The Best Protein Powders for Pregnancy

Congratulations on your new pregnancy! Now there are a million questions you need answered like, what is the best protein powder for pregnancy? Is protein powder even suitable for pregnancy? And a whole bunch more!

You’ve come to exactly the right place to have all those questions answered and more.

In this article we will be covering:

• if protein powder is safe to consume during pregnancy.
• You will learn why you would want to be consuming protein shakes throughout your pregnancy.
• Which types of protein shakes and which common ingredients you will definitely want to stay away from while you are pregnant.
• We will also share some great clean protein powders that are nutritious, clean, and healthy for you during your pregnancy.

**This post may contain affiliate links to items I own and love and am confident will benefit you immensely! You can read the full disclosure here. I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist. I am a mother of 3 with a lot of health and wellness background who is certified in Nutrition and Lifestyle During Pregnancy. I urge you to consult your own personal doctor prior to changing anything in your diet, especially during pregnancy.**

Is Protein Powder Suitable for Pregnancy?

It is a pleasure to answer that now as of 2020 there are definitely clean protein powders whose ingredients are pure enough to enhance your pregnancy nutrition. It is a wonderful idea to drink protein shakes throughout your pregnancy as long as you are sure to choose the right type.

Some protein powders contain so many vitamins and minerals they can be compared to your prenatal!

Protein powders have come quite far in their nutritional content in the more recent years and some provide a myriad of different nutrients that are essential to a healthy pregnancy.

Protein powders are usually seen as a supplement, so it’s a good idea to have any supplement cleared by your trusted OBGYN or midwife.

As you may well know, your nutritional requirements are exponentially increased during pregnancy.

While it is ideal to get your nutrients from your diet as they are more readily absorbed and in their most pure and natural forms, your nutritional needs during pregnancy are so high in fact that certain nutrients must be consumed in the form of a supplement.

Like a really clean prenatal vitamin that contains real folate, not the artificial folic acid that there’s a good chance you can’t even absorb. (If you don’t know what I mean click the link above. That article will explain all the differences between folate and folic acid.)

High-quality protein powders are another great way to get all these extra vitamins and minerals into your diet that are required to grow a healthy baby.

Step by step Guidance to get the Protein You Need for Pregnancy

Maybe you have religiously followed this blog through your pregnancy and already know this, but more likely you landed here on a Google or Pinterest search.

I’m the creator of the prenatal nutrition and fitness program known as the Perfect Pregnancy Plan. You see, about 1 1/2 years ago I took a course and got certified in Nutrition and Lifestyle During Pregnancy and what I learned blew my mind.

I became a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer over a decade ago so I knew the benefits of nutrition and exercise in our daily lives. I knew the secrets to having a fit bump only pregnancy.

But I had no idea about everything we’ve discovered through epigenetics about how your diet and exercise during pregnancy directly affects your child’s genetic expression!

That what we eat while pregnant, which nutrients, the amounts, and when can change how our baby’s genes are expressed, directly affecting their predisposition to a multitude of diseases, their metabolism, and their cognitive abilities.

So I continued studying everything we now know in 2020 about nutrition during pregnancy to grow the healthiest baby possible and put it all into an online course for moms.

Because as mothers we all deserve to have that information at our fingertips in an easy to understand and apply format.

And this information just wasn’t compiled anywhere else… until now.

The Perfect Pregnancy Plan breaks down every macronutrient you need to increase, what it does for your baby’s development, and how to source it… even tricks to increase the mineral absorption of your foods.

Giving you guidelines of how much protein you need, how much of each macronutrient, and great printables to help along the way.

AND protein shakes (the ones in this post specifically) are a vital component in the Perfect Pregnancy Plan diet to grow a more healthy baby.

I’m super passionate about this subject so could keep going but if you want to learn more about the Perfect Pregnancy Plan you can check it out here. You can see what other moms are saying about it right here.

And everything you need to know about the absolute best protein powders for pregnancy will follow.

Some nutrients that you need to increase during pregnancy like those listed below can be found in some high-quality protein powders.

• Vitamin A supports brain, heart, respiratory and eye development
• Vitamin B6 helps form red blood cells and may even help to ease morning sickness in high enough doses
• Vitamin B9 (this is folate! who knew?) helps prevent neural tube defects and possibly other defects such as cleft palate
• Vitamin B12 may help prevent birth defects, preterm labor, and helps blood formation. Is also an energy booster for tired mamas
• Vitamin C very important to build and maintain a healthy placenta and amniotic sack which transfer nutrients directly from mother to baby
• Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption that strengthens baby’s bones
• Vitamin K assists the body with healthy blood clotting and forming baby’s bones
• Calcium is well known for directly supporting the development of teeth and bones
• Zinc helps to support the immune system
• Magnesium helps with muscle function and helps to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels, fight off sugar cravings, and maintain blood pressure
• Iron is very important to consume enough of for mother in addition to baby because of the huge increase in blood volume to support mom and baby. Can help prevent premature delivery as well as low birth weight
• Iodine is important for thyroid function and keeping a healthy immune system
• Amino acids are essential for muscle growth and supporting every single cell in baby’s body (look for a full amino acid profile)
• Choline supports baby’s brain growth and helps prevent neural tube defects

Be sure when choosing a protein powder for pregnancy you review all of its nutritional contents to be sure it is actually suitable for pregnancy. Just because a food is marketed as a “health food” or claims to be great for pregnancy doesn’t mean it actually is.

Why should you consume protein powders while pregnant?

During pregnancy your nutritional requirements are so high it is often hard to reach them through diet alone. That is one reason that it is always recommended you also supplement with a high-quality prenatal vitamin in addition to eating a clean whole-food diet packed with nutrition.

Protein powders are another wonderful way to supplement additional nutrition easily.

• Protein shakes are fast and easy to make.
• Protein shakes (at least the ones on this list) are often very nutrient-dense. Meaning that their nutrition is very high while containing a relatively low amount of calories.
• Protein powders come in many varieties of flavors and textures so that you can definitely find something you love!
• Many pregnant women find protein shakes easy to stomach during the nausea ride that is pregnancy.
• Protein powders can also be easily used as a nutritional supplement in baking.
• Eating protein shakes can help you gain just the right amount of pregnancy weight without going overboard. (Learn how to gain the right amount of pregnancy weight and what that number is for you.)

What types of protein powder should you definitely stay away from during pregnancy?

Though protein powders have always been touted as a health food and weight loss supplement, most are a far cry from it.

Many protein shakes are loaded with fillers, artificial ingredients, and chemicals. When choosing a safe protein powder for pregnancy there are a few common protein powder ingredients that you need to watch out for.

Common ingredients in protein powders you never want to eat, especially while pregnant:

• Artificial sweeteners
• Added sugars (these can have many names besides sugar like cane juice, fructose, or corn syrup)
• Artificial flavors
• Food coloring
• Soy
• Casein
• Vegetable oils and fats

You also want to aim for an ingredient list you can pronounce and are familiar with. Reading something like, “whey, spirulina, and organic quinoa” is great! While an ingredient list that sounds like, “maltodextrin, natural and artificial flavors, and sucralose” is something you need to leave on the shelf. The foods you should completely avoid during pregnancy to grow a healthy baby may surprise you!

Just because a protein powder says on the label that it is approved and recommended for pregnancy, does not make it an ideal choice at all. Use your own discretion. Read the labels carefully.

What you put into your body during pregnancy directly affects your child’s gene expression and their health throughout their lives.

What ingredients should you look for in a protein powder suitable for pregnancy?

When searching for a protein powder suitable for pregnancy there are a few things to remember to make it easier to find a great brand!

1. No artificial ingredients. That includes artificial sweeteners, colors, etc.
2. No soy. There are a ton of reasons to avoid soy during pregnancy. For now, let’s just mention it is a hormone disruptor (NOT what you want during pregnancy) and later I’ll create a post to link to here explaining more detail.)
3. Additional nutrients that enhance fetal growth and development that you can find in high-quality protein powders are folate, choline, spirulina, chlorella (helps naturally detoxify your body in a way that is safe during pregnancy), spinach, kale, chia, amino acids.

What types of protein powder are best to consume while pregnant?

This list is by no means all-inclusive. The number of protein powders available on the market is extensive. But I have done a lot of research to find you the cleanest protein powders with the most ingredients that can directly enhance fetal growth and development.

You are welcome to take the information you learned earlier in this post about what to avoid and what to look for in pregnancy-safe protein powder and shop for your own.

But feel free to shop right from this list and be confident that as a mom certified in nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy, I have done the research for you and these are the best of the best protein powders for pregnancy.

Plus I will tell you exactly why each protein powder is great for pregnancy and which additional nutrients that enhance baby’s growth and development it contains!

This list goes far beyond including protein powders that just omit “bad-for-you” ingredients and include real food clean ingredients. There are tons of protein powders that include clean ingredients that are suitable for pregnancy.

Each protein powder in THIS LIST goes far beyond being “suitable” for pregnancy. Each of these protein shakes include additional ingredients, vitamins, and nutrients that we know are required for healthy baby growth and development!

You can be confident that the protein powders on this list are perfectly suited to help you fill in nutritional gaps and reach those super high nutritional requirements for pregnancy!

The Best Protein Powders for Pregnancy

1. So Lean and So Clean

Amount of protein and calories in this shake and it’s source:

• 22 grams of plant-based protein and 130 calories from organic pea protein, organic rice protein, organic sacha inchi, organic hemp protein, organic sprouted quinoa, organic amaranth.

What is NOT in it?

So Lean and So Clean definitely wins in this department, as their name implies! Any possible allergens, irritants, or additives are not in this pregnancy-safe protein powder.

• no soy
• no dairy
• no GMOs
• no fillers
• no wheat
• no gluten
• no eggs
• no soy
• no fish or shellfish
• no peanuts
• no artificial colors and flavors
• no parabens
• no synthetic pesticides
• no synthetic herbicides

Learn why it is so important to know what is NOT in your products during pregnancy: How to avoid horrible toxins in our everyday lives during pregnancy.

What extra nutrients are in this protein powder to enhance pregnancy health?

• only 2 scoops contains 39%* your daily value of iron to help prevent premature delivery as well as low birth weight
• 2 full servings of greens (but you can’t taste them at all!)
• a full spectrum of digestive enzymes to help slow pregnancy digestion
• a full amino acid profile for muscle growth and supporting every single cell in baby’s body
• tins of antioxidants from blueberries, blackberries, acerola, and acai

Approximate price point of this protein powder: It costs about $40-$50 for 20 servings depending on whether or not you subscribe.

This protein powder is not too sweet, rather plain but delicious, and blends well. It is easy to stomach even during morning sickness, which is SO important when looking for a protein powder for pregnancy. They even just updated the formulation in 2025 to exclude stevia because so many people don’t love the aftertaste of it. So Lean and So Clean is the protein powder I carefully selected for my pregnancy, try some out here!

2. Peacock Protein by Birdman

This has quickly become my new favorite protein powder this year. I was looking for a clean, high-quality all-in-one protein powder and found this new brand. The only other protein powder I’ve found with a similar all-inclusive supplement list is Shakeology, which is extremely expensive (but I do love it and for many including myself sometimes is worth the price). 

Amount of Protein and Calories and Its Source

This protein powder contains 21 grams of plant-based protein per serving and 170 calories from pea protein. It has s slightly higher calorie count than other protein powders I typically suggest but it is by no means high and thus extrememly nutritionally dense.

What’s NOT in it?

• No added sugars at all
• Soy free
• Dairy free
• Vegan

What IS in it that benefits pregnancy health?

• Complete meal replacement shake
• Full vitamin profile (can replace your prenatal multivitamin but personally I’d take both to be on the safe side)
• Fruit and veggies blend
• Mood and and mind boosting supplement blend 
• Probiotics
• Vegan formula
• MTC oil

Approximate Price Point on this Protein Powder

This new protein powder I find really impressive for the pricepoint especially. It does vary widely as it’s a new product it goes on super sale a lot to attract new customers. Expect to pay between $50-32 per container depending on the day. The biggest downfall of this new protein powder is that it sells out a lot! There is a chocolate and vanilla variety and I prefer vanilla. 

Give Birdman Peacock protein powder a try now!

3. Raw Organic Protein and Greens

Amount of protein in this shake and it’s source:

• 20 grams of raw organic plant protein and 100 calories from Organic Peas and Sprouted Organic Grains, Seeds and Legumes

What is Not in it?

• no dairy
• no soy
• it is gluten-free
• no GMOs

What extra nutrients are in this protein powder to enhance pregnancy health?

• This protein powder for pregnancy is low in carbohydrates (3 grams per serving) and low in sugars having less than 1 gram! Blood sugar spikes from too many carbohydrates or sugars have been seen to have a negative impact on fetal health. You do not need to worry about that with this protein shake!
• 25%* of your daily levels of zinc to boost up your immune system that pregnancy compromises.
• 70%* of your daily value of manganese to help build baby’s bones and cartilage.
• 15%* daily vitamin A to brain, heart, respiratory and eye development.
• 25%* daily vitamin K to help form baby’s bones.
• In addition, this protein powder contains greens like spinach and kale which are vital to consume the nutrients from during pregnancy.
• Each serving contains 1.5 billion CFUs of probiotics to enhance sluggish digestion from pregnancy as well as boost your immune system.
• Many essential and branched-chain amino acids!

Approximate pricepoint of this protein powder: Garden of Life Protein and Greens usually costs about $32 for 20 servings. Get some now!

4. Vega Organic All-in-One Protein Powder 

This protein powder is similar to the Peacock Protein Powder in that it has a lot more than just protein. It’s a clean ingredient recipe and has the extra benefit of being organic. Plus it tastes really good and mixes easily.

Amount of protein and calories in this shake and their source.

This plant based protein powder contains 140 calories in each serving and the protein is sourced from pea protein and golden flax seeds.

What is NOT in this protein powder?

• Vegan
• Gluten free
• No artificial colors
• No artificial flavors
• No preservatives
• Non GMO

What extra nutrients in this protein powder boost prenatal health?

This protein powder is all organic, which is important as you should do your best to have a non-toxic pregnancy (at least as much as you can these days).

It also contains so many extra nutrients more than just protein! There is also a wonderfully inclusive fruit and vegetable blend as well as Omega 3’s! Which you can’t get enough of when creating  human.

Additionally you will know that it is good for your digestive health as it contains probiotics and fiber too. Both are not in most protein powders.

Vega has a whole lot of great protein powder blends but this one is the most all inclusive. I love this protein powder because it’s easy to get on Amazon or even at your local health food store. 

It is also a good source of 13 vitamins and minerals, not enough to replace your multivitamin (Peacock Protein will though) but it provides about 50% of your daily requirements. So when paried with a good prenatal it’s just perfect!

Approximate Price Point of This Protein Powder

This protein powder is slightly on the higher side only because you get less servings. Expect to pay approximately $50 for 18 servings. Give Vega All-in-One Protein a try today!

Wrapping up the Best Protein Powders for Pregnancy

Extensive research has gone into choosing these protein powders for pregnancy. In fact so much research because these protein powders are highly recommended in my prenatal nutrition program that is helping many moms grow healthier babies right now!

If you choose to consume protein powder while pregnant be sure that it is one that is safe for pregnancy and doesn’t contain any fillers or artificial ingredients.

Any of the protein powders from this list can greatly enhance your pregnancy nutrition, fill nutritional gaps that your diet may have, help to grow a healthy baby, and help you gain a safe amount of pregnancy weight.

What is your favorite flavor of protein powder? I’d love to hear in the comments below. I almost always choose vanilla because it blends so easily with any smoothie flavor that I create for the day. Most of these protein powders come in at least vanilla and chocolate but some have even more flavors!

More Pregnancy Nutrition Resources from The Perfect Pregnancy Plan

• 7 Nutritional Pregnancy Breakfasts to Grow a Healthy Baby
• 5 Foods you never want to eat during Pregnancy
• 5 Foods You Want to Eat Every Day During Pregnancy