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Ritual is a subscription-based supplement company that offers a variety of multivitamins and protein powders made from simple, high-quality ingredients.
Founded in 2016, Ritual has become one of the most popular brands for nutritional supplements due to its transparency and traceable ingredients, qualities that made them a favorite among the ethical and sustainable crowd.
Ritual is also completely vegan and cruelty-free, and some of its ingredients are organic and sourced from regenerative farms, which partly explains why its supplements are more expensive than your average brand.
This article takes a closer look at Ritual’s protein powder, what it has to offer, and how it compares to other plant-based protein powders on the market.
Main Takeaways
- Ritual Protein Powder uses top-notch ingredients such as non-GMO peas from the USA and vanilla beans from Madagascar, and uniquely offers traceability information to consumers.
- It caters to specific needs with specialized formulations like Daily Shake 50+ with added calcium and a Pregnancy & Postpartum formula with choline.
- The powder is free of GMOs, gluten, sugar, stevia, and artificial additives. It’s sweetened with fermented sugarcane, monk fruit, and vanilla beans.
- Priced at $40 for only 15 servings ($2.67 per serving), Ritual’s Protein Powder is a premium option and may not be cost-effective for all consumers.
Ritual Protein Powder Overview
Ritual is different from most brands in the sense that they create products that are age-specific, and often take into account certain circumstances such as pregnancy.
Their Essential Protein comes in three variations:
- Daily Shake 18+: Made for younger men and women under 50 years of age;
- Daily Shake 50+: Made for older men and women over 50 years of age;
- Daily Shake Pregnancy & Postpartum: Made for women in pregnancy, postpartum, and lactation phases.
Depending on the type of protein powder you select, you will have access to different nutrients, specifically minerals as the requirements change when you age or find yourself pregnant.
| Daily Shake 18+ | Daily Shake 50+ | Pregnancy & Postpartum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 115 | 120 | 115 |
| Protein | 20 grams | 20 grams | 20 grams |
| Fat | 2 grams | 2 grams | 2 grams |
| Carbs | 3 grams | 5 grams | 4 grams |
| Fiber | 3 grams | 3 grams | 3 grams |
| Choline | 27% of the DVA | 36% of the DV | 45% of the DV |
| Calcium | 9% of the DV | 28% of the DV | 9% of the DV |
| Iron | 19% of the DV | 15% of the DV | 10% of the DV |
| Sodium | 13% of the DV | 9% of the DV | 9% of the DV |
For example, as humans age, we experience a decline in intestinal calcium absorption, resulting in secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone loss. Too little calcium can lead to osteoporosis, a health condition that weakens bones, making them more fragile and likely to break.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that women aged 50 or younger and men 70 or younger should get 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day, but men and women older than that should get 1,200 mg daily.
For this reason, Ritual has included more calcium in its Daily Shake 50+ formula, accounting for the decline in our ability to absorb nutrients as we get older, particularly after 50 years of age.
The Daily Shake 50+ formula also contains calcium beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), which studies show may help increase muscle mass and improve strength and physical function in older adults. [1][2]
The Pregnancy and Postpartum formula, on the other hand, contains more choline than average, which is normal as choline intake requirements increase during pregnancy and lactation. [3]
Choline is absent from most prenatal vitamins currently on the market, and less than ten percent of pregnant women achieve target intake levels, according to evidence. [4]
One thing to keep in mind is that choline is mostly obtained by eating egg yolk, liver, and red meat, and for vegans and vegetarians, that is usually a no-go. Thus, if you’re a vegan or vegetarian going through the different pregnancy stages and wish to increase your choline intake (on top of consuming more protein), then Ritual’s protein powder is a serious candidate.
Another important aspect I must mention is that Ritual’s protein powder has a complete amino acid profile, as you would find in whey protein powder, so you can be sure that you’ll be having every crucial and non-crucial amino acid, including leucine, isoleucine, valine, which are generally considered the most important for muscle gains.
The amount of protein is the same in all three variations (20 grams) but the rest is basically similar. The only exception, as we’ve mentioned, is the mineral content (i.e: calcium, iron, choline, sodium, etc) and their respective quantities which are dosed according to specific needs.
Protein Breakdown
If a product is labeled as a protein powder, you should ensure that it has as much protein per scoop as possible; otherwise, buying a protein powder with very little protein in it is pointless.
Naturally, this depends on your goal, but if you’re intending to buy a protein powder to support your gym goals, then it makes sense to get one with significant protein content.
To determine whether a protein powder is legit, one has to calculate how much protein it contains per scoop, and the criteria used to evaluate the quality of a protein powder fall under the following:
- 65-75% protein per scoop = reasonable
- 75-85% protein per scoop = good
- More than 85% protein per scoop = excellent
Ritual’s protein powder contains 69% protein, which means that 69% of the total calories in this supplement are derived from protein, whilst the other 31% correspond to carbs and fat. Daily Shake 50+ contains a slightly lower percentage of protein than the other two variations, but it’s still within the ‘reasonable’ range.
In terms of protein proportion, Ritual could contain much more protein, but they’ve emphasized other aspects such as nutrient density. This tells me they’re not exactly aiming for people that wish to maximize muscle gains in the gym or people that are insanely into fitness, but rather the people that wish to up their protein and nutrient intake for health reasons.
What I Like About Ritual Protein Powder
High-Quality & Traceable Ingredients
The ingredients present within Ritual’s protein powder are high-quality; for example, the plant-based pea protein is derived from organic, non-GMO peas grown in the USA using regenerative farming practices.
The vanilla flavor in their protein is developed from vanilla beans bought directly from farmers in Madagascar that sustainably produce and harvest them.
And if you wish to dig even further, Ritual gives you access to the name of the supplier, as well as the final location of manufacturing, which is something that 99% of supplement companies do not do.
In other words, not only are the ingredients high-quality, but they’re also traceable, which is an aspect that vegans like me who are particularly conscious of the environment and the ethical aspect of manufacturing appreciate.
Formulated With Specific Needs In Mind
I’ve mentioned this earlier, but Ritual’s protein powder comes in different variations that address your specific dietary needs as you age.
For instance, Daily Shake 50+ targets older individuals so it contains more calcium, which becomes harder to absorb as we age and there’s really not much we can do about it other than increasing our calcium intake.
The other variation is the Pregnancy & Postpartum protein formula which contains more choline, an essential nutrient that is important to consume during pregnancy. It helps your baby’s brain and spinal cord develop properly and may even protect your baby against neural tube defects.
Choline can be found in legumes but it’s more abundant in foods such as egg yolk, liver, and red meat, so if you’re a pregnant vegan or vegetarian, having an extra source of choline could be interesting.
It’s rare to find a brand that takes the different stages of human life into consideration, but Ritual seems to really understand the different needs people might have now and in the future.
No Sugar, Stevia, Or Sugar Alcohol
On top of being produced without GMOs, as well as being gluten-free and vegan-friendly, Ritual’s protein powder also doesn’t contain sugar, stevia, sugar alcohols, artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners.
It’s the only protein powder of its kind that is flavored and sweetened with a combination of fermented sugarcane(Reb-M), monk fruit, and vanilla beans. It’s healthier than most.
The Taste Is Pretty Good
Unfortunately, pea protein isolates have a reputation for having a bad taste and texture. Often, people will complain about their earthy taste and the lack of solubility, making them a less-than-ideal choice among people who might consider the flavor/taste as the most important factor in a protein powder.
The good news is that Ritual’s pea protein powder is actually quite good. It’s not overly sweet (which can be explained by the lack of sweeteners) and it has very good mixability— so you won’t be feeling the clumps of protein as you try to gulp down the mixture.
It’s also a great addition to other beverages like a milkshake or a smoothie, in case you want to have something that is more complete nutrient-wise.
What I Don’t Like About Ritual Protein Powder
Pricey & Low Number of Servings
Although I’ve always been aware that Ritual is a premium brand that formulates products that are more expensive than your average protein powder, I’ve come to realize it’s even more expensive than that.
The price of Ritual’s protein powder is $40, and while that might still be doable for such a high-quality protein powder, it’s no longer the case if you consider that it only has 15 servings. This means that the price per serving is $2.67, which is relatively high for a protein powder, even such a high-quality one.
Even though the price might be justified by the quality of the ingredients and the fact the company goes above and beyond to guarantee traceability, I generally do not like to recommend products that are this expensive.
Is Ritual Protein Powder Any Good?
Based on how transparent Ritual is and judging from the quality of its protein powder’s ingredients, I’ll go out on a limb and say that it’s among the best pea protein powders on the market, however, it comes with a cost that you might not be able to afford.
Ritual targets vegans and vegetarians, groups that generally take into account both the environmental and ethical impact of supply chains in their purchasing decision. The brand does a superb job of ensuring that the ingredients are produced sustainably and ethically, which is the reason they made each ingredient traceable and vegan-friendly.
Apart from the quality of the ingredients, it also contains a solid amount of pea protein, which is known for having a complete amino acid profile, so it’s not like you’ll be losing out on any of the essential amino acids that stop you from maximizing muscle growth or recovery post-workout.
More importantly, Ritual has two additional protein powder varieties that address specific dietary needs in key life stages. In other words, they have one formula with significantly more calcium for those who are more than 50 years old, and one formula with significantly more choline for women who are pregnant.
So, is Ritual’s protein powder worth the investment? Frankly, I would only buy this protein powder if I was financially stable to the point where I can easily afford to spend $40 every month for a protein powder with 15 servings. Otherwise, It might be too steep of an investment in my opinion.
With that being said, if you’re still interested, you can buy it from Ritual’s official website.
Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.
References:
1. Rathmacher JA, Pitchford LM, Khoo P, et al. Long-term Effects of Calcium β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate and Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Muscular Function in Older Adults With and Without Resistance Training: A Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020.
2. Wilkinson DJ, Hossain T, Limb MC, et al. Impact of the calcium form of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate upon human skeletal muscle protein metabolism. Clin Nutr. 2018.
3. Korsmo HW, Jiang X, Caudill MA. Choline: Exploring the Growing Science on Its Benefits for Moms and Babies. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1823. Published 2019 Aug 7.
4. Wallace TC, Fulgoni VL. Usual Choline Intakes Are Associated with Egg and Protein Food Consumption in the United States. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):839. Published 2017 Aug.
