NorCal Organic Pea Protein Isolate, Unflavored, Vegan, 2 lb, 35 Servings

I follow a special diet for a chronic health condition, and I'm always interested in unsweetened, additive-free protein powders that meet my needs. Over the years I'd tried a few other popular 100% pea proteins and disliked them all to various degrees, mostly due to the taste (and in some cases price). I decided to try one more brand before giving up on pea protein. I ended up liking this one better and have repurchased it a few times over the last couple years. Versatility: I use this in smoothies; for “protein fluff”; stirred into drippy nut/seed butter for homemade protein nut butter; in homemade grain-free protein granola (made in a dehydrator, not baked); in homemade no-bake protein bars/bites; and in homemade nondairy milk (added to the blender along with nuts/seeds before blending and straining). I've occasionally tried baking with it, but thus far that hasn't been my favorite use. In smoothies I only really like it in small amounts—to get a whole serving at once without feeling like it's making my food gross, I add it to other things. Taste: I would be lying if I said this tasted “good” on its own or added to just anything (and for reference, I’m the type who thinks unflavored hemp and pumpkin seed protein powder really do taste good!). But, it definitely tastes less-bad, less-overpowering, and less-bitter to me than other brands of pea protein I've tried. After some experimentation, I've come up with ways to use it where I think it makes food taste better overall, not worse—see above. Like all pea protein, it's quite salty-tasting to me, and I find this to be a limiting factor in how much I can add to fruit-flavored smoothies and similar things as I’m not a salt lover. But that's not an issue for foods that go well with some salt, and to me it seems less overpoweringly salty than some other brands. Color: this is a nice pale yellowish color that won't make food look unappetizing. Texture: this is a super super fine powder. I really like that in small amounts, it can add a certain nice mouthfeel to foods (e.g. homemade nondairy milk) without using starches or other additives. I think it can help emulsify things, although I don't know enough about food science to say if this is strictly accurate! In any case, I like its textural culinary properties a lot—no chunks or grit, doesn't do anything too bizarre texturally in recipes. It does absorb a LOT of water. Usability of package: I find the bag fussy to reseal, and because the powder is so fine, it gets all over whenever I open and close the bag. So I've started to just transfer the powder into a couple of clean, dry screw-top canisters left over from other protein powder, or a couple of quart mason jars. That solves the problem completely and only makes a mess once! I'm not deducting any stars for the bag because I'm afraid might cost more to put it in something better. Note: I review foods and supplements based ONLY on my liking of their taste and culinary properties, and whether they work for me. Not being an expert in nutrition or food safety, I have NO IDEA whether the health, nutrition, and safety claims made on the package are accurate so that doesn't come into my rating!

Best pea powder out there. You know where it's made, where it processed, & these sources are less likely for ick heavy metal etc ingredients & water contaminants than all the others out there. Also, not shipping to China is less fuel & more earth friendly. You are getting what you pay for, & it's pricey, but who wants creepy fuel use or contaminants for breakfast? I'm a vegetarian who will eat some fish, but mostly seek plant nutrients. Powder is the only way to go if you're restricting calories & hoping to get the right amount of protein. Postmenopausal calorie restrictions are no joke. Halve a daily rec & you're in my zone. It's fine & smooth, with little taste. I mix it into my fridge cooled coffee & add the oat milk after for iced coffee. Now I miss the faint cereal milk quality when I have coffee without it. It delivers the most protein to calorie that my body tolerates. Whey isn't an option. It would be great in smoothies, I am just not a smoothy person. I love my fruits & veggies--they're dinner & dessert.

I use this every day in a smoothie. It’s flavorless so it blends well with anything I put in a smoothie. I like that it’s organic. As a vegan, it’s important to me that it has 22 grams of complete protein per serving, so I get a nice portion of my daily target of 100 grams in one delicious smoothie. I also like that it’s not sweetened or flavored with vanilla or chocolate like most protein powders. That makes it more versatile. Because it doesn’t have any flavor, you could probably add it to any drink to get a good dose of protein, although I’ve only used it in smoothies. This is a top quality product, especially for vegans.

Clean ingredients, which is super great, but the flavor is just the same as with any other pea protein powder. It overpowers everything, and very hard to mask the strong pea taste. It’s not as BAD as other brands, but it’s not flavorless at all. Also, just as with many other powders, it makes whatever liquid you’re using thick, so you need to add more liquid. If you’re using 8oz of milk, add at least 12oz for example. Overall, it is a very clean powder and I think the price is good too. I’d continue to buy just because of that. I took off one star because it’s not flavorless.

This organic pea protein powder is truly exceptional. With only one ingredient it is very clean, mixes well, and being unflavored doesn't take over the taste of your smoothie. I am really glad that I found it.

Last four bags I got were great. I loved the stuff and recommended it to others. The most recent one I got on Nov. 6, 2023, besides the name change from Source Organics to NorCal Organics, the moment I opened it there was a hint of odd chemical plasticy vinyl smell. I thought it was the plastic scoop or maybe the bag (assuming it was me, that I just didn't catch the smell before). After all this time of getting this stuff and enjoying use of it, all of a sudden not only does it smell a tinge odd, but it totally made me feel sick the days when I ate it. Not just once... it took me a bit to catch on unfortunately. I have regular eating habits and thought I had a lasting stomach bug - work got in the way of my usual one morning, one afternoon scoop of this in my smoothies. I got better when I hadn't had it...but didn't realize why. Then I got back into my routine and got the "stomach bug" right after drinking it again. Another day of spending hours in the bathroom with pain, nausea, gas, diarrhea... IDK what to do - I wish I knew what actually changed, why the contents of -this- bag would make me sick but not any of the others. It makes me wonder about quality control, or did I get sent a counterfit and I now know what melamine or some other protein replacement smells like and how it affects me? Or was it replaced with something else? I know milk products wipe my guts out like this, as I have been vegan so long it has "weaned" me off dairy. Whatever is going on...BLECH. :( I really loved this product, too.

Love this protein. It’s clean and without funky sweeteners, mixes well, and doesn’t cause stomach issues. It doesn’t really have any flavor, so it’s great for adding things like frozen berries, bananas, or nut butters.

I'm surprised at all the negative reviews about how 'chalky' and 'sour' tasting NorCal is. I've tried over half a dozen different pea protein powders around the world (digital nomad), and have definitely had the sour, gross, gritty, and overwhelming taste of pea, protein powders and NorCal isn't any of these. In fact, this is my FAVORITE US-based protein powder to date because it: *the lowest sodium of any brand I've tried thus far *is sourced in Canada so fewer heavy metals, and it's organic *is packaged in somewhat eco-friendly packaging (better than a big thick plastic tub) *mixes beautifully into my soymilk or water for my cereal/oatmeal/shake/protein shot *completely neutral flavor which again makes it perfect for the aforementioned consumption methods If I had to complain about something, it would be the price; if they had a more affordable non-organic option that retained all the other same qualities, I'd opt for that. But in this case: I'm of the opinion that you get what you pay for!

excelente proteina, buen sabor muy natural y deliciosa consitencia. Solo recomendaría cambiar de la bolsa en la que viene a otro contenedor con tapa, en mi casa hay muchas polillas y pudieron meterse a la bolsa que es dificil de cerrar completamente