What’s in the Tub
Orgain blends organic pea, brown rice and mung bean protein with organic chia seed. Sweetness comes from organic stevia (Reb A) alone, and the listing says there’s no erythritol. The rest is a creamer base of acacia, sunflower oil and rice dextrin, organic agave inulin for prebiotic fiber, sea salt, and guar and xanthan gums. No probiotics, enzymes or greens.
The serving is 2 scoops (46 g), and that’s where the 21 g of protein comes from, not one scoop. You also get 150 calories, 15 g of carbs, 4 g of fiber, less than 1 g of sugar, 3.5 g of fat, 390 mg of sodium and 6.5 mg of iron. Older retail copy says 5, 6 or 7 g of fiber, and even the listing’s own description says 6 g, but the current panel shows 4 g. Two scoops per shake: your scoop gets a cardio workout.
Orgain says the powder now has a creamier taste, and both major reviews list erythritol, which the current label doesn’t. So the reviews below may describe an older formula. Orgain, Inc. is based in California, and Nestlé Health Science agreed in 2022 to buy a majority stake.
Taste and Texture: What Reviewers Say
Garage Gym Reviews’ tester, Nicole Davis, gave the Vanilla Bean 2 out of 5 for taste and 3 out of 5 for solubility, saying it “tasted like grass with a hint of vanilla.” Davis noted it got really thick but never clumped.
BarBend also scored taste 2 out of 5 and mixability 3 out of 5. Its reviewer called the vanilla “more of a generic sweet,” preferred the chocolate, noticed a little stevia aftertaste and found it hard to blend in a shaker bottle.
Fair’s fair: both reviews may predate the creamier reformulation, and a thick, mild base is exactly what some people want in a smoothie. Captain Vegan’s opinion: give it fruit and nut butter to work with and it’s a team player, not a solo act. For powders reviewers liked more, see our best-tasting picks.
Safety and Testing
Consumer Reports tested Orgain’s Vanilla Bean (46 g serving) in its October 2025 report, updated January 2026, and measured lead at 143% of CR’s daily level of concern per serving, about 15 ppb. CR’s chart suggests no more than 4¾ servings a week. Orgain says the powder is fine for daily use.
In July 2026, a class action was filed against Costco in federal court in western Washington over Orgain Vanilla Bean and Creamy Chocolate Fudge, citing plaintiff-commissioned testing that claims lead well above Prop 65 limits. These are unproven allegations, not findings, and the news coverage didn’t name Orgain as a defendant. Orgain says it stands behind the quality of its products.
An older Prop 65 case, ERC v. Orgain, filed in 2016, covered this powder’s Vanilla Bean and Creamy Chocolate Fudge over lead. Orgain denied the allegations, and a consent judgment required the products to be reformulated or carry a warning. Whether today’s tub carries a warning is unconfirmed. No recalls turned up, and the powder holds no NSF, Informed Choice or Clean Label Project certification.
How It Scored
Some readers will remember Orgain at #1 on our old list. When we rebuilt the rankings around a public formula, it slid to #9, mostly on taste and testing. Here’s the math, with no thumb on the scale.
Protein: 15/25. 21 g per serving earns 7 of 10 points for grams. Only 56% of the 150 calories come from protein, worth 3.2 of 10 for density. The four-source blend earns the full 5 for amino-acid support.
Value: 19/25. It’s the third-cheapest 20 g of protein in our top 10, behind Naked Pea and Purely Inspired. Still a budget hero.
Purity: 11/25. From our starting 15, the CR result of 143% (Vanilla Bean, October 2025) subtracts 2 and the July 2026 class action subtracts 2. With no certification, there’s nothing to win points back.
Taste: 11/25. Both reviewers’ 2-out-of-5 taste scores give 8 of 20, and their 3-out-of-5 mixing scores add 3 of 5. That’s the lowest taste score in our top 10. Full rules are on how we rank.
How It Compares
Purely Inspired Organic (#3, 70/100) is the closest swap: also USDA Organic and budget-friendly, cheaper per gram of protein, and better liked by reviewers. It adds a little cane sugar to its stevia, and Consumer Reports hasn’t tested it.
Naked Pea (#1, 84/100) beats Orgain on protein (27 g per 2-scoop serving versus 21 g), value and purity score, if you’re happy with unflavored. It has no sweetener at all, though no organic certification for it turned up.
KOS Organic Plant Protein (#10, 56/100) ties Orgain at 56 and lands one spot lower on our tiebreak. Consumer Reports measured its vanilla at 112% of CR’s lead level of concern (October 2025), and it carries a Prop 65 lead warning on the label, so neither organic tub gets a clean sweep. Browse more budget options on our affordable list.