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Teami Organic Plant-Based Protein Review

You’ve likely seen or at least heard of products from the brand, Teami, due to their popular detox teas spanning social media. But, what you may not know is that they actually just launched a plant-based protein shake as well… Their new Organic Plant-Based Wellness Protein is geared towards those seeking a clean, vegan protein powder. But, is the product one of the best meal replacement shakes you can find, specifically for weight loss? 

In this Teami Protein Shake review article, we’ll analyze the nutrition label and ingredients, along with reviews on taste and texture to uncover where this shake lies in comparison to other well-established protein powders and meal replacement shakes. And in doing so, we’ll help you decide whether this might be the shake for you… 

TASTE / TEXTURE

Starting with the taste of this shake, you should know that there’s currently only one flavor available, Rich Chocolate. Though this is definitely a great choice for major dessert and chocolate lovers, it’s not as versatile of a flavor as Vanilla – which you could easily blend with other ingredients to create unique flavors and recipes. 

As stated, this shake is still very new, so it’s likely that other shake flavors will be on the horizon soon. So, now to answer your burning question… How does the shake taste?! And how’s the texture? 

Especially with plant-based shakes, many can tend to have a gritty or chalky texture, but Teami proudly states on their website that this isn’t the case… “We worked day and night on the formula to ensure that it would easily blend with your water, milk of choice, smoothies and baking!”

So, how did they do? Unfortunately, Teami Protein reviews on Amazon and Facebook were mixed, with more people being less than satisfied when it comes to the flavor and texture. However, there were definitely some who were enthusiastic about the taste, saying it was one of the smoothest and most delicious protein powders they’re tried!

Of those that didn’t like the taste, people mentioned that…

• The flavor was decent but they couldn’t get over the “chalky” consistency
• It’s too sweet, like candy, and doesn’t have enough chocolate flavor
• It’s not gritty but it has an unpleasant initial flavor (but no bad aftertaste)

TEAMI PROTEIN SHAKE NUTRITION FACTS

Next, let’s go ahead and take a look at what this shake is made of, quite literally. Browsing the nutrition facts for Teami Protein Powder, which we’ve included below, and also the information on the product page, its apparent that it’s a clean protein powder that fits into various dietary plans. It’s 100% plant-based (and vegan), non-GMO, and free from gluten, dairy and soy. It uses organic protein, and is low in both carbs and net carbs, therefore keto-friendly. 

But, although there are clean ingredients included, there are only a small amount of total ingredients in general, which may only be a problem for some, depending on what you’re looking for in a shake. And, there are also some additives and ingredients that we will investigate further… Let’s find out if this is a shake that might work for you!

PROTEIN AMOUNT & TYPE 

Starting with the most important ingredient, each Teami Protein Powder offers 17g of protein per serving – a great amount to support your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals. A good range to aim for in weight loss shakes is 15-20g of protein per serving, in order to help boost your energy and metabolism, and keep you satisfied after drinking. This is especially important to help prevent you from reaching for unhealthy snack foods and other items with less nutritional value throughout the day.

As for the type of proteins, the shake utilizes a blend of organic pea and rice proteins – which are excellent plant-based options. Whether or not you’re vegan, getting more quality sources of plant-based proteins into your daily diet can help you obtain a more diverse variety of nutrients, and help you stay away from too much saturated fat from animal products and dairy. 

In addition, both pea and rice proteins have been studied for their positive effects in helping with weight loss; Plus, plant proteins in general have been shown to be just as effective as whey for assisting with muscle building. 

CARBOHYDRATES & FIBER

Next, moving onto the carb content in each shake, it’s quite low, with only 4g of total carbs! There’s also 2g of dietary fiber, bringing the net carb count for keto (the total carb amount minus the fiber amount), to only 2g. 

While 2g of net carbs is excellent for those on low-carb diets, especially keto, the fiber is definitely lower than we would like to see it for a meal replacement shake. Fiber is one of the standout ingredients when it comes to a shake that will help halt your appetite and keep you full.

Not to mention that fiber is an essential element in a healthy dietary plan – assisting with good digestion and healthy cholesterol levels – and should be a cornerstone of your meals. If you want to make the Teami Protein Powder into a meal, our recommendation would be to add the powder into a blender with healthy ingredients that are good sources of fiber like spinach, oats, or nuts.

SUGAR / MALTODEXTRIN

Next, let’s talk about sugar. As you can see on the product label, there’s no sugar listed in this shake, and there’s also no artificial sweeteners named in the ingredients – both great! The shake formula includes Stevia Leaf Extract, which is a plant-based sweetener that may even offer some health benefits, like helping to balance blood sugar.

The ingredient that’s a little bit hidden if you don’t know to search for it is called maltodextrin. Though there’s no sugar on the label, maltodextrin is a food additive that acts like sugar in your body… in the way that it can actually cause your blood sugar to rise.

Maltodextrin – a starchy, processed white powder that comes from foods like corn, potatoes, wheat or tapioca – is typically added to foods as a thickening agent, or to improve the texture, flavor and shelf life. However, it has an even higher glycemic index (GI) than regular table sugar – which means it may cause a sharp spike then drop in your blood sugar after eating it. 

Because maltodextrin “acts” like sugar, it’s not likely to keep you as full as the shake would if it included more fiber and complex carbs with greater satiety. Instead, it may leave you hungry shortly after consumption, and people with diabetes who carefully monitor blood sugar levels need to be especially careful with this ingredient. 

FAT CONTENT 

Next, let’s look at the fat content in this shake. There’s 2.5g of total fat, and 0.5g of saturated fat per serving. The total amount in general is not bad, as fat is a necessary macronutrient in your diet, and the right fats also support brain health and provide many vital health benefits. 

The only thing to note, however, is that by the ingredient list, it seems the fat in this shake comes from sunflower oil. Though sunflower oil is not necessarily bad for you, it is high in omega-6 fatty acids. Though both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are important to overall health, it’s been shown that many people eat far too many omega-6 acids and not enough omega-3’s – creating a potentially dangerous imbalance for health. 

To keep the balance, you also want to ensure you get LOTS of omega-3 fats in your diet, and try to limit your intake of omega-6’s from sunflower, soybean and vegetable oils. You can find omega-3s in fatty fish like wild salmon, shellfish, nuts, and seeds like flax and chia. 

FOOD ADDITIVES 

Next, let’s discuss some “unknown” ingredients on the label… While this shake is marketed as a clean protein shake, it contains quite a bit of processed food additives – which is not a gigantic call for alarm, but is unusual and worth mentioning.

We already mentioned the maltodextrin, and similar to that, it also includes modified food starch. This thickener/additive can come from corn, wheat, potato, rice, or tapioca – however, the shake says gluten-free, so likely it doesn’t come from wheat. However, if you absolutely cannot eat gluten, you may want to confirm that with the company.

The shake also contains “mono 6: diglycerides”, which are a type of monoglyceride. Typically, you find triglycerides in plant-based oils and animal fats, but mono- and diglycerides are found in many processed and packaged foods. 

While the FDA considers both mono- and diglycerides safe to be used in food, they may actually contain small amounts of trans fats. And, since they’re classified as emulsifiers and not lipids, the recent FDA ban on trans fats doesn’t apply to them! There’s only 2% or less of these ingredients per serving in the protein powder, but it’s still worth noting – especially because they aren’t commonly known ingredients.  

Finally, there’s also tricalcium phosphate, guar gum, and silicon dioxide. While tricalcium phosphate and silicon dioxide are anti-caking agents, guar gum is a thickener made from legumes, so it’s the most natural. Guar gum also has a good amount of fiber, and tricalcium phosphate may be good for bone health. However, silicon dioxide, though currently seen as safe to be used as a food additive, has a bit of controversy surrounding it.

WHITE TEA EXTRACT: CAFFEINE?

Next, Teami Organic Protein Shakes also contain a white tea extract, which may offer antioxidant health benefits. But, keep in mind that white tea typically contains caffeine, if only a small amount. While a cup of coffee contains about 65 to 150mg of caffeine, white tea often has about 15-20mg per cup, so just be cautious if you plan to have your shakes in the evening. 

IS TEAMI ORGANIC PROTEIN A MEAL REPLACEMENT?

Finally, the question you’ve been awaiting! After examining the product label and the ingredients, we land at one of your top questions… Can you use Teami Protein Powder as a meal replacement shake? The answer is both yes and no. We’ll explain… 

It’s important to point out that first of all on the Teami website, it says you could use this protein powder as a meal replacement, however, that’s not what it was intended to be. This is likely because the requirements for a meal replacement shake are much different than for a regular protein powder…

While typical protein powders contain protein and not much else, (like Teami shakes), true meal replacements will include a well-balanced profile of nutrients – with protein, dietary fiber, fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, the best meal shakes will also include superfood blends and even probiotics for gut health, like our top-rated shake right now, 310 Shake. 

Being that Teami Organic Protein is light or completely lacking in these things, we think it’s best to use this protein powder as a snack or pre- or post-workout drink instead of a meal replacement. 

PRICE

Teami Plant-Based Protein Powder is $31.99 for 14 servings, bringing the cost to around $2.29 per serving. There’s also free shipping on orders over $34.99. 

Though this is a decent price for a meal replacement shake, remember that there aren’t many ingredients in this protein powder – like body-nourishing vitamins, minerals or superfoods. Plus, a 14-serving container of shake powder isn’t going to last you very long, so you’ll likely need two of them from the beginning, in order to get a full month supply of shakes. 

In addition, Teami does not offer a money back guarantee on their products. Basically, if you get the protein powder, try it and don’t like it, you can’t return it. You can only make returns on unopened products.  

TEAMI ORGANIC PROTEIN CONCLUSION

In conclusion, while the Teami Organic Wellness Protein Shake may be a good choice for you if you’re seeking a quality, plant-based protein powder, it doesn’t contain the necessary components necessary to make a well-balanced meal replacement shake. Plus, it’s a bit pricy for containing so few real food ingredients. 

While it contains nutritious plant-based proteins, pea and brown rice, it’s lacking in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, superfoods and probiotics. And, while it’s low in calories at only 110 per serving, it doesn’t contain enough fiber to keep you full and sustain your appetite like one of the best meal replacement shakes would. 

Finally, while some raved about how good the shake tastes, others said there’s actually an unpleasant flavor or texture, and didn’t care for it. Before you make your final decision, be sure to read more of the in-depth meal replacement shake reviews on this site – especially for our top-rated shake right now. We hope this information helps you find the best overall meal replacement shake for you!

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/monoglycerides#risks

http://www.ijapbc.com/files/18-1322.pdf

http://www.bluepenjournals.org/jmphtr/pdf/2015/June/Pallares_et_al.pdf

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325122

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/guar-gum

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21712105/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC507944/

https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2014/01/03/the-shocking-truth-about-sunflower-oil

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322426#is-maltodextrin-safe

https://www.beyondceliac.org/q-and-a/modified-food-starch-and-maltodextrin/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3698202/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325122