PhD Diet Plant Protein Powder Review: Worth It?

The PhD Diet Plant Protein Powder is a low-calorie, vegan protein supplement that delivers 20g of plant protein per scoop for fewer than 100 calories. That makes it one of the easiest vegan proteins to slot into a weight-loss or cutting plan. PhD have been in the supplement sector since 2006 and have always leaned on a high-quality, innovative product range, and Diet Plant is no exception.

In this review we put the Salted Caramel flavour through its paces, covering what it's made from, how it tastes and mixes, its macros, and whether it earns its place in your cupboard.

Overview

PhD Diet Plant is a vegan-friendly and gluten-free protein supplement. You can use it in shakes, smoothies, or as an ingredient in your own healthy baking (protein pancakes for breakfast, anyone?). It contains all of the essential amino acids needed for muscle building, with fewer than 100 calories per scoop.

One scoop provides 20g of protein (the other flavours vary by a gram or two), which makes it a strong supplement for supporting a muscle-building programme. But the things that matter most day to day are the taste and mixability, so let's get stuck into those.

Main features

This protein powder pairs a high protein content with excellent mixability, a key attribute for many people, while staying low in calories, which makes it a great fit if you're chasing a specific fitness goal.

As noted, each serving delivers 20g of vegan plant-based protein for under 100 calories. That's great news if you're following a weight-loss programme or trying to shed a few excess pounds while holding on to muscle mass. The Salted Caramel flavour tastes delicious, mixes evenly without clumping when blended into shakes and smoothies, and makes it an easy, convenient way to hit your amino acid needs while satisfying a sweet craving.

Ingredients and nutrition

PhD Diet Plant is made with a blend of pea and soya protein. Each scoop gives you enough protein to maintain muscle mass and support repair and recovery from exercise, along with all eight essential amino acids your body needs, which makes it useful for active people and those looking to lose weight alike.

Peas are one of the most popular vegan protein sources because they contain high levels of arginine, an amino acid that supports a number of functions in the body, most notably helping to absorb protein and aid recovery.

The formula also includes L-carnitine, a metabolic aid that helps convert food into energy, which can be particularly useful for those looking to lose weight. Finally, it contains green tea extract, which studies suggest may support weight loss, blood-sugar regulation, general health and exercise recovery.

On the macros, one 25g scoop of Diet Plant provides 94kcal, 20g of protein, 0.8g of fat, 1.2g of carbohydrates and 0.5g of fibre. Those are pretty unbeatable numbers if you're trying to keep carbs low and protein high.

Taste and mixability

The Salted Caramel flavour strikes a near-perfect balance of sweet and salty. The texture is very smooth, with no gritty bits and no flavour residue left in your mouth.

Mixed with water, you get a surprisingly creamy, flavoursome shake, which was genuinely unexpected. We're normally against water-based protein powders and tend to prefer oat or soya milk, but we found ourselves reaching for water far more often with Diet Plant. The powder blends into liquid without much effort, and can also be used as a baking ingredient, with PhD providing recipes on their website.

Value for money

At £20.99 for a 1kg bag at the time of writing, PhD Diet Plant isn't the cheapest vegan protein on the market, but in our opinion it's worth every penny. (If you spot it cheaper, grab a bag.)

We love the Salted Caramel flavour; it's one of the best salted caramel protein powders we've tasted on the vegan market, and the low-calorie macros make it stand out from rivals that charge more for less.

Verdict

PhD Diet Plant Protein Powder in Salted Caramel is a vegan protein we'd happily recommend to any reader looking for plant-based protein in their diet. The taste and texture are excellent, and taste matters enormously when choosing a vegan protein, while the value for money holds up well against similar products that cost more. It's been a genuine pleasure to use, and it's an easy pick for anyone after a low-calorie, plant-based supplement.