Natreve Vegan Protein Powder Review [Test Results]

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Verdict: Natreve’s vegan protein powder is a mediocre option in my opinion. There are several better vegan protein powders.

  • Pros: Decent protein content and good blend of plant protein sources. Good source of iron.
  • Cons: Poor texture and flavor. More expensive than most other alternatives.
  • Unique selling points: No stevia or added sugar. Carbon and plastic neutral company.

As part of my testing to find the best vegan protein powders (I’ve tested about 40 at this point), I came across Natreve’s line of plant-based protein.

I’ll break down how Natreve faired in each area that I base my rankings on: Protein content, cost, and taste. 

Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of it, and it scores well below other competitors that I’ve tested.

About Natreve

Natreve is a relatively new Vancouver-based company that launched in 2019. It’s grown quite a bit already and is available at Whole Foods in Canada.

They sell both vegan and whey protein powders.

natreve products

It’s nice that they at least have a “vegan” filter on their site’s store.

In addition, they sell a variety of other supplements like keto collagen and herbal-based products.

Is Natreve a Good Brand?

From what I’ve dug up on the company, there’s been no recalls or anything controversial.

In addition, Natreve does have a few company policies that could align nicely with a vegan philosophy:

  • Carbon neutral – It’s not exactly clear what this involves, but it sounds like they pay a carbon offset for their products to invest in renewable energy.
  • Plastic neutral – I’m not sure how effective this actually is, but the idea is to pay people in impoverished communities to remove plastic in the ocean (equal to the weight used in Natreve’s products).

I’m a bit skeptical of all this, since these terms are aggressively promoted on Natreve’s site, with very little detail behind them. It looks like they work with GreenPrint, which gives me a very greenwashing feeling.

How Much Protein Is In Natreve Shakes?

natreve protein powder

The first thing I look at is what percent of calories come from protein, since most vegans turn to protein powder as a way of getting a lot of protein without too many calories.

Overall, Natreve’s protein has an average amount of protein in it, with 25 grams of protein in a 150 calorie serving. In other words, 66% of calories come from protein.

natreve nutrition facts

You also might note that there’s quite a bit of iron in a shake, with 35% of a woman’s daily iron requirement in one serving (men need quite a bit less).

This is pretty common among pea protein powders, since peas are one of the best vegan sources of iron. However, some of the other ingredients that we’ll take a look at in a second may contribute a bit more iron than other shakes have.

Ingredients in Natreve

Natreve has a very long ingredient list, but it’s almost all ingredients you will recognize:

Plant Protein Blend (Pea Protein; Organic Pumpkin (Cucurbita) Seed Protein; Organic Brown Rice Protein); Cocoa Powder; Natural Flavor; Monk Fruit Extract; Flaxseed Powder; Gum Blend (Cellulose; Xanthan); Salt; Amaranth Powder; Quinoa Powder; Organic Chia (Salvia Hispanica L.) Seed Powder; Coconut Powder; Organic Kale (Brassica Oleracea Acephala); Leaf Powder; Organic Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea Italica) Stem and Floret Powder; Organic Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) Leaf Powder; Probiotic Blend (L. Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Bifidobacterium Longum).

The blend of protein ensures a complete essential amino acid profile.

In addition, note that while most vegan protein powders are sweetened with stevia, sucralose, or sugar, Natreve is sweetened just with monk fruit extract. I know some people don’t like the taste of those common sweeteners, so this may be a “pro” for some.

The assortment of vegetable powder (I doubt more than a few grams in total) adds a tiny bit of fiber and nutrients, and the probiotic blend may improve digestion.

SUMMARY

Natreve has a well rounded list of ingredients made of natural ingredients with a decent overall protein content. This is probably the best aspect of the product.

Is Natreve Expensive Compared to Other Vegan Protein Powders?

Natreve’s protein powders are significantly more expensive than average.

Based on all the plant-based protein powders that I’ve tested so far:

  • The average protein powder costs about $4 per 100 grams.
  • Natreve costs just over $8 per 100 grams.

For anyone who consumes protein powder on a regular basis, this is likely a deal breaker.

Does Natreve Protein Powder Taste Good?

natreve shakeWhat good is a protein shake if it tastes bad?

Unfortunately, many plant-based protein powders taste terrible, and Natreve is one of them. Note that I tested the fudge brownie flavor, so perhaps one of the other ones is better (Strawberry shortcake, french vanilla wafer sundae, peanut butter parfait, unflavored).

There are 2 ways I evaluate taste.

Mixability

I test how well a protein powder mixes by adding 35 grams to 450 mL of non-dairy milk (unsweetened) and then shaking thoroughly for 45 seconds.

Then I pour the shake through a fine strainer to see what’s left over.

Natreve mixed extremely poorly and clogged up my strainer:

natreve strainer

Strangely enough, there weren’t any “clumps,” which is usually what happens with powders that mix poorly. Instead, it formed almost like a sludgy texture.

When I continued to drink these shakes after my testing, the bottom of the shake was often a thick, gross sludge that was hard to drink.

Flavor

After removing any clumps I then test the flavor. Obviously this is a bit subjective, but usually I’m a big fan of chocolate shakes.

Natreve’s vegan protein powder has an okay taste, but it’s not enjoyable.

I suspect that this is the cost of not using sugar or a sweetener like stevia. Even the cocoa flavor tasted a bit off.

SUMMARY

Shakes made from Natreve are drinkable, but they were not enjoyable for me. They mix poorly and have a weak flavor in my opinion.

Review Summary of Natreve Vegan Protein Powder

While Natreve isn’t the lowest ranked vegan protein powder that I’ve tried, it is in the bottom 10 right now.

The ingredients are good quality, but it’s expensive and doesn’t taste good when compared to other vegan protein powders.

I honestly can’t think of a situation where I would recommend it.

Alternatives to Natreve

If you’re still with me at this point, you probably want to know which alternatives I think are actually better.

My top 3 alternatives to consider in this situation are:

  • Future Kind – My overall #1 pick. It tastes good, has a high protein content, and is made by a reputable vegan manufacturer.
  • Nuzest Clean Lean Vegan Protein – If you were interested in Natreve because it doesn’t have Stevia, consider Nuzest. It tastes really good and is the best vegan protein powder without Stevia in my opinion – but it is equally expensive.
  • Vega Protein and Greens – Has a lot of natural ingredients and iron, similar to Natreve. However, it tastes better and is significantly more affordable.

About the author

Dale Cudmore

Your friendly neighborhood vegan from Toronto. I've spent over 6 years as a freelance nutrition writer and researcher. During this time, I've tested over 50 vegan protein powders, and over 100 other types of vegan supplements.