Clean Plant-Based Proteins
When you are buying your plant-based proteins, what are you looking for in a protein?
You may consider the protein content and the ingredients, but what about the origin of the ingredients, the processing method, the additives, the fillers, the heavy metals, the pesticides coming from industrial grown agricultural crops?
- The purity of the crop the protein is derived from is the most important. So ideally go with local, traceable sourced ingredients. (Organic does not mean much. It is kind of a supermarket term. What is organic in India varies from the Chinese organic standards varies from the US organic standards.)
- The means of processing ingredients is an important element to consider, especially when it comes to ingredients you are putting in your body and applying to your skin.
Ulli’s proteins are grown locally around NY on organic certified fields by farmers who care about their soil. Her hemp and pumpkin protein are side products of her Good Food Award winning and NYT featured artisanal oil mill in which she stamp-presses her oils in smallest batches on demand for maximum freshness. Then she stone-mills the de-oiled seeds into a nutritious protein powder.
What are the different kinds of plant-based proteins?
There are hundreds of different kinds of plant-based proteins, including whey protein, soy protein, pea protein, quinoa, hemp protein, pumpkin protein and more.
Legume proteins such as soy, pea, quinoa and whey protein unfortunately need chemicals and heat in their extraction method.
Now that’s a lot of plant-based proteins. Ulli’s favorites? Clean Pumpkin powder protein, Hemp protein and Camelina proteins. All organic, a side product of Ulli’s gentle stamp-pressing method for her oils, nothing but stone-milled in smallest batches for maximum freshness, and deliciousness. Find your own favorites and enjoy all the benefits!
How are plant-based proteins made?
Unfortunately, many legume proteins such as soy and pea but also quinoa and whey, require an extraction process which uses chemicals and heat (such as hexane and hydrochloric acid). High heat destroys the enzyme functions of the protein and should thus be avoided.
In contrast, seed proteins such as pumpkin or hemp protein do not necessarily require harsh chemical based processing methods. The nut and seed proteins are by-products of pressing oil.
As we pointed out in our cold-pressed oils blog our stamp-pressing method is the gentlest way to press oil (versus expeller pressing which always generates frictional heat and versus chemically extracting oil with solvents). With stamp-pressing the oil comes out below body temperature. Thus, the byproduct, our pumpkin and hemp protein cake are made in the most nutritious preserving and gentle way. We stone-mill these left-over protein presscakes into your clean plant-based protein powder.
Only 1 ingredient, the de-oiled seed, is in Ulli’s protein powders. Nothing else.
"The fewer ingredients, the better" .
What are clean plant-based proteins?
The most common toxins found inside protein powder are heavy metals, like Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium and Mercury.
Studies showed that prolonged exposure to heavy metals may play a significant role in the development of certain degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.
Further to the heavy metals, traces of pesticides, mycotoxins, BPA, and residual solvents are found in most protein powders. Even small amounts of these substances have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and immune system deficiency.
So it is crucial that consumers take a closer look at the ingredients on their protein powder before making a purchase.
Some protein powders use artificial sweeteners, gums and fillers to attain an ideal texture, dissolvability, and flavor.
Clean plant-based protein have
- No Artificial sweeteners (and real sugar)
- No additives Guar gum, xanthan gum, and inulin
- No fillers
- No Vegetable oils & hydrogenated fats
A considerable amount of actual protein (choose >10g per serving)
- No Pesticides from industrial agriculture
- No Heavy Metals (Arsen, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury)
- No Hexane
Non-profits like LabDoor and The CleanLabelProject can help you with your protein powder selection.
Clean proteins are one aspect of eating clean, which focuses on shopping, cooking and eating healthy, whole, local foods over processed, refined one.
"The healthiest protein powder is the one that has the cleanest or fewest ingredients," Schehr says. Ulli’s proteins are a one ingredient product.
Which cold-pressed plant-based proteins should I choose?
The fact that hemp and pumpkin by default don’t require chemical processing and that they are complete proteins (check the label to see the extraction method; if it does not say expeller pressed it is chemically extracted with hexane) make it top choices for a vegan protein powder. Not only do they contain all of the 20 known amino acids – including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) – the types of protein it’s made up of include edestin and albumin, both easy to digest proteins.
Ulli’s proteins are made without any chemicals and heat in the most gentle way (by-product of our stamp-pressing method, the most gentle way to press oil; oil comes out below body temperature) and are a by-product from traceable locally grown, organic oilseeds.
Delicious and healthy: yes, it exists! Actually it is what Ulli’s Oil Mill stands for.
Our de-oiled seeds retain their distinctive aroma and taste because they are produced by gentle processing (gentle extraction or cold pressing) and they are not furtherly processed by conventional refining, bleaching, and deodorizing, which are routinely used to remove off-flavors and impurities as well as extend the shelf life of vegetable oils
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7831336/
How to use plant-based proteins?
We use our pumpkin protein as a
- yoghurt or smoothie topping or
- to substitute your flour in baking: This is all trial and error, but Ulli substitutes 30% (up to 50%) of flour in her sweet baking with her pumpkin protein. It gives your sweet baked dishes a delicious nutty flavor. When baking bread we recommend starting with substituting 15% of your flour.
- You can also use it instead of bread crumbs or to make doughs (quiche..). Please have a look at our recipes
- As a simple, deeply moisturizing face mask (add pumpkin protein to plain yoghurt, add a splash of hemp/camelina oil in it; stir, apply and let dry on your skin; wash off; your skin will thank you)
Our hemp protein actually contains a lot of fiber. We could sieve it out (from the hemp seeds) but decided not to, as we all can use this extra fiber in our food, right?
We use it mainly in
- our morning yoghurt with fresh fruits,
- in our smoothies and
- in savoury baking (bread, doughs) (substitute up to 15 to 20% of your flour with it).
- Making hemp pasta
- Add some salt and oil and stir it into a thick paste for body scrub; it exfoliates nicely!
Phil Catudal, NASM celebrity trainer and author of JUST YOUR TYPE: The Ultimate Guide to Eating and Training Right for Your Body, warns against going overboard on the health craze. "Supplements, including protein, are just that — supplements," he says. "A protein shake or bar a day is a great way to make sure you’re hitting your protein needs, but I like to see at least 75 percent or more total calories come from food."
What if you eat a handful of local nuts and seeds as a fantastic protein source instead of exclusively relying on protein powders and protein bars with a long list of ingredients?
Food should be delicious and healthy, right?
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Clean versus “Dirty” Vegan Protein Powders
When buying plant-based protein powder, you might check grams of protein and ingredients, but what about important information not on the label that can have harmful effects?
“Dirty” proteins are common on the market. Consider the origin of the ingredients, the processing method, the additives, the fillers, the heavy metals, the pesticides coming from industrial grown agricultural crops.
We wrote this article as a guide so you know what to stay away from in dirty protein proteins, what to look for in clean proteins, and how Ulli’s stacks up.
What are “dirty” protein powders?
Toxins
Toxins are commonly found in protein powder like heavy metals such as Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium and Mercury.
Studies showed that prolonged exposure to heavy metals may play a significant role in the development of certain degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.
Pesticides and solvents
In addition to heavy metals, traces of pesticides, mycotoxins, BPA, and residual solvents are found in most protein powders. Even small amounts of these substances have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and immune system deficiency.
Artificial additives
Some protein powders use artificial sweeteners, gums and fillers to attain certain texture, dissolvability, and flavor.
It is crucial that consumers take a closer look at the ingredients on their protein powder before making a purchase.
What are clean plant-based proteins?
Clean proteins are one aspect of eating clean, which focuses on shopping, cooking and eating healthy, whole, local foods instead of processed, refined ones.
Clean plant-based protein have
- No Artificial sweeteners (and real sugar)
- No additives Guar gum, xanthan gum, and inulin
- No fillers
- No Vegetable oils & hydrogenated fats
-
A considerable amount of actual protein (choose >10 grams per serving)
-
No Pesticides from industrial agriculture
- No Heavy Metals (Arsen, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury)
- No Hexane
Nonprofits like LabDoor and The CleanLabelProject can help you with your protein powder selection.
Clean protein powders have a clean label
Simple ingredients free of additives is important. This is why many say "The fewer ingredients, the better".
"The healthiest protein powder is the one that has the cleanest or fewest ingredients," Schehr says. Ulli’s proteins are a one ingredient product.
Only 1 ingredient, the de-oiled seed, is in Ulli’s protein powders. Nothing else.
Clean protein powder come from a sustainable, clean crop source
The purity of the crop the protein is derived from is the most important. So ideally go with local, traceable sourced ingredients.
Clean protein use a clean processing method
The processing method is another aspect of clean, plant-based proteins.
The means of processing ingredients is an important element to consider, especially when it comes to ingredients you are putting in your body and applying to your skin.
Powders derived from the cold-pressed process retain more nutrients and fiber than those made from the refining process.
Check the label to see the extraction method; if it does not say expeller pressed it is chemically extracted with hexane.
The importance of cold-press stamp pressed in small batches
Seed proteins such as pumpkin or hemp seed protein do not require harsh chemical based processing methods. The nut and seed proteins are a result of pressing oil.
As we pointed out in our cold-pressed oils blog our stamp-pressing method is the gentlest way to press oil. The oil never reaches above body temperature so high heat does not degrade nutrients and taste. We stone-mill the protein presscakes into clean vegan protein powder. The result is pumpkin and hemp protein made in the most nutritious preserving and gentle way.
The problem of chemical and heat extraction in plant based proteins
Legume proteins such as soy, pea, and quinoa protein unfortunately need chemicals and heat in their extraction method.
Unfortunately, many legume proteins such as soy and pea but also quinoa, require an extraction process which uses chemicals and heat (such as hexane and hydrochloric acid). High heat destroys the enzyme functions of the protein and should thus be avoided.
These methods have downsides. Expeller pressing always generates frictional heat and chemically extracting oil uses solvents.
The different kinds of plant-based proteins
There are hundreds of different kinds of plant-based proteins, including soy protein, pea protein, quinoa, hemp protein, brown rice protein, pumpkin seed protein and more. Choose the right protein
Now that’s a lot of plant-based proteins. Ulli’s favorites? Clean Pumpkin powder protein, Hemp protein and Camelina proteins. All organic, a product of Ulli’s gentle stamp-pressing method for her oils, nothing but stone-milled in small batches for maximum freshness and flavor. Find your own favorite and enjoy all the clean benefits!
How Ulli’s makes clean protein
Ulli’s proteins are grown locally around NY on certified organic fields by farmers who care about their soil. Her hemp and pumpkin protein powder come from the same seeds used to make her Good Food Award winning and NYT featured artisanal oils. Ulli’s stamp-presses her oils in small batches on demand for maximum freshness, nutrients and taste. Then she stone-mills the de-oiled seeds into a nutritious protein powder.
Ulli’s proteins are made without any chemicals and heat in the most gentle way (from our stamp-pressing method, the most gentle way to press oil; oil comes out below body temperature) and are upcycled from traceable locally grown, organic oilseeds.
The fact that hemp and pumpkin by default don’t require chemical processing and that they are complete proteins make them a top choice for a vegan protein powder. Not only do they contain all of the 20 known amino acids – including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) – the types of protein it’s made up of include edestin and albumin, both easy to digest proteins.
Delicious and healthy: yes, it exists! Actually it is what Ulli’s Oil Mill stands for.
Our de-oiled seeds retain their distinctive aroma and taste because they are produced by gentle processing (gentle extraction or cold pressing) and they are not furtherly processed by conventional refining, bleaching, and deodorizing, which are routinely used to remove off-flavors and impurities as well as extend the shelf life of vegetable oils. Amazing taste with no sugar or sweeteners added.
Food should be delicious and healthy, right?