What’s in the Tub
Purely Inspired blends organic pea and brown rice protein, then adds a produce aisle in miniature: spinach, broccoli, flaxseed, alfalfa and blueberry. There’s also papain (an enzyme) and a LactoSpore Bacillus coagulans probiotic, and the current vanilla label adds a second probiotic blend, organic inulin and an organic coconut creamer. It’s a protein shake that brought friends to the party.
Our French Vanilla link lists 1 scoop (34 g) with 20 g of protein and 130 calories, plus 5 g of carbs, 1 g of fiber, 3 g of fat, 1 g of sugar (all of it added) and 320 mg of sodium. Online copies of the label disagree on the smaller numbers, though, and newer 1.35 lb tubs are titled 22 g of protein. Check the panel on your tub. Our listing says 20 g and 16 servings, and that’s the version we scored.
Sweetness comes from organic cane sugar plus stevia, so it’s neither sugar-free nor stevia-free. Acacia, guar and xanthan gums handle the thickening. It’s USDA Organic; the brand also calls it non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan friendly, but names no certifier for those. It comes from Iovate Health Sciences, the company behind MuscleTech and Six Star.
Taste and Texture: What Reviewers Say
Garage Gym Reviews’ tester gave it 3.75 out of 5 for taste and found the stevia aftertaste unpleasant at first. The review says it mixes “pretty well with both milk and water,” though the powder settles if you sip slowly. One catch: GGR tested Peppermint Mocha, a flavor now listed as unavailable.
VegFAQs scored taste 15 out of 25 and summed it up as “drinkable, not really good or bad,” noting a decent amount of chalkiness and a bit of aftertaste. Its mixability score was much better: 21.9 out of 25, with just 1 g of clumps left behind. VegFAQs didn’t state the flavor, and its test may predate the current formula.
The pattern across reviews: stevia aftertaste, some chalkiness, a thick texture, and only about 16 servings a tub. Captain Vegan’s opinion: it’s a dependable weekday shake, not a dessert. If flavor is priority one, browse our best-tasting picks.
Safety and Testing
Consumer Reports did not include Purely Inspired in its October 2025 lead tests, so there’s no CR number to report, good or bad. The brand doesn’t publish heavy-metal results, and it holds no NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice certification. Garage Gym Reviews marks third-party testing as a no.
Clean Label Project put the Decadent Chocolate flavor in its 2025 protein study, but CLP doesn’t publish per-product results, so the outcome is unknown. A search of California Prop 65 notices and news turned up no notices, recalls or lawsuits. That means none were found, not that the powder has been proven clean. No news isn’t always good news; sometimes it’s just no news.
Read the fine print, too. The label says the product isn’t intended for pregnant or nursing women or for weight reduction, and the vanilla is made in a facility that also handles soy and egg.
How It Scored
Protein: 16/25. 20 g per serving earns 6.7 of 10 points for grams. About 62% of its calories come from protein, worth 4.3 of 10 for density; the greens, creamer and carbs take up the rest. The pea-and-rice blend earns the full 5 for amino-acid support.
Value: 21/25. It’s the second-cheapest 20 g of protein in our top 10, behind only Naked Pea. Organic on a budget: the rarest of superpowers.
Purity: 15/25. That’s our starting score, untouched. There’s no certification or published batch data to add points, and no Consumer Reports result, Prop 65 notice or lawsuit to take any away.
Taste: 18/25. The average of GGR’s 3.75 out of 5 and VegFAQs’ 15 out of 25 gives 13.5 of 20 taste points, and VegFAQs’ mixing score adds 4.4 of 5. See how we rank for the full formula.
How It Compares
Naked Pea (#1, 84/100) costs even less per gram of protein, packs 27 g per 2-scoop serving and has Informed Choice certification. But it’s unflavored and unsweetened, so you’re the chef. Purely Inspired is the one you can shake and drink.
Garden of Life RAW Organic (#4, 70/100) ties it at 70 and lands one spot lower on our tiebreak. It offers 22 g in a 33 g scoop and NSF Contents Certified status, which earns it 4 purity points Purely Inspired doesn’t get, but it costs more per gram of protein.
Orgain Organic Protein (#9, 56/100) is the other budget organic tub. Purely Inspired beats it on cost per gram of protein and on reviewer taste scores, and Consumer Reports measured Orgain’s Vanilla Bean at 143% of CR’s lead level of concern (October 2025). More cheap picks live on our affordable list.