Orgain Organic Protein Plant-Based Nutritional Shake (Vanilla Bean): Nutrition & Labelgrade B- (74/100)
B- 74 / 100 — Very low saturated fat and very low sodium.
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Orgain’s Organic Protein Plant-Based Nutritional Shake delivers 16g of vegan protein for 230 calories in an 11 fl oz (330 mL) carton (USDA FDC 2339252). The protein is entirely plant-based — organic pea protein plus organic chia seeds, zero dairy, 0mg cholesterol — wrapped around 21 added vitamins and minerals and an organic fruit-and-vegetable blend. That makes it an organic meal-replacement shake, not a lean protein drink. It earns B- (74/100): the formulation is genuinely clean and the sodium and saturated fat are near-perfect, but 10g of added cane sugar and modest protein density hold it back.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C- | 57 / 100 | 16g protein across 230 calories — 4.8g per 100 mL. Adequate for a meal shake, thin for a protein shake |
| Ingredient quality | B+ | 80 / 100 | Organic pea + chia protein, organic cane sugar, monk fruit. Clean for the category; the long phosphate/gum premix and the cane sugar cap it below A |
| Saturated fat | A+ | 98 / 100 | 1g per carton — fat is mostly high-oleic sunflower oil and chia, not tropical oils |
| Sodium | A+ | 100 / 100 | 260mg per carton — low for a shelf-stable RTD, despite added sodium salts |
| Sugar | C | 60 / 100 | 10g, all of it added cane sugar — 20% of the FDA Daily Value in one carton. The weak point |
| Fiber | F | 34 / 100 | 2g per carton — modest, even with chia, inulin, and apple fiber on the label |
The honest read: this product is held back by a deliberate trade-off, not a defect. Orgain chose cane sugar over sucralose or stevia to protect its organic, additive-light positioning — and that choice is the entire gap between a B- and a B+. Protein density is the structural ceiling: at 16g for 230 calories, it can’t out-score shakes built purely around protein. Sodium and saturated fat, by contrast, are best-in-class for a carton you can leave in a warm pantry.
The organic trade-off
The differentiator here is the word organic — and it’s not marketing dressing, it’s USDA-certified end to end. Read the label and every food ingredient carries the “ORGANIC” prefix: the pea protein, the chia, the rice dextrin, the cane sugar, even the acai-beet-kale fruit-and-veg blend. That is genuinely rare in ready-to-drink protein, where most cartons lean on conventional whey or soy and synthetic high-intensity sweeteners.
The cost of holding that organic line shows up in two numbers. First, the 10g of added sugar: organic cane sugar is the only practical way to make a fully-organic shake taste like vanilla without sucralose, so the sweetness is real sugar, not a zero-calorie swap. Second, the C- protein density: organic pea protein is more expensive and less concentrated than conventional whey, so packing it to 30g+ per carton (as the dairy-based RTD leaders do) isn’t economical here. You’re paying calories and a grade for certified-organic, plant-based, soy-free, vegan status.
Where it fits — and where it doesn’t
Judge it against the right bar. As a dedicated protein shake, it underperforms: 16g of protein and 10g of added sugar can’t keep pace with the dairy-RTD field, which routinely ships more protein and near-zero sugar. If your goal is maximum protein per calorie, this isn’t the carton.
As an organic, vegan, fortified mini-meal, it makes real sense. The 16g of protein is roughly what’s in 52g of cooked chicken breast (about 1.8 oz) — but that comparison undersells it, because you’re also getting 28g of carbs, a multivitamin’s worth of micronutrients (iron at 5mg is 28% DV; calcium 150mg), and a fruit-and-vegetable powder, all shelf-stable. For someone who wants a clean, plant-based meal-on-the-go and accepts a little sugar for it, the value is the whole package, not the protein line alone. The shopper to steer elsewhere is anyone counting added sugar or chasing protein density.
Ingredients
The base is filtered water and Orgain’s organic protein blend — organic pea protein and organic chia seeds — sweetened with organic cane sugar and organic monk fruit. From there: organic rice dextrin and inulin for body and fiber, high-oleic sunflower oil and sunflower lecithin for fat and emulsification, a cluster of mineral salts (tripotassium citrate, tricalcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate) and gellan gum for stability, a 19-nutrient organic vitamin-and-mineral premix, and an organic fruit-and-vegetable blend (apple fiber, acai, beet, kale, raspberry, spinach, tomato, banana, blueberry, carrot). (Full list verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2339252, below.)
FILTERED WATER, ORGAIN ORGANIC PROTEIN BLEND (ORGANIC PEA PROTEIN, ORGANIC CHIA SEEDS), ORGANIC RICE DEXTRIN, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, ORGANIC NATURAL FLAVORS, ORGANIC HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, ORGANIC INULIN, TRIPOTASSIUM CITRATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, ORGAIN VITAMIN & MINERAL BLEND (SODIUM ASCORBATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, D-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, NIACINAMIDE, BETA CAROTENE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, CALCIUM-D-PANTOTHENATE, BIOTIN, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, COPPER GLUCONATE, ERGOCALCIFEROL, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMINE, SODIUM SELENATE, METHYLCOBALAMIN), SODIUM BICARBONATE, GELLAN GUM, ORGAIN ORGANIC FRUIT & VEGETABLE BLEND (ORGANIC APPLE FIBER, ORGANIC ACAI, ORGANIC BEET, ORGANIC KALE, ORGANIC RASPBERRY, ORGANIC SPINACH, ORGANIC TOMATO, ORGANIC BANANA, ORGANIC BLUEBERRY, ORGANIC CARROT), SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT EXTRACT.
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 carton (330 mL)
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 carton (330 mL)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 230 |
| Protein | 16g |
| Total Fat | 6g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 28g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g |
| Total Sugars | 10g |
| Added Sugars | 10g |
| Sodium | 260mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 150mg |
| Iron | 5mg |
| Potassium | 120mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Orgain Organic Protein Plant-Based Nutritional Shake (Vanilla Bean) (11 fl oz/330 mL) · UPC 851770003223. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Orgain Organic Protein Plant-Based Nutritional Shake (Vanilla Bean)?
16 grams per 1 carton (330 mL), from organic pea protein and chia seeds (USDA FDC 2339252). That's 4.8g per 100mL, or about 1.4g per fl oz.
Is this shake dairy or plant-based?
Fully plant-based and vegan. The protein is organic pea protein plus organic chia seeds — there's no milk, whey, or casein, and cholesterol is 0mg. Don't confuse it with Orgain's separate Grass Fed Clean Protein line, which is milk-based.
Why does it have 10g of added sugar when many protein shakes have zero?
Orgain sweetens with organic cane sugar (plus a touch of monk fruit) instead of sucralose or stevia, to keep the label organic and additive-light. That choice costs it 10g of added sugar per carton — 20% of the FDA Daily Value — which is the single biggest reason it grades B- rather than higher.
How many calories per serving, and how does that compare to the protein?
230 calories per 330 mL carton — 14.4 calories per gram of protein. For reference, plain cooked chicken breast is ~5.3 cal/g of protein and whey-in-water is ~5 cal/g, so this is calorie-dense for the protein it delivers (because it's a meal shake, not a lean one).
Is this a meal replacement or a protein shake?
It's built as an organic meal-on-the-go: 230 calories, 28g carbs, 21 added vitamins and minerals, and an organic fruit-and-vegetable blend. Treat it as a fortified plant-based mini-meal, not a low-calorie protein top-up.
Is it 'high in protein' under FDA rules?
Yes — 16g is 32% of the FDA 50g Daily Value, above the 20% threshold for a 'high in protein' claim. But at C- protein density, it's a low-ranking pass within the RTD-shake category.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-31, against Orgain's published label and USDA Branded Foods FDC 2339252. We re-verify top pages monthly and update within 7 days of a reformulation.