a length one: every line on the label is organic, but a plant powder needs gums (guar, xanthan, acacia) to mix without separating, and that runs the count up. The honest knock is sodium — 180mg is nothing in a single shake, but it’s the one dimension keeping this out of the A+/A territory the macros would otherwise earn.

What you’re actually buying

Two things make this powder distinctive, and neither is the vanilla. First, it’s USDA Organic — a certification almost no mainstream protein powder carries, and the reason every sub-ingredient down to the rosemary extract is prefixed “organic.” Second, the protein is a blend, not a single source. Pea protein is the workhorse, but pea alone is slightly low in methionine; pairing it with brown rice protein (which is strong exactly where pea is weak) and a little chia rounds out the amino-acid profile into something close to complete. That blend is the whole reason a modern plant powder can stand next to whey at all.

For a lot of people, this is the first plant protein they ever buy — Orgain is on the shelf at Costco, Target, and most grocery stores, not just supplement shops, so it’s the default “I want a dairy-free option” pick. That ubiquity matters: it’s easy to find, easy to restock, and you’re not ordering from a niche brand sight-unseen.

Plant vs. whey: the honest version

Plant protein has closed most of the gap, but not all of it. On paper this is competitive — 20g for 150 calories, lactose-free, no cholesterol. Where it differs from whey is texture and leucine. Pea-and-rice powders are grainier and mix thicker than whey; this one leans on a creamer base and gums to smooth that out, but blended in water it’s still noticeably less silky than dairy protein. And whey carries a bit more leucine, the amino acid that most directly triggers muscle synthesis, so a hardcore lifter optimizing every gram still has a marginal reason to prefer whey. For everyone else — vegans, the lactose-intolerant, or anyone who just wants an organic option — that gap is small and the trade is worth it.

A couple of honest notes before you buy: the sweeteners are erythritol and stevia, so if sugar alcohols or stevia’s aftertaste bother you, taste before you commit to a tub. And the fiber (5g, much of it added inulin) digests differently for different people — great for most, gassy for a sensitive few. Start with one scoop if your gut is touchy.

Who it’s for

Reach for this if you want a vegan or dairy-free protein without hunting through a supplement store, or if an organic label is something you actually pay for. The macros are genuinely strong, the fiber is a bonus most powders can’t match, and the blend means you’re not shortchanged on amino acids. Skip it if you specifically want the smoothest possible shake or are squeezing out every last point of leucine — in those cases whey still wins by a hair.

Ingredients

Organic protein blend (organic pea protein, organic brown rice protein, organic chia seed), organic creamer base (organic acacia gum, organic high-oleic sunflower oil, organic inulin, organic rice dextrins, organic rice bran extract, organic rosemary extract), organic erythritol, organic natural flavors, sea salt, organic guar gum, xanthan gum, organic acacia gum, organic slim blend (organic moringa leaf extract [food-based chromium], organic green tea, organic cinnamon, organic matcha tea), organic stevia, natural flavor, probiotic (Bacillus subtilis). (Verbatim from USDA Branded Foods, FDC 2488913.)

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Scope: This page applies specifically to Plant Based Protein Powder, Vanilla (1.02 lbs/462 g) · UPC 851770003889. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.