MRM Veggie Protein Powders appear to be a good choice for clean eaters upon first glance.
But in this review, you’ll find out why appearances can be deceiving!
First, a disclaimer: in case you’re new around these parts, I sell a protein powder.
This obviously invites potential bias.
That’s why I review protein powders based on two objective criteria: 1. nutrition facts and 2. ingredients.
In this review, I’ll share some alarming things I discovered when I analyzed the nutrition facts and ingredients in MRM Veggie, Veggie Elite, and Meal Replacement Protein Powders. (Note: I didn’t review their whey protein powder because I, along with my customers, don’t use whey protein powders for many reasons.)
Let’s get to it …
About MRM
MRM sells a lot of different products …
I actually like a bunch of them.
The organic whole food powders (red beet, baobab, and moringa) look like good, clean products according to their ingredient lists and nutrition panels. And I like the looks of their “Therapeutic Collection” products too.
But their vegan protein powders aren’t that great.
MRM sells three types:
- Veggie Protein
- Veggie Elite
- Veggie Meal Replacement
Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts information and ingredient labels for each …
MRM Veggie Protein Powders Nutrition Facts and Ingredients Analysis
Veggie Elite
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Veggie Protein
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Veggie Meal Replacement
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Did you spot the red flags?
If not, I’ll break it down for you. There are 4 things that concern me about MRM’s veggie protein powders:
- Gums: Gums are food additives that are commonly used as stabilizers, thickeners, or emulsifiers. MRM uses several different types of gums in its proteins, many of which can cause digestive distress.
- Non-organic ingredients: This one’s a bit puzzling. MRM uses some organic ingredients (brown rice and hemp protein powders, for example). But most of their ingredients aren’t organic. Their “High ORAC Antioxidant Blend” looks great at first glance. But many of those superfruits are on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of the most contaminated produce so they’re most likely sprayed with chemical pesticides.
- Monk Fruit Extract: Monk fruit extract is usually cut with maltodextrin or dextrose, which are derived from GMO corn and can cause spikes in blood sugar. This, of course, can lead to insulin resistance, which causes major issues (type 2 diabetes, obesity, etc.).
- Natural Flavors: Natural flavors are comprised of potentially hundreds of different chemical compounds, solvents, and preservatives. As long as the source of one of those is “natural”, food companies can call it a “natural flavor” and not disclose the other ingredient that go in it. Read more about natural flavors.
Bottom Line: Are MRM Vegetarian / Vegan Protein Powders Good for You?
MRM says this on its website:
We source quality ingredients to create innovative products that are a notch above the competition.
But when you peel back the curtain and look at the nutrition facts label and ingredients list, it’s clear that MRM is just another “me too” protein powder.
MRM Veggie Protein Powder has the same gums, flavors, fillers, and other crap in every other protein powder out there.
The facts are MRM a) is not organic; b) contains artificial “flavors” disguised as “all-natural,” and c) is loaded with gums and additives.
My advice: Stick with a protein powder that has all-natural, organic ingredients instead.
