California Performance Co Vegan Whey Protein Review – Is it Legit?

I’m always looking for new ways to get in my protein. Since I’ve started taking Precision Nutrition’s L1 Nutrition Certification Course and working with my Stronger U coach, protein has become incredibly important in my diet.

When I heard about California Performance Co’s V-Whey protein powder I was intrigued. They claim they make the world’s first vegan whey protein – a dairy protein – that’s not only vegan but also lactose-free and gluten-free. I was really curious!

In this post, I’ll share what you need to know about California Performance Co’s new protein powder. Most importantly, is it legit?

California Performance Co provided me a sample of their protein powder however, all opinions are my own!

What is California Performance Co?

California Performance Co is a supplement company that has developed the world’s first animal-free whey protein…wait what?

When I first heard about them I was a little confused. How do you make a vegan whey protein? I knew there were vegan plant-based substitutes, but the ability to make a whey protein powder that was vegan was a whole new thing.

Whey protein is a dairy protein made from the whey that’s leftover when milk is curdled and strained. So how can you make a vegan version of that?

The team at California Performance Co has found a way to teach mini organisms, called microflora to create an animal-free milk protein. You can read all about the process here on their website!

Vegan Whey?

I’m going to leave it to the experts to explain how they make vegan whey. From California Performance Co’s website: 

“CPC’s Vegan Protein is made through a clean, cutting-edge process that uses the highest quality plant-based ingredients. Our world-class formulators have created a protein powder that is not only rich in taste and easy to digest, but also provides all of the essential amino acids needed to support performance and recovery.”

Their protein powders are also gluten-free and lactose-free.

They have a whole section of FAQs on their site that are really helpful and explain a little more of the science behind V-Whey.

Flavors Available

Currently, California Performance Co has the following flavors available:

Chocolate Brownie

Vanilla Sundae

Mixed Berry

All 3 of these flavors are their vegan whey blend and have similar macro breakdowns:

120 calories

1.5g fat

5g carbs

23g protein

What’s in It?

Inside the Chocolate Brownie V-Whey is:

Non-Animal Whey Protein, Cocoa Powder, Sunflower Oil Creamer, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Guar Gum, Gum Acacia, Xanthan Gum, and Steviol Glycosides.

My Review

California Performance Co sent over a bag of their Chocolate Brownie protein powder. I haven’t found a protein powder I’m overly loyal to, so I was excited to try this one!

The most important thing for me when choosing a protein powder is finding one that is primarily protein and minimal in carbs and fat. I’m not against carbs and fats; however, I find protein shakes generally don’t fill me up, so I like to save my carbs and fats for snacks. California Performance Co’s protein completely fits the bill for me. It’s 150 calories, with 23g protein, 5g carbs, and 1.5g fat (this is just for the powder – if you mix in anything other than water, your nutrition will change).

I opened the bag and went to make a shake when I realized the instructions didn’t mention how much liquid to add. In the past, I’ve found that with some protein powders, you had to be pretty precise with what you add in for liquid, so the first time I try a shake, I like to follow the instructions. With California Performance Co, this wasn’t the case.

So I decided to be a little conservative and use 10 oz of water with 1 scoop of powder (they have a scoop in the bag so you’ll be accurate with that part). I used a regular blender bottle and found that it was really easy to mix.

The drink itself was really good! I didn’t get so much of a brownie flavor, but it was more of a smooth chocolate flavor. The 10oz ended up creating the perfect texture and consistency for me – not too thick and not too runny and was really delicious! If you wanted to make it a little creamier, you could easily add it into a smoothie, or use a thicker base like almond milk instead of water.

I don’t have any issues consuming whey so I can’t really speak to the lactose-free claims but I can say after consuming I didn’t have any stomach issues and felt completely normal.

The only thing that kind of bugs me (and this is totally a personal preference) is that the bags are sold in 14-day servings instead of an entire month. This isn’t unique to California Performance Co, though, as a lot of protein powders are sold this way, but I prefer being able to a larger bag that’s going to last me an entire month.

Overall I would say I’m a fan of California Performance Co’s V-Whey Protein and recommend it! It’s a tasty protein shake that mixes really well and easily. It’s currently available for purchase on their site for $29.99 a bag (or $27.99 if you do a subscription), which comes out to be about $1.99 a serving. This is in line with other protein powders and bars on the market.

Final Thoughts

California Performance Co’s V-Whey Protein is an excellent protein powder option, especially if you’re looking for a lactose-free, gluten-free, and vegan protein powder. The chocolate flavor tastes delicious and mixes well, and the macros are great. The protein powder is priced similarly to other protein powders on the market, and you can even save a few dollars by signing up for a subscription. If you’re in the market for a new protein powder, I would definitely recommend giving California Performance Co’s V-Whey Protein a try!

Want to try California Performance Co’s V-Whey Protein? Click here to order!