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Plant protein blend calculator
Mix two protein powders and see how close the blend gets to whey for leucine and essential amino acids.
Short answer: Most plant proteins have less leucine and essential amino acids than whey, so you need more of them: about 37–40 g of pea, rice or soy protein to give the 2.7 g of leucine in 25 g of whey. Blending, such as pea with rice, evens out lysine and methionine.
- Leucine
- 2.2 g
- 25 g whey: 2.7 g
- Essential amino acids
- 8.8 g
- 25 g whey: 10.9 g
- Lysine
- 1.5 g
- 25 g whey: 2.3 g
- Methionine
- 0.3 g
- 25 g whey: 0.6 g
To match 25 g of whey you need about 37 g of protein from this blend for leucine and 37 g for essential amino acids.
- Pea protein: 21 g protein (about 27 g of powder)
- Brown rice protein: 9 g protein (about 11 g of powder)
Figures use measured amino acid content of protein isolates (Gorissen et al., 2018). Brands differ, and digestibility is not included, so treat this as a guide.
Why plant proteins need a bigger serving
Plant protein isolates contained 21–30% essential amino acids, against 43% in whey, and leucine ranged widely between sources (Gorissen et al., 2018). Eating a little more plant protein closes most of the gap.
Why blends help
Pea is low in methionine, and rice is low in lysine. Mixing them evens out the amino acids, because each fills the other's gap (Gorissen et al., 2018; Pinckaers et al., 2021).
What this calculator does not include
It uses measured amino acid content, not digestibility, so it is not a DIAAS score. Brands differ, so check your label for protein per serving.
Scientific sources
- Gorissen et al. (2018). Protein content and amino acid composition of commercially available plant-based protein isolates. Amino Acids.
- Pinckaers, Trommelen, Snijders & van Loon (2021). The anabolic response to plant-based protein ingestion. Sports Medicine.
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Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to your doctor or a health professional.