What is pea protein?

If you’re looking for an effective plant-based protein to support a healthy lifestyle and help you achieve your fitness goals, then pea protein is often the obvious choice.

 

What exactly is pea protein, where does it come from, and what health and nutrition benefits can it provide?

What is pea protein?

As the name suggests, pea protein is the protein contained in peas. Like other legumes, peas are a great source of protein when compared to other vegetables. However, to get the kind of quantity of protein you find in pea protein powders you would need to eat large quantities of the vegetable…more than a rabbit!

Pea protein is used to increase the protein content of shakes and smoothies and because it’s completely vegan and hypoallergenic, it’s a great choice for a wide variety of diets. As well as being a great source of protein, it’s also high in iron, low in sugar and carbohydrate, and can aid muscle growth, support weight loss and heart health. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

What are the benefits of pea protein?

Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids— valine, phenylalanine, threonine, methionine, tryptophan, isoleucine, lysine, histidine, and leucine. The methionine content in peas is relatively low but this can be obtained through brown rice.

Our Recover, plant-based protein powder contains a blend of pea and rice protein. Our Replace powder contain pea, rice and hemp proteins. Both of these provide you with all nine essential amino acids.

These rich amino acids make pea protein perfect for repairing and rebuilding muscle. After you’ve worked out, your body needs an immediate supply of the right amino acids to repair any tears and build extra muscle fibre.

Peas, along with legumes in general, are high in fibre and starch. This can make them hard for the body to digest. Pea powder removes most of this fibre and starch when it’s processed, ensuring that the proteins in the legume are 95-98% digestible.

The body gains speedy access to this protein and can quickly put it to work where it’s needed most. Because it’s easy to digest and absorb, you can take pea protein just after a workout and the amino acids can get to work quickly. Also, because peas are such a great source of protein, it doesn’t take much to extract it from the source, meaning that not much protein is lost during processing.

Pea protein is a low-calorie food, that doesn’t contain the unhealthy fats found in many animal proteins. As with other sources of protein, it keeps you full for longer which means you’re unlikely to give in to those between-meal cravings.

The protein from yellow peas has also been shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure while being gentle on the kidneys. In fact, it may also help to reduce the risk of kidney problems developing.

Which peas does it come from?

Pea protein is made by extracting protein from yellow peas, not the green sort you might have frozen in your freezer. The process of extracting pea protein is relatively simple and involves dying and grounding peas into a fine flour. The shell is removed and the peas inside are then milled.

The flour is then mixed with water to remove the starch and fibre. This then leaves the protein, minerals and vitamins in paste form. This creates the pea protein powder that we recognise.

How much protein is contained in each scoop?

Two scoops of pea protein will typically contain around 120 calories and about 27 grams of protein. The recommended protein amount for a woman in the UK is around 45 grams, and 55 grams for men. Pea protein is therefore a great way to ensure that you meet your recommended protein target and achieve your health and fitness goals.

What does it taste of?

No matter how much you like peas you’ll probably be pleased to learn that pea protein doesn’t taste like mashed peas. In fact, the taste of pea protein is fairly neutral, which is why it’s such a great choice for protein powders. This means that other flavours can be added to pea protein, and the protein itself can be added to other ingredients without making much impact on the taste.

Our shakes containing pea protein are available in delicious banana and dark chocolate flavours, making them a tasty option. By the way, they can also be used in baking.

How can pea protein be used?

Pea protein can be used to help support a healthy diet and fitness regime. They’re great to use in baking, in moreish breakfast smoothies or even to add extra protein to a knock-out vegan mac and cheese. Because it’s entirely plant-based it’s a great way to support a vegan diet.

Our Replace pea-based protein powder can be used anytime to give your protein levels a delicious, plant-based boost, manage your weight and support your diet.  You can use it anytime to boost protein levels, manage weight and maintain a well-balanced diet.

Our Recover pea-based protein powder is the ideal powder when you need to rebuild muscle, reduce muscle soreness and quickly replenish your energy stores. It’s great to use either before or after exercise and a smart addition to your diet if you’re upping your training for a particular event or getting ready to compete.

A plant-based protein to shout about

Pea protein is a real-game changer when it comes to plant-based proteins. It combines so many great health and nutrition benefits, is versatile, and is suitable for vegan diets. We think it’s really something to shout about!