Consumer interest in protein has truly become a mainstay. It’s currently second to fiber as the most sought-after ingredient with about 60 percent of consumers aiming to get more protein into their diet, according to experts. And about 36 percent of consumers are adding plant-based protein to their diet. Interestingly, though, most Americans get adequate amounts of protein in their diet.
Still, the addition of plant-based protein to food products is happening across various categories—from breakfast foods to pasta, milk, alternative milks, and even snack foods—and is expected to grow into even more categories.
When choosing to use plant protein, there are quite a few options in the marketplace: soy, pea, chickpea, mushroom, almond, and hemp proteins. Here, we take a closer look at almond protein and compare it to hemp protein, including our newest hemp protein, V-70™ Hemp Heart Protein.
A New, Better Hemp Protein
Our newest hemp protein—called V-70™ Hemp Heart Protein—contains much more protein than a classic green hemp protein powder, as well as more than almond protein. V-70™ is also white to light beige and has a very neutral taste. How is it so different from traditional hemp protein powders? We make it from hemp hearts. As a result, our unique V-70™ Hemp Heart Protein doesn’t need to be masked with added flavors and food technologists can use it in a wider array of applications.
Traditional hemp protein powders are green and have an earthy, grassy flavor profile. They’re made from the press cake (what remains after the whole hemp seed is pressed for hemp oil). This is how our Hemp Protein 50 is made. Also, because of how this protein powder is made (and other classic hemp protein powders), there’s more fiber and minerals in it, and fewer calories, but also fewer grams of protein versus almond protein.
Nutrition Facts: What’s in Hemp Heart Protein?
In about a 47-gram serving of Victory Hemp’s new V-70™ Hemp Heart Protein, there are about:
- Calories: 188
- Protein: 33g ← more protein
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g ← this is mostly polyunsaturated fat, which are the heart healthier fats.
- Carbohydrate: 4g ← fewer carbs
- Sugars: 0g
- Fiber: 4g
- Sodium: 0mg
You also get more than 50 percent of your daily iron from V-70™ Hemp Heart Protein, plus 16 percent of your daily potassium goal. Hemp protein contains all of the essential amino acids and is free from the top 8 allergens, too—unlike other common plant proteins like almond and soy.
What Is Almond Protein?
Almond protein is mild and nutty in flavor. It’s white to light brown in color, and can be incorporated into food products similarly to our hemp protein. It is fairly new to the market and companies that manufacture it seem to be somewhat limited. Compared to hemp protein, there are some nutrition downsides to almond protein. For instance, it’s only 40 percent protein and doesn’t deliver all 9 essential amino acids, whereas V-70TM is exactly as its name implies, 70 percent protein, and contains all of the essential amino acids. Almond protein is one of the top 8 allergens: about 0.5 to 1 percent of the population have a tree nut allergy, and almonds are a tree nut.
Nutrition Facts: What’s in Almond Protein?
In a 47-gram serving, there are:
- Calories: 200
- Protein: 20g
- Fat: 4.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g ← this is mostly monounsaturated fat
- Carbohydrate: 16g
- Sugars: 5g
- Fiber: 11g
- Sodium: 0mg
Plus, 20 percent of your daily calcium and iron target. Almond protein also contains 15 percent of your daily recommendation for potassium (that’s lower than what V-70™ delivers).
How Do Hemp and Almond Proteins Compare In Terms of Sustainability?
Hemp wins. Here’s why: it’s an ideal rotation crop and, when grown responsibly, can sequester carbon dioxide, and promote soil health. Hemp also isn’t known as a water-intensive crop—its deep root system allows it to survive in drought-like conditions. It takes only about 325 gallons of water to produce a pound of hemp grain. Almonds, however, require much more water to grow: in fact, it takes about 1,227 gallons of water to produce a pound of almonds.
Another benefit to our hemp protein: at Victory Hemp, we don’t use hexane or harsh chemical additives to extract the protein from hemp hearts.
The Bottom Line on Hemp vs Almond Protein
There’s a growing interest in hemp protein—for its nutrition and sustainability. And our new, innovative V-70™ Hemp Heart Protein has an additional leg up (compared to traditional hemp protein, as well as almond protein and other plant protein powders): its neutral flavor and pale color make it easy to formulate with, yet it still delivers a powerhouse of nutrients, is free from the top 8 allergens, and is among the most sustainable of the plant protein powders.
Sources:
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Ecological Indicators: Water-Indexed Benefits and Impacts of California Almonds
