Moonjuice Protein Reviews are tough to find from this speciality LA-based brand, so when one of my followers asked me for my thoughts, I knew I had to oblige. I got my hands on all THREE Moonjuice Vegan protein flavors and will tell you which of the three is my favorite. I’ll go over taste, formula, ingredients, and packaging before letting you know the final verdict. Sooo. Yeah. You are in the right place if you’re looking to learn all about Moonjuice! Let’s just get this review underway because as Randy Houser would say, we’re ‘runnin’ out of moonlight!
Moonjuice is a fancy juice bar and cafe in Los Angeles. I have been there on several occasions, and I usually get one of their special house tonics because of the adaptogenic ingredients. Now. I don’t have all the special details on how those adaptogens work, but I do know that they make you feel good. And I like feeling good. The funny thing is that I had NO idea that Moonjuice Shop sold protein powders until a few weeks ago when one of my Twitter followers asked about the Moonjuice Vegan protein. Without further delay I went to the Moonjuice website to see what I cold see. To my delight I found THREE different flavors of Moonjuice Protein. I filled my car and waited for my Moonjuice package to arrive. It took about three day to arrive, and I instantly set out mixing up my spoils. Let me kick off the review my comparing the different formulas of each of the three Moonjuice Vegan Protein flavors.
What is in Moonjuice?
The thing you need to know about Moonjuice Proteins is that all three flavors have different formulations to deliver different effects and benefits. I’ll list out the formulas of all three and then note what each one is for.
The ‘Vanilla Mushroom‘ flavor contains the following ingredients:
Brown Rice Protein, Mesquite Powder, Rice Bran Fiber (Tocotrienols), Cordyceps Mushroom Extract, Reishi Mushroom Extract, Vanilla Bean Powder, Ashwagandha Root and Leaf Extract, Stevia Extract
NOTES: The vanilla flavor contains reishi mushroom, cordyceps, and ashwagandha. These three ingredients are purposed to reduce stress, increase and sustain energy, and prevent stree-related weight gain.
The ‘Deep Chocolate‘ Flavor of the Moon Juice protein contains the following ingredients:
Brown Rice Protein, Maca Root Extract, Cacao Powder, Shatavari Root Powder, Ashwagandha Root and Leaf Extract, Cinnamon Powder, Stevia Extract
NOTES: This chocolate formula is slightly different from the vanilla flavor in that it contains none of the same mushrooms, but instead uses Maca, which is another herb that promotes energy and focus naturally
The ‘Blue Beauty’ flavor of Moon Juice Plant Protein contains the following:
Brown Rice Protein, Chia Seed Powder, Rice Bran Fiber (Tocotrienols), Blue Spirulina Extract, Ashwagandha Root and Leaf Extract, Amla Berry Extract, Stevia Extract
NOTES: This ‘blue’ flavor includes spirulina extract, which gives it a blue-ish hue and color. It also includes ashwagandha to help regulate stress.
So from a formulation standpoint, these Moon Juice powders are quite a bit different from the other plant-based proteins that I’ve reviewed here on the site. Rather than use fruits and veggies, they use mushroom adaptogens. It’s pretty cool, really. In a world where almost every vegan protein is simply pea protein with sometimes a specialty ingredients mixed in, it’s really interesting that Moon Juice has gone their own direction. The other thing I’ll cover off on here is the nutrition facts/macros. Here they are, using the vanilla flavor as an example:
Per Serving:
Calories 130
Total Fat 2g
Total Carbohydrate 7g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Protein 20g
NOTES: The macros are rather standard. It would be interesting to see the sugar content as well as the sodium (salt but honestly given how naked these formulas are, I wouldn’t expect there to be all that much in here. Moon Juice did certainly add plenty of protein per serving as well. 20 grams is right up there with the bodybuilding-style proteins.
One final note before we wrap this ingredients/formula section, is that Moon Juice uses primarily brown rice protein as the primary protein source. Now. I’m still learning about the pros and cons of the various vegan protein sources, but I’m pretty sure that pea, quinoa, and hemp are all generally considered as superior sources of protein than brown rice, which can often contain pesticides and contaminants. Just something to keep in mind.
I will give Moon Juice an overall formula score of 8/10 on the formula because I like how minimalist they are, and how creative they are with the adaptogens. Let’s move into flavors now.
What’s the Best Flavor of Moon Juice Protein?
I’ve tried all three flavors of Moon Juice Vegan Protein, including the funky ‘Blue Beauty’ variety. I can tell you which is my favorite and least favorite but first why don’t I describe each of them to you, starting with the vanilla.
Vanilla Mushroom: I know, it definitely doesn’t SOUND all that tasty, does it? And the fact is Vanilla Mushroom protein, well, DOES take some getting used to. Not because it tastes ‘like mushrooms’ or anything like that, but because the you really can taste a good deal of plant based material in here. I thought the texture could use some work as well. It’s a bit ‘gritty’ if you know what I mean…
Deep Chocolate: The Deep Chocolate flavor of the Moon Juice protein powder suffers some of the same downsides in terms of texture, but has a slightly stronger cocoa taste that is really a saving grace for this flavor. It could use a touch more sweetness, but I did come to actually enjoy this flavor.
Blue Beauty: How silly. I can’t believe that Moon Juice actually named a flavor of protein powder ‘Blue Beauty’! You are probably so curious to know what does Moon Juice Blue Beauty protein taste like, and I have to say, it is quite strange. It almost has a subtle citrus-berry taste to me. And then some other flavor that I just can’t quite place. It’s not bad, actually. I don’t know if I would want one of these every day, but really it’s not so bad.
The best flavor of Moon Juice Vegan Protein is the Deep Chocolate flavor. I know I know- you guys wanted me to pick the Blue Beauty flavor, but come on guys. It just isn’t that great. Lol. Overall I will give Moon Juice protein a flavor grade of 8/10. I have to re-iterate that across the three flavors, the texture is not ideal. But you know what IS ideal? Moon Juice’s branding and packaging.
Moon Juice Packaging is FANTASTIC.
Not just good. Not great. FANTASTIC. I seriously would lick the macbook of whoever designed the Moon Juice protein powders because it just rocks my world. The bottle materials and colors, combined with these kraft paper labels are just too much for me to resist. Together they conjure the most wholesome, healthful vibe. Coupled with the edgy, modern, almost mysterious vibe that the Moon Juice brand comes along with, this packaging is downright SEXY. It truly is. I can’t even get over it. The Moon Juice Vegan Protein branding is so perfectly presented. The fonts, the spacing, everything is SO nicely executed. I’m giving Moon Juice a straight up 10/10 on packaging. That’s right. A perfect score for this category. On that high note, let’s wrap this review up.
Moon Juice Protein Review Summary
The moon juice formulas vary by flavor, but include primarily brown rice protein accompanied by a handful of superfood/adaptogens. My favorite formula-wise is the vanilla mushroom because it contains the most additional superfoods
The three flavors of Moon Juice Vegan protein are all a little bit too chalky for me and all have their own distinct flavor profiles. To me, the Deep Chocolate Flavor is best, followed by the Vanilla and Blue Beauty. The Blue Beauty is as weird as it sounds
The Moon Juice packaging is simply phenomenal. There are no two ways about it. From the physical packaging elements to the label that adorns it, the Moon Juice team has absolutely perfected their protein from a packaging standpoint
FINAL SCORE: 8.9
The flavor, and high price point ($50 for just 15 servings) hold Moon Juice just slightly out of my ‘A’ range for a final score. But this is truly one of the most unique Vegan protein powders I have ever reviewed, and, if you’ve got the money, you should try it. If for no other reason than to keep the bottle on your shelf after it is gone.*
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